A WONDERFUL READ | 'Heartless' by Marissa Meyer
Marissa Meyer's standalone young adult novel ‘Heartless’ tells the story of the Queen of Hearts before she became the psychotic ruler with the tiny husband who screams "Off with her head!" at Alice during her trip to Wonderland.
Catherine is a young lady with a dream of opening a bakery with her lady's maid and friend, Mary Ann. However, she is aware that her parents - the Marquess and Marchioness of Rock Turtle Cove are planning to marry her off to a rich lordling as soon as they possibly can.
Catherine soon discovers that her mother has plans for her to catch the eye of the King of Hearts himself. She will never be able to realise her own, modest dream if she becomes is to become the Queen, but how can she reject the King without bringing shame upon herself, and disappointing her parents in the process?
And then there's the Joker - a newcomer to the court. Jest sweeps Cath off her feet with secret meetings and notes, but is he really who he says he is?
To top it all off, a series of violent attacks start to occur across the land. Could it really be the mysterious Jabberwock Catherine’s heard so much about?
Cath struggles with the expectations of her parents and must guard her family’s reputation with every decision she makes.
Majestically, the Court has a Regency feel to it, with young ladies presented to the King at a ball. How does the aspiring business-minded Catherine fit into this world?
Marissa Meyer writes the most delicious romances, as readers of her ‘Lunar Chronicles’ series will know. ‘Heartless’ is no exception, with plenty of swoony moments to match the many heartbreaking ones. Much to readers’ delight, Meyer also explores quirky friendships with hilarious banter, much like that which readers loved in the ‘Lunar Chronicles’.
The trouble with origin stories is that readers feel they know how they will end, more or less. Cath's descent into the angry Queen was almost too fast, without including much of her heartbreak and anguish. Meyer really has us rooting for Cath by the end, and to see Cath’s dreams come crashing down around her is sad, but the story in its entirety has a sense of the inevitable about it.
Wonderland is woven into ‘Heartless’ in abundance - from the flamingo-hedgehog croquet to the Mad Hatter's tea party; strange magical creatures and dark, misunderstood villains. The nods to ‘Alice in Wonderland’ are subtle and might seem odd to someone who hasn’t yet read Lewis Carroll’s original, but readers new to Wonderland will still find plenty to enjoy.
Another drawcard to this book is that the food sounds delicious - lemon tarts, macarons, pumpkin and key lime pies. If only the novel included recipes!
Fans of the original ‘Alice in Wonderland’ will find plenty to delight them here, as well as those who might enjoy an eccentric yet romantic tale with a touch of magic entwined throughout.
‘Heartless’ (released November 2016) is available in all good bookstores now.
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