Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Masque of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death, #1)

by Bethany Griffin

In this twist on Edgar Allen Poe's gothic short story, a wealthy teenaged girl who can afford a special mask to protect her from the plague that decimated humanity in the mid-1800s, falls in love, becomes caught up in a conspiracy to overthrow an oppressive government, and faces the threat of a new plague.

Reviewed by Chelsea on

3 of 5 stars

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Starting this book I was really excited. A lot of dystopia books are pretty much the same and I was glad this one was different. I shouldn’t have gotten excited too soon.

I was a little concerned that the book wasn’t an original thought, instead it’s based on a short story by Edgar Allen Poe. The plot wasn’t too bad. There was a typical love triangle between the main character Araby, the rich prince’s nephew and the hard-working poor dreamy guy. Of course. So my problem wasn’t with the plot.

My problem was the characters. I couldn’t relate to anyone and usually that means I’m not going to enjoy the book. Araby is just so stupid. A handsome guy that she has never met before asks her to steal from her father. And guess what? She does. Why is she so stupid? I had no sympathy for her at all! She betrays her family the first moment she can! She never even trusts the guy that she’s helping.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 13 July, 2013: Finished reading
  • 13 July, 2013: Reviewed