Book Review: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

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"It is a dangerous thing to unbelieve something only because it frightens you"

What if the Queen of Hearts once baked lemon tarts and pumkin pasties?

Heartless is a whimsical and bold imagining of how the evil and foul-tempered villainess from Alice in Wonderland once came from an innocent, lovable beginning. 

Catherine Pinkerton is the heiress of Rock Turtle cove, in the King of Heart's kingdom. Kind, witty and very ambitious, Lady Pinkerton excels at baking, and wants to open a bakery with her best friend, Mary Ann, much to the displeasure of her parents, who want her wedded to the king. Her dilemma intensifies with the arrival of the handsome new Court Joker, who slowly captures the young girl's heart.

This book had me compelled from the very first lines (a delicious description of lemon tarts) and only intensified my interest as I read along. I absolutely loved how the author combined youthful innocence, ambition and love in the form of a fierce and bright girl. Catherine's emotions were vibrant and seemed to leak out from the pages. 

The book was well paced from start to finish and the plot was quite simple but far from boring. I found the story to be more character driven, since it focused mainly on how Catherine's behaviour and personality were affected by her tumultous situation. Every character was written hauntingly well and the worldbuilding added a rich finesse.

I admire how skillfully Meyer managed to retain the colorful whimsy of Alice in Wonderland while adding a fresh kind of terror to Catherine's world. The horrors of the beastlike Jabberwock, however, would eventually be nothing compared to the loss that cost Catherine her humanity, and her heart. 

Catherine is perhaps the most accurate example of how society can destroy those who are hopeful, completely ridding them of their spark. I found that the more I read, the more I wished for Catherine to stay good at heart, but this novel goes to show exactly how hard that can be for a young girl like her. I enjoyed this book immensely and think it's truly a gorgeously heartbreaking piece of fiction.