Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Pages: 449

Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens

Genre: Fantasy / Fairy Tale

Notes for Parents: Some violence and scary scenes.

The Inside Cover

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.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is intended as a prequel to the classic Alice in Wonderland, telling the story of Catherine, the possible future Queen of Hearts. It also incorporates the story of Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, and Poe’s poem, The Raven.

What’s good?

The author has created a prequel with a wonderful balance of the classic story and new, imaginative elements. It also seamlessly blends Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater and Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven into the Wonderland lore. Characterization is strong, especially with charismatic Jest, and the delightfully impish Cheshire Cat. Heartless retains the “nonsense” tone of the original story (magic hats, talking animals, hatter’s tea party) but includes some scenes with action, violence, and dark, creepy moments. Both the dust jacket and the cover of my hardcover copy were beautiful.

Best Part: the Cheshire Cat

What isn’t good?

The plot is odd, but simple and easy to understand, but becomes predictable after a while. Unfortunately, the story takes a long time to unravel which dilutes the limited action scenes and makes for many drawn out chapters. I found the protagonist, Cath, to be likeable but weak, and Peter Peter sadly underutilized as an antagonist. The end was sudden and dark, not reflecting the lighter, less bloody tone set in the rest of the novel.

Worst part: The pace.

Recommendation ☺☺☺ ☻☻ (3/5)

This book can’t seem to decide whether it’s a whimsical romance or a dark adventure. However, this is not a bad book. The writing is clean; the setting is fun; the characters are well-drawn; and the story is quite enchanting. The slow pace and lack of action robbed it of its full potential.

Meyer, Marissa. Heartless. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2016. (hardcover)