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Heartless

Marissa Meyer (Goodreads Author)

4.05 · Rating details · 72,941 ratings · 14,403 reviews

Mucho antes de convertirse en el terror del País de las Maravillas; la Reina de Corazones era una chica que tan solo quería enamorarse…
Catherine es una de las jóvenes más deseadas de Corazones. Es la favorita del Rey. Pero ella quiere vivir bajo sus propias reglas y tomar las riendas de su vida.
Pero ¿a qué precio?
“Meyer combinó elementos de la oscuridad y de la luz; del ...more

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Paperback, 582 pages

Published March 11th 2017 by V&R Editoras (first published November 8th 2016)

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Average rating 4.05 ·

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· 72,941 ratings · 14,403 reviews

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Dec 22, 2016 C.G. Drews added it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, magical-fantasy, read-2016, retelling

It started off so so well with immense amounts of baking and the promise of the bizarre and creative nonsense that every Wonderland retelling should hold. But then...disappointment.

I had high expectations due to my love of the Cinder & Co and also because I'm a rabid lover of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland. Sadly, the only Wonderland story that's impressed me so far is Splintered. Everything else...meh meh. And Heartless falls into the puddle of squash too.

L I K E S:

•There is literally so much ...more

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Feb 16, 2016 Emily May rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016, fairy-tales, young-adult, arc

“These things do not happen in dreams, dear girl,” he said, vanishing up to his neck. “They happen only in nightmares.”
His head spiralled and he was gone.

This was so good. Meyer's writing and stories just seem to keep improving, and her latest foray into the world of Alice in Wonderland was exactly the right combination of prophecy, romance, Victorian-style female repression, and weirdness. It was unputdownable.

Also: I really really want macarons right now.

I mentioned this before, but I'm ...more

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Nov 08, 2016 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Cheshire’s yellow eyes slitted as he held her gaze for one beat, two. Then he began to unravel from the tip of his tail, a slow unwinding of his stripes. ‘These things do not happen in dreams, dear girl,’ he said, vanishing up to his neck. ‘They happen only in nightmares.’

Honestly, I didn't have high expectations for this book after reading the "...she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love" blurb. Fortunately, I was wrong. This book was great. Don't get me wrong, it was unexpectedly dark at some points, but it was also adowwwable because only a stone cold dead dying heart can resist the absolutely wuvable talking Cheshire Cat. Seriously, he was so cute. And apparently I do not have a stone cold dead dying heart.

It was magical, and adorable, and I really can't pull out any big fancy words so describe it, because "magical and adorable" describes it so perfectly, and yet it wasn't sickening sweet. It was just right.

I have to admit, I have never read Alice in Wonderland in its entirety. I've watched the movies, of course, but they weren't particularly memorable to me, and so I think that's what contributed to much of this book's appeal. Talking animals and magic everywhere, yet so commonplace that it feels like home.

The beginning of this book surprised me with its frothiness. There is a lot of baking in this book, and the beginning was the equivalent of a strawberry cream puff, it was so lighthearted that the gradual darkening and the development of Catherine (she who is to be Queen of Hearts) almost sneaks up on you.

She stared at the girl in the mirror, the one who looked as though she had never known a smile. Even as she had the thought, her reflection’s lips curled upward, revealing a delirious grin beneath her sullen eyes.

I can't say that this was the best book I've ever read. I feel like this was a very long book, and it could have been condensed without losing much of its content, and Meyer's writing style, while readable, is neither memorable nor special. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. ...more

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Nov 08, 2016 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own, favorites, young-adult, fantasy-all

Kindle US $2.99 today 11-27-17

OMG! I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND THE WHITE EDITION OF THIS BOOK TO GO WITH MY BLACK ONE AND WHAT A WONDERFUL SURPRISE TO FIND THAT IT CAME IN MY NOVEMBER OWL CRATE BOX! IN THE PICTURES I PLACED THE BLACK ONE NEXT TO THE WHITE ONE THAT WAS AN OWL CRATE EXCLUSIVE, JUST SO YOU COULD SEE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE TOGETHER! I LOVE THEM BOTH. ALSO GOT OTHER GOODIES IN THE BOX AS USUAL! YAY! OWL CRATE FOR GETTING THE SECOND COVER (white) AND ME GETTING IT TOO. LOL

Lets freaking do ...more

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Oct 23, 2016 Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, fantasy, retellings

Review/discussion: https://youtu.be/YSd8MDc98_0

Reread January 2017
Bumped rating up to 5 stars.
I decided to reread this in a 24 hour period because I want to write a paper on it (which is of course due in a couple of days). I loved it even more the second time around!

Original reading October 2016
4.5*
I loved this, but I did have a couple of issues. I was sent the audiobook to review (and do a giveaway on my channel soon!) from Macmillan so a big thank you to them! My video review will be up soon ...more

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Oct 24, 2015 Mikee Andrea (ReadWithMikee) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Now mine eyes see the heart that once we did search for, and I fear this heart shall be mended, nevermore.

A big thanks to Macmillan and Fierce Reads for giving me the opportunity to snag a beautiful box and ARC of Heartless at YallWest!

(Review will be posted once we are closer to release day)

Heartless was beautifully tragic. I have no words to describe just how broken this book has left my heart.

That ending... Ugh. HEARTBREAKING.

FANS OF THE LUNAR CHRONICLES:
Beware. You might have a new ...more

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May 02, 2016 emma rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: alice, owned, auto-buy-authors, reviewed, nope, 1-star, comments, couldn-t-wait-to-read, retelling, unpopular-opinion

UPDATE: I think...oh god...I think this book put me in a reading slump.
-------------------------------
At a certain point, I really have to start blaming myself. Do I have no idea of my own interests? Because I truly thought this would end up on my all-time favorites shelf, my first add to an as-yet-nonexistent 2017 favorites list. Is that not a fair expectation? After all, Alice in Wonderland is my favorite book, Marissa Meyer one of my favorite authors. This came in the best Owlcrate ...more

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Dec 23, 2015 Nat marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: arc

Source

This review contains *spoilers* for the first half of this book.

Heartless is an epic retelling of Alice in Wonderland, with the focus being on The Queen of Hearts.

All Catherine wants is to be declared the office tart baker of the kingdom. She and her best friend, Mary Ann, dream of launching their very own bakery. Even their friendship hit it off upon discovering one another's mutual love for food:

“One wouldn’t know it to look at Mary Ann, but she had an appetite to rival Cath’s own. ...more

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Sep 24, 2013 Gillian Berry marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: hardcopies-i-own, arcs-i-own, 2016, tbr-own

I REQUIRE THIS BOOK IN MY LIFE IMMEDIATELY.

Marissa's announcement

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Nov 10, 2016 Lola rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fairy-tales

Like many people, I hate the Queen of Hearts. But perhaps that is too strong of a word, seeing that she does entertain me. Still, I dislike her tremendously.

Which is why I needed to read this book. I needed to see what made the Queen of Hearts become such a blubbering, humourless, merciless and heartless terror.

The first chapters boggled my mind, before I got used to seeing Catherine Pinkerton being so pliable, understanding and simply GOOD. But you know what, life is different on everyone.

I ...more

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Jun 11, 2014 Natalie Monroe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtqia-if-you-squint, girl-squad, fabulous-five-stars, surf-n-turf, bittersweet-ending, taylor-swift-like-prose

4.5 stars

“When pleased, I beat like a drum. When sad, I break like glass. Once stolen, I can never be taken back. What am I?”

Slow clap for Marissa Meyer for another amazing fairy tale retelling. Looking at the blurb, it's hard to imagine Catherine, who just wanted to open a bakery and fall in love, would ever become the short-tempered, unpredictable Queen of Hearts we all know.

The transformation is incredibly well-done. You know it's coming, that there isn't a happily ever after, but that ...more

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May 17, 2018 Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

”It had been a hazy, beautiful dream, and in it there had been a hazy, beautiful boy. He was dressed all in black and standing in an orchard of lemon trees, and she had the distinct sensation that he had something that belonged to her. She didn’t know what it was, only that she wanted it back, but every time she took a step towards him he receded further and further away.”

And so it begins! The transformation of Lady Catherine Pinkerton of Turtle Rock Cove into the Queen of Hearts! When I started ...more

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May 19, 2016 Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-reads, fantasy, in-a-minority-here, young-adult, retelling, fairytales, buddy-read

With all due respect to the hatter, I am so mad, that's not even funny. That's what being trolled by a novel feels like, I guess. Above that, I am so, so disappointed. Indeed, it's no secret that my reading time has been seriously reduced over the previous months, making me wonder if I should stay on GR, because what's the point?! Heartless, though? It sounded so amazing that I made room for it, school and politics be damned. I wish I would have loved it, but apparently it wasn't meant to be. ...more

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Nov 13, 2016 Bibi rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Arrrgggh... I can feel the knives being sharpened. *gulp*

So, can we talk about this book first before you send the knife my way?

Heartless is an imagined prequel to Alice in Wonderland but with its main focus being the "Queen of Hearts", she of the famous "Off with their heads" quote.

Alice in Wonderland is a fantastical story written in 1865 by Lewis Carrol, who created the glorious dystopian world of Wonderland replete with a talking cheshire cat, a bumbling rabbit, knaves, Jabberwocks and

Arrrgggh... I can feel the knives being sharpened. *gulp*

So, can we talk about this book first before you send the knife my way?

Heartless is an imagined prequel to Alice in Wonderland but with its main focus being the "Queen of Hearts", she of the famous "Off with their heads" quote.

Alice in Wonderland is a fantastical story written in 1865 by Lewis Carrol, who created the glorious dystopian world of Wonderland replete with a talking cheshire cat, a bumbling rabbit, knaves, Jabberwocks and much more. I truly liked and enjoyed Alice in Wonderland; the book and the movie.

As this is my first Meyer book, I went into this with zero bias but with an expectation of getting, at the least, a fabulous intro to this best-selling author's work and at most, a thrilling account of the QOH's descent into madness. And yes, there is a good reason. A very tragic one, in fact.

So, who was the QOH? The book blurb -below- does a spiffing job of summarizing the story perfectly. Emphasis by me.

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend.....

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker.......... she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

Let's talk about the parts that were underlined.

One. (view spoiler)

Two. Desired by whom? (view spoiler)

Three. Gosh, I'd never wanted a pie so badly. (view spoiler) So, yes, mad props to Catherine for her baking skills.

Four. Jest. The mysterious Joker who mesmerizes Cath, both with his talent and his beauty. (view spoiler)

Meyer had taken enough literary liberties with this story and could have done so much more with Jest. So much more. (view spoiler) Their love was supposedly forbidden therefore I expected frothing emotions and escalating tensions. I wanted to feel that heart-pounding despair evoked by young and desperate lovers who could not exist without the other.

Had Meyer not spent more time invoking the spirit of the original AIW, had she not included any and every character from that book, Jest and Catherine may have had more time together building their longing for each other. Between the croquet matches; the uninteresting balls; Catherine's never-will-happen dream of opening a bakery; and the detailed descriptions of the aforementioned endless list of creatures; these two had less than 5 intimate moments. 5! In a book with 450+ pages!

Of the 450+pages, nearly 360 pages were nothing more than a retelling of the original AIW, the story only picks up momentum at the 80% mark but by which point,
I. WAS. FRIGGING. BORED. OUT. OF. MY. MIND.

(view spoiler) And thus, we finally are gifted with the whys of her apparent madness. Ultimately, Meyer does serve up a plausible accounting of the Queen's descent into madness, but like I said, during the entire journey to that conclusion:
I. WAS. FRIGGING. BORED. OUT. OF. MY. FRIGGING. MIND.

...more

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Nov 24, 2016 Melanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Melanie by: Mary

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, retellings, read-in-2016, magic, romance, favorites, subscription-box-owlcrate, signed

Heartless blew me away. If you've been following my reviews for a while, you will know that I wasn't the biggest fan of The Lunar Chronicles. Yes, I know, I can barely believe it either. So, I went into this book not expecting much, and maybe that helped, because this book blew me away. It surpassed every expectation I set for a five star book, and it was nothing short of perfection.

Also, regarding The Lunar Chronicles, Fairest was my favorite installment in that series, and the book I gave the ...more

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Oct 07, 2015 Simona Bartolotta rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: in-english, fantasy-and-co

4.5

"She would not allow fate to trick her out of this dream."

I almost didn't read this. I thought, Oh well, another retelling. It can wait. I've got more promising things to read at the moment. But when I saw how stunning this hardback was, the shallower half of me immediately decided she had to read it like yesterday.
Have I mentioned how much I love Shallow-Me?

•First of all, I think Marissa Meyer showed great wisdom in the choice of the story. Retelling the Queen of Hearts gave her the ...more

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Feb 17, 2017 maram ☂︎ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, babes-favs, romance

5 Red Roses

"A finely crafted hat makes a person ... bolder."

This is my first novel from Marissa Meyer and I have to say that I'm very happy with what I got. I pretty much went into it with no expectation. I only knew that it's somehow a retelling of Alice in Wonderland but really, it's the villain's story before she became the notorious Queen of Hearts and that was intriguing enough for me. Yet, Meyer managed to fill it up with a beautiful and fast-paced story that I was hooked from start to ...more

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Feb 29, 2016 Elena rated it really liked it · review of another edition

They were all a little mad, if one was to be forthright.

BUDDY READ WITH SUNNY, MY FAVORITE CHILD.

Okay so, it's a big surprise I enjoyed this. I knew I would simply because it's Marissa Meyer and she did not disappoint me with her Lunar Chronicles series, so I knew this would happen. Marissa is the only author that is able to write novels that captivate me from the very first sentence. To be honest, I dislike retellings a lot. I won't say I hate them, but we aren't very good friends. Every ...more

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Feb 10, 2017 Anne marked it as did-not-finish · review of another edition

Shelves: fairytale, retelling, read-in-2017, sleep-aid

DNF 53%
I almost never give up on a book, but...
Yikes. Um. Yeah, no.
Sorry this one just isn't for me. I tried. But, it was just too boring for my personal taste.
I should probably mention that I'm not an Alice in Wonderland fan. I've never read it, and I never plan to. In fact, I've never even made it all the way through the Disney movie. I know it's a classic and all, but even the animated version bores me.

description

I'm not saying this story is boring, just that it's boring to me.
Catherine is the ...more

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Sep 24, 2013 Tiea Martin marked it as to-read · review of another edition

ANOTHER BOOK BY MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE AUTHOR?!!!??

excited photo: SNL - Excited Trek fans gif STSNLTrekkiesExcited.gif

happy photo: giddy happy tumblr_m28xo63wlL1qcsgf4_zps492932a5.gif

happy photo: happy happy happyhappy_zps3861354c.gif

I NEED IT!
NOW.
TODAY.
AT THIS EXACT MOMENT.
~~NOT IN TWO YEARS.~~

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May 25, 2015 P rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

“Roses are red, violets are blue,
I would even trim my moustache for you!”

This book is magic. I could feel it everywhere when words were recounted, when songs were chanted and when hearts were broken. Other than that, the book made me giggle continually. Catherine has the great development since the beginning. Her character is played out an exact direction as a good girl constrained by traditions. And then she meets Jest, her heart is conveyed out of the path of marrying the King of Hearts. ...more

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Nov 30, 2016 Sophie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I cried.

IN DEPTH VIDEO REVIEW COMING SOON.

I... am speechless.

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May 26, 2015 Joelle (Throne of books) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-reviews

*3.5 stars*
Heartless by Marissa Meyer is an Alice in Wonderland prequel set long before the infamous Queen of Hearts was the terror of Wonderland. Back when she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

While being one of the most beautiful girls in wonderland and a favorite of the King of Hearts, as a talented baker all Catherine wants is to open a bakery with her best friend. Unfortunately, her parents such a dream is absurd for someone who could be the next queen.
Not reciprocating the    *3.5 stars*
Heartless by Marissa Meyer is an Alice in Wonderland prequel set long before the infamous Queen of Hearts was the terror of Wonderland. Back when she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

While being one of the most beautiful girls in wonderland and a favorite of the King of Hearts, as a talented baker all Catherine wants is to open a bakery with her best friend. Unfortunately, her parents such a dream is absurd for someone who could be the next queen.
Not reciprocating the Kings feelings for her, Catherine meets the mysterious yet handsome court joker, Jest, at the royal ball where the kind is to propose to her. Determined to define her destiny and fall in love on her own terms, she and Jest enter a secret courtship.

The first thing I want to clarify as most people seem to be confused on the matter, is that the Queen of Hearts and the Red Queen are not the same person. People often confuse the two but alas they are not the same. They're both evil Queens yes, but originally the queen of hearts was first introduced in Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's adventures in wonderland' the Red Queen was introduced in 'Alice through the looking Glass' I do believe all this confusion is due to the mispresentation of them in Tim Burton's popular movie adaptation.

That being said I want to thank Marissa Meyer for writing such a wonderful origin story to one of my favorite villains of all time. I am a HUGE fan of Alice in Wonderland. And I am an even bigger fan of villains. Getting to read Marissa's version of the Queen of Hearts' evil origin was incredible.

Catherine was on many levels, one of the most relatable characters I've ever read about. All she wants is to open up a bakery with her best friend Mary Anne. Baking pastries and delicacies is where her heart belongs. However, her parents want her to seize such silly dreams and focus on other appropriate acts for young ladies such as herself. That includes marrying the King of Hearts. Even though that is not what she wants, Catherine wants her parents disappointment even less. Catherine's parents are infuriating people. Not once do they stop to ask her if she is happy. Not once do they stop and consider that this might not be what she wants. Her mother, is biggest nightmare of them all. Refusing to speak of anything other than her future wedding and queenly status, she hurts Catherine with her words. She often chastised her for eating too much or even considering having another bite. Comparing her to a hefty animal.

Jest, the mysterious new court joker makes her feel -for the first time- what love really is. He is mysterious, handsome and captivating. She feels gers left drawn to him from the minute she first sees him, and something inside her starts to bloom.
   The romance between the two was something that stubbornly latched onto my heart and refused to let go until the very end when it consumed my heart entirely.
I tried not to get hopeful considering we all know how the Queen of Hearts ends up but try as I might, it was impossible.

The plot of the story is well known of course. Unfortunately the pacing was relatively slow for the majority of the book. However, as soon as I began the luscious writing pulled me into the story and I couldn't put the book down. I was drawn in completely. One thing Marissa can really do is write compellingly.

   While I can't discuss much else without spoiling the anything I do want to say that I was CRUSHED by the end. Heartless is such a good title for this book because that is exactly (not really!) what Marissa Meyer is for ruining me the way she did. I'm convinced she should write an Alice in Wonderland retelling because you have to admit, the woman can write one hell of a retelling. And of course, a villains' beautifully tragic origin story.

And the moment everyone's being waiting for (let's be honest here you're all waiting for it) the comparison to The Lunar chronicles. Yes, I know many of you want to know if it's better than her Lunar chronicles series and I'll get right to the point. It's not. In my opinion, it was not. The Lunar chronicles is a far better series and story. While heartless was very enjoyable, it was very slow paced and than RUSHED in the end. Of course, I believe this is due to the fact that it is a standalone. If it had been the beginning of a new series I don't doubt it would have been better paced and plotted out. I do still recommend you give this story a shot if you're a fan of Alice in Wonderland such as myself or if you love Meyers' other works. ...more

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May 13, 2018 Charlotte May rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, retelling-fairytale, tear-jerker

“These things do not happen in dreams, dear girl,’ he said, vanishing up to his neck. ‘They happen only in nightmares.’

This was great! In the beginning, I wasn’t sure - it was rather cutesy, and I found Cath slightly irritating.
But as I carried on, this book grew darker and darker! I loved being immersed in Meyer’s version of Wonderland, with many characters to be recognised; including the Caterpillar, the White Rabbit, the Hatter, March Hare, Doormouse, Cheshire Cat and even Mary-Ann for any ...more

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May 18, 2015 alexandra rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2016, macmillan

***FULL REVIEW ORIGINALLY AT www.twirlingpages.com!

marissa meyer twisted together a tale that is different, and yet familiar.

i had high expectations going on HEARTLESS. marissa meyer is one of my favorite authors and ALICE IN WONDERLAND is one of my favorite stories. naturally, the mix would be amazing. but this book is nothing like THE LUNAR CHRONICLES, and this story is not your ordinary retelling. i came to love the story and its characters, but i do have some minor complaints.

before ***FULL REVIEW ORIGINALLY AT www.twirlingpages.com!

marissa meyer twisted together a tale that is different, and yet familiar.

i had high expectations going on HEARTLESS. marissa meyer is one of my favorite authors and ALICE IN WONDERLAND is one of my favorite stories. naturally, the mix would be amazing. but this book is nothing like THE LUNAR CHRONICLES, and this story is not your ordinary retelling. i came to love the story and its characters, but i do have some minor complaints.

before beginning, i’d recommend going over a wikipedia of what the original ALICE IN WONDERLAND story consists of. i knew a small basis – alice follows a rabbit down a hole and ends up in wonderland – but i didn’t bother with the details. i always imagined wonderland as a sort of place with a plethora of mysteries yet to be discovered. and so, i didn’t remember or care for minor characters. lemme say this again: KNOW THE ORIGIN STORY. not only will it make the book more enjoyable, but you’ll also be less confused. for the majority of the book, i was confused. but i didn’t mind so much because that’s wonderland. marissa meyer wrote the novel in a style that made me feel as if i should already know the world, but i didn’t. there were also (of course) parallels between the original tale.

the writing style was really unexpected – and i loved it. everything from the characters to the setting to plot made the whole atmosphere feel so magical and wistful. i felt like i was IN wonderland and i was watching all the events string together. it took some getting used to – i was expecting something similar to TLC – but by the end i was in love. (and also drooling. don't read this book when you're hungry because the DESCRIPTIONS OF FOOD OMG. the main character is a baker and i just *sighs* I WANT THE FOOD.)

what bothered me slightly about this novel was the pacing. i had a hard time getting into it (see: confusion) and when i did, there’d be chunks of chapters that were so sloooooooooow. there wasn’t much going on, and i couldn’t see where the focus was, and then BAM last hundred pages had me clutching the book like it was a missing arm. suddenly, i realize i love all the characters and the plot clicks into place. BUT i do think the climax could’ve come earlier in the book because it went from snail’s-pace to sofastsofast. although when the climax was revealed, i was an emotional wreck. marissa meyer can be SO HEARTLESS sometimes. (pun intended)

HEARTLESS was a bit of a weird read for me. there were so many aspects i loved about the book – the characters, writing, plot, etc. – but the pacing and world threw me off. however, i also feel it’s partially my fault because i had expectations of what the story might be or “should” be. like wonderland, this book is not one you can predict. there are twists and tricks and turns and flips; so sit back, relax, and enjoy the story – because i’m sure you’ll have sympathy for the so-called evil queen of hearts by the end of the journey. ...more

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May 31, 2017 Aneela ♒the_mystique_reader♒ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, fantasy, favorites, young-adult, romance

My Rating:

Synopsis:

“It was impossible, and she absolutely believed it.”

Catherine Pinkerton lives in Hearts. She is the only daughter of Marquess and Marchioness. King of Hearts fancies her to be his wife and Queen of Hearts. But Catherine has other plans. The throne of Hearts does not appeal her. She is a baker at heart and has a dream of opening her own bakery where she could make delectables that no one has ever tasted. But that is not the only thing she dreams about.

Both her dreams ...more

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Dec 06, 2016 Drew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: retellings, romance, young-adult

“If ever I get married, I want there to be romance, and passion. I want to fall in love.”

4 1/2 stars. This book broke my heart. What a cruel ending. And yet, I saw it coming the whole time, which probably made it even harder to bear.

Oh my goodness, this book! I loved it so much and I think I'm in danger of becoming a hardcore Marissa Meyer fan. Like, I want to go to her house and demand she write a sequel. And bring a certain character back to life. *sobs*

Heartless is an ~~evil, torturous~~ ...more

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Jan 25, 2017 Dana Kenedy (Dana and the Books) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-release, netgalley, arc, young-adult, read-in-2017, fantasy, 2017-release

This review can also be found on my blog, Dana and the Books.

Marissa Meyer has recently become one of my honoured auto-buy authors. I read Cinder about a year and half ago, not really expecting much, and surprised myself by obsessing and devouring the rest of the Lunar Chronicles Booksin record time.

I read Alice in Wonderland tenyears ago and the Disney movie was one of my favourites when I was little. So, given that Heartless is an origin story for the Queen of Hearts written by Queen Marissa ...more

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Sep 26, 2013 Denisse rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5Marissa, you creative human being. I love you. But YA is no longer a genre I enjoy. Heartless has both respect for the source material and enough imagination to become something unique, as it has been the author style so far. But as any YA book, it leaves its most heavy plot lines to rest in the shoulders of young romance, which I have always found difficult to read. It is a good young adult story, with great characters and great ending and I cannot not recommend a Marissa Meyer. I enjoyed 3.5Marissa, you creative human being. I love you. But YA is no longer a genre I enjoy. Heartless has both respect for the source material and enough imagination to become something unique, as it has been the author style so far. But as any YA book, it leaves its most heavy plot lines to rest in the shoulders of young romance, which I have always found difficult to read. It is a good young adult story, with great characters and great ending and I cannot not recommend a Marissa Meyer. I enjoyed the read, nothing more.

Quería adorar el libro porque es Meyer pero,...no pude y ya.

A grandes rasgos les puedo decir que Meyer respeta mucho los detalles clásicos de Alicia en el país de las Maravillas, pero decide darse ciertos lujos con la travesía de su personaje principal quien debe ser o convertirse en la Reina de corazones. Es ahí donde para mí el libro falla. No se ve un cambio gradual en el personaje para terminar siendo lo que ya todos conocemos si no que de repente tiene un pique intenso hacia la locura que no es creíble si no apresurado. Me hubiese gustado que tuviera más coraje a la hora de escribir, como lo tuvo en Fairest.

Como cualquier retelling, es fácil caer en lo predecible. Pero con The Lunar Chronicles había esquivado muy bien ese aspecto y dar giros inesperados durante la trama. En este libro ni siquiera lo intenta. Y aunque los fans del clásico van a adorar ciertos pasajes, los fans de la autora se sentirán algo decepcionados.

De los puntos altos, como ya es costumbre en la autora, son las interacciones entre los personajes. Tiene unos diálogos muy agiles, divertidos e inteligentes para un YA y eso siempre me ha gustado de ella. La lectura es bastante fresca y ligera y no ahonda en cosas innecesarias. Si aún te van los romances y si aún no te aburren los YA, creo que Heartless será un buen libro para ti que te ayude a desestresarte cuando tengas mucha tarea o trabajo.

Aun así pienso seguir leyendo a la autora porque se cuál es su punto más alto y siempre esperare verla ahí de nuevo.

She imagined it over and over and over again. Off with its head. ...more

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Aug 15, 2019 ♡ ᴅ ʀ ᴇ ᴀ ᴍ ♡ (semi-hiatus) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-physical

4.5 / 5 stars

I’m heartless now because this book has just broken my heart

- Deducted 0.5 stars for my love-hate relationship with Catherine. - ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The Procrastinato...: Heartless (October 2019) Buddy Read Discussion - Hannah, Aless	7	6	Oct 17, 2019 12:52PM
Bookology: Buddy Reading: Heartless MODERATORS ONLY	3	2	Oct 11, 2019 05:35AM
All About Fantasy!: September BOTM 'Fairy Tales' Theme - Heartless	7	6	Sep 30, 2019 03:02PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Heartless by Marissa Meyer - Restarting July 15th 2019	199	356	Jul 23, 2019 05:44PM
Play Book Tag: Heartless by Marissa Meyer 3 stars	3	16	May 20, 2019 01:42PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Heartless by Marissa Meyer - GBR - Starting April 1st 2019	22	196	May 14, 2019 10:37AM

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About Marissa Meyer

Marissa Meyer

82,474 followers

I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my husband and beautiful twin daughters. Represented by Jill Grinberg. Learn more about me and my upcoming books at http://www.marissameyer.com.