A review by Elizabeth Manthos
A review by Elizabeth ManthosVenice’s ballrooms, theatres, palazzos and squares are filled with delicious gossip, devilish fun and dangerous games. It’s Carnevale.
Set in 1750 in an age of decadence made famous by Casanova, Masquerade uncovers the secrets of seven teens, from the highest aristocrat to the lowest servant – their dreams, desires, loves, loyalties and…betrayals.
The glittering masked world is filled with people from all over Europe and every single one of them has a secret.
In all honesty, I have been waiting for this book since PTA Live Melbourne earlier this year. The minute I saw the cover and heard the blurb, I was hooked. I needed to have this book; I wanted to immerse myself in 18th Century Venice and find out the devilish secrets held in the pages. I devoured this novel in 2 days, nonstop reading the minute I opened the cover and heard the soft crack of the spine.
Kylie did Venice justice, the novel intricately woven to sweep the reader into the decadent lifestyle of the characters and make the reader feel as if they were walking through the Piazza San Marco, or on a gondolier traversing the winding canals, dressed to the nines complete with a delicate Columbina mask.
The characters were well written and their progression through the story amazed me, from timid Orelia to womanising Bastian and stony Veronica, all of them grew, even if it was a small amount. Especially characters whose character, by the end of the novel, was being questioned because you just couldn’t imagine them do what they did.
Masquerade was everything I hoped for, following seven teens throughout their adventures during Carnevale. My only qualm was the unanswered questions I had at the end of the novel and, although the novel finished like a standalone novel, there is a desperate part of me that wishes there is a sequel. All in all I loved this novel.
Format: Paperback, 350 pages
ISBN-13: 9780143571070
ISBN-10: 0143571079
Publisher: Penguin Australia
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