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snowwhitehatesapples's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Also on Snow White Hates Apples.
Before she was the ruthless Queen of Hearts, Catherine was a sheltered, young noblewoman who dreamed of opening her own bakery with her best friend, a maid who has always been by her side. She dreamed of marrying for love, not for duty.
But, reality is never as dreamed.
As the daughter of the Marquess and Marchioness of Rock Turtle Cove, Catherine can never open her bakery without her father’s support or unless she removes herself from her family. She can never marry for love either, because the greatest match for her is none other than the King of Hearts, a simple-minded but happy little old man. Nevertheless, Catherine is determined to turn her dreams into reality. She finds ways to open her bakery, lets her heart love a man she shouldn’t and goodness, the forbidden romance is so sweet, so swoon-worthy — even I, who can’t read YA romance without cringing, found myself being swept along with Catherine.
Jest is one of the better (if not the best) fictional love interests out there. His many strong pros include being dashing, brave, kind, attentive, understanding and fun. The only con I can think of? Loving Catherine through a fool’s rose-tinted glasses.
As much as I understand Catherine’s characterisation and actions, I can’t help being frustrated by her naivety, her spinelessness and her stubbornness too. She’s the epitome of the fine line between heroic and foolish. She’s constantly saved by others (mostly Jest) and can’t really stand up for herself. She’s so, so exasperating to read because, at the same time, I can’t fault her as she’s merely the result of her upbringing and surroundings.
Hence why I find it a shame that everyone has to suffer the consequences of Catherine’s many choices, be it as the sweet young noblewoman or as the ruthless Queen of Hearts. (Though, the path she chose is arguably, preordained by fate.)
Characters aside, I adore the way Meyer brought Wonderland to life. The imagery is gorgeous, plus the overall execution had just the right amount of Alice in Wonderland-ness to it. It’s not as zany as the original tale but that’s fine. It’s a story inspired by the classic, after all.
Everything considered, Heartless>/i> has the right balance of whimsical, historical fantasy, forbidden romance and prophecy . Whether you’re a fan of the original Alice in Wonderland or not, as long as those three aspects tickle your fancy, this is a book you’ll want to read!
Before she was the ruthless Queen of Hearts, Catherine was a sheltered, young noblewoman who dreamed of opening her own bakery with her best friend, a maid who has always been by her side. She dreamed of marrying for love, not for duty.
But, reality is never as dreamed.
As the daughter of the Marquess and Marchioness of Rock Turtle Cove, Catherine can never open her bakery without her father’s support or unless she removes herself from her family. She can never marry for love either, because the greatest match for her is none other than the King of Hearts, a simple-minded but happy little old man. Nevertheless, Catherine is determined to turn her dreams into reality. She finds ways to open her bakery, lets her heart love a man she shouldn’t and goodness, the forbidden romance is so sweet, so swoon-worthy — even I, who can’t read YA romance without cringing, found myself being swept along with Catherine.
Jest is one of the better (if not the best) fictional love interests out there. His many strong pros include being dashing, brave, kind, attentive, understanding and fun. The only con I can think of? Loving Catherine through a fool’s rose-tinted glasses.
As much as I understand Catherine’s characterisation and actions, I can’t help being frustrated by her naivety, her spinelessness and her stubbornness too. She’s the epitome of the fine line between heroic and foolish. She’s constantly saved by others (mostly Jest) and can’t really stand up for herself. She’s so, so exasperating to read because, at the same time, I can’t fault her as she’s merely the result of her upbringing and surroundings.
Hence why I find it a shame that everyone has to suffer the consequences of Catherine’s many choices, be it as the sweet young noblewoman or as the ruthless Queen of Hearts. (Though, the path she chose is arguably, preordained by fate.)
Characters aside, I adore the way Meyer brought Wonderland to life. The imagery is gorgeous, plus the overall execution had just the right amount of Alice in Wonderland-ness to it. It’s not as zany as the original tale but that’s fine. It’s a story inspired by the classic, after all.
Everything considered, Heartless>/i> has the right balance of whimsical, historical fantasy, forbidden romance and prophecy . Whether you’re a fan of the original Alice in Wonderland or not, as long as those three aspects tickle your fancy, this is a book you’ll want to read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Murder, and Body shaming
Minor: Misogyny, Death, and Animal death
moonlitreading_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
“Was she so afraid to disappoint her parents and the King, that she was willing to put their happiness before her own?”
This is my first Marissa Meyer book and I must say her writing is lovely. Her words kept me hooked from start to finish. I haven’t read Alice in Wonderland so all I know of it is from the 1951 Disney movie. It’s interesting how she played with existing characters and gave them their own history in her story.
Before picking up this book knew that things were not going to go well for Cath because of who the Queen of Hearts is in Alice in Wonderland. That said, it still broke my heart how things came to be. It makes me sad how much of a contrast there is between the Cath from the beginning to the Cath at the end.
The romance between Jest and Cath was so good, I love forbidden lovers. The way Jest really cares about her and puts her well-being first makes me want to bawl my eyes out. Jest can do no wrong in my eyes, he’s perfect.
It’s gonna take a while for me to forget about this book because it made me really sad. Please go read it<3333
This is my first Marissa Meyer book and I must say her writing is lovely. Her words kept me hooked from start to finish. I haven’t read Alice in Wonderland so all I know of it is from the 1951 Disney movie. It’s interesting how she played with existing characters and gave them their own history in her story.
Before picking up this book knew that things were not going to go well for Cath because of who the Queen of Hearts is in Alice in Wonderland. That said, it still broke my heart how things came to be. It makes me sad how much of a contrast there is between the Cath from the beginning to the Cath at the end.
The romance between Jest and Cath was so good, I love forbidden lovers. The way Jest really cares about her and puts her well-being first makes me want to bawl my eyes out. Jest can do no wrong in my eyes, he’s perfect.
It’s gonna take a while for me to forget about this book because it made me really sad. Please go read it<3333
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, and Animal death
hollyheartless's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I can’t explain how much I love this book. This is the first book I read for a second time because I loved it so much but I still haven’t emotionally recovered. The plot is so engaging throughout and the characters are impossible not to get attached to. I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone who loves a fantasy retelling/reimagining or just anyone who loves a fantasy book. Warning though: once you read this book, it will be on your mind constantly and I don’t know if anyone has set up a ‘just read Heartless’ emotional support line but they should
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
beklovesbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Similar to Cruella or Maleficent, it’s the unexpected backstory of a character. True to the book and Alice in Wonderland movie, there are many overlapping characters. Powerful love story. Twists, turns, whimsy, fun, tension, creepy. Well done, though I might prefer to rewrite some sections and outcomes myself.
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Classism, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Infidelity, and Murder
abby_can_read's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
📱
This was a book that I enjoyed reading. I think Meyer's writing style is more fairytale inspired than fairytale retelling. I would say this book was a combination of prophecy, romance, Victorian-era gender roles, and the weirdness that can only be found in Wonderland.
This was a book that I enjoyed reading. I think Meyer's writing style is more fairytale inspired than fairytale retelling. I would say this book was a combination of prophecy, romance, Victorian-era gender roles, and the weirdness that can only be found in Wonderland.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Gore, Violence, Death, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Gaslighting, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Body shaming, Animal death, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: War and Kidnapping
kaziaroo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Death
Moderate: Violence, Body shaming, Blood, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, and Murder
Minor: War and Gore
leonormsousa's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, War, Animal death, Fatphobia, and Sexism
lifeofchrstnlvly's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I've always wanted to read Meyer's books, especially The Lunar Chronicles. But because I have no money to buy the boxed set yet (yes, I tend to buy all books in the series even if I haven't read the first book), I bought Heartless first since it's a standalone. I love villain origin stories, so I didn't hesitate.
Meyer's way of describing things was perfect. The world building, characterization, and embodiment of emotions were wonderfully translated to paper. You can vividly imagine Hearts and all its whimsical elements. I knew what was coming, but I still felt everything because she has a way of making you understand what was happening. She was that good in describing and showing you what happened.
You'll learn what made the mad Hatter mad.
You'll discover why the Queen of Hearts despised white roses.
You'll find out when she first said "off with the head".
You'll know how she became heartless.
This book made me see the Queen of Hearts in a different light.
Meyer's way of describing things was perfect. The world building, characterization, and embodiment of emotions were wonderfully translated to paper. You can vividly imagine Hearts and all its whimsical elements. I knew what was coming, but I still felt everything because she has a way of making you understand what was happening. She was that good in describing and showing you what happened.
You'll learn what made the mad Hatter mad.
You'll discover why the Queen of Hearts despised white roses.
You'll find out when she first said "off with the head".
You'll know how she became heartless.
This book made me see the Queen of Hearts in a different light.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Animal death, and Blood
kbairbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am shooketh. This was so fucking good. Goddamn.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Violence, War, Body shaming, Dementia, Murder, Classism, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcohol
kris386's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Violence, Body shaming, Blood, Confinement, and Death