Heartless - Marissa Meyer

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. 

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.

Blurb taken from Goodreads.

✼

I love a fictional retelling, especially when it's about classic fairytale villains/characters. When done well, they can be really beautiful stories that make the original tales even more compelling. When done badly, however, they can really have a negative, lasting effect. I waited quite a while to start reading Heartless for fear that it would really disappoint me. When I finally did pluck up the courage to start reading it, I was really pleasantly surprised.

It felt very strange to read the story, as I obviously knew going into it that the story was not going to end up how I hoped. This did dampen my reading experience slightly, but it didn't stop me from falling in love with the story. I loved the romance between Cath and Jest, and all the different ways the original details of Wonderland formed part of this new story. 

Rating: ✫✫✫✫

SPOILER ALERT

The Story

I suppose the most difficult part of a classic villain retelling is making sure the villain is likeable. They have to be endearing to the reader, but have the successful character progression to reasonably justify how they became the villain we know. I thought that Cath (the future Queen of Hearts) was very likeable, which was a good start, I've seen a lot of other readers who have felt that Cath was a little self-centered and not as much the heroine that they would have wanted, but I don't totally agree. I do think that she was a little self-centered, but I thought the character had a believable balance between kindness and selfishness. She did, after all, need to realistically become the person we know as the Queen of Hearts.

As soon as I started reading the story, I fell in love with it. Cath's unwillingness to marry the King of Hearts and her determination to follow her own dreams were strong baselines for the story. When you add in Jest, and the connection he has with Cath, it made the story really magical. It's a real cliche, but the idea of forbidden love is one that really sparkles in a story, as it makes it a lot more intense. I loved the scenes that included them both, and thought the dynamic between them and the King was really effective. Sadly, we all know that this was never going to result in a happy ending. I was so frustrated when Cath turned her back on Jest and Hatta, as I knew where the story was headed. But it is to be expected. I found it a little predictable when the story got past a certain point, but I suppose predictability is hard to avoid in this style of narrative.

The real charm of the book actually lies in the little nods to Lewis Carroll's original world. The Cheshire Cat, the Mock Turtle, and the significance of white roses all hint at Wonderland. I loved being able to pick on all the little details, as well as see known characters in a new light. It was really enjoyable, and made the story that much more magical.

The Verdict

I was initially very hesitant to begin reading Heartless, as I hated the idea that I might be disappointed, ruining the idea of Wonderland for me forever. 

But what I actually found was a story that was magical and charming and devastating all in one go. I loved the little nods to Carroll's imaginary world, as well as the way the characters we know so well were intertwined into the story. What I loved the most about this book, however, was the romance between Cath and Jest, and even the complications thrown in by the King's interest. It was exciting and intense, and if it hadn't been so destined for disaster, it would have been a really special love story.

I'm a sucker for romance, and this had it in buckets. If it hadn't been for the constant feeling of dread I had when reading this book, for the fear of what was inevitably going to happen, it would have had five stars. That's not necessarily a criticism of the book, but I just love a happy ending, and this was, instead, heart-breakingly beautiful.