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4 stars! This review will contain no spoilers!
Summary:
Catherine is the daughter of a Marquess and Marchioness, the heir to Mock Turtle cove, the most desirable girl in all of Hearts, the apple of the king’s eye, and the most talented baker in Hearts. She dreams to open up her own bakery with her best friend and maid, Maryanne. Her parents, however, have very different ideas about her future. They want her to become a queen, not a commoner. When Cath attends a ball at the palace and learns that the king plans to propose to her, she flees only run straight into the nights entertain, the Joker. Cath is infatuated from the start and would rather pursue a life with true love than a loveless marriage to a king. Despite the intentions of the king and the desires of her mother, Cath decides to pursue her feelings for the Joker in secret. Can she make her own destiny or will fate twist around her plans? This is a retelling of how the Queen of Hearts came to be.
Thoughts:
Gave this book 4 stars! I thought the world was quirky and interesting, Catherine’s character arc was done extremely well, Jest is so freakin’ cute I can’t, and the ending and development of the Queen of Hearts signature line “Off with his head!” was clever! Having read Marissa Meyer's TLC, I was expecting to like this book a lot, but not necessarily be blown away and that basically what happened. My only gripes lie with how predictable the story line was. I mean yes, it’s a retelling, but I don’t actually know a lot about the Queen of Hearts story and the one part that was supposed to be the most devastating, I figured from the start. Then there was this one decision that was made towards the end of the book that just left me completely dumbfounded and annoyed. Still, all in all this was a great standalone retelling! And the romance in this book made my heart so happy. Jest just makes everything better! I completely think the length of the story and wrap up in the ending was perfect, but if this book wasn't a standalone, I'd definitely read the sequel!
Plot:
I thought this retelling was pieced together really well however predictable it was. I was never bored reading this. The flow may have been slightly on the slower side for my taste, but that didn’t bother me because I thought it was a good fit for the pacing of the story.
Marissa Meyer is just such a clever writer. Cath’s 180 from a sweet and pleasant dreamer to a cold-hearted honest tyrant left me in amazement. You just have to commend Meyer’s ability turn a heroine into a villain while still being able to make her lovable. Cath grows a backbone as she becomes stronger, tougher, and less naive. When she finally start to defy the restraints her parents and the king put on her, you root for her, no matter how evil she is becoming.
There were little details that made the plot more enjoyable for me like Raven, with the Edgar Allen Poe twist. The signature lines from the original material like “off with his head,” or “I do six impossible things before morning.” “There was the tea table, mad Hatta, and Hatta’s little reveal at the end of the story. And there were the other familiar creatures from Alice in Wonderland like Cheshire and of course the Jabberwock. Lastly, the world building was exquisite and fantastical. Hearts is such a magical place.
I enjoyed experiencing Cath and Jest’s relationship so so so much. There’s just something with romances that bloom though the characters know they can never be together. I like the angst, I like the chase, I LOVE jest! He was the character that always perked my interest while reading.
The pumpkin related developments of this book were surprising to me! Those parts were the few things that I did not find predictable and I enjoyed them that much more because those twists and turns actually hit me out of nowhere. Plus, Peter Peter is utterly creepy and his wife is even worse!
Characters:
Catherine I’ve already talked to pieces. Her character arc is SO STRONG. I completely enjoyed being in her head and following her thoughts that lead her to become the Queen of Hearts.
Jest was written to be the most dreamy, witty, talented joker I have ever read about even if he’s the only joker I have ever read about. He has this whimsical, “can’t really exist,” type of personality and grace that makes him a unicorn of sorts in my eyes.
The king is SO ridiculous. A spineless ruler. I wonder how he would have ever gotten Hearts to survive Jabberwock attacks without Cath and the others.
Cath’s parents are despicable. Her mother more so than her father. Her mother and father only think about themselves even when they say they’re thinking of Cath’s future and everyone knows it. And that’s what makes Cath’s defiance of them ever more satisfying.
Overall:
I’m sad this story is merely a standalone (because I so would have picked up the sequel), but the length of this story was perfect. Marissa Meyer has done it again with a clever plot, wonderful male romantic interests, and a magical world.
