Reviewed by Hailey Chen, age 16
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Catherine Pinkerton is the only daughter and sole heir to the Marquess of Rock Turtle Cove. Coveted by many, including the King of Hearts himself, for her pretty looks and appealing noble status, one would think that her future is set in royal stone; happy without a care in the world. But it’s quite the opposite. Cath would much rather be in the warmth and comfort the kitchen brings her, baking delectable treats. And she hopes that one day, she’ll be able to open her own bakery. But the possibility of being queen is much too attractive for her mother to consider anything else and Cath knows that her parents would not accept anything else. But her hopes only grow when she runs into the new court joker employed at the castle, and they both feel an undeniable pull for one another. Cath can’t help but fall down the deep end of the rabbit hole with Jest and she continues to try and catch a glimpse of a shimmer of a happy ending for the two of them together, however, a fabled monster makes an appearance and the pressure of the king’s marriage proposal weighing on Cath’s shoulders, it seems like Wonderland has other things in store for the passionate, only daughter of Rock Turtle Cove.
Heartless is a tale weaved with pure impossibilities and brimming over with an enticing story and characters. It’ll steal your heart only to break it a few chapters later and the raw emotions are perfectly conveyed through the witty word choice. Although I knew that this was meant to be the origin of the Queen of Hearts, I couldn’t help the tears that spilled over when finishing the story. Marissa Meyer flawlessly illustrates Cath’s descent into the current cruel and decapitation-loving Queen of Hearts we all know today and she does an amazing job painting the canvas a morally gray shade. Cath and Jest’s dynamic is so fun to read about and Marissa truly made the love at-first-sight trope work with them, making me root for them all the way until the end. Cath is realistic, no matter what the readers are screaming when she makes foolish decisions, she is driven by passion and heart which inevitably leads to the dismal fate that awaits her in the end. Words can’t express the feelings experienced. A wondrous, mournful tale indeed. 5/5 stars.
5 stars of 5 stars
Find this book in our catalog: Heartless
Catalog Number: YA FIC MEYER,M
449 pages