Book Review: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Heartless
By Marissa Meyer
Series: Standalone
Hardcover: 453 pages
Publication Date: November 8, 2016
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
My Rating: ★ ★ ✰ ✰ ✰ (2 out of 5 Stars )

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Related Reviews: | Splintered | Cinder |
Categories: Fairy Tale Retelling, Fantasy, New Release

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King’s marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. 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 a secret courtship.

Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

Well. I really don't even know how the hell to review this book. It was so weird and twisted at times, yet childish and whimsical at others. A perfect Wonderland, at first. But I was never a big fan of Cath, the female lead character. She had no backbone and refused to stand up to anyone. It's baffling to me that she is to become the Queen of Hearts that we all know from Alice in Wonderland. Her character progression is nonexistent, until the very end when we see the true Queen emerge. Off with her head, and whatnot. It is really hard to enjoy a book when the reader doesn't like the main character, but alas, I persisted..

The King is.. I seem to be at a loss for words here.. awkward, I suppose. His character made me cringe, and I know that the author intended him to be that way, but dang. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was that made me feel such strong dislike towards him. Maybe the fact that he assumed Cath would marry him without even asking. Or maybe it was his belief that everyone was there for his amusement. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I really disliked his character to the point that I would never read another book if he was in it.

Jest is the bright spot of Heartless. His character is written well, and he made the book not so awful. There were a few quotes from him that made my brain hurt, which is what Wonderland is all about. The whimsy combined with a serious depth that plays tricks on the mind, makes one question what they know to be true. There were sprinkles of this throughout Heartless, but not enough, in my opinion. The back story of Jest and his connection to the White Queen is rather lackluster, at best. I wanted more history of his mission and why he was sent after Cath's heart.

All in all, I'm not a big fan. It had so much potential, yet the author failed to impress me. Maybe my expectations were too high. The Lunar Chronicles were phenomenal; I was really hoping to fall in love with Heartless as well..

"He glanced down. 'I can almost guarantee that your legs are still attached, though there is an awful lot of fabric disguising them. I'll go searching for them now if you'd like me to.'"

"Perhaps we know each other in the future and you're only remembering backwards."

"It's a dangerous thing to unbelieve something only because it frightens you."

"We're one country torn apart by two ruling families, and we've been trapped in this war since... forever, as far as I can tell. And whenever it seems that one side has finally won and the war should be over, it's as though Time resets and we start from the beginning. We do it all over again. Over and over."

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