Heartless: Book Review by Penny R.

   

Summary

    The book Heartless by Marissa Meyer is a modern adaption of the classic fairy tale, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. 

    The story begins with a girl named Cath, or Lady Catherine. She loves to bake, and she has secret dreams of becoming a baker. She's the daughter of the Marquess and Marchioness of Hearts, and friends with many of the royals. Her problems start when she shows up to a black-and-white ball wearing a bright red dress. Yet again, the King asks her to dance, but she's utterly repulsed. Suddenly, the lights shut off and a clever Joker begins to preform tricks for the crowd. Cath is delighted, until she hears a rumor that the King will propose to her, tonight. When the King gets up on stage, she panics and runs away, feeling light-headed. The last thing Cath remembers is fainting in the hands of the Joker.

    When she wakes up, she meets the Joker, whose real name is Jest, and finds he's charming and kind. She can't stop thinking about him after the ball. When she gets home, her mother is terrified and tells Cath about the Jabberwock that swooped in after she left, destroying everything. The Jabberwock is from the kingdom of Chess, a faraway kingdom. It's not a good sign that monsters from another world are entering Hearts, which is a very blissful land. That night, Cath can't think of anything but Jest, dodging in and out of her dreams. In the morning, she's snapped back to reality when the King invites her to play croquet. She has an amazing time, mostly because Jest is there. Late that night, the King shows up at her front door, asking for a courtship.

    She says yes because she knows this is what's best for her family, planning to avoid the King as much as possible. That night, Jest shows up at her bedroom window, begging to whisk her away. Wanting nothing more, she says yes, and Jest whisks her away to meet Hatta, an eccentric friend of Jest's.

    In the moment, she doesn't realize what this means: she's now dating two men. As time goes on, she begins to separate two lives: what she wants, and what's best for everyone around her. She wants to live in a bakery with her maid, Mary Ann, and marry Jest. This is what she fantasizes about at night. But by day, the King sends her flowers and poems relentlessly, while the Jabberwock roams Hearts. If she marries the King, she has the opportunity to save Hearts and rule wisely, pushing her dreams aside. Cath is stuck with an impossible decision: what will she do?

Review

   I thought this book was pretty good! The idea of a villain origin like that was really fun, and I loved the romance. The details were very precise, and I liked all the characters and pointers toward the original story. However, I didn't think it built up enough suspense, and it felt more focused on the romance than the plot. As for morals, I noticed the idea of the future being out of Cath's control, and I think it made the book feel more real. If you're looking for a fun story or you've read other books by Marissa Meyer, I'd definitely recommend! Rating: 7/10.

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