Parents' Guide to These Vicious Masks

Violence & Scariness

Characters are abducted and assaulted; Evelyn is attacked by would-be rapists. Several people wind up dead. One character's unwanted magical power is that he causes everyone near him to sicken and die. A mad scientist tortures and kills his victims for "the greater good." Characters who show unusual powers are sometimes imprisoned or sent to insane asylums.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Narrator Evelyn has two swoony guys to deal with and shares swoony kisses with each of them: "Before I understood anything, a rough, large hand brushed my chin, my face tipped upwards, and his mouth caught mine, and suddenly my entire body was on fire ... I felt the world pass between our lips, tasting champagne, hunger, and something indefinably darker, while his hand ignited sparks down my cheek to the nape of my neck."

In one scene, she's obliged to use her magic healing power on a hunky "strange, half-naked man in his bedroom." One of her expeditions takes her to a London establishment that, depending on whom you listen to, is either a dance hall or a brothel, but there's no explicit sexual activity; observing a madam at work there, she's struck by the similarity to society matchmakers. Kidnapped Rose has an obsessive suitor.

Language

One "goddamn" and a lot more "hell" and "damn" than would enter the speech of a Victorian lady. "S--tty" and "weird-ass" pop up in the author interview at the end of the book.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Evelyn, who's old enough to have had her debutante "season" in London, drinks both wine and beer, as do other characters her age and older. Her adventures often take her to the seamy side of town, where drunks are always plentiful, sometimes violent, and often disgusting.

Products & Purchases

These Vicious Masks launches a new series and a new imprint, Swoon Reads. An author interview and a sample from another Swoon Reads release are included.

Positive Messages

Strong messages about loyalty to your loved ones, as well as courage and creative thinking when it comes to protecting them. Ongoing theme include what lurks behind the cloak of socially respectable behavior and what happens when people are more concerned with appearances than with righting wrongs.

Educational Value

The story is specifically set in 1882 London, but in a magical tale, historical accuracy isn't the strong suit. There are plentiful references to Lord Byron (who died in 1824 but seems to be a pop culture hero in this book's world), and characters see a performance of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Darwin's recently published theory of evolution plays a role in the plot.

Positive Role Models

Narrator Evelyn is feisty, brave, headstrong, and prone to the sort of screamingly bad decisions seen among teens in horror tales, but everything she does is driven by her determination to find her kidnapped sister, Rose, and get her to safety. Rose, who disappears early on and appears mainly in flashbacks or dreams for much of the story, is a kind, compassionate healer who's loved by almost everyone -- and has a clear sense of who she is and what she wants from life. The two male leads, Mr. Kent and Mr. Braddock, vie with each other to help Evelyn find Rose in increasingly dangerous situations -- but also make it clear that they have their darker sides. Several supporting characters, e.g., Evelyn's former governess, Mr. Kent's sister, a woman Evelyn cures, and the butler Tuffins, offer help and entertainment value amid the suffocating, hypocritical respectability of polite society. Betrayal is common, and it's hard to know whom to trust.