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Where to start with this book!? It was much more darker than I was expecting but it was written so well! Heartless is primarily the origin story of the infamous Queen of Hearts. It tells the story of how she came to power, why she became so cruel and...heartless and even shows the first time she says her well-known catchphrase 'off with his head'.
This story was genius. The real grip for this story is that, even though you know exactly how the story will end, there is no clear direction of how we're going get there. It's tragic and heart-breaking knowing what's going to happen to this lovely set of characters. The plot was executed perfectly and I can't imagine a better version of this story.
SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
I loved this book from the very beginning. It was gripping, entertaining and a perfect story for how the Queen of Hearts came to be. Now though, I feel very sorry for her and kind of think that she has a right to be like she is- it's not exactly her fault. It's heart-breaking to know that the reason she doesn't have a heart is because she asked for it to be taken away from her- simply because it hurt to imagine living without Jest...
And I loved Catherine. She was so genuinely kind and considerate, I spent 90% of the book thinking 'How the hell is Catherine going to become so evil? She's so lovely!' But I think that's what makes it so tragic. We see her completely lose herself and we know full well that Jest would be torn apart to see that she's ended up like that.
I also loved Jest. He was daring, mysterious, sexy.... I don't blame Catherine for falling for him. The thing I probably love most is how men from that time are so gentlemanly and chivalrous. They're so charming that I'm pretty sure it'd be impossible to resist them.
Is it just me, or did you totally picture the King of Hearts as Jonathon Groff (King George from 'Hamilton')? I couldn't get the image out of my head!
I adored the King of Hearts! He was so endearing and sweet but, honestly, some of the things he said just made me cringe! His love letters to Catherine make me feel so sorry for him. I felt even more sorry for him at the end of the book- he desperately tries to get out of the marriage with Catherine and he's horrified when she sentences Peter to death. But he's too nice to say anything!!! Poor bloke.
All the action within the story with the Jabberwock etc was written so well and it gripped me so effectively.
And....the ending.
It was so tragic and heart-shattering to watch a character lose themselves so. Normally, in books, the main character finds themselves during the story and becomes better- this is exactly the opposite. We have to sit and watch a kind, hopeful and beautiful character turn into a beast because of the all the pain and horror she encounters.
I think this book was ended perfectly. The end sentence- 'Off with head'- was so powerful even though I'd guessed that it would be that pretty early on. The ending scene was so beautifully intense and poignant. I think the last paragraph sums up so beautifully how tragic and heart-breaking the book really is.
"'For the murder of Jest, the court joker of Hearts, I sentence this man to death.' She spoke without feeling, unburdened by love or dreams or the pain of a broken heart. It was a new day in Hearts, and she was the Queen,
'Off with his head.'"
Thank you so much for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts- comment them below! Stay amazing!
Chloe
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