These Vengeful Hearts by Katherine Laurin — ARC Review

Summary:

Anyone can ask the Red Court for a favor…but every request comes at a cost. And once the deed is done, you’re forever in their debt.

Whenever something scandalous happens at Heller High, the Red Court is the name on everyone’s lips. Its members–the most elite female students in the school–deal out social ruin and favors in equal measure, their true identities a secret known only to their ruthless leader: the Queen of Hearts.

Sixteen-year-old Ember Williams has seen firsthand the damage the Red Court can do. Two years ago, they caused the accident that left her older sister paralyzed. Now, Ember is determined to hold them accountable…by taking the Red Court down from the inside.

But crossing enemy lines will mean crossing moral boundaries, too–ones Ember may never be able to come back from. She always knew taking on the Red Court would come at a price, but will the cost of revenge be more than she’s willing to sacrifice?

Review: 3 Stars

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately and These Vengeful Hearts looked like it would be fast paced and entertaining. For the most part it kept me captivated, but there was a part in the middle where I found myself bored. Once I found myself sucked back in I wound up finishing the book pretty quickly, These Vengeful Hearts was entertaining and it was exactly what I needed to get out of my reading slump.

These Vengeful Hearts is a plot driven novel about one girl’s quest for revenge against a secret society that does favors for people and exposes secrets. I loved the idea of the Red Court and I found the take-downs entertaining to read. The pacing was pretty fast, but towards the middle of the book it got a little slow and boring. When the book picked back up I couldn’t read it fast enough. The tension ramped up and I was anxious to know what would happen next.

The characters are all pretty one dimensional, but I expect that in this type of story. The Red Court is full of girls who either enjoy deception or are out for their own personal gain. These girls all cross moral lines in the Red Court and it would have been more interesting if we got to read about their motives. When Ember joins the Red Court and starts enjoying the take-downs she realizes that there is darkness within her. Ember’s struggles with doing things that go against her morals are part of what make this book a more interesting read. I wish that the characters felt a bit more real and that the book explored morality a bit more. It ended a bit too neatly to feel believable.

Overall I think this book was entertaining, but it didn’t feel completely believable. I really liked the concept of a high school secret society that pulled the strings behind the scenes. I feel like the characters could have used more depth and that the ending wrapped up too neatly. If you;re looking for a fast paced read I recommend checking this one out, but if you’re looking for a deeper story These Vengeful Hearts isn’t for you.