A thrilling novel about a secret society and the dangers that lie in wait for anyone brave enough to join—perfect for fans of Karen M. McManus, Kara Thomas, and Maureen Johnson.Whenever something scandalous happens at Heller High, the Red Court is the name on everyone’s lips. Its members deal out social ruin and favors in equal measure, their true identities known only by their leader: the Queen … by their leader: the Queen of Hearts.
Ember Williams has seen firsthand the damage the Red Court can do. Now, she’s determined to hold the organization accountable by taking it down from the inside. But will the cost of revenge be more than she’s willing to sacrifice?
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I was a little hesitant to start this book after seeing the mixed reviews but I was drawn to the beautiful cover so I gave it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised by the story. It did have a mean girls type of theme but that was part of why I loved it. I loved the whole secret society part of it as well. Watching the main character Ember struggle with enjoying what she’s doing and feeling bad about hurting people made her feel a little relatable to me, I think I would have hated her if she hadn’t felt bad about what she was doing. I would have liked to have seen more as far as why they picked people that she was close to for her jobs, I feel like that part and the end were a little rushed. Overall, I highly enjoyed the story and hope that there’s a sequel after that ending.
I think I have said this recently, I have been having pretty good luck with YA mysteries lately. These Vengeful Hearts was no exception. I ended up really enjoying this one. I love secret society books in general. The Red Court at Heller High is a secret society that enacts social ruin or favorable outcomes for students at the high school. If you ask for a favor, you will owe the society forever. Ember wants to be a part to enact revenge for what the society did to her sister years before.
As I said, I really enjoyed this one. Ember was a great character. I could understand her drive for revenge. I also appreciated that she had instances where she questioned what she was doing. Her friend Gideon was a fun character and a great moral compass. I also enjoyed the blooming romance between Ember and Chase. There is a twist at the end that Ember discovers as she tries to unmask The Red Queen and the rest of the “court”. I didn’t call that one. I’m not sure if this is a stand alone book or not. The epilogue left it kind of open for a second book. I would love to see second book with these characters. I highly recommend this one,
“When you’re made of fire, do you feel guilty watching other people burn?”
These Vengeful Hearts is essentially an alt universe Mean Girls with that same darkness, just take out the humor. The story revolves around a teen girl named Ember, who is seeking out revenge on the elusive Red Court who once upon a time hurt her older sister. The Red Court being a group of girls who do favors for people who request them, but at a steep cost. These favors range from exposing peoples secrets to helping them secure something that they want. Being recruited to the RC means you get safety, and a no cost favor if you do your jobs and keep the RC secret. Ember’s been recruited and her goal is to take them down, but will she be able to resist the feeling of power that she gains from being let into this club? You’ll have to read Vengeful Hearts to find out.
I enjoyed this story. If you like YA level angst, fun cliche filled dialogue, and a character learning that doing the right thing is, well, the right thing, then you will enjoy this story too. I can’t say that it is super duper unique and original or that I’m not a little terrified now when I see a random playing card, but I loved the suspense plot and the sort of spin on the Mean Girls “take them down from the inside” plot. So good and I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author.