These Vengeful Hearts by Katherine Laurin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Inkyard Press, for providing me with an ARC of These Vengeful Hearts in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Gist
I was obsessed with the Pretty Little Liars TV show for its entire run. High school thriller, with lots of intrigue and conspiracy. Sign me up!
I welcomed the possibility of high school being the exact opposite of what it was like for me. So, it’s a sort of nostalgic feeling I get when reading high school thrillers that offer me an alternative option for experiencing the good old adolescent years, even if it’s just in books.
That’s what grabbed my attention in the first place. I mean it’s in the name: vengeful plans and secret agendas.
I have to say, though, the title itself kept misleading me a little. There is the possibility that I may have read of a book with a similar name that belonged to the fantasy genre, which made this a little confusing at the beginning.
The Details
As hard as this might be for me, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed in These Vengeful Hearts. The idea was good and the premise very promising, but the execution fell flat.
Ember, a determined, smart and ambitious high school student, out for revenge seemed like the perfect protagonist to get this story off the ground. Alas, she didn’t have much of a personality.
The story is narrated from Ember’s perspective. It’s a good opportunity to give the reader good insight into her emotions, the struggles she might be facing and a deeper understanding of her character. Instead, all the reader gets is a play-by-play narrative of what she is doing.
It’s too factual and it lacks any sort of personality traits that would let Ember stand out in a crowd.
A reason for the reader to continue, because of something that makes Ember unique.
Just like with the protagonist, there really wasn’t anything wrong with the plot. It had a lot of potential. These Vengeful Hearts sadly just never really got there. Nothing stood out and nothing made this story unique.
The writing was good. It was clear and concise. I could picture everything described and nothing felt too abstract.
The Verdict
Overall, I’m going to sound like a broken record here, but I could see the potential in These Vengeful Hearts. it was right there and yet never really made it.
I was hoping for a clench-the-book-with-white-knuckles kind of read. Unfortunately, it couldn’t quite capture that atmosphere.
I might suggest it as a lighter read.
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.
