Masque of the Red Death

Author: Bethany Griffin 
Series: Masque of the Red Death #1

Genres: Steampunk, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy.

Publisher: Harper Collins

Released: April 24th 2012

Summary: Courtesy of goodreads.com 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.

For Fans Of: For Darkness Shows the Star, Hemlock, Black City, Article 5, and The Infernal Devices

My Review: This was quite a wonderful read. I read it in about 4 hours because I had to finish it! I loved the steampunk style added to the dystopian themed plot. At first it bothered me because I couldn’t figure out when this story took place. I thought maybe it was in modern times, but as I read on, I figured maybe it was more of a Victorian age setting because of the dresses the girls wore and how the men carried walking sticks, how they used to ride horses but now the rich drive in steam carriages. It was slightly confusing but I quickly got over it. The plot and the characters pulled me right in instead.  I just really liked the setting and the plot of the story. That’s why I liked it so much. I was also torn between Will and Elliott. Will, at first glance was the mystery heartthrob who was going to sweep Araby off her feet. I was rooting for him. Elliott was the jerk, who wanted to save the world and only wanted Araby to help him. I was not a fan. So yes there is this love triangle that gets really twisted. Twisted because both boys can’t be trusted. This love triangle reminded me of Catherine, Mr. Henry Tilney and John Thorpe from Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, like a lot.

Definitely a good read.