YA Pick: Heartless

Heartless
by Marissa Meyer
Feiwel and Friends
2017
449 pages
ISBN: 9781250044655

Heartless is a richly imagined, breathtakingly told story prequel of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. Evocative of Carroll's mad romp and "Wicked," Heartless delivers this story to this generation of readers. All the principal characters appear: the Cheshire Cat, Cath (who becomes the Queen of Hearts), the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit and with Meyer's deft ability to tell a tale, live again in this book.

Catherine  wants to open a bakery and sell the best tarts and pastries in all of Hearts, but her mother has other ideas. No high born woman should work in business. The king has his eye on Cath as a wife, but Cath meets and falls under the spell of Jest, a new court jester. There's magic and monsters in this kingdom and enough trouble to keep the young couple apart.

There is no happy ending in this book. We all know Cath turns into the Queen of Hearts, so we are prepared for her wicked behavior. It's interesting to see a villain as a young and innocent teen before life and love wreaks their heart and mind.

For fans of Meyer's The Lunar Chronicles, this is a must read. This is not simply a retelling of Alice in Wonderland; it's a prequel  which means Meyer can imagine anything for young Catherine.

Recommended grade 7-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my library.

Early Reader Pick: Waking Dragons

Waking Dragons
Jane Yolen
Paintings by Derek Anderson
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
2012
32 pages

Available October 23, 2012

Quaint, clever, and oh-so-cute Waking Dragons proves Jane Yolen can do anything! Illustrations by Derek Anderson are whimsical and colorful exploding with fire-breathing dragon energy on every two page spread. Dragons take up each spread with not an ounce of wasted space.

Mom leaves her little knight a note to wake the dragons before school, and the young boy wakes them and helps them get ready for their day. The rhyming by Yolen is spot-on and cute. Even when the words don't actually rhyme, Yolen throws in another syllable to make it quirky and get young (and older) readers to smile at the whimsy, "Wipe their faces, runny noses, get into their outdoor clothes-es."

The boy and his favorite dog catch a ride to school on the backs of their dragon roommates, and the dragons, "...get to fly. And fly. And fly." as the boy waves good-bye and takes his backpack up the steps of the school.

This clever picture book is right in time for Christmas gifts and stockings. What child wouldn't want a great dragon book? This will appeal to all ages, boys and girls, who love a great dragon tail (pun intended).

The cover will welcome hordes of young dragon fans and even the endsheets have a smart dragon fire design. The publishers really hit this one out of the park with its delightful packaging.

Oh-so-highly recommended. This is a must-have! Early readers and all ages.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)