Masque of the Red Death - Bethany Griffin
3.5It's been a long time since I've read Poe's version, but I enjoyed this retelling. It's every bit as gloomy and depressing as Poe's work.The characters are great. There's so much more to them than meets the eye. Araby is full of grief, and refuses to allow herself any moments of happiness. Will is sweet despite his hard exterior as a bouncer. I wanted to dislike Elliott so bad. He comes off as a total d-bag, but he's a man of many layers.Honestly, the first half of the book was lacking for me. Everything seems to be moving along very slowly, and there are parts that I felt are choppy. The world building is amazing. I felt as though I was in the plagued streets. The last quarter of the book was strong. There were moments of wtfery and shock. I'm stoked for the sequel to come out. Thank goodness I don't have to wait long until the release date.