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Heartless

Marissa Meyer

Start date: January 1, 2021

Finish date: January 31, 2021

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What Members Thought

Apr 18, 2018 Emma rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya, fairy-tale-re-tellings

This was clever and very good but I was thoroughly annoyed by Catherine’s indecision and lack of assertiveness (until too late). Even though her situation and circumstance was obviously a part of the author’s talent and skill, it made me so frustrated.
On the other hand- Poor Cath: to have your dreams so thoroughly dashed, to have your heart broken, to struggle against the norms and expectations of (Victorian) society...awful.

18 likes · Like · see review

Aug 08, 2021 TheYALibrarian rated it liked it

Shelves: meh, books-i-own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Rating 3.5 Stars

First review in months so forgive me if it's a little rusty my brain is having a hard time remembering how I did this sort of thing.

I have a lot of mixed feelings when it came to this rendition of the Queen of Hearts. Meyer is really skilled at weaving a new take on fairytales and this one wasn't as unique or masterful as The Lunar Chronicles but it did have a few things going for it.

Lady Pinkerton aka Catherine or Cath is a well bred lady who has caught the eye of the King of He Rating 3.5 Stars

First review in months so forgive me if it's a little rusty my brain is having a hard time remembering how I did this sort of thing.

I have a lot of mixed feelings when it came to this rendition of the Queen of Hearts. Meyer is really skilled at weaving a new take on fairytales and this one wasn't as unique or masterful as The Lunar Chronicles but it did have a few things going for it.

Lady Pinkerton aka Catherine or Cath is a well bred lady who has caught the eye of the King of Hearts. But Cath does not want to marry and instead open a bakery with her ladies maid and friend Mary Ann. But high born ladies do not open bakeries and bake according to society and her overbearing parents. She is forced to go to the ball and accept the King's proposal if he asks. But it is interrupted by the new court joker's performance and Cath is immediately enamored by him. His name is Jest and Cath begins to dream about him and can't seem to stop thinking about him as she sees him more and more for she is forced to be courting with the king. There is also the matter of the attacks by this creature called the Jabberwock that is terrorizing the kingdom and Cath faces the creature at a night at the theatre with the king and at the Hatter's tea party. She is injured and Jest whisks her away to heal her and the now both realize they love each other and Cath can't go through with marrying the king. But Jest is branded a criminal once they return and Cath's parents lock her away and forbid her from ever seeing him again. Cath won't let that happen and steals away with Jest to go live with him in his world for she now knows he is a rook to the white queen in a different world where they can be together. To get there they must be granted passage by the creepy sisters that live in the well. They share a prophecy with Cath, Jest, and Hatter that shows Jest's demise, Cath as the queen of hearts, and Hatter going mad. Desperate to make sure that doesn't happen Cath is about to leave into Jest and Hatter's world but finds out that her best friend Mary Ann is in trouble. She has to risk never being able to leave with Jest again and saves Mary Ann. But in doing so the prophecy becomes true and Jest is murdered right in front of Cath. After that her world shatters and she has to carry on with marrying the king. She does but only to be able to exact revenge on Jest's murderer. She makes a deal with the sisters that if they help her avenge Jest she will give them her heart. She gets her revenge and gives the heart to the sisters, making her into the cruel hot tempered Queen of Hearts we all know.

Catherine is a pretty dimensional character with unique wants and desires. But she also pretty whiny and short tempered which could get annoying at times but most teenagers are whiny. She is also extremely naive and is quick to fall head over heels for Jest but again can't hold it against her since she is a teenager and what teenager doesn't get all love sick for a extremely handsome boy. So I overall liked her since she was kind and refused to not follow her heart despite the pressures put on her by her demanding parents. Knowing all this it made it heart breaking to see her heart turn to ice and for her to have no heart all together because she would have been a fair and kind queen in Jest's world if the prophecy never came to be. She didn't deserve the fate she was given but I should have known this is how she would end up since it was The Queen of Hearts origin story.

Jest was an alright character there wasn't much to him and we didn't really spend enough time with him to really have much feelings much about him. From what I gathered he seemed like a compassionate and caring guy who was in love with Cath and that's honestly kind of boring that he was that perfect.

The characters we all know like Hatter and Cheshire were all well done and very much how I pictured so Meyer did a great job of making them the characters we know but with a little twist to make it more interesting and less to the original book.

The plot itself moved along at a good pace but the setting was a little hard to understand at times but it is Wonderland so I think it's supposed to be a little confusing.

Overall not a bad rendition that was true to the world and characters while also being it's own unique take that still honors the original. ...more

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Feb 22, 2019 Ashy Khaira rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

4 likes · Like · see review

Nov 20, 2016 Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, from-my-shelf, look-at-the-pretty-cover, romance, stand-alone, fantastic-hero, was-expecting-more, young-adult, 2016, retelling

3 stars. I wanted to love this, I really, really did but this was just okay for me unfortunately.

This had all the potential in the world to be fantastic but the pacing just didn't work for me. It was such a slow build up to a great ending but in the end it just didn't feel worth it.

The world building was really good and the way that she was able to stay true to the feel of Alice In Wonderland was quiet impressive. I did call both of the plot twists in advance but that wasn't necessarily a bad t ...more

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Jul 23, 2019 ❀ Crystal ✿ - PEACE ☮ LOVE ♥ BOOKS rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. OMFG this book!!! I want to throw it, burn it, stomp on it and at the same time I’m equally awed and blown away. Maybe I’m naive for not seeing what was to come, or even re-reading the blurb before starting but 😱😱😱 Im gut punched. The setting of the story is one we know very well: Hearts AKA Wonderland. A place of magic and mystery. Oh yeah and an evil heartless Queen whose favorite line is “Off with their head.” After just reading the novel ‘Stepsister’ last week, I’m disappointed I did not put OMFG this book!!! I want to throw it, burn it, stomp on it and at the same time I’m equally awed and blown away. Maybe I’m naive for not seeing what was to come, or even re-reading the blurb before starting but 😱😱😱 Im gut punched. The setting of the story is one we know very well: Hearts AKA Wonderland. A place of magic and mystery. Oh yeah and an evil heartless Queen whose favorite line is “Off with their head.” After just reading the novel ‘Stepsister’ last week, I’m disappointed I did not put it together this story in my head. (view spoiler)[ Heartless is the story of the Red Queen. Why and how she became who she is. She once was a young girl with hopes and dreams. Dreams of opening a bakery and leaving her life of riches behind to live simply and happily doing what she loved. But that fickle bastard fate often has a hold of our cards, no pun intended.<\spoiler> Villains are not born but rather they are made. Most times there journeys are not one we fathom or even think of. We see their evil treachery and rarely have the desire to look deeper, we only see what they’ve become.
I loved the writing of the novel and the authors unique take on what we know of the story, thrown together with her own imaginings. Many of our favorite characters such as the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat play a large role in the novel. I will say this story isn’t just about the heroine Catherine. The fates of many others including all of Hearts is involved. One choice, right or wrong will and can determine the future. The future is not set in stone but most cannot deny the pull of falling into Fates hands. I really think this story was brilliant perhaps because I was so naive about the story and where it was going. I will warn most will certainly not see this as a HEA, many wont find romance in it and while I’ll argue romance is involved, it’s certainly not all that’s going on in this story. For about 75% of the story I was in love with Catherine. She was an interesting well thought out character who had many flaws. She had dreams and aspirations but always allowed something to hold her back. Her parents and their expectations were a big part in that. I wouldn’t say they were cruel but they were certainly conceited and prissy in their ways. They wanted what they thought best for Cath, taking now time to consider her own feelings. They saw there daughter as someone who owed them. Owed them for the life of luxury they had allowed her to live. I’m not a fan of her parents or even really many citizens of Hearts. Aside from the servants and ‘common folk,’ many were too full of themselves.
I’m still mad, I’m hurt but at the same time I’m emboldened and hardened with emotion. I think the author did a phenomenal job in bringing out those emotions and really evoking depth and inspiration into a story most of us will assume we know. I loved the turn about of the story and while it hurts and pains me to say that I also get why it had to be the way it was. What is sweet can grow sour! What is beautiful can grow old and withered! This is a fantasy re-imagining and the birth of a monarch, something to be cherished but also understood that the road to greatness, be it good or evil, well to be frank; it sucks. (hide spoiler)] ...more

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