Release Date: April 24th, 2012
Genre:  Romance, Dystopia, Post-Apocolypse
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 320
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Blurb: What a great atmosphere. Never once did I imagine the sun shining, even when the characters said "the sun was shining."

Review: This book was an interesting beast. I'm a HUGE Poe fan. I own a gilded collection of his most famous works. I adore him. So I was really excited for this book! And it didn't disappoint. Griffin has an amazing ability to create an incredibly dark atmosphere. I never once imagined the sun shining while reading this book. Even when the characters would say "the sun shone on his hair" or something, I would picture storm clouds and darkness. That's some writing ability. And the little Poe Easter eggs made me squeal with delight.

However, like Poe's original tales, the characters seem to be secondary to the plot. I couldn't relate with Araby AT ALL. She was just too wishy washy. I've never experienced guilt like she has, which may be why I couldn't relate to her. And the fact that she self-medicated her guilt with drugs and alcohol... not my favorite thing. And the two love interests just confused me. Yes, I said TWO love interests. There's a love triangle, brace yourself 'cause it's a doozy (mainly because I didn't like EITHER guy by the end, and I don't think you're supposed to).

BUT, I still loved the world of the book. And in this case, that will be enough to bring me back to the next one. All in all Masque of the Red Death kept me twisting and turning and looking for more. Griffin says that the real action from the ORIGINAL "Masque of the Red Death" comes in the sequel to this book, and I can't wait!

Other Reviews:

• Good Choice Reading (Loved it!)
• Emily's Reading Room (It was okay)
• So Many Book, So Little Time (Didn't like it)

 

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.