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. In her first stand-alone teen novel, the New York Times-bestselling author dazzles us with a prequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
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Even though we all know that the main character eventually becomes the Evil queen of hearts It still managed to surprise me in the end. Melissa Meyer made me want a good life and a happy ending for a character that until now had been nothing more than an annoying evil in the life of a beloved childhood favorite. I wish there could be more books in this series but alas, a prequel is a prequel is a prequel…
Marissa Meyer, the author of the Lunar Chronicles (Cinder), has written this stand alone novel about Alice in Wonderland. But Alice is nowhere to be found. Instead, the main character is Catherine, the daughter of nobles and a budding baker, who finds herself being forced to court the King of Hearts. Complicating things is Jest, the new court jester, who Catherine is taken with. Also appearing are the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Mary Ann, the White Rabbit and the Jabberwock. It’s a great story of why the Queen of Hearts is so heartless…..
This story is set in the Alice and Wonderland world, and tells the tale of The Queen of Hearts, before she became the Queen. Her name is Catherine, and all she wants to do is bake, and open her own bakery. Unfortunately, the King of Hearts sets his sights on her for his bride. Her parents are thrilled and push her towards accepting his proposal. But on the night of the Kings Ball, Catherine meets Jest, the new court joker, and begins to fall in love. With Jest, she can see the future she wants, not the future she is expected to have.
I loved all the Wonderland references in this book. We meet many of the characters from the original books. The Mad Hatter plays a large part in the story, and we get to attend one of his famous tea parties.
This is a bittersweet book, as Catherine and Jest’s love is doomed from the start. But it does provide background on why the Queen of Hearts is so mean. The story has it’s sad moments, but also some action, as we encounter the Jabberwocky. Fans of the original Alice stories should enjoy this addition to the world.
This was so, so good, and so heart-breaking too. I loved that we got to see all of the characters from Alice in Wonderland before they were the way they were. The Madhatter before he was mad. The White Rabbit. The tiny king. And especially Catherine before she became the Queen of Hearts. The narration on this was PERFECTION. Rebecca Soler is a master of voices! She did them all so perfectly, and in the way you would hear them from the Disney movie too. I was so charmed. I listened to this one feverishly, setting aside podcasts so I could concentrate on this alone. It was marvelous. Marissa Meyer strikes again! She’s becoming one of my favorite YA authors. I can’t wait for my kids to read her books someday.
How did the dark queen become such a….um….an evil queen?
If you are into happily-ever-after type of novels, skip this one.
Brilliant, bitter, and to the point: I would recommend it to anyone else.
I thought this book was exceptional! Not only did Marrisa Meyer give this book great detail, the storyline was much better and more unexpected than I anticipated. Beginning this book, we all know how the story ends because the Queen of Hearts is evil, but was she always that way?
Words cannot describe this book its what got me into reading many years ago
dnf not even half way! Another disappointment for something so hyped up :/
Ik, I’ll try again in the future with a better open mind
My problem with it was that it was super boring, dry almost, absolutely no entertainment or interest was sparked from me while I TRIED! Please believe me, I tried, I wanted to get why it was so popular but… I got nothing 🙁
I love Alice in Wonderland. So when I heard that Marissa Meyer was doing a Queen of Hearts origin story, I was all in. This book blew my mind. You go into it knowing there’s going to be a twist. There’s going to be some major heartbreak somewhere along the line. And still, despite knowing that from page one, I was so invested. I honestly can’t remember the last time I shipped characters this hard. I actually finished the book on Audible and then went and bought the hardback so it can have an honored place on my favourites shelf. If you’re an Alice fan, an origin story fan, or just need a new OTP in your life, READ THIS BOOK. Ughhhh so good.
Side note: I want to mention that Heartless is a standalone book. You do not need to have read the Lunar Chronicles (or even be familiar with them at all) in order to read this. (But you should, because they’re awesome too. Just not part of this world.)
I cried and obsessed over this book so so so much!! The characters are absolutely amazing, and every bit of this book is just so so ugh!!!!! I can’t even describe it, I just loved this book so much and recommend it to everyone!
MINOR SPOILER!!!
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I love happy endings, so I’ll admit I didn’t really like this ending just because it was very much not happy. However, I don’t think a happy ending would fit the novel, and admittedly the ending was what had me obsess over it for so long. It broke my heart in a million ways, and even now I can’t stop myself from occasionally searching up the book to see if the author released a sequel that’ll “fix” the tragic ending of all the characters.
Read it
Oh my god where do I start, literally one of the most amazing books I’ve read in a long time, total page turner. The characters were so well written and it took me back to the original Alice in wonderland. I can’t tell you how much you need to read this book.
I’ve never read anything like it!! Truly mesmerized by the magical world and the love story is so perfect.
Heartless is such a clever retelling of the story about the queen of hearts. It shows you that even villains still have hearts. Such a sweet , romantic book about finding true love And doing what makes you happy! A most red!
I loved this book even though I cried through the entire end of it. I have since gotten all my close friends to read it and we have heated arguments about our favorite characters. This book is amazing and will have you hooked before the first chapter is over
This book was so very good! I cried during some parts and laughed during others. Sometimes I just had to stop and hug the book to my chest to take it all in. I read this book about a year ago and I’m planning on rereading it very soon! On Wattpad, a girl wrote her own story which is like the sequel to this one, and its super good! It’s not finished though. Anyhow, I definitely recommend this coming of age story for the majestic Queen of Hearts.
Would you consider the audio edition of Heartless to be better than the print version?
hmmmm That is tough because I love real books but due to a busy lifestyle I listen to them most of the time now but when its a favorite as this one is, I purchase the real book to add to my bookshelf for just in case a Hurricane hits and we have no power or if I have down time and can really read. =)
Who was your favorite character and why?
The Joker – his addition to this breathtaking twist on a story we all grew up on is fantastic.
Which scene was your favorite?
OHHHHHHHHHHHH THE WHOLE BOOK!! I’d say the tea party. That was amazing.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
The Truth Behind Wonderland
Any additional comments?
I devoured this book. I am a huge fan of Marissa Meyer’s work. When I saw this book and what it was about I couldn’t wait to start!! As soon as the book finished, I restarted it over again! Twice! I couldn’t get enough of it. This is such a believable story about how the Queen of Hearts came to be who she is. The whole time, even after I finished it the first time I would plead that the ending would be different and that she wouldn’t become the Queen of Hearts we know and grew up with! The story line was clever, humorous, engaging, addictive and lovable! By far my favorite book I got to listen to ever! I can’t wait to see what worlds Marissa creates next!!
This. book. DEVASTATED. me.
After finishing this story, it was almost a whole week before I felt recovered enough to start something new. That’s how much this story stayed with me.
Lady Catherine Pinkerton, daughter of the Marquess of Hearts, truly desires only one thing: to open the best confectioner’s shop in the whole kingdom. Her mother, however, has other plans. When Catherine’s exceptional baking skills capture the affection of the King, her mother pushes Catherine into a courtship she doesn’t want, especially since she’s falling in love with another man. Every attempt Catherine makes to avoid the King’s imminent proposal only strengthens the King’s desire, pushing Catherine to more desperate measures as she fights to master her destiny and spend her life with a man of her own choosing.
Set in the world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Heartless is the origin story of the Queen of Hearts. While remaining true to Carroll’s original version of Wonderland, Meyers develops a world that is richly drawn and people with characters so real that readers will miss them when the story ends.
I originally read this book because one of my students recommended it to me. I honestly wasn’t looking forward to it, but I try to read everything my students love enough to recommend because it gives me insight into each student’s personality. It also gives us common ground for discussion, providing a way to connect, and it exposes me to some pretty good stories I might not have picked up otherwise.
This is exactly what happened with Heartless. In this story, Meyers has created an actual, believable person to flesh out the caricature of Lewis Carroll’s Queen of Hearts. Every detail from Carroll’s stories is present and is believably incorporated. Meyer’s characters are richly drawn and believable, even the minor characters, and their motives are relatable. Moreover, Catherine’s transition from enjoyable daughter of a domineering mother to the Queen of Hearts is understandable and genuine, and her reasons for doing so are reasons any one of us might act on ourselves. The truth of Catherine’s story is what makes Heartless so powerful, believable, and ruinous.
Loved this untold back story of the Queen of Hearts. I couldn’t put it down and didn’t want it to end. This book really keeps you guessing until the very end. I like the idea of taking a well known character (something old) and making it fresh and new again. You end up really rooting for Cath even though in your heart you know that her story can’t possibly have a happy ending. That, however, is the fun of a story like this.
The amazing Marissa Meyer can do no wrong as far as I can tell.
This book was a beautiful spell woven through the original story by Lewis Carroll, taking the main elements of the original mad story and putting them in place in a world that doesn’t seem so far from our reality. While walking through the world of Catherine, we get to visit a mad tea party, a fight with a Jabberwock, and make deals with the sisters of fate.
The are no holds barred when it comes to the resolution of the story, which begins as “star-crossed lovers” and boldly walks the path to “OFF WITH THEIR HEAD!”. As you take each turn through the mythical maze in the story, you can’t help but root for the beautiful dreams of Catherine and Jest, hoping it will all turn out well in the end, even though the story provides no indication that it will be easy or possible.
Except, all impossible things provide the most fantastical possibilities in this version of Wonderland.