Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Masque of the Red Death

Author: Bethany Griffin

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 320

Rating: 5 Stars!

Team: AHH! I don’t want to choose but IF I HAD to...if it was a LIFE or DEATH situation...I’d pick Will. NO ELLIOT! No Will! Actually, I’d prefer the Red Death. I love both boys too much to choose! :P 

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.~Goodreads

I was not expecting to fall for Masque of the Red Death as hard as I did! I loved every page, every character and ever plot twist. This book was simply fantastic!

The world in which this story takes place is a dark one. Where death is a daily occurrence and rain is almost always on the downpour the whole book has this very eerie vibe to it. The setting and mood really played its own role throughout the whole story and i loved that!

I also really liked the main character Araby! She's a super compassionate character and she puts all of her emotions into every decision she makes (even when she tries not to.) She cares so deeply about everyone she knows and she’s not above giving out second chances. But she’s also extremely guarded and closed off. She puts up this front and tends to hide who she really is from others. So to escape not only the terrors of the outside world but also her inner struggles, Araby goes to local debauchery club on a regular basis with her friend April.

There, Araby meets Will and Oh. My. Perfection. He is everything you could ever possibly want in a fictional boy. Holy Gods. Jus...UNFF! (And that’s a technical term...) He has this unruly dark hair, a sly smile AND he’s all tatted up. *THUD* All of those glorious attributes make him totally mysterious, seriously sexy, and slightly dangerous.

Which makes it even more surprising when Will takes Araby back to his home. When she gets there, she learns that Will’s parents died from the plague leaving him to take care of his little brother, Henry, and little sister, Elise. And that was absolutely endearing to read about. He is so good to them and so protective that it made me want to cry. I could feel how much they meant to him through the pages. GAH! I just want to marry this boy. He’s completely charming and sweet and he’s someone that Araby really opens up to and starts to not only trust, but fall for as well. But, Will is not without faults...and I’ll leave that tidbit right there...

When Will’s not around another boy seems to always be close by...April’s brother, Elliot. *sighs* Oh, Elliot, you semi-insane stud with a hero complex, how could I not also grow attached to you too?  This boy has issues—major issues. Issues so deep that it seems almost impossible to get through to him. He’s arrogant and stubborn and selfish, but something about him drew me in. And it also drew Araby in as well.

When it comes to the boys in this book, picking a team is out of the question. The love triangle is done so amazingly well that I have no words as to describe its brilliance.

With an intense ending and no clear-cut future for Araby, I’m dying for more of her story! Masque of the Red Death is a stunning, seductive and incredible novel! I HIGHLY recommend it!