Book Thoughts: Masque of the Red Death

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

Not gonna lie, I totally judged this book by its cover. But seriously, isn't the cover pretty? Anyway, the title (Poe!) and the lovely cover are why I decided to read it, but the story proved fascinating.

In a world ravaged by disease and death, masks are a status symbol as well as a health necessity: the wealthy can afford masks that will filter the airborne germs out of their air. Araby, daughter of the inventor of the mask, is set - living in safety, protected by a mask, and content with a practically royal best friend who can get her into all the best masks-only clubs.

But there's more to the world than meets the eye. I don't want to say too much more for fear of spoilers, but Araby discovers some secrets about the masks and the people who live without them -- like Will, who works at the club -- and those who may have even darker plans -- like Elliott, the off-limits brother of her best friend.

I don't feel like my summary has done it justice. At any rate, I think it's definitely worth a read! Dark and eerie with a great cast of characters that left me wanting the sequel.

Book Thoughts: Nevermore

Title: Nevermore
Author: Kelly Creagh
Series: Nevermore #1

My thoughts about Nevermore are incredibly mixed. At first, I hated it. I thought Isobel was an idiot and the story was too predictable and stereotypical and there were things that just didn't make sense. By page ten, I was ready to put it down. Isobel was freaking out about how long a ten-page assignment is by comparing it to the Gettysburg Address - a document known for its brevity - and she and her friend were talking about "oh my gosh he wrote on your skin" as if that were something horrible and evil. Maybe it's just the culture of the school I go to, but ten pages in a month isn't something to freak out about and writing a phone number on a hand to get in touch for a project is pretty normal.

I didn't understand how this book had gotten such rave reviews from so many people - it frustrated me. But I decided to give it to page fifty, just to be fair. After a little bit more reading, I glanced down and realized I was on page 128 and not at all ready to stop reading.

The writing sucked me in. Despite the fact that Isobel is someone that in real life I would probably dislike, I had to respect her - she stood up for what she loved (cheerleading and wearing pink and looking nice) even when she was being picked on, and she stood up for what she thought was right (not picking on Varen) even when her friends and boyfriend weren't on her side. She's a strong character in that regard. And I loved Varen. A lot. And then, of course, there's the story.

Some of it took a while to make sense. I felt like the drama with Brad and Varen was kind of way over the top. But in the story world, all of it worked. I loved the Edgar Allan Poe influences, the creepiness, the mystery, the relationships between Isobel and her family and Varen (even if the dynamic between Isobel and Varen did sometimes seem unlikely), I adored the character of Gwen, I just loved reading Kelly Creagh's writing. I was completely sucked into what was going on and, once I finally got into it, I barely put the book down until I finished. Despite my frustrations, there's a lot about this book that I really love.

So, basically - I encourage you to read this book. If the beginning frustrates you, do not despair, it does in fact get much better. I still have my problems with some of it, but I was drawn into it and loved it anyway.