I received a copy of this e-arc from NetGalley.

This book read like a CW/Netflix teenage drama show (think Riverdale/Sabrina). I also got some Christopher Pike vibes a la the 90's. The premise was strong, the cover is gorgeous, but everything between the covers fell flat for me. I kept reading mostly hoping it would get better. It basically felt like I read the first season of a new CW show and it ended with a setup for season 2. While that may be a cup of tea for some, the lack of solid writing, character development, and plot didn't work for me. I'm more okay with watching mindless television than I am reading it. 😬

These Vengeful Hearts is a story of a girl who is willing to risk it all to take down the Red Court, a shadowy collection of elite students who rule their school by trafficking in secrets and favors by staging epic takedowns of their classmates on request. Ember Williams is determined to avenge what the Court did to her sister, April by discovering the identity of the elusive Queen of Hearts and take down the entire organization from the inside. But when Ember joins the Red Court and gets to know her partner, Haley, she finds that the work of the Red Court is something she's well-suited for, and she must decide whether or not she wants to take the Court down---or take it over.
These Vengeful Hearts was completely different than what I expected, but that didn't ruin my reading experience. These Vengeful Hearts goes deep into the politics of bullying, backstabbing and betrayal that high schools are notorious for. I really thought that the Red Court was a fascinating organization, as well as watching Ember get herself deeper and deeper into it. I loved watching her wrestle with and justify the things she needs to do to complete her mission, and in the end, she decides that becoming the Queen of Hearts at the expense of who she is and the people she loves is just too high a price to pay. Character development is These Vengeful Hearts's biggest strength, as is the complex cast of characters. These Vengeful Hearts is fast-paced story reminiscent of Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl, a story that wrestles with the price of revenge, and how all too often it turns a person into something they hate.

Such a fun and unique read! High school drama, mystery, and teenage love - what more could people want! I was so invested and ready to find out what the Red Court is, who the Queen of Hearts was, and what really happened to April.

Overall, I loved the concept of this book - a secret society that essentially has complete power over their high school and its administration? This book didn't remind me of anything I've read before - which I feel is difficult to do.

I felt the ending was appropriate. The main character starts losing herself and her friends - and ultimately is reminded why she set out on this mission in the first place. The resolution didn't feel forced or too easy, which can easily be the case in thrillers and dramas - but I felt it was appropriate and believable for the situation.

Overall, I great read that I will definitely recommend to others!

Katherine Laurin's These Vengeful Hearts is a combination of Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, and Riverdale. Looking for a favor? The Red Court at Heller H.S. can make it happen, but for a price. Whether it be winning prom queen, breaking up a couple, or even destroying someone's social life, the Red Queen has people that can do the necessary dirty work. 16-year old Ember Williams' sister April was injured in a tragic accident several years ago and the culprit is the shadowy organization called The Red Court. Ember is hoping to infiltrate the Court and take them down.

But there is an adage. “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” For Ember, it means that if you are seeking revenge, you may end up destroying those who are after, but you might also lose yourself to the darkness and never find yourself back to the light. Ember, who is the perfect student, with perfect attendance and grades. grapples with the weight of the "favors" she grants and the equally unexpected and friendship with her mentor, Haley who is also her partner. Ember will learn about herself when she joins this group and how far she will go to get her revenge.

Ember doesn't know the members of The Red Queen, but she does know that they leave secret messages in a certain locker, and when you are called to participate, they leave you a playing card in your locker. Can Ember find the Red Queen and her court and bring them down before she ends up on the losing side? And what questionable activities are you willing to participate in before you ask yourself if you've gone too far? There are two characters who try to keep Ember on solid ground. Her best friend Gideon, and Chase, the most popular boy in the school who she has had a rivalry with for the top student in their class.

I love the banter between Chase and Ember. The romance doesn’t take too much space in the story, but it feels right. But the Red Queen doesn't allow fools to suffer which means they are ideal targets to test Ember's loyalty and her determination. Apparently, this is supposed to be a standalone, and yet, the ending is clear that there needs to be another story. There are some curious revelations as to who the Red Queen is as well as the other members of the Court. I think the most shocking secret is one that I can't not spoil since it would ruin the entire book.

I love me some drama in a high school setting but the Red Court takes it to a new level. I was hooked from the start and devoured this book in a couple days.

I loved Ember’s growth throughout the book. I thought it was great how she questioned herself as the demands of the Red Court pulled her more and more into doing things she didn’t believe in.

The end of this book had me gasping in surprise and I actually hope there is a second book so I can see what Ember does next!

Secret society tropes bore me more and more. I don't know if it's because of the books I pick or because that specific theme just doesn't interest me all that much but it doesn't change the result. These Vengeful Hearts seemed like it could have been interesting with a revenge plot so I requested an arc when it was on Netgalley but unfortunately, I just didn't like it. Worse, I was bored to tears. And when it ended, I was happy to be done with this book. The author ended this book in a way where she could write a sequel if she wanted to but honestly, I feel like it would be pointless and I wish it didn't have an open ending (that made me roll my eyes, btw). Overall, I just don't really care. If a sequel ever comes out however, it will go in my "no-thanks" pile.

I'm sad to say this book wasn't for me. Maybe it will be for you, who knows!

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

It took me a few chapters to get into this book. Revenge stories aren’t really something I typically enjoy, but this seemed like it might be more of a reckoning type situation rather than revenge, so I really wanted to give it a chance. Something about it reminded me of PANIC by Lauren Oliver, which I really liked.

Once I was a few chapters in, I started to get really into the story. I love the sisterly devotion between Ember and April. They respect each other’s autonomy, but they love each other and desperately want to protect each other, even when it hurts them.

I also found myself really drawn to Ember’s friendship (which I guess I use loosely?) with Haley. I liked that they have this transactional thing on the surface, but I totally sensed Haley’s loneliness and the potential for Ember and Haley to really bond over normal stuff.

As Ember gets in deeper and deeper with the Red Court, she faces some ugly truths about herself. I liked that she struggled with those parts of herself and even felt disturbed by some of the things that excited her.

On the whole, I felt like this was a pretty engrossing story– I read it in less than 24 hours– and though it explored some darker territory in terms of power and revenge, I didn’t feel like it glorified revenge.

I think fans of PANIC by Lauren Oliver or SOME GIRLS ARE by Courtney Summers should definitely put this one on their reading lists.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I think I have said this recently, I have been having pretty good luck with YA mysteries lately. These Vengeful Hearts was no exception. I ended up really enjoying this one. I love secret society books in general. The Red Court at Heller High is a secret society that enacts social ruin or favorable outcomes for students at the high school. If you ask for a favor, you will owe the society forever. Ember wants to be a part to enact revenge for what the society did to her sister years before.

As I said, I really enjoyed this one. Ember was a great character. I could understand her drive for revenge. I also appreciated that she had instances where she questioned what she was doing. Her friend Gideon was a fun character and a great moral compass. I also enjoyed the blooming romance between Ember and Chase. There is a twist at the end that Ember discovers as she tries to unmask The Red Queen and the rest of the "court". I didn't call that one. I'm not sure if this is a stand alone book or not. The epilogue left it kind of open for a second book. I would love to see second book with these characters. I highly recommend this one,

Ember has a mission – to take down the secret society of the Red Court, but when she’s offered an invite to join their ranks she finds herself questioning her own motives.

I really enjoy reading Young Adult fiction but I have always held the belief that the genre should ‘dumb down’ for a younger audience - it should be more about the themes and settings explored which makes it worthy of the title. This is where I really feel These Vengeful Hearts falls down - the whole thing felt so predictable and cringy in places. Although I like the idea of a secret society running a school and someone trying to take it down from the inside, it just all felt so shallow. There was a particularly ridiculous conversation about coffee for example which just made me roll my eyes. I didn’t really understand Ember as a character and her motivation fell flat for me.

The plot was extremely predictable - I had guessed both of the twists by the first few chapters and there wasn’t really a massive climax or interesting ending for the book either which was disappointing. Although the book is quite short I spent most of the reading time hoping for it to hurry up and get to the point. I liked the character of Gideon, however all of the characters felt very clichéd and there was no believable chemistry between Ember and Chase either.

Overall, These Vengeful Hearts did not engage me – it’s a predictable and cliched read which insults the intelligence of it’s Young Adult audience. Thank you to NetGalley & Inkyard Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to get into this one since I really enjoy stories that include secret societies and someone infiltrating those secret societies for revenge? Sign me up. I did enjoy the read and it's twists and turns, but some of the twists were a bit predictable to me. To me Ember was a bit unlikable, especially with her waffling back and forth. I understand the conflict the author was trying to inject into the story, but did feel it could have been fleshed out more to really give it the impact it could have had.

I did enjoy some of the side characters and if you're looking for something very Mean Girls-esque, this will certainly fit the bill. It was an enjoyable read and I am interested to see more from this author as she further refines her writing.

Honestly this book was just kind of boring. I wanted a lot more mystery and intrigue, but it was kind of more like gossip girl without any of the fun or likeable characters. This book follows Ember, who wants to join her school's secret society (the red court) in order to take them down from the inside. The premise sounded really intriguing and the cover is gorgeous, plus honestly I am a sucker for the whole "Red court", "Queen of hearts" thing. This too was kind of a let down because it felt really obvious who was a part of the court and who the queen of hearts was. I also really didn't like the romance, it felt very insta-lovey and very 2013 YA to me. This is supposed to be an enemies to lovers, but they were never actually SHOWN to be enemies, we were just told they were and then they were immediately nice to each other and in love. It's not a bad book, but there are a lot of very similar books in the YA genre with more likeable characters and more fun espionage type intrigue.

While this book had a fairly intriguing story, but was fairly mild for a YA "thriller." There is no doubt, though, that These Vengeful Hearts was a solid YA debut, and I expect to see more great things from Laurin in the future.

Some good things:

- The COVER! Like that alone is worth the read.
- The secret society aspect. The Red Court and the Queen of Hearts is a fascinating premise.
- Dark atmosphere—give me all the dirty secrets and sneaking around dark corners. Revenge storyline, always a good time.
- The romance. Okay, so it wasn't that deep and really was kind of silly. But I'm a sucker for academic rival romances. Even if they aren't top notch.
- Fun, quick read. Definitely has dark Mean Girl vibes.
- Gideon! He was a pretty great sidekick.

Some not so great things:

So, like I mentioned, this was really mild for a "thriller." There were some mystery elements and it definitely had a different vibe than a standard contemporary, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a thriller. (When I think YA thriller, I'm picturing something more spooky or like Karen M. McManus and murder.) Going into this book thinking it's a thriller isn't a great idea and you'll probably be disappointed. However, if you go into it thinking it's going to kinda intriguing with some secrets and such, then you'll probably be okay.

That brings me to my next point. The plot was just okay. It had a lot of promise. I love a good, dark story. But, like, it wasn't. The premise was dark, but there wasn't a lot of follow-through. Not a lot actually happened in this story. It was still entertaining enough to keep me reading, but I kept waiting for a thriller-esque, fast-paced scene or a big plot twist, and it never came.

And there's the third point. Everything about the "twists" in this book were super predictable. I love when I read a mystery and I pick up on little clues and figure out "whodunnit." But this was a bit much, even for me. I guessed several of the secrets from the get-go and there weren't enough other elements of surprise to really keep me invested in this story.

Overall, like I mentioned before, this was a quick, easy read that was interesting enough. I wouldn't not recommend it, at least.

At Hell High, a mysterious group called The Red Court call the shots. Want to become a prom queen? Break up that couple you hate? Get answers on a test? With The Red Court around, you can— but it will cost you. The Red Court will expect favors to pay your dues.
—
Ember is intrigued by The Red Court, but she’s not naive to all the harm they have caused- especially to her sister April who was injured and subsequently became paralyzed after an apparent hit made by The Red Court. In witnessing all the suffering caused by The Red Court, Ember decides to attempt to gain entry into The Red Court, figure out who the anonymous members are, especially The Red Queen, expose them, and end The Red Court once and for all.
When Ember finally gains entry and executes the cruel and self-serving jobs, she begins to figure out who the other member are, and realize that she enjoys the thrill of being apart of this shadowy group. But when she had to perform a job that includes the downfall of her best friend, the game comes too close to home and Ember has to grapple with the complicated emotions and relationships that result from being a member of The Red Court.
But that’s not all The Court will throw at her, someone has a vendetta against Ember, and soon things become more than she is willing to deal with, with more people being harmed by The Court and more shocking secrets revealed.
—
While this book had a great premise and differed from many other YA thriller books I’ve read, it just ended up falling a little flat for me.

The twists in this book were good, but not entirely too surprising and were easy to figure out.
The characters were ok? I wasn’t crazy about them and our main character, Ember, I went back and forth on liking and disliking her. Once she gets more involved in The Red Court, the more I begin to really not like her.

The overall story was ok, I enjoyed my time reading it and uncovering the secrets, it just fell flat.

3 stars.

**ARC provided by InkYard Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

These Vengeful Hearts was such a fun read. I love stories about secret societies and I really enjoyed the way Katherine Laurin put he own spin on this trope.

In this story we follow Ember Williams, a high schooler who has everything going for her. She’s captain of the debate team, a member of the track team and is now the newest member of The Red Court. She’s been planning for years to earn her spot and get revenge for her sister. Ember isn’t joining the Red Court for power, or whatever reasons everyone else joins, she’s joining for the sole purpose of taking the court and it’s leader, The Queen of Hearts down and ending their reign.

At Heller High the Red Court rules all. People can call on them for any favor they need, however, there’s a catch: you will never stop owing the Red Court. They can call in their return favor now or years from now and they will always find you.

Ember’s sister April had an accident when she was in high school that left her paralyzed from the waist down. She says it was the fault of the Red Court and though she has moved on and is thriving in her new life, Ember can’t let them get away with this crime.

This is a revenge story so Ember often walks the line between what’s right and wrong and operates in the grey area, she justifies all of her actions with her end goal of taking down the Red Court, but is that enough? I loved watching Ember’s character arc and I also adored her best friend Gideon who always tries to steer her in the right direction. If mystery and thrillers are your thing, definitely check this book out!

Thank you so much to Inkyard Press for having me on this tour and for sending me a digital ARC to review!

My track record with YA mystery/thrillers is not amazing. I’ve read a few others this year and most have not really captured my attention. This one is being compared to Karen McManus, which is a really good comparison, but as someone who didn’t really like One Of Us Is Lying, I found this thriller a better example of what a YA thriller needs to be.

For each genre I look for something different when I’m determining a rating. A YA thriller, for me, needs to have an interesting setting with interesting character dynamics, the mystery or thriller aspects need to actually be part of the plot with main characters that play an active role, and the story can’t be completely predictable, nor can they be so simplistic that I overlooked that conclusion because it seemed stupid.

Laurin immediately brought me in with the best internal narration that I’ve read in a while. I loved the little moments where the MC is telling a lie and her inner dialouge says something extremely sarcastic. The friendship dynamics and the relationships produced some cute moments that I also really enjoyed. Often these types of thrillers have very little lasting friendships and I love to see some levity being brought to this otherwise dark book.

This is not an action thriller, so don’t go into it looking for high action, but I really loved the active role that the MC playing in the events happening to her. She was very determined and wouldn’t let the other characters stop her from what she wanted, for better or worse. I also liked the drama that was created, as rather than just petty squabbles over boyfriends the thrilling aspects included character assassination and election rigging, which was a lot more interesting.

Finally the predictably was the thing that lost this novel half a star for me. The ending was complex but there was one aspect that had me rolling my eyes a little bit. It was a conclusion that I determined would be a bit anti-climactic from the beginning, but I was actually pleased with the other aspects, and I did enjoy the ending.

You’ll notice that plausibility is not one of the things I look for, as this from the very start forced you to suspend your disbelief, that a group of teenage girls could blackmail half a school without getting caught for years and that none of the former students ever told the authorities of how the situation got this dire.

I'd also like to mention that the cover of this novel is just beautiful. I love the simple ascetics and the little pop of colour with the flowers and the title. I also listened to part of this through an audio review copy and loved the narration!

Overall this was a very fun and interesting read! I loved the characters and the story wrapped up nicely, with a chance for a sequel. I for one would gladly read a sequel and I’m definitely going to be looking into any new releases from this author. What’s your favourite mystery/thriller that was released this year? Leave a comment down below and be sure to like and follow me for future updates and reviews! Happy Reading!

4.5 stars

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the premise of the book was intriguing. I mean a secret society, gossip, secrets, and revenge? The perfect setup for an intriguing YA read. The idea was there but the execution was not. I thought the story was super slow and nothing really happened with Ember’s revenge plot. She chose to join the Red Court after they caused her sister’s accident, but once she was a member, the thrill of being bad got the best of her. She was thrilled by the ideas of doing secret things for people in the school. She’s perceived as this goody-two shows student who is also an athlete and on the debate team, but she was very good at doing bed things for the Red Court. I was also expecting more spy-ish things. It was pretty uneventful. I also called that April had been a part of the Red Court when she was injured. It was obvious when we were told how she got hurt. Let’s talk about Ember and Chase. We were told that Chase was a horrible guy and that they were enemies. Once she had to talk to him because of the Red Court, Ember fell in love. Not once did they fight like enemies and there was no banter. He was instantly nice to her and their relationship was cringey. It wasn’t realistic at all. This book was full of cliches and it wasn’t for me. I also had the chance to listen to the audiobook, and I don’t know if it’s the app I listened on, or the format or what, but it sounded echoey and robotic. There was barely any emotion from the narrator and it made it difficult to finish. The end so anticlimactic that I honestly didn’t care what happened. Overall this book missed its mark and just wasn’t for me.
Rating: 2⭐️

Almost every high school has an “elite clique” but in These Vengeful Hearts, the Red Court is the ultimate clique! The Red Court is a super secretive collection of high schoolers who can make anything happen. Want your crush to break up with his current girlfriend? Just ask the Red Court for this favor! But remember the Red Court will ask for their favor in return. And you might not want to pay the price. Ember manages to get her invite to be a member of the Red Court, but she’s got ulterior motives: she wants to bring the Red Court down after they left her sister paralyzed and wheelchair bound. Can Ember avenge her sister, or will the power of the Red Court prove too much for her?

So this book was a little bit of a let down for me. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. I can tell I was a little too old to be reading this one because there was a lot of drama. The concept of the story was a great idea, but I felt like some of the situations and the way things played out just seemed a bit far-fetched for me. Overall this one gets 3 stars.

This is a dark story about a girl seeking revenge who ends up struggling a lot with the bad side of the things she has to do to get the revenge she seeks. I enjoyed it for the most part and I liked Ember as a main character. I loved the idea of a secret society and the way that the society operated was well thought out and unique. I did feel like the motivation behind the society was a little weak and unrealistic though. I also didn't love the ending, I wanted it to be a little more dark. Over all I enjoyed reading it but was a bit underwhelmed by the end. I still think it was a good read.

I must admit, the first thing that caught my eye on this book was the cover. It’s absolutely stunning. Then the description had me hooked. Secret societies? Forever debts? Sounded like the perfect read to get my mind off regular life and keep me interested. It did not disappoint.

Katherine Laurin’s These Vengeful Hearts seems like it's going to be about just another high school secret society, but its so much more. The way Laurin designed this elaborate club that some wanted in to protect themselves, some wanted favors, and some were just… well, vengeful. I loved the characters the most. Ember’s personality was much like myself in high school. I related to her fervor to want good grades and I was on the debate team. Her drive was appreciated. Her best friend Gideon was that sarcastic best friend that I think every girl should have. We knew a little about the back stories of many of the main and side characters, but in this instance, not much back story didn’t leave the story lagging, it made it more intriguing.

The mystery to be solved here was who is the Red Court and how do we dismantle them? I can honestly say I was guessing wrong the entire book. It wasn’t until the end when Ember had her big aha! moment that I also had my aha! moment. Every time she suspected someone, I wanted to know more. I love when an author can keep me guessing.

Another perk is how the main plot line of this story didn’t completely block out real life for a teenage girl in high school. There were plenty of aspects that kept the reality flowing and wasn’t like other stories that just brush over the fact that these kids are in school and have responsibilities. She had boy interests, which caused her much stress. She had grades that struggled when she was juggling too many things, like real kids do. The reality of Ember’s life was well thought out and plotted to make this story incredibly believable. Now all I need to know is what schools really have secret societies? Or are they just fancy names for bullies? You will have to read to find out.

It doesn’t matter if you are an adult or teenager, this book is a fantastic read for anyone who wants some series mystery drama with one of my favorite set of characters in a book I’ve read in a long time. Pick it up. Check it out. Then let’s all beg Laurin to write us more. This will be going in my top ten books of 2020. A must read!

Interesting premise, poor execution. I stopped caring about what was going about halfway and the twists were subpar. I wanted there to just be more, especially in the drama department. It just all seemed mediocre and childish.