The Hearts We Sold brings fairy tales to real life — and like fairy tales, the real thing is darker than the story around it. Dee has finally escaped from her abusive parents, winning a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school that will launch her on a trajectory toward a better life. So when her scholarship disappears, Dee takes the fairy tale option and willingly trades her heart for tuition money, joining a crew of other deal-makers in the service of a mysterious demon, stopping evil demons from crossing over to Earth.
I love that there is absolutely nothing special about Dee — anyone can trade part of herself to a demon in exchange for a wish, and lots of people do. She doesn’t become the Slayer or the Chosen One, but she does come to realize her own special-ness in her ordinariness, which is honestly what most of us will spend chunks of our own lives realizing. Part of this is building a family she chooses — her own parents are cold and abusive, and Dee slowly discovers that her motley crew of demon apprentices has become her found family. And she even lets down her walls enough to fall in love — slowly — with one of her fellow heartless. The mystery of Agathodaemon’s void-closing work isn’t particularly compelling, but that’s not really the point of the book, though it’s certainly the catalyst for a lot of the book’s action. And it’s what plunges the book toward its tragic but inevitable conclusion — there’s no way a book about selling your heart is going to end without some heartbreak.
This is a particular kind of slow-moving, introspection-heavy YA novel that I quite liked. If that’s your cup of tea, too, I recommend it.

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"Fairy tales with all the shine taken away from them were simply stories of desperation. Of hungry wolves devouring children and jealous stepsisters who hacked off their own toes to fit inside a glass slipper."


Dee's home life is not great, so much so that she goes off to a boarding school so she can avoid being at home. But when her scholarship runs out and her school life is in jeopardy, Dee will do anything to stay away- even if that means making a deal with a Demon. In a world where people can trade body parts for any asked for reward by making a deal, what will Dee give up to continue to escape her life?

“We’re all just moments and most of us don’t matter. We study less than one percent of all humanity in our history books.”
“And you’re going to be part of that one percent?” asked Dee.
“I just want to matter,” he said, unsmiling.


The Hearts we sold ripped out my heart, and yes I am sure that sounds cheesy (and so appropriate for the title/plot!), but it is true. This is the second book that I have now read by this author and I am pretty sure I am a fangirl now, I will consume her words and never let them go. I have no idea how making a deal with a demon- for a body part, potentially saving the world, dynamite, family drama, romance, monsters, made families, and heartbreak (even when you don't have a heart) go together, but I can confirm that they do- in the best of ways possible.

For a YA alternate universe with magic, this book covered a lot of hard topics and had some potent moments that made me cheer, melt- or even cry. I was not even a little bit expecting the tears let alone emotions of any kind when I started reading, that is until I finished the book at 2am one night and had to explain to my husband why I was up so late sobbing my heart out. I highly recommend this story (like so much so that I have purchased copies for all my reader friends to experience) for anyone who like YA, an overall great story and feels. The Hearts We Sold was wholly unique and pretty much magical. I can't believe I waited so long to read this story but I am ever so glad that I finally did.

"She had walked willingly into a fairy tale, into a world where she could trade her heart for her freedom. She may as well have donned a red cloak and strode into a darkened forest. She had always known there would be wolves. I chose this."

In case you missed it, Lloyd-Jones’ debut series Illusive is awesome X-Men-inspired fun. I will forever want that third book where my m/m ship sails into the sunset (it’s canon, I swear). The Hearts We Sold admittedly didn’t sound like too much of a Christina book. I wanted it because of how much I like Emily and how much I enjoyed Illusive. Reading author friend books is fraught with peril, especially when you venture out of your comfort zones, but, you guys, The Hearts We Sold is really excellent.


Allow me to set our humble scene. When I started The Hearts We Sold, I’d barely been reading for about a fortnight, which given that I’d read 330 books already at that point in the year says a lot about my headspace. I’d been stressed pre-vacation and then on vacation, it’s hard to find the time/energy to read, at least for me (unless it’s a beachy resort vacation). Even though I wasn’t in the mood for reading and really only wanted fluff, I devoured The Hearts We Sold. I read most of it in one day, which makes it the only book I was able to maintain focus on for the whole trip. Which basically goes to say that this shit is compelling af.

Another factor that tells me how good this book is: I’m not really into Faustian stories. For the most part, I’m really not interested in the whole “selling your soul” fantasy subgenre. For one thing, it’s often rooted in religion. For another, they have a pretty typical plot structure and emotional arc: want a thing but see no way to get it, meet demon/devil/whatever, sell soul, get thing, realize that you should have been more careful what you wished for, either escape or not. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that sort of story, it just doesn’t do a lot for me personally because of my set of interests.

However, I love what Lloyd-Jones did in The Hearts We Sold. She manages to take that basic framework and make it feel completely fresh and unique. In this fantastic version of the United States, “demons” exist. They can, in exchange for some body part of their choice, grant a person’s wish. This is a widespread phenomenon, and it’s common to see people missing limbs. Usually, there’s an element of special chosen-ness to these sorts of narratives, but here it can happen to anyone. The demons appear to anyone who strongly wants to make a wish. The world building and plotting are just so cool and unique, but I really don’t want to go into it because I really enjoyed watching everything unfold. A+.

Since I’m me, I wouldn’t give too many shits about the phenomenal world building unless I cared about the cast of characters. At first, admittedly, this was the weak point for me with The Hearts We Sold. Dee Moreno’s closed off and cold, even before she trades her heart to a demon in exchange for money so she can finish school. In a beautiful irony, Dee finds her heart through being heartless. As Dee slowly comes to trust her little group of heartless teens, who have to work for their demon for two years, the reader too is slowly drawn in until suddenly you’re an invested mess of feels.

Dee’s parents are both alcoholics, and she’s doing everything she can to escape them. Lloyd-Jones does an amazing job with this portrayal, and I did appreciate that View Spoiler » It’s an unflinching novel with harsh lows, but also with adorable highs. Though the overall tone is dark, Lloyd-Jones hits a variety of emotional beats that keep the book from being overwhelmingly depressing.

Dee’s semi-terrifying but awesome roommate Gremma (do not make fun of her stupid name or she will kill you—I know I’m the enemy of weird names in YA, but I don’t mind them when the weirdness is acknowledge by the text, which happens here) is one of my favorites. She’s a lesbian, and she gets a ship! Hurrah! The ship mostly happens off screen, so I didn’t ship it as much as I did Dee and Jamie, who are adorable and weird and I love them. The ending (and tbh some of the middle) totally decimated my feelings because I care about this crew so much: View Spoiler »

The Hearts We Sold is one of those delightful books that comes out of nowhere and just whomps you unexpectedly. I know anyone with OwlCrate got this last month, and you should absolutely get to it when you can!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy for review - in exchange, here it is - my honest review! All opinions are my own and do not reflect the view of any organization that I am affiliated with.

It's another one of those broken-teens-team-up-and-close-dark-portals-full-of-mosters kind of book. It's really fun, and it's refreshingly a nice stand-alone. I enjoyed the main character, who wields powerful emotions without veering into drama queen territory (huge points!), the damaged but still interesting love interest, the almost anime-ishly well-dressed mentor, and the high-stakes plot. It's a standout in the sea of YA urban fantasy!

I LOVED Hearts We Sold!

Both of my parents are addicts, my father an alcoholic and my mother self-medicated with drugs. Dee’s home life with the emotional and psychological neglect and abuse is scarily accurate. My heart broke for Dee, understanding all too well <3
Dee’s best friend & roommate who is understanding and supportive but doesn’t push. She gets it without having to have it spelled out. Some people can’t deal with our hang ups and messed up families. She’s the amazing kind of friend I’m -used to having, rare as they are.
Loved the present POV of Dee and the separate interspersed past tense for the background info, especially on James.
Love how the first time romance isn’t hung up on virginity and purity. She’s sure, she wants it, it happens, she’s happy.
I don’t want to give it away, but the reasons why they become heartless are amazing. I’m SO WITH IT!
Daemon who Knits. Portals. Nerd Crews. Burrowers. Unique paranormal set up with a public Deamon population.
Great mix of inter and intrapersonal drama and progression with action and unraveling the mystery of the Heartless, Daemons, and portals. –


The only thing that really bugs me is HEARTS AREN’T ALL INTERCHANGEABLE. Yes, magic, blah, blah, blah. But nope, that’s too far. I can’t accept it. It hurts to think about, my brain just screams in protest.



I was quickly sucked into Hearts We Sold and devoured it. There’s great style, substance, and a more than typical cast of young adults. Beside the one hang up, I have no issues or complaints, not even with the adorable and quick instalove with Shaggy-like James.

I adored this book. I love fairies, deals with the devil, aliens, the list goes on and on. I loved every moment. Even the sucker punch in the gut in the end

What a beautiful, heart breaking book. Although the first few chapters are slow, Jones soon takes you on a wild, emotional charged ride, so just bear through those first 7 chapters or so. Trust me, THE HEARTS WE SOLD is full of everything I adore: an adorable romance, a main character who slowly learns to stand up for herself, and demons. This book was everything I could hope for and so much more!

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read and review The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones. Dee has received an academic scholarship to attend the boarding school she now lives at. The scholarship funds have been cut and Dee dreads going home to her dysfunctional family. Dee sees a demon. Only humans that want something can see demons. The demons seem to be an epidemic in the community and Dee needs money for boarding school. She makes a twenty-four month deal with the Agathodaemon. The demon gives Dee what she wants and keeps her heart for the entire time of their covenant and Dee has to do his bidding for the same amount of time. After making the deal, Dee holds a portal open for James and Cal and she has no idea what is going on. She's sent to help close another void with James, Cal and Cora and she realizes that they don't understand the voids either. The story gradually explains the background of each member of the group and how they made their deal with the demon. Together they made an interesting team. I enjoyed the characters but they weren't as complex as I would have liked. The story concept changes and it becomes more science fiction than supernatural. The ending is the best part of the story, touching and heartfelt. 4 stars for a unique book.

The Hearts We Sold was an engaging and interesting story. It had an interesting and unique world and a plot full action and adventure that will keep you reading until the very end. This book was not at all what I was expecting but I'm okay with that.

I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would but I did enjoy it. I think readers who are fans of more plot-driven books will enjoy it, especially if you are looking for something a little different. But if you are looking for a dark fantasy wish fulfillment coming-of age story, look elsewhere.

I saw someone describe this as Faust for the YA set, which is both flippant and also true in the most non-pejorative sense possible. I'd also say that the Shadow His Wings tag line 'take what you want, says God, and pay for it' is also applicable.

In the context of 'demons!' and 'hunting!' and 'bargains with the devil!' "The Hearts We Sold" explores balance between desperation and cost, and what you're willing to give up, and what you'll make that sacrifice for, and whether you regret it later.

The main character reminds me a little of Adam from Raven Cycle - scholarship student at an elite academy trying to navigate the social and economic minefield.

I liked it a lot, and it was more interesting, and better written than I expected it to be (this sounds like I'm damning it with faint praise, but I expected something fluffy from the plot description and this actually had a lot of emotional and narrative weight to it).

Originally posted on Forever Young Adult on 2017 August 08.

The Hearts We Sold is an intriguing, fast-paced, action-packed thrill ride! Set in a world where demons make deals with humans, the edge paranormal vibe was immensely present. Dee sells her heart in exchange for money to get an education because she has a disastrous home life. Hard not to root for Dee, right? She may be making a deal with a demon, but it's all for a great cause! There is a sweet romance present. The characters are diverse and enjoyable to read about. The stakes are very high, so expect plenty of heart-racing action. Readers of YA fantasy and contemporary who enjoy a supernatural edge should be sure to pick up The Hearts We Sold today!

That cover coupled with that synopsis and there was no way I wasn't going to devour this book.

I love love loved Dee. And James. And omfg definitely Gremma. They're all so much fun for different reasons and I loved getting the chapters of why they sold their hearts.

Plot wise, it was everything I could have ever wanted. I laughed and swooned and was on the edge of my seat and was utterly gutted and heartbroken. I loved the story and the ending and the everything.

I know this review isn't helpful, but I don't have words. I can tell you that this will be one of my top books of the year.

**Huge thanks to The Novl for providing the arc free of charge**

This book felt like it dragged along and took forever to get through. I didn't feel comnected to the story or the characters and I wasn't able to finish the book.

Wow, this was not what I was expecting and I mean that in the best possible way. In a world where Demon's walk the earth and make exchanges with humans for wishes, Dee finds herself in a situation where she must make a bargain for her heart. The concept of the story was really unique and the characters were well written. Daemon, James, Cal, Cora, Riley and Gremma all brought different emotions to the story and I was pulled into their experience. I just finished reading it and the ending was brilliant and the story was heartbreaking. It has left me thinking and I will for awhile, about the scars we have, the sacrifices we make and the way that love can impact us.

Pub date: Aug 2017
The story was dark at first, enough that I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. But Dee has had a hard life, and the reader slowly learns why she sees the world so bleakly. But that's before she meets the Daemon and the heartless. Losing her heart might just be the best thing that happens to her. The revelations of what's happening in this world with demons and the heartless are really interesting and the last third of the book was enthralling! I loved the other characters (James, Gremma, Riley) just as much as I came to love Dee, especially as you see her grow into herself. And the end, ahhh, the end. Memorable for sure.

Every so often, a character I read in a novel strikes me as though it belongs in a manga; it's almost always an impeccably-dressed, inhumanly beautiful, human-appearing demon who has surprising personal depth. The main -- I don't want to say antagonist, I think I'll go with "fulcrum" -- oppositional character in "The Hearts We Sold" is exactly that, although all the other character presented themselves as regular, contemporary people in my mind. I liked the plot and characters well enough, some elements were a little predictable, but that manga-like hook made up the weight. I'd recommend this book to readers of manga and light-novels, as well as people looking for an action/adventure with a little romance and an unusual premise.

After losing her scholarship to a prestigious boarding school, Dee enters into a covenant with a demon. By trading away her heart for 24 months, she will receive enough money to cover the rest of her schooling. Also, while heartless, Dee is forced to work with the demon and his troop of heartless. Together they work to close portals which are popping up around the city. Dee begins to let the others in the troop into her world more and more, especially becoming close with the scruffy James Lancer. Perhaps by working together and seeking answers, the troop will find out what the demons are really up to and how to get their hearts back early.

I enjoyed this book, but needed some time to warm up to it. The characters were unique but their surface-level descriptions were off-putting. Gremma was intense and I wasn't too sure about the potentially homeless James, but as I got to know them they became my favorite characters. These flawed and gritty characters all came together to battle for their hearts and it was an enjoyable time. I found the added layer of each character's back story compelling and unique.

This one took me a minute to really get into - mostly because it wasn't what I was expecting. That is certainly not a bad thing, it just took that little extra moment of getting used to and to fully understand what I was reading. While in some cases that can lead to a disappointing reading experience, I have to admit that I loved the fact that I was totally wrong about this one! I was expecting this super serious, dramatic novel. And while, yes, there were certainly elements of that, it was also well balanced with characters that were witty, charming, kind of hilarious and utterly and completely likable. Additionally, and maybe I should've expected this once I realized the author of this also wrote the "Illusive" duology, it was a pretty thrilling ride. One filled with Lovecraftian type monsters and portals to unknown destinations and teenagers sacrificing their hearts for their own tragic purposes to enter said portals (so Faustian!). I mean really, how could a reader *NOT* get caught up in this world? All in all, while it wasn't the book I was expecting, I'm absolutely a-ok with that because it turned out be something better and more entertaining. This is definitely a book that has earned it's place on YA shelves and in our hearts . . . . see what I did there? ;-)