If you love classic stories told from a completely different perspective, Heartless by Marissa Meyer might be the book for you. Heartless was a novel shown to be the origin story of the wicked Queen of Hearts from the well-known story of Alice in Wonderland. So let’s get on with the review
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Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.
Synopsis:
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.
In her first stand-alone teen novel, the New York Times-bestselling author dazzles us with a prequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Our Main Characters
Catherine Pinkerton (Cath): Cath is our one and only Queen of Hearts- except she isn’t introduced that way. This was the Queen of Hearts before she lost her faith. This was a Queen of Hearts who dreamed of opening a small bakery with her maid- and best friend- Mary Ann, and bringing smiles to the kingdom with her delightful tarts and pastries. However, fate wasn’t so kind to her. She had caught the fancy of the King of Hearts and was roped by her parents into an engagement she never wanted, a position she never desired, and betrothed to a man over 15 years older than herself.
Jest: Jest is the newly appointed court joker. He is charming, mischievous, sarcastic, and loveable. Jest was the man of Cath’s dreams- quite literally. When introduced, Jest’s past was shrouded in mystery. Who was the new court joker, and how dare he capture Cath’s (and the readers’) heart so easily, only to shatter it with a swing of an axe?
Catherine and Jest’s star-crossed love was so heartbreaking for me. Their playful banter, soft words, passionate promises- I wanted them to have a happier ever after so bad. I wanted to throw the King of Hearts and Cath’s parents into a rabbit hole so deep that they would never see the light of day again. Sadly, I knew the moment I picked up Heartless, that the ending wouldn’t be so sweet. This wasn’t a fairytale- it was an origin story for the most wicked queen in Wonderland.
So here are my thoughts on the book: I’ll try to avoid spoilers as much as possible
Even with how much the book broke my heart, I would never regret picking up Heartless. I thought it was wonderfully written, the characters, the references, the tension, I loved every page of this book. Seeing Cath go from a girl whose biggest worry was the next dessert she makes, into someone so desperate, and grief-stricken… seemed almost seamless for me. Throughout the book, Cath’s development never seemed forced or rushed, it seemed normal. It was only at the end of the book, do you realize how different she had become, and how sad her story was.
Another thing I noticed in Meyer’s Heartless were the many references to both the original Alice in Wonderland and other classical works. There were the Cheshire cat and his mischievous grins, the Mad Hatter (Hatta) and his tea parties, the croquet with flamingos and hedgehogs, and probably more that I missed. Not only that there were also references to other works such as Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater and Edgar Allen Poe’s Raven. All of these components, I found, made the story more believable and fun to read.
As to what I didn’t enjoy- I can’t really find anything big in particular. I loved the characters and the interactions, I loved reading about Jest’s backstory, about Hatta, and reading about Cath slowly becoming the Queen of Hearts we all know. Heartless definitely broke my heart towards the end, but I think that made the book more enjoyable in the end. As much as I wish Cath and Jest had their happy ending, if Marissa Meyer truly gave them that, Heartless wouldn’t have made such a big impact on me. No matter how much I expected the ending, it still hurt. But it was satisfying nevertheless and was a great book.
My final thoughts on this book is that it was wonderful. I finished this book within a few hours and immediately recommended it to all my friends. Even if you don’t really care for bitter endings, still give this book a try, you will not regret it! I loved Marissa Meyer’s writing in this book, and I was hooked on every page. If you are a fan of Meyer’s The Lunar Chronicles, make sure to try this book out too.
“She spoke without feeling, unburdened by love or dreams or the pain of a broken heart. It was a new day in Hearts, and she was the Queen.
‘Off with his head”
― Marissa Meyer, Heartless