Release: September 8th 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Inkyard Press
Find it at: Amazon,B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, Indie Bound, Bookshop.org – Books-a-Million
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Mean Girls meets Siobhan Vivian’s The List in THESE VENGEFUL HEARTS, an utterly addictive standalone YA debut that follows 16-year-old Ember Williams as she seeks revenge against the Red Court, a secret organization of Heller High’s most elite female students that specializes in granting and requesting favors—and which is responsible for the accident for her sister’s paralysis.
A thrilling novel about a secret society and the dangers that lie in wait for anyone brave enough to join. Also , perfect for fans of Karen M. McManus, Kara Thomas, and Maureen Johnson.
Whenever something scandalous happens at Heller High, the Red Court is the name on everyone’s lips. Its members deal out social ruin and favors in equal measure, only their leader knows their true identities: the Queen of Hearts.
Ember Williams has seen firsthand the damage the Red Court can do. Now, she’s determined to hold the organization accountable by taking it down from the inside. But will the cost of revenge be more than she’s willing to sacrifice?
About the Author:
Katherine Laurin lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, and tiny dog. When she’s not writing, Katherine enjoys reading, traveling, hiking, and listening to true crime podcasts. These Vengeful Hearts is her first young adult novel.
These Vengeful Hearts Review:
“These Vengeful Hearts” is an atmospheric young adult thriller about a secret society and a girl’s goal to bring it down. I enjoyed reading this one.
This book is the first one I have read in a long time that features a secret society in a young adult novel, so the premise intrigued me. The Red Court and the Queen of Hearts (a nice nod to Alice in Wonderland) sounded like a mysterious society, and I liked how complex the author made it. As Ember realizes, later on, the society is more extensive than she had expected, and I was surprised by how intricate it was. The author blended the mystery nicely with some thrilling adventure elements and a cute romance as well.
I loved Ember in the lead. She reminded me of Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, as she seeks out revenge to bring the powerful and influential society down. I also liked her friendship with Gideon and thought they made a good duo. Similarly, she has sparkling chemistry with Chase, and I enjoyed their dramatic moments. Some moments stood out for me, like the scenes at the carnival and the fundraiser. Even the supporting characters like Hailey and April added well.
However, the story does pace slowly in the middle. The book starts and ends off on a high note, but nothing much happened in the middle. It seemed like Ember took quite a lot of time to figure out how the society worked, and I expected more thrilling shocks.
Nevertheless, this is still a nice story to read if you transition from middle grade to young adult. Overall, “These Vengeful Hearts” is a lovely young adult thriller but had the potential to be much better.
