This book is perfect for a spooky fall read. All about a secret society at Heller a high and their mysterious leader, The Queen of Hearts, you'll be on the edge of your seat. I found at times it was asking me to believe a lot from a group of high schoolers but Katherine Laurin made it see, believable most of the time. I loved the twists this book took and when I knew and when I didn't know what was next I wanted to stay in this world.
I love a good david vs. goliath story and this delivered if not always how I expected it to.

This is like a twist on mean girls, except no one knows who the mean girls are and they're extra vicious. They have their hands in every pot at the school and Ember Williams' goal is to take them down, from the inside.

As much as i wanted to like this book, I just couldn't get into it, Ember was somewhat complex but I just didn't really care what happened to her and as a teacher this kind of story just makes me a little irate that the teachers and administration do nothing, and are basically useless.

I loved the Mean Girls vibe I got from These Vengeful Hearts. The story follows Ember, a girl who is given the opportunity to join the Red Court, an organization of women at her school who trade favors for jobs. It could be rigging the vote for Homecoming King/Queen, or exposing someone who cheated on a test. Ember joins so that she can try to figure out who the Queen of the organization is in order to bring the Red Court down.

The story was definitely entertaining, and I loved the twist. I was a little let down by the ending though, as it just seemed to wrap everything up without the thrill of the rest of the book. Ember is written well. She's developed well with her motivations being clear and her thought process is interesting to read.

When I requested this book I was expecting secret societies meeting in closed places, very morally grey characters and just overall greatness. Unfortunately, the book fell short of that. There was a lot of tell don't show and the main character was too invested in other people's problems. I'm giving this book a 2/5 because it does have a lot of potential, it just wasn't executed correctly.

"Besides, I wasn't there to help the people who'd made bargains. I was there to stop the Red Court from hurting innocent people like my sister. The rest could burn for all I cared."

Ember has been wanting to join her high school's "Red Court". A group of students who trade favors in order to... bring people down, put them in their place, get favors in return. The premise itself sounds interesting, but the content is lackluster. The "favors" Ember has to do are not as exciting as I was expecting, and the members of the Red Court are not as "elite" or weren't given a good enough reputation/back story to back up the claim. I felt like the book barely scratched the surface, with a cover like that I was expecting it to go darker.

"Reconciling my goal to take the Red Court down with the firm belief that some people get what's coming to them was not going well."

The one thing that kept me going was Ember's inner struggle between what she liked to do and what she felt like she should do. Our Ember is a slytherin through and through, and I enjoyed being in her head when she faced the fact that maybe she wasn't as good a person as her sister, and maybe sometimes you need to be the bad person in order to take the bad girls down. It was kind of a bummer whenever she went back to her good side quite honestly, because that side was more predictable and boring. Her inner dialogue can also get a little repetitive. I liked Ember's best friend as well; their relationship is heartfelt and not the usual flavor we get in YA. They are brutally honest with each other, while always backing each other up. I appreciated it.

"Don't you want to beat me at, like everything we do?"
Chase almost laughed but held it back at my glare. "True, but I also don't hate you. I like competing with you. You make me want to be the best."

There is a little bit of romance; when a Slytherine meets a Hufflepuff. The guy in question reminded me of a Cedric Diggory type of fellow--everyone loves him, top of his class, has a lively rivalry with Ember. He is sweet and a good person; great first boyfriend material.

The Red Court--the revelation of who the Red Queen is was kind of a let down, like nothing more clever could have been thought out. That is what the book was missing really, cleverness. Everything is pretty straight forward for a group of Elite women who are fixing up who wins homecoming queen and who breaks up with whom. They could learn a thing or two from the REAL queen of sabotage, Gossip Girl.

I was expecting more intrigue when I started the book. Overall it is not bad, it goes by fast and the MC's inner struggle is great but it can also be quite predictable. Also it might have a sequel even though I thought it was a one and done (the ending is pretty open ended).

I want to thank NetGalley, Inkyard Press, and author Katherine Laurin for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

This was a dark, twisty, and addictive read that I couldn’t put down! For some reason I am very drawn to YA/high school centered novels, but this one went above and beyond the stereotype. I loved the idea of this secret society, the Red Court. Following Ember on her journey for revenge was a wild ride that I didn’t want to end. I found that the plot was incredibly original and the characters were spectacularly developed. I feel like we’ve all at one point or another in our high school careers wished for a system of retribution like this. I really enjoyed this title; it was an entertaining read!

Thank you to those named above for the chance to read and review this novel!

This was such a cool and entertaining read! I've read plenty of books centering on high school drama, but this took drama to a new level. The Red Court is one of the craziest and most interesting concepts I've ever seen in a YA contemporary. The sheer level of organization and the high-stakes missions brought this book to a whole new level. I love the idea of the most elite girls in a high school creating a secret society, especially one that's taken so seriously that even the administration is afraid to call them out.

Ember as a character was interesting, mostly because she seemed like such a quiet, rule-following kind of student. She was also very intelligent, which was great because she managed to infiltrate the court and discover the identity of the Queen of Hearts fairly quickly. I also really liked her friendship with Gideon.

I really enjoyed this book, and while I did love the plot, I think Katherine Laurin's writing style is absolutely beautiful, and was one of the main factors in making this book more enjoyable.

Ember is a high-achieving sophomore at Heller High, a normal school with a terrible secret, the Red Court. The Red Court exists to bring chaos and mayhem into the lives of Heller High's students. A highly secretive group of students, with a mastermind, codename: The Queen of Hearts.

This is the setting in which Ember Williams finds herself. Ember's sister was injured in a car crash before Ember enrolled at Heller and of course the Red Court is responsible. Ember vows to get revenge on the court by infiltrating their ranks and taking them down from the inside.

These Vengeful Hearts is exactly the high school drama meets dark action movie that I wanted! The premise is a fun twist on Mean Girls and is filled with fun banter and so much intrigue that your heart will legitimately try to pound out of your chest!

I was hooked from chapter one and could not put this book down! The character development is solid and the world building was fun! These Vengeful Hearts seems to take place in the modern world, with references to Instagram, Facebook, and other present day conveniences. Overall the writing style and plot development reminded me of Cassandra Clare if she wrote things that didn't have magic in them!

I would recommend this to readers that enjoy a classic high school YA adventure with a fun twist. Readers who enjoy Cassandra Clare, Meg Cabot, Stephen Chbosky, and others would love this book!

These Vengeful Hearts releases September 8th, mark your calendars or pre-order from your favorite retailer!

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for a galley copy of this book in return for an honest review!

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Normally, I don't care for revenge/thriller type books. I'm not even sure why I picked this book to request on NetGalley, but I did and I'm surprised that I really enjoyed it.
Ember has spent the last few years building up resentment and revenge plans for the Red Court, the secret society/network at her high school that completes favors for students-in exchange for a favor from the student later on. Why? Because her sister, April, was permanently injured due to the Red Court and Ember decided that the group needed to be dismantled and the best way to do so was from the inside.
Though I figured out one of the plot 'twists' early on, the book was exciting and kept up an excellent pace that made me struggle to put down my Kindle. The ending definitely leaves it open for a sequel, and while I cannot promise that I'll remember to read it, if it were out now, I'd be looking for a way to get it.

I’m so addictive to the dark, stunning secret society books but every time I start to read one of them: I always get disappointed even though most of them had great premise and intriguing plot line. Unfortunately this one joined my started excitingly ended frustratingly club as well.
Of course a secret society named Red Court and its dedication to Queen of Hearts attracted attention of a person like me who never gets bored to read books inspired by references of Alice in Wonderland. The members are anonymous –the most elite female students- secretly rule the hierarchy of Heller High by keeping the scandalous gossip sources.

And we’re also introduced Ember Williams, 16, who is already damaged by the wrongdoings of the Red Court, thirsty for revenge, finding a way to be accepted by them. She is adamant to pay them back for what they’d done to her sister. (Two years ago a so called accident resulted with her being paralyzed!) As you may see, the plot is really promising and the book’s dark, claustrophobic, gothic atmosphere provides us great premise. But after a few chapters later, I lost my interest because of the repetitive and aimless writing style. Everything was so predictable and obvious from the beginning and the story needed to be saved by a twisted revelation which unfortunately never came and I couldn’t connect with the heroine, too.

It had really promising, dazzling storyline and I always keen on reading revenge stories but the progression of the story bored me and I was always at least five steps ahead from the author. It was still quick paced and ending is not dissatisfying so this is a solid three starred read for me. I may call this another Switzerland reading-I didn’t hate and love it so let’s meet in the middle kind of book. But I have to admit I got mesmerized with the beauty of impressive cover.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard for sharing this arc in exchange my honest review.

“When you’re made of fire, do you feel guilty watching other people burn?”

These Vengeful Hearts is essentially an alt universe Mean Girls with that same darkness, just take out the humor. The story revolves around a teen girl named Ember, who is seeking out revenge on the elusive Red Court who once upon a time hurt her older sister. The Red Court being a group of girls who do favors for people who request them, but at a steep cost. These favors range from exposing peoples secrets to helping them secure something that they want. Being recruited to the RC means you get safety, and a no cost favor if you do your jobs and keep the RC secret. Ember’s been recruited and her goal is to take them down, but will she be able to resist the feeling of power that she gains from being let into this club? You’ll have to read Vengeful Hearts to find out.

I enjoyed this story. If you like YA level angst, fun cliche filled dialogue, and a character learning that doing the right thing is, well, the right thing, then you will enjoy this story too. I can’t say that it is super duper unique and original or that I’m not a little terrified now when I see a random playing card, but I loved the suspense plot and the sort of spin on the Mean Girls “take them down from the inside” plot. So good and I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange
for an honest review. I loved this book! It was suspenseful and intriguing. Once I got caught up in the story, I couldn’t put it down. This book comes out September 8, 2020!

I thought this book was good, though fairly predictable. There were times when I felt like it dragged a bit, but I think for people who are fans of Mean Girls, this book would be right up their alley.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm starting to really enjoy YA books. This one was intriguing and kept me hooked since the first page. The cover itself is what made me want to read it and I'm glad I did.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Does anyone ever really know the whole truth? Revenge, take-downs, and secret society, all are things that come with regrets and consequences.
I read this book as an ARC and enjoyed it from a YA perspective. I have often used another YA novel to teach these same topics, as it fits so well with middle school age group. I would definitely add this to the list of books to read about this topic.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced by anything.

These Vengeful Hearts called to me. It sounded like such an amazing mystery novel that I knew I needed to read. The cover only tempted me more because look at it! As simple as it is, I love the flowers, the white hair that contrasted with the dark background, and the crown! I was super excited to read this book.

Heller High is ruled by the Red Court. They are a group of girls whose true identities are only known to their leader, the Queen of Hearts. Anyone can ask them for a favour, whether it’s becoming Homecoming Queen or changing your grades, but it always comes with a cost, once it’s completed, you’re indebted to them. Ember Williams knows exactly what they’re capable of, as there was an accident that left her older sister paralyzed. Ember blames the Red Court for what happened and has dreamed of revenge. She plans on taking them down from the inside. Being a member brings out a part of herself she didn’t know existed. Everything comes at a cost, but is she willing to pay?

These Vengeful Hearts was an interesting read and wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. From the title and description of this book, I expected it to deal with dark themes and secret societies and the impact of it in the lives of teenagers but it didn’t quite deliver it. So I was rather disappointed in that sense and was a reason I wouldn’t rate this book five out of five stars. Don’t get me wrong, I really loved the idea of the story but I think it had so much potential and could have been such an amazing thriller novel.

However, all of that aside, this book was awesome! I wanted to spend the whole day reading this book. I have never read a book like this and would say the plot was quite original. It had a lot more high school drama aspects to it than I expected but I still loved it. It had mystery throughout the entire novel, I wanted to know who the Queen of Hearts was. And there was still that feeling of thrill when Ember had to complete favours. This book subtly dealt with obsession (over the control the Red Court had) but it’s revealed more in the second half of the book. It’s a topic I love reading about in novels revolving around teenagers. The end portion of the novel was my favourite, I found it to be the most thrilling part as everything was unfolding and being revealed. Also, it was very interesting reading about Ember’s internal battle of what is right and what is wrong, and if there was a silver lining in between. Ember kept a journal and would sometimes write a line of something she thought or felt in a moment and sometimes what she wrote made me go “woah”.

Ember is the main character in the story and whose perspective we read from. I’d say she was well written and a very developed character. She’s a smart and determined character, she’s focused on her plan and knows how to go through with it and comes up with a solution for any obstacle thrown her way. A reoccurring character is Gideon. I love that the author added a homosexual character to the story and I also love his and Ember’s friendship. And of course, there’s the love interest, Chase. To be honest, I wasn’t fond of him when he first appeared. I remember when he first spoke, I was like, ”oh my gosh, no one asked you,” but that definitely changed because, when he had more scenes, I ended up loving him. I liked all the characters really, even the bad ones, but I just wasn’t a fan of April, Ember’s older sister. I was a bit wary of her in the beginning but by the end, I was not a fan of her. But did I hate her? No. However, I think all the characters were wonderfully written.

I think Katherine Laurin did a good job writing this novel well, overall. It was easy to read the book. She also did a good job of making me feel for the characters, I would laugh along with them and I could sympathize with what they were feeling, even if I’d never felt it before. Around the end of the book, Ember wasn’t the same and my heart broke a little for her because of it. So I’d say Laurin did a good job in that sense. However, I’m saying this again, the book could have been much better. I still really enjoyed this novel and for sure would check out her other books.

I definitely recommend this book to everyone. If you love reading mysteries and high school dramas, then check this book out. Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Vengeance/revenge that is basically the name of the game. Ember is looking to get into a secret group that calls out liars and cheaters. Not a bad concept but it been done before. The book was good and I am going to place some of the blame on me as I have just finished a heavy book, I might not have been in the right place for this book., but I couldn’t help but think as I was reading this book I’ve read this book before. I wish that there was more to captivate my attention.

These Vengeful Hearts wasn't quite what I was expecting.  I was looking forward to secret societies meeting in the dark of night, plotting to exploit the secrets of all to get ahead.  Instead, I got a high school drama that read like Mean Girls.  The book wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I was expecting.  The ending left something to be desired, and seemed to hint there may be a sequel.

This was a quick and fun read - something I loved with all of the stress and uncertainty going on in the world right now.  The main character, Ember, was relatable and well-developed.  I also enjoyed the other characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

The basic plot of this book drew me in- its unusual for students to have power over the faculty, but I can imagine with blackmail and threats how things might be done. However, this book did not live up to my expectations and ended up being a basic mean girl's story. It didn't go as deep or as dark as I hoped, and gave up so much potential. Honestly, it felt flat and scripted. For the sequel (which I will not read), I hope Katherine Laurin will do better.
To start, the characters had an insufficient background. If I didn't have to review this book I doubt I would have finished it, as I had no connection with Ember. Additionally, I felt this book was very predictable and cliche.
Good premise- worse execution.

The synopsis for These Vengeful Hearts was so interesting. We basically have a a group of mean girls, the red court, that can either really help you or really hurt you. Our main character, Ember, is wanting revenge for something they did to her sister and so she decides to join them and destroy them from inside. The plot is very predictable, even for a ya mystery, and the characters were nothing special but they were relatable and fun to read about. All in all, I enjoyed this book, it was a quick read that managed to be entertaining through out. I’m excited to see what Katherine Laurin does next.