Heartless (A YA Book Review)

Heartless by Marissa Meyer 4.5/5 stars

I loved the ideas set forth in this book. Marissa Meyer did a great job of incorporating what I consider nursery rhymes in with the Alice in Wonderland story (it has been decades since I read the original Alice in Wonderland, so I don't recall if Carroll did the same). I loved Cath and Jest, even if Catherine's inability to stand up to her parents had me screaming at her. The world building is wonderful between Chess and Hearts. Several times I was imagining the old 80s versions of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. At times, the pacing seemed slow and I can't determine if it was the book or the fact that I slowed down because I knew things wouldn't end well, it is called Heartless and is about the Queen of Hearts after all. Overall, this book had vivid imagery and I kind of hope it is turned into a movie some day because I could really see it playing it out in my head as I read. If you like retellings (I've only read The Lunar Chronicles, no ACOTAR or Wicked, etc.) or are a fan of Marissa Meyer, you should enjoy this.