#HeartlessCountdown by Marissa Meyer

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The countdown to Heartless is on!! I have to tell you, I read Heartless and I ADORED it. I loved everything about it and would have loved to spend even more time in Meyer’s version of Wonderland. Speaking of Wonderland, I am here today to talk about my favorite character: The Mad Hatter.

I obviously love Cheshire a lot as well, but I find that he just doesn’t get as much time on the page (or screen) as some of the others, so I am always left wanting more. So Hatter is my favorite because he is just so eccentric and fun…when he isn’t dark and terrifying.

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The 1951 Disney version shows Hatter as rather juvenile. He is volatile and seems to be on the verge of throwing tantrums here and there but is easily pacified by compliments. He has a two second rebound rate before going back to his jovial nature. In truth, this is probably my least favorite adaptation of Hatter, but I never fell in love with this film as a child so perhaps I have a bit of a bias.

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The 2010 Disney version is more my cup of tea (hehe) and yeah, it’s probably because I love Tim Burton and I love Johnny Depp…what can I say? He takes on a much bigger role in this film, acting as Alice’s true friend and puts himself on the line for her a few times. I saw a few Johnny Depp interviews and he mentioned that his character was a bit like a “mood ring” as his appearance changed due to very strong emotions. I enjoyed that they maintained the same character who has his emotions so close to the surface but brought it a step further with his appearance.

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Probably my favorite adaptation of Hatter is in the horror novel Alice by Christina Henry. I absolutely devoured this novel. It was dark and enthralling and everything that I love. Hatter was a very twisted and sometimes scary character, though he backed Alice fiercely. Madness can go a lot of ways, you know, and not always in a happy go lucky manner. I loved that about this novel.

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Then we have the Hatter character in Heartless…I don’t want to give too much away here but let’s just say that he is a good mix between all three of my favorite adaptations in that he is fiercely loyal, sometimes dark and rather mad through and through.

The countdown to Heartless is ON!! Join us all in counting down to one of the most anticipated books of the year. You aren’t going to want to miss this one, I absolutely adored this adaptation and cannot wait for you to see what Marissa has done with Wonderland and the Red Queen. Stay tuned for my full review and join in on the countdown by checking out Fierce Reads! They are giving away advance copies of Heartless every day!!

Review: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

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Title: Heartless

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publishing Information:  November 8rd 2016 by Feiwel & Friends

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Series Information: Standalone

Format: Hardcover, 464pages

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher

Recommended For: Readers looking for a fun, whimsical and romantic origin story.

 

Heartless was a very fun read. It was whimsical and despite being a long novel it was a very quick read. I really loved Catherine and am completely on board with her origin story. While reading, I was very worried that Heartless would end in a way that would make me unhappy. I was worried that Cath’s reasoning for turning into the villain that we know in Alice in Wonderland would frustrate me. I don’t want to divulge many details but I was worried that it would go the same way as Maleficent in the most recent film, with a man behind the wheel of her emotions. I am so happy to say that this was not the case at all.

Throughout Heartless the reader grows to love Cath, and her beau, and I can say that I felt her fury and reasoning for who she becomes. I found myself seething as she seethed and feeling satisfied as she came into her own as the Queen. The secondary characters were lovely, I don’t think there will ever be an Alice in Wonderland story where I am not a little bit in love with the Hatter. I wish that Meyer showed us more of the land of Chess, as it sounds even more intriguing than the land of Hearts. Though I am thrilled that this was a standalone, and everything was tied up perfectly, I cannot help but wish that Meyer went further with a companion novel telling us of Alice and what happens when she meets the now villainous Queen of Hearts.

Shelf Talker: Heartless is a whimsical, tragically romantic and fun novel. Highly recommended for fans of origin stories, swoons and vibrantly atmospheric novels.

Review: Unhinged by A.G. Howard

Title: Unhinged

Author: A.G. Howard

Publishing Information: January 7, 2014 by Amulet

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Retellings

Series Information: Book 2 in the Splintered Trilogy (review of Splintered)

Format: Hardcover, 400 pages

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

Recommended For: Fans of darker fairy tale retellings, and yummy kissy scenes!

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

You may remember that I really enjoyed the first novel in this series, and I was very impatient to get my hands on Unhinged. I am sorry to say that though Unhinged was enjoyable, it fell a little short of my expectations. Continue reading