Heartless is, quite literally, the backstory of the Queen of Hearts, the hated antagonist from the classic tale of the Adventures of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol. It reveals the Queen's mysterious and surprisingly tragic past--as well as how she came to be the villain, we all know of. The story starts off with Catherine, a young baker with aspiring dreams of opening her own bakery in her hometown, the kingdom of Hearts--and unfortunately for her, someone who just so happens to be a favorite of the king. Things become complicated on the night when the king is expected to propose to her--and she meets the mysterious and completely irresistible Jest, the king's new court joker. Cath and Jest soon enter into a secret courtship, hidden away from the eyes of Cath's controlling mother as well as the rest of the kingdom. Cath has no interest in becoming queen--she just wants to live out the rest of her life happily with Jest and her bakery, but fate has other plans for her.
I first heard of Heartless through my friends, all of whom are total bookworms--and they just wouldn't stop talking about it! Later, one of my friends actually got Heartless for me on my birthday, and soon I just couldn't put it down! I'll admit, it was a little slow for me in the beginning, but after the first few chapters, I was completely immersed in it. It was totally gripping, and its achingly heartbreaking ending almost had me in tears. A definite must-read for any young teen that loves fantasy, romance, and action!