*Includes Spoilers*
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I have to admit this was good. Shockingly good.
Heartless by Marissa Meyer is the YA origin story of Catherine—a.k.a. the Queen of Hearts before she was Queen.
Now, before I begin, I have two confessions: I've never read the Lunar Chronicles (I know, I know, I need to get on that) so I have no previous judgement on Meyer, and I know very little about Wonderland and the stories of that world.
So, to say I was going into this book blind would be an understatement. I had no expectations and no knowledge on what was being written. Maybe that enhanced my experience, or maybe it didn't. That's for you to decide.
Now, to start, I took an instant liking to Cath, our main character. I loved that despite her social status and the expectations society had for her to focus on marriage, she decided to follow her dreams of being a baker. This allowed me to immediately connect to her. No, I don't bake, but yes, I can relate to being someone trying to follow their dreams in a world where that isn't seen as logical.
I think that this was where my intrigue in the story began. It was from the first page, where Meyer wrote in Cath's distinct voice, and showed us her love for the art of baking. It was enthralling to read something so personalized in a voice that felt very much the character's.
From there, the characters only got better. We meet Cath's parents, the Marquess and Marchioness, who are perfectly cruel, putting on warm veneers but fighting tooth and nail to keep Cath on the path of marriage. We meet the Jest, the brooding, "swoon" character who we now find out later in the book has a dark mission in Hearts, the reason for being here. We meet the King, in all his blundering glory, who is determined to court Cath. We meet Mary Ann, whom I felt a soft spot for, hearing her talk about why opening the bakery with Catherine is important to her.
From the main characters to the supporting characters; Cath and the King to Jest to the Raven to Sir Peter, every character felt fleshed out, interesting, motivated, and idiosyncratic.
Now, on to the plot. I'll admit, I was wondering where it was going at the beginning. Like I said, I have little knowledge of wonderland, and I knew we ended ultimately with "Off with his head," but I was getting worried that there would be nothing other than Cath fighting to be with Jest instead of the King. Toward the end, the other plot-lines and darkness that feels like it has been ruminating throughout the novel. But what held it up before me was the Jabberwock. I found myself growing more and more intrigued in how this beast was somehow intertwined with Peter, and how the pumpkins played into it.
It was this mystery, and this evident dark well of the book that kept me intrigued even while most of what Cath was dealing with was her love life.
In terms of depth, I also have to admit I was blown away. As I said, I loved the way Meyer understood her characters, but I also think she did a fantastic job with the world, understanding the history of it, the way the kingdoms interacted, and I loved seeing how she pulled a few strings.
The style was beautiful in this book, her writing beautiful, haunting, but fast paced where it needed to be.
In total, I feel like it was the mix of golden threads of character, plot, and style that made this book what it was. It didn't feel as much a retelling as it did Meyer being inspired the ropes of the world, making it her own while still being true to what I know of the original Wonderland.
Ratings:
Characters: 100%
Plot: 90%
Depth: 100%
Style: 90%
Intrigue: 80%
Overall: A-
"'But hoping,' he said, 'is how the possible can be possible after all.'"
I have to admit this was good. Shockingly good.
Heartless by Marissa Meyer is the YA origin story of Catherine—a.k.a. the Queen of Hearts before she was Queen.
Now, before I begin, I have two confessions: I've never read the Lunar Chronicles (I know, I know, I need to get on that) so I have no previous judgement on Meyer, and I know very little about Wonderland and the stories of that world.
So, to say I was going into this book blind would be an understatement. I had no expectations and no knowledge on what was being written. Maybe that enhanced my experience, or maybe it didn't. That's for you to decide.
Now, to start, I took an instant liking to Cath, our main character. I loved that despite her social status and the expectations society had for her to focus on marriage, she decided to follow her dreams of being a baker. This allowed me to immediately connect to her. No, I don't bake, but yes, I can relate to being someone trying to follow their dreams in a world where that isn't seen as logical.
I think that this was where my intrigue in the story began. It was from the first page, where Meyer wrote in Cath's distinct voice, and showed us her love for the art of baking. It was enthralling to read something so personalized in a voice that felt very much the character's.
From there, the characters only got better. We meet Cath's parents, the Marquess and Marchioness, who are perfectly cruel, putting on warm veneers but fighting tooth and nail to keep Cath on the path of marriage. We meet the Jest, the brooding, "swoon" character who we now find out later in the book has a dark mission in Hearts, the reason for being here. We meet the King, in all his blundering glory, who is determined to court Cath. We meet Mary Ann, whom I felt a soft spot for, hearing her talk about why opening the bakery with Catherine is important to her.
From the main characters to the supporting characters; Cath and the King to Jest to the Raven to Sir Peter, every character felt fleshed out, interesting, motivated, and idiosyncratic.
Now, on to the plot. I'll admit, I was wondering where it was going at the beginning. Like I said, I have little knowledge of wonderland, and I knew we ended ultimately with "Off with his head," but I was getting worried that there would be nothing other than Cath fighting to be with Jest instead of the King. Toward the end, the other plot-lines and darkness that feels like it has been ruminating throughout the novel. But what held it up before me was the Jabberwock. I found myself growing more and more intrigued in how this beast was somehow intertwined with Peter, and how the pumpkins played into it.
It was this mystery, and this evident dark well of the book that kept me intrigued even while most of what Cath was dealing with was her love life.
In terms of depth, I also have to admit I was blown away. As I said, I loved the way Meyer understood her characters, but I also think she did a fantastic job with the world, understanding the history of it, the way the kingdoms interacted, and I loved seeing how she pulled a few strings.
The style was beautiful in this book, her writing beautiful, haunting, but fast paced where it needed to be.
In total, I feel like it was the mix of golden threads of character, plot, and style that made this book what it was. It didn't feel as much a retelling as it did Meyer being inspired the ropes of the world, making it her own while still being true to what I know of the original Wonderland.
Ratings:
Characters: 100%
Plot: 90%
Depth: 100%
Style: 90%
Intrigue: 80%
Overall: A-
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