Today, I am pleased to be hosting an official stop on the blog tour for The Fall by Bethany Griffin. Below you’ll find our review, then keep reading for your chance to win a pretty fantastic prize pack, plus check out other stops on the blog tour.
* * *
The Fall by Bethany Griffin is a chilling re-imagining of an Edgar Allan Poe classic, “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Chronicling the isolated life of Madeline Usher, The Fall shows her unavoidable spiral into madness — haunted as she is by the eerie presence within her family home. The same presence that has haunted the Usher family for generations.
This is not Griffin’s first time drawing inspiration from Poe, and her expertise shines through her mastery of the Gothic horror genre. The Fall is a truly terrifying story; Griffin’s prose oozes with horror and spine-tingling chills. (It’s truly a perfect read as we approach Halloween). Reading the book at night made every creak and other innocent nocturnal sound seem suspect, even with my husband snoring in bed beside me!
But this is not simply horror for horror’s sake. The strong literary influence of Poe’s work shines through as Griffin weaves her own inspired tale of the house of Usher. Though the book is packed with creep factor, the story illustrates a story of madness, and Madeline’s determination to escape her family curse. It’s a truly captivating struggle, and the psychological aspect of her story is what sets this above your typical horror story.
At times both chilling and seductive, The Fall is a story that Poe himself would be proud to see published. Look for it in stores October 7th.
* * *
Title: THE FALL
Author: Bethany Griffin
Pub. Date: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 432
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads
Madeline Usher is doomed.
She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.
Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house.
In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down? The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.
About Bethany:
Bethany Griffin is a high school English teacher who prides herself on attracting creative misfits to elective classes like Young Adult Literature, Creative Writing, and Speculative Literature. She is the author of HANDCUFFS, MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, DANCE OF THE RED DEATH, GLITTER AND DOOM, and THE FALL. She lives with her family in Kentucky.
Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads
Giveaway Details
1 Grand Prize- A Poe Prize Pack with a Raven Scarf, Necklace, Candle, and a signed hardcover of THE FALL and a signed bookmark! (US Only)
3 Signed Hardcovers of THE FALL and signed bookmarks (International)
Enter by filling out the Rafflecopter form HERE!
The Fall Blog Tour Tour Schedule:
- 9/29/2014- Bookish– Interview
- 9/30/2014- A Glass of Wine– Guest Post
- 10/1/2014- Stories & Sweeties– Review
- 10/2/2014- Novel Novice– Review
- 10/3/2014- Burning Impossibly Bright– Interview
- 10/6/2014- Fiction Freak– Review
- 10/7/2014- Once Upon a Twilight– Guest Post
- 10/8/2014- WinterHaven Books– Review
- 10/9/2014- Fiktshun– Interview
- 10/10/2014- Two Chicks on Books– Guest Post
Novel Novice 
Very excited for Bethany’s newest book. I’ve really enjoyed her first two Poe-inspired stories–Masque of the Red Death and Dance of the Red Death!
I really enjoyed Ms. Griffin’s version of Poe’s ‘The Masque of the Red Death,’ and I’m sure this will be creepy and fun to read!
I just read the Poe story in my Brit Lit class! =) This sounds fascinating.
Poe has always been one of my favorites! This sounds like a great read.
I loved Masque of the Red Death, so I’m really excited for The Fall.
The Fall sounds very interesting, and I can’t wait to read it!
Thank you Bethany for writing this book! I can’t wait to read it and that prize pack sounds amazing! Yay Poe!