This was a fun and twisty read involving a lot of secret societies and interesting high school politics.

DNF. I just couldn't get into this one as I'm no longer interested in reading YA books. Thank you to the publisher for providing this ARC.

Love the cover and the premise. It wound up being a little less dark academia than I was hoping, though.
The publisher generously provided me with a copy of the book upon request on NetGalley. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

Take PLL, Riverdale, the elite & the secret circle. Take the good parts & bad parts and then slowly lose a few good parts and you have this book, in my opinion.

It just felt like everyone other book with that idea, but it didn't have that factor that makes it different, that many can say they have. So i the end it was alright.

This is a very meh and ok book. There isn't anything obviously wrong, but I just found myself not caring about anyone or what was going on. I expect revenge stories to be filled with emotion because the main character wants a sense of justice and is angry about what happened. I didn't feel like Ember gave me those vibes at all. It felt like it was something she just decided to do one day because.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Who doesn't love secret societies? T.v. shows are making a mint on making movies about them, books are being gobbled up because we love to read about the mean girls.
The only problem is that you have to do it right.
And sadly, despite this gorgeous cover, this one fell flat for me.
It had all of the elements to be amazing but the problem was that it just did not meet expectations.

3.5 "blatant, entertaining, moralizing" stars !!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Inkyard Press. This was released September 2020. I am providing my honest review.

There was much to like in this teenage tale. Ember is sixteen and plotting revenge on the Hearts who are a bunch of elite girls that cause chaos, grant favors and hurt many under a carefully guarded secret society with rules and guidelines. The writing is straightforward, fun and occasionally even a bit funny. The dialogue feels natural and there is a logical plot arc that is carefully constructed. Emotions and psychological congruency are also strengths in this novel that will get teen readers to reflect on their own moral compass and how their actions can and will impact others.

Minor weaknesses are the twists were not surprises for this adult reader and the ending appeared rushed and convenient.

All in all, a very entertaining and good read. I would recommend this to teenagers between fourteen and sixteen and will appeal particularly to girls and queer boys.

I had a lot of fun with this one !

If you love Pretty Little Liars and other highschool drama tv shows, then this is definitely a book for you. It was full of cutthroat plotting, bullying and dramatic take downs. Definitely geared toward highschool age readers, but still an entertaining story for older ages. Well written, fast moving plot and the audiobook narrative was very well done.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading These Vengeful Hearts I have to say that this book wasn't for me. The synopsis lured me into wanting to read the book and I did. At the end I can only say that this book was okay and I got through the story.

This is a quick fun read. As someone who loves both Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars, this book was perfect for me. I love the idea of the Red Court and I also like how Ember wanted revenge on the society on her sister’s behalf. It is crazy how a high school secret society can turn a whole community upside down. There are a few fun elements and twists as well. I was expecting this to be a little darker but I really enjoyed reading this!

Thank you to NetGallery and to Inkyard Press for giving me a copy for a honest review.

This book both started and ended well but the middle 1/3 was difficult to get through. Although I do enjoy a good YA read, this one I think would be more suited to the YA audience.

I have elected not to read and review this book due to time constraints. Thank you for the opportunity.

Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars with an underground high school group, let by the Queen of Hearts. This court is not something you want to mess with and these teens can destroy your life! I like to read YA, and I think some YA translated better for adults. This is one of those books where I think true teens/young teens would have more enjoyment from reading. Fairly clean book also, one instance of underage drinking, and dark bullying topics but is tame compared to some YA out there!

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy to review!

DNF at 15%. was really hoping for a dark and twisty Red Court but found only high school politics. The driving force behind the protagonist felt tired and not unique.

I think I'm really growing out of reading YA, which is probably why I didn't like this one as much. It was overall well done. It was dark and twisty, which I like, but I just couldn't connect with it as much as I would have liked to be able to do.

This was a great story with great characters! The cover is beautiful and fits the atmosphere of the story very well!

This was a really interesting book and I really enjoyed the thrills and the anticipation on every page.

When I read the synopsis of These Vengeful Hearts I was excited to read the book. It took me awhile to get to it, but when I finally did, I was disappointed. I could not relate with the story so it did not drawl me in or keep me turning the page. I had to DNF this one, sad to say.

These Vengeful Hearts by Katherine Laurin, 336 pages. Inkyard Press, 2020. $19. LGBTQIA
Language: R (54 swears, 3 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Ember is a sophomore with a mission: become part of the Red Court. Once she’s part of the feared group that rules Heller High from the shadows, Ember will do everything she can to take them down from the inside. But what is she willing to lose in exchange for success?
Ember might be taking all the risks, but readers are not exempt from the fear of watching her best laid plans fail. My anxiety constantly spiked over when and where the twist would come -- and I knew it was coming. I enjoyed the entertainment of reading Ember’s story as much as I loved how Laurin explores the ugliest emotions possible in a lesson of morality and ethics. Like Ember, you can pinpoint the actions that are incongruent with who you want to be and channel your efforts into something more positive. While it might be embarrassing or bring about consequences you don’t want to face, you will be happier for letting go of the parts of yourself that make you miserable. Mature content rating for underage drinking and alcohol abuse.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I am always a fan of secret society books and anything with Alice in Wonderland vibes will always get my read.

I was, not disappointed in this book, but it lacked interest like I thought I would. I found it lacking in many ways.

It could have been so good, but 1/3 of the way through, I wanted to put it down.

I wish I could've liked it better and I know this review is coming late, but I have been trying to read and finish it for the past year.

I've decided to put it aside and hope that when I pick it up again I will finish it.