Masque of the Red Death

This gothic adventure reimagines Poe’s classic story of the same name as a full-length YA adventure. The world has been devastated by the Weeping Sickness, a disfiguring and often fatal disease staved off only with specialized masks and obsessive preventive measures. The rich hide in their towers and party in the notorious Debauchery District, the poor scrape by, and the despotic Prince Prospero rules with an iron fist. Araby, the 17-year-old daughter of the mask’s inventor, is traumatized by her brother’s death from the plague, hiding from her feelings while partying. When she meets Elliott, the prince’s nephew and a would-be revolutionary, and Will, who works at her favorite club, Araby must choose her destiny and follow her heart, while a new disease rages and the city burns. Griffin (Handcuffs) delivers a seductively dark, decadently disturbing look at a society crumbling from within and without, infused with a romantic, steampunk air and Poe’s own morbid sensibilities. Themes of science and faith weave through a story that draws from Poe’s original while standing assuredly on its own. Ages 14–up. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (May)