Review: Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

"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 around them. So what does Araby Worth have to live for? Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . 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 is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does. And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for—no matter what it costs her."

Imagine a city where everyone lives in fear -- fear of losing a loved one, fear of contamination, fear of any form of human contact or emotion. Imagine a place where the wealthy live their lives sequestered in towering penthouses, while the less fortunate are forced to live in filth and are exposed daily to the dangerous disease that nearly wiped out the city's population. If you can imagine such a place, then you can glimpse the kind of life that Araby Worth has been forced to live. The daughter of the scientist who developed the masks that the fortunate wealthy now wear to protect themselves from disease, Araby is one of the lucky people in the city. Not that she feels fortunate at all. Because the life that she lives now was bought with a price that she was never willing to pay and, after paying that price, she wants nothing more than to forget it all. Until she meets Will, and then Elliott. Both men have secrets that they keep from her, but that's okay. Because she has her secrets, too. But when these secrets are shared, Araby may find that one thing that she needs to live -- and fight -- for, no matter how great the cost is. What transpires within the pages of Masque of the Red Death is a story that draws you in and refuses to let you go, even after you've reached the novel's end. 

I rate this book: 

This book completely blew me away! There really is no other way to describe it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book -- so much so that, by the time I reached the end, I was bewildered that there wasn't more for me to read. Many times, when readers describe how it feels to read a good book, they say that they feel like they've been transported to another world. This statement could not fit my feelings while reading Masque of the Red Death any better. The plot of this book was so immersive that it left me craving more the instant I'd read the last page. I couldn't get enough of the characters, the scenery, or the plot itself. I wanted so desperately to know what would happen next, and was slightly saddened to realize that I had indeed reached the end of the book, because that meant that I wouldn't be able to keep reading about the characters that I'd grown to love so much while reading through their struggles and triumphs. I would encourage each and every one of you guys to pick this book up. If the magic of the book is as successful with you as it was with me, then you won't be able to put it down -- even after you've finished it! 

Bethany Griffin is a high school English teacher who prides herself on attracting creative misfits to elective classes like Young Adult Literature, Creative Writing, and Speculative Literature. She is the author of Handcuffs and Masque of the Red Death. She lives with her family in Kentucky.