Heartless by Marissa Meyer
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- MerryLove
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Heartless by Marissa Meyer
pages: 464
genre: fairy tale, fantasy, romance
Wow. This standalone book was an amazing read. For me, a good book makes you feel, and this book certainly made me feel. Cath is the favorite to become engaged to the king and become the Queen of Hearts, but it's not what she wants at all. She longs to disown her title and open a bakery. To top it off, she also starts falling for another man. So, what's a girl to do? Should she marry the king? Is it really an option to NOT marry the king? This is the main plot of the book, and it is very much a love story. Her feelings for the king, his feelings toward her, and her feelings for the other man are a central part of the plot.
Meyer did a great job of keeping me at the edge of my seat. Even 2/3 into the book, I was still going back and forth about what Cath would decide. Would she be the Queen of Hearts at the end of the book, or would it be someone else? One chapter I would be convinced of one answer, and change my mind a few chapters later. I wasn't sure, changing my mind over and over. It was both a frustrating and thrilling sort of anticipation, and I loved it.
I also found myself a bit frustrated with Cath, but this wasn't a bad thing. While I definitely liked her as a character, I couldn't gain any respect for her. She seemed so wishy washy, and wouldn't make up her mind, or make a firm decision. She kept letting things happen to her without standing up for herself! But this worked well with the plot, and this frustrating element to her actually made her a great character in the book as a whole. Characters don't have to resonate positively to be good. Cath was an excellent character, and I adored her because she wasn't an admirable character.
The story world itself had many of the familiar things I thought of when I think of Wonderland. A short silly king, the jabberwocky, and flamingo croquet are all present along with many others. It felt very familiar, with a few new twists. I really enjoyed Meyer's take on the societal aspects of Wonderland and how she wove the peculiar into the maintstream.
Rating
Overall, this book was amazing and I'd give it a full 4 out of 4. While I was reading, I wasn't sure how much reread value the story would have, but by the end I knew this is a story I will read again and again. It was wonderful. If you enjoy Wonderland or alternate fairy tales, this is a must read.
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I thought that the book was very different, just like Alice in Wonderland. I couldn't imagine someone being able to get into that sort of mind set to write a book that was in a why linked to the "original".
The book had all the aspects of 'I didn't see that coming' and 'wait, what?' I have to admit that I was a little lost at first when the "odd" came out, but it was quickly resolved and brought me back to the world of weird, but I understand.
I absolutely LOVE that this was a standalone book. The idea of a second is possible, yet why? I was concluded and yet as a reader, you can fan fiction a series of your own.
I, too, would rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars!
- Heathernross26
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- Heathernross26
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Vscholz wrote: ↑28 Oct 2018, 20:46 Now that I've finished obsessing and writing about The Lunar Chronicles, Heartless is my next read. I've had it since it was released but grad school and dissertation research leave little time for entertainment. I love the way Meyer doesn't beat you over the head with allusions to the original source material, letting her version be its own rather than a straight retelling with a few changes.
I loved the Lunar Chronicles. Meyer is a very creative writer and has the ability to take your favorite childhood fairytales and put a creative spin on the original stories. When I read Heartless, I was not sure if I would be into it because Alice and Wonderland was not one of my favorite tales but she completely won me over by adding the creative backstory for the queen of hearts. I was literally blown away by the end of the book. Also, if you haven't yet read Renegades by Meyer then I will also recommend that one as well. Marissa Meyer does not disappoint.
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