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 Summary
If you are a reader who loves dystopians, this is the ultimate. Author Bethany Griffin has created a world where you have to where a mask for fear of contracting a horrible disease that results in death. A world where your next-door neighbor or sister could disappear randomly without you knowing what actually happened is both terrifying and oddly exhilarating when you think of what it would be like to be one of the survivors.
The main character, Araby, had lost her brother early on in life and blames herself. She pledges never to experience anything that her brother never had a chance to. Although she may come off as a pleasure-seeker, Araby hides her loss behind a devil-may-care attitude. The reader will certainly want to shake her at times, but she is also a sympathetic character. There is a bit of a love triangle in this book. There is Araby's best friend, Alice's, brother and a boy who saves Araby from her drugged revelry. Both have been deeply affected by the Plague, but the two are very different. Elliot, Alice's brother, is ruthless, but he shows some weakness when it comes to Araby. Will is more of a white knight, the reader will have a hard time choosing who to root for.
The plot was fast-paced. The reader follows Araby through a Plague-stricken world, a world she could possibly affect for the better. Araby meets the "Prince" Prospero, Alice and Elliot's uncle, she realizes that things must change. The time she spends in his castle will introduce the reader to a whole new Araby; she matures throughout the book. The ending is both surprising and will leave the reader wondering about what happens next. Author Bethany Griffin manages to effortlessly combine both the steampunk and dystopian genres, mix the two with romance, intrigue, mystery, and action and produce an amazing book. This book is recommended to young adult/teen/adult readers.
5 Stars
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This is a book that's caught my interest for a while. Good review.