Heartless

Gr 8 Up—In this dark imagining of the origin of the Queen of Hearts, Lady Catherine starts out with the dream of owning a bakery with her maid, Mary Ann. Cath’s baking skills land her the heart of the King of Hearts, but she is drawn to the mysterious court joker, Jest. As Cath begins to give her heart to Jest and is courted by the King, the kingdom of Hearts is darkened by the appearance of the Jabberwocky. To stop this beast, Cath will have to make costly choices and in the process may lose her heart forever. Meyer has created a bittersweet twist on the tale of the Queen of Hearts, and the story is as enchanting as Lewis Carroll’s original. Through her narration, Rebecca Soler brings to life the quirky denizens of Hearts, including the evanescent Cheshire Cat, the giggling King, and the nervous White Rabbit, while also capturing Cath’s shift from hopeful baker to heartbroken and heartless queen. Soler’s voice has a storytelling quality that entrances listeners and perfectly matches Meyer’s vivid writing. VERDICT Give this to fans of Meyer’s “Lunar Chronicles,” lovers of Alex Flinn’s fairy-tale twists, and those who enjoy the classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.