Heartless
By Marissa Meyer
Genre: YA Fantasy
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. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.
Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, 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.
General Thoughts: My greatest regret after reading this book was not reading it sooner. I love Marissa Meyer so I already knew I’d enjoy Heartless, but I didn’t expect to fall in love this this standalone novel as hard and as fast as I did. It has everything, a great love story, action, twists, OUTSTANDING characters, and a magical world. A beautiful origin story to a character we all know, and possibly hate. Though you might not hate her after you read this…
Plot: Beautiful. Held my interest from the beginning. I’ve read lots of books about girls being forced into a marriage but something about this one didn’t feel used and worn out. Oh, and her dream of opening a bakery was so sweet to me. I loved that. And everything that happened set up in the end in what I felt was a very realistic and believable manner.
Characters: The characters really sold me on the book. Guys, there were so many different kinds of characters! It’s Wonderland, so you know there are going to be some crazy people in the story. But the way Marissa brought them to life in her own sparkly way was mesmerizing. The Cheshire cat was my favorite, which was hard to select because there were so many interesting characters that I didn’t know who to choose! My heart also has a soft spot for the King of Hearts. Bless his soul.
Pace: Excellent. Superb. Not a dull moment in it. I was constantly wondering what came next. Started with a bang from the start.
World/Setting: Again, excellent and superb. I actually found myself wishing I could take a vacation to the Kingdom of Hearts. Marissa made it sound that wonderful and magical. Seeing the world that’s been interpreted so many different ways through Marissa’s imagination was an exhilarating experience.
The Jist:
What I Liked: Everything.
What I Didn’t Like: Nothing.
Would I Recommend It? If you’re not on your way to buy it and read it right now then I’m judging you.
My Rating: 5/5 Lunas
