Bethany Griffin - The Fall
Bethany Griffin - Masque of the Red Death
Bethany Griffin - Handcuffs
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News
Starred Review for The Fall from School Library Journal
Starred Review for The Fall from Kirkus
 
Masque of the Red Death optioned for TV! 
Bethany Griffin's MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, pitched as a post-Apocalyptic reimagining of Poe's gothic horror story of the same name, in which a girl trying to escape everything holds not only her own life in her hands, but also those of two boys warring for her heart...and the fate of her crumbling society, to CBS Productions, with Gary Fleder and Mary Beth Basile producing, by Brandy Rivers at The Gersh Agency, on behalf of Michael Bourret at Dystel & Goderich.
Next Book Announced!
Look for The Fall- a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic 
The Fall of the House of Usher, Fall 2014 from Greenwillow! 
Praise for Masque of the Red Death 
Starred Review for Masque from Shelf Awareness

Bethany Griffin (Handcuffs) brings new life to Edgar Allan Poe's 1842 classic short story of the same name.

A plague known as the Weeping Sickness has devastated society, killing an untold number of victims. Survivors face a life in which corpse collectors make daily visits. The few wealthy citizens purchase porcelain masks that filter the diseased air and make it safer to breathe. As the daughter of a renowned scientist, Araby Worth lives a life of privilege and luxury. She and her friend April spend their nights at the famed Debauchery Club, where their brief escapes offer Araby respite from the guilt she feels over her twin brother's death. When Araby becomes entangled with two young men, her life becomes complicated by far more than romance. Her love triangle is surprisingly fresh: the rivals know of one another and both prove themselves alternately trustworthy and dangerous. Two revolutions loom, and everyone has an agenda. Trust is a luxury no one can afford.

Griffin's novel pays homage to Poe's story with Gothic overtones, and updates it with well-placed touches of steampunk. She specifies neither time nor place, so readers may experience the novel as a turn-of-the-century tale or a futuristic dystopia. To Griffin's credit, this makes her story more accessible, bridging across time. Thanks to Griffin's strong character development, none of the characters' motives are clear, and no one is predictable. In this world, someone who proclaims love is just as likely to murder as the one who seems aloof. --Kyla Paterno, retail coordinator and blogger, Garfield Book Company.

Discover: A dark homage to Edgar Allan Poe's story, in which safety and trust are relative, and the air itself is toxic.

Haunting and beautiful, disturbing and thoughtful, this is a book you’ll be thinking about well after the last page is turned.
Melissa Marr, New York Times Bestselling Author of WICKED LOVELY
 
Atmospheric, wonderfully layered and brimming with intrigue.  A most infectious read.
Kelly Creagh, author of NEVERMORE and ENSHADOWED.
 
Luscious, sultry and lingeringly tragic, this story has my heart. I can’t stop thinking about this tale of a broken world held together by corsets and clock gears. Araby’s voice stays with me even now, making me wary of the air I breathe.
Lauren Destefano, author of WITHER
 
Bethany Griffin’s Masque of the Red Death is gorgeous, compelling, and achingly romantic.
Suzanne Young, author of A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL
Masque of the Red Death nominated as an
American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults
ala.org/yalsa/bfya/nominations
Masque of the Red Death chosen for the Spring 2012 Indie Next List
news.bookweb.org
Masque of the Red Death is a Junior Library Guild Selection
www.juniorlibraryguild.com
Masque to be published in Poland
Polish rights to Bethany Griffin's MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH and DANCE OF THE RED DEATH, in which a girl trying to escape everything holds not only her own life in her hands, but also those of two boys warring for her heart...and the fate of her crumbling society, to Mag, by Renata Paczewska at ANAW Literary Agency on behalf of Lauren Abramo at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.
Masque to be published in Indonesia
Indian rights to Bethany Griffin's MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, to Bentang, by Erica Zhou at Big Apple Agency on behalf of Lauren Abramo at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.
Masque to be published in France
French rights to Bethany Griffin's MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH,
to Claire Deslandes at Bragelonne, in a two-book deal.
Masque to be published in Germany! 
German rights to Bethany Griffin's MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH,
to Goldmann, in a two-book deal, at auction, by Annelie Geissler at Mohrbooks 
on behalf of Lauren Abramo at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.
Masque to be published in the UK!  
Bethany Griffin's MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, in which a girl trying to escape everything holds not only her own life in her hands, but also those of two boys warring for her heart... and the fate of her crumbling society, to Gillian Redfearn at Indigo, in a three-book deal, by Kate McLennan at Abner Stein on behalf of Lauren Abramo at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.
Bethany Griffin's MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, a post-Apocalyptic reimagining of Poe's gothic horror story of the same name, in which a girl trying to escape everything holds not only her own life in her hands, but also those of two boys warring for her heart...and the fate of her crumbling society, to Martha Mihalick at Greenwillow Books, in a three-book deal, for publication in Summer 2012, by Michael Bourret at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (NA)
Reviews for Handcuffs

Parker Prescott is the younger sister of Paige Prescott, and this accident of birth order has pretty much defined her throughout her life. She is less pretty, less popular, less troublesome to her parents, who have wanted and needed to focus on their fiery blond firstborn and later on their only son, born after several miscarriages and with a blazing case of ADHD. Parker copes with what she feels is her lesser-than status by keeping her emotions under tight control, so when she meets a boy who challenges that control she is immediately drawn to him. The draw is so scary though, that she pulls away, or at least tries to. Her feelings keep bringing her back, and he is willing to take Parker on whatever terms she offers, though he prefers her sexy side. This is where the novel is complex, deliberately confusing, and psychologically original: the boyfriend is never given a name, and Parker’s suspicion’s of his infidelity or his interest in her as a prize rather than a person prove utterly unfounded. Instead, he passes every test and fields every mixed signal she throws at him. Meanwhile she finds that her impressions of a lot of things in her life have been colored by her sickly green outlook, from her sister’s perfection, to her blog-maligned position in the school hierarchy, to her parents’ ideas of who she is. Plot threads of the reputation-wrecking blog and her sister’s stalker-turned-savior keep the narrative line from being oppressively internal, but there is still a whole lot of navel gazing going on here; give this to fans of Sarah Dessen who like their main characters inwardly focused, their romances and family relationships complicated, and their endings happy.

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Griffin, Bethany Handcuffs, Delacorte 2008
Gr 9 Up–Parker, 16, is the quiet, reserved middle child between little Preston and golden girl Paige. So why is her ex-boyfriend unbuttoning her blouse and handcuffing her in her father’s study? Her parents walk in, ground her for life, and it all ends up on her ex-best-friend’s blog. The real problem, though, is Parker’s attachment to the boy. Character development is excellent, especially of the family. The descriptions of Parker’s ADHD brother are humorous yet tender, her mother is uptight but not a caricature, and Paige insults Parker as only an older sister can. The teen’s voice, too, is natural and steady. The ex-boyfriend, unfortunately, is flat in comparison. Though the point may be that Parker’s obsession has more to do with her insecurities than his charms, their lack of chemistry fails to drive the plot or engage readers. The side plots, about Paige’s alcoholism, a stalking neighbor, and the family’s money troubles, are much more interesting. Still, Parker’s sexual candor is refreshing; she states her desires in a way usually reserved for male protagonists. The author describes the new-media gossip mill and insular suburbia convincingly. There’s a lot going on in Handcuffs, but Griffin manages to tie the strings together clearly and cleverly to a satisfying conclusion.
Johanna Lewis , New York Public Library
GRIFFIN, Bethany. Handcuffs. 307p. CIP. Delacorte. 2008. Tr $16.99
ISBN 978-0-385-73550-6; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90529-9. LC 2007043849

Not a novel for young teens, Griffin's book grippingly recounts a teenager's obsessive love story. Her characters are vivid, and readers will ache right along with Parker. Solid subplots round out this great debut.

Summary: Parker is in love. But they're broken up...kind of. She aches for him, but she's confused. With her perfect married sister always hanging around, the vicious blog at school posting racy pics of her and her parent's money problems, it's no wonder Parker's having a hard time figuring it all out.

Romantic Times
gives Handcuffs 4 stars (compelling page turner)
"Handcuffs, one of the few hotly anticipated novels not in the immensely popular fantasy or horror fields, is debut author Griffin's tale of young passions, online spite and the secrets the youth of today are forced to keep. The Kentucky-based author has already received rave reviews, and with the success of television's "Gossip Girl" and "90210" this young adult should fit right into the mix...and has strong potential to lead the pack."
AM New York
Handcuffs listed as a Potential Star of 2009