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quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
Everything is in ruins.
A devastating plague has decimated the population. Those who survive 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 so many tantalising ways to escape from it all.
But in the depths of the Debauchery Club, Araby is going to find more than oblivion. He’s called Will, the handsome, secretive proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is quite 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 here.
In an unnamed city whose population has been decimated by the Weeping Sickness, Araby Worth and her best friend April seek oblivion each night at the Debauchery Club where every experience is available to those with the power or money to get in.
The Club belongs to April’s brother Elliott. Smart and arrogant, Elliott plans to rebel against the city’s cruel ruler Prince Prospero and needs Araby to spy on her father, a famous scientist who developed the masks that people wear to avoid contracting the Weeping Sickness and who is working on a cure. At the same time Araby finds herself getting close to the quiet and mysterious Will who works as the Club’s manager and who is infamous for never becoming involved with the Club goers.
When Prince Prospero takes an interest in Araby and her family, oblivion is no longer an option. Forced to engage with an increasingly dangerous world, she must quickly work out her place among the players and in doing so, discovers that some things are worth living for ...
Bethany Griffin’s YA novel is a gothic, steampunk-style reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic story. Having enjoyed Griffin’s debut YA novel HANDCUFFS and being a fan of Poe, I was looking forward to this but perhaps my expectations were too high. Although Griffin skilfully depicts a city shattered by plague, the story lacks drive with the characters constantly reacting to events rather than shaping them.
Araby was way too passive for me. Her reasons for seeking oblivion seemed flimsy and lacked emotional resonance while her refusal to engage with anything left me irritated. For example, she never asks the questions that she should, which is particularly frustrating in the context of her relationship with her mother and father.
Eliott and Will are each underdeveloped and I never understood their interest in Araby. Similarly Prince Prospero is a two-dimensional and unthreatening villain. April disappears for a large chunk of the book but no one shows any interest in finding her.
I enjoyed the steampunk elements (including steam carriages) and the plague-inspired fashion, which put an interesting spin on 19th century couture. However, the different political factions within the city are underdeveloped and the war between religion and science too simplistic (with a twist that was telegraphed far too early).
Ultimately, I’m not interested in reading the sequel but I would check out Griffin’s next book.
The Verdict:
Bethany Griffin’s YA novel is a gothic, steampunk-style reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic story. Having enjoyed Griffin’s debut YA novel HANDCUFFS and being a fan of Poe, I was looking forward to this but perhaps my expectations were too high. Although Griffin skilfully depicts a city shattered by plague, the story lacks drive with the characters constantly reacting to events rather than shaping them. It particularly suffers from a passive main character, while the inevitable YA love triangle left me bored. Ultimately, I’m not interested in reading the sequel but I would check out Griffin’s next book.
Thanks to Gollancz for the free copy of this book.
A devastating plague has decimated the population. Those who survive 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 so many tantalising ways to escape from it all.
But in the depths of the Debauchery Club, Araby is going to find more than oblivion. He’s called Will, the handsome, secretive proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is quite 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 here.
In an unnamed city whose population has been decimated by the Weeping Sickness, Araby Worth and her best friend April seek oblivion each night at the Debauchery Club where every experience is available to those with the power or money to get in.
The Club belongs to April’s brother Elliott. Smart and arrogant, Elliott plans to rebel against the city’s cruel ruler Prince Prospero and needs Araby to spy on her father, a famous scientist who developed the masks that people wear to avoid contracting the Weeping Sickness and who is working on a cure. At the same time Araby finds herself getting close to the quiet and mysterious Will who works as the Club’s manager and who is infamous for never becoming involved with the Club goers.
When Prince Prospero takes an interest in Araby and her family, oblivion is no longer an option. Forced to engage with an increasingly dangerous world, she must quickly work out her place among the players and in doing so, discovers that some things are worth living for ...
Bethany Griffin’s YA novel is a gothic, steampunk-style reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic story. Having enjoyed Griffin’s debut YA novel HANDCUFFS and being a fan of Poe, I was looking forward to this but perhaps my expectations were too high. Although Griffin skilfully depicts a city shattered by plague, the story lacks drive with the characters constantly reacting to events rather than shaping them.
Araby was way too passive for me. Her reasons for seeking oblivion seemed flimsy and lacked emotional resonance while her refusal to engage with anything left me irritated. For example, she never asks the questions that she should, which is particularly frustrating in the context of her relationship with her mother and father.
Eliott and Will are each underdeveloped and I never understood their interest in Araby. Similarly Prince Prospero is a two-dimensional and unthreatening villain. April disappears for a large chunk of the book but no one shows any interest in finding her.
I enjoyed the steampunk elements (including steam carriages) and the plague-inspired fashion, which put an interesting spin on 19th century couture. However, the different political factions within the city are underdeveloped and the war between religion and science too simplistic (with a twist that was telegraphed far too early).
Ultimately, I’m not interested in reading the sequel but I would check out Griffin’s next book.
The Verdict:
Bethany Griffin’s YA novel is a gothic, steampunk-style reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic story. Having enjoyed Griffin’s debut YA novel HANDCUFFS and being a fan of Poe, I was looking forward to this but perhaps my expectations were too high. Although Griffin skilfully depicts a city shattered by plague, the story lacks drive with the characters constantly reacting to events rather than shaping them. It particularly suffers from a passive main character, while the inevitable YA love triangle left me bored. Ultimately, I’m not interested in reading the sequel but I would check out Griffin’s next book.
Thanks to Gollancz for the free copy of this book.
