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Heartless (So Far)

John Brownridge
     During quarantine, I have been doing many things I don't usually get the chance to, like writing, reading superhero comics, practicing Karate, watching Anime ect. What I haven't been doing enough of, however is reading. That's why I am only about halfway through Heartless right now. Anyway, here are my thoughts. 

     Heartless is a book about a world that is based on a deck of cards. There are Kings, Jokers,  Jacks, ect.. The book takes place in the Kingdom of Hearts, where there is a King, but no queen. The story follows Catherine, who is a normal citizen of the kingdom, who's dream is to open a bake shop with her maid and best friend, Mary Ann. She learned to bake from many cook books in her mansion, and has gotten very good at it, gaining attention from the King himself, who wants to marry her. Catherine's  mom wants nothing less than for her daughter to be the queen, and would do anything to make this a reality. Catherine however, thinks that this will interfere with her dreams of opening her small bakery. This, and the fact that she is wrestling with her feelings for the new court Joker, make her determined to do anything she can to stop the king from loving her. 

So far, the book is pretty good. She wrote the books in my favorite series, the Lunar Chronicles, which is why I gave Heartless a try. I think it is almost as good as Cinder (the first book in the Lunar Chronicles).  It has some of the elements of Cinder that I really liked about it. The book does a good job of world building, and I feel like I am in a completely different place when I am reading the novel. I also like the romance between Catherine and the Joker. The book never leaves me bored, and the endings of each chapter always make me want to keep reading. It's honestly a great book, and I really should spend more time reading it during this quarantine. 
 

Comments

  1. EdieApril 12, 2020 at 8:05 PM

    Great review! You gave a really good summary. I didn't like Heartless very much when I read it. Most of my issues with the book were with the ending so I'm curious what your thoughts will be after you finish it. I do agree that Heartless had pretty good world building. It's something Marissa Meyer is really good at. Good job!

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  2. AndrewApril 12, 2020 at 8:28 PM

    The story of this book sounds interesting, and seems to give off some fairy tale vibes, maybe mixed with some elements of “Alice in Wonderland.” I haven’t read much of the romance genre, so I’m curious as to how the author makes the story exciting and fun. You explained the plot and what you like about it well. Good job!

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  3. Miriam AApril 23, 2020 at 8:15 AM

    I’ve heard this book mentioned before, but never actually knew what it’s about. I usually enjoy books with new settings and I like learning how these fictional worlds are run. I haven’t read Cinder yet (even though I’ve been meaning to for a really long time), but I might try some of Meyer’s books after the libraries reopen. The way you described the plot sounds really interesting even though you’re only halfway through and you described the parts you like well. Great job!

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  4. Jashan TMay 10, 2020 at 1:48 PM

    I've read the Lunar Chronicles and Heartless as well. I can't say I really liked this one as much. From what I remember, it started off good but kind of started going downhill after a certain point. It was still a decent book, but definitely not a favorite. I agree that the world-building is great. It also had a bit too much romance for me. Overall, nice job.

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  5. Tracy LiMay 16, 2020 at 3:58 PM

    Nice review! I've also read the Lunar Chronicles, enjoyed part of it, and never really picked it up again. I like how you summarised the book and explained the plot really well. It sounds interesting, and I'm a fan of the fantasy/fair tale mix genre, so I might give Heartless a try. Good job!

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