Publishers Weekly
08/03/2020
Laurin’s ungainly but compelling debut blends a conventional romance with a less deadly version of high school thrillers in the style of Maureen Johnson and Kara Thomas. For years, a secret student cabal, the Red Court, has ruled Heller High School. Working in cells of two and led by the mysterious Red Queen, the all-female group uses a system of owed favors to rig homecoming elections, change exam results, expose dalliances, and more. Certain that the Red Court is behind an incident that paralyzed her older sister from the waist down, high achiever September Williams has positioned herself to enter the secret society with the goal of destroying the group from within. After Ember’s initiation—staging a photo to break up an established couple—kicks off a predictable romance with her academic nemesis, dishy Chase Merriman, her Red Court assignments take on an oddly personal turn and become increasingly destructive. While the baroque scheming moves things along, the novel’s real pleasure comes from watching tightly wound Ember leave some of her preconceptions behind—finding an unexpected friend in her Red Court mentor and coming to terms with just how much she relishes her newfound control. Ages 13–up. Agent: Tess Callero, Europa Content. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Ember draws readers into the drama of finding the members of the Red Court… Recommend this to fans of E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and Daisy Whitney’s The Mockingbirds.” –School Library Journal
“Laurin has crafted a well plotted suspense novel that's all the more powerful because the reader can sense from the beginning how destructive and seductive power can be.... Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars, this will keep readers rapt.” –Booklist
“Laurin’s novel tackles the destructive power of high school bullying through characters who are compelling in their complexity.” –Kirkus Reviews
“These Vengeful Hearts by Katherine Laurin is an enthralling thriller, filled with riveting revenge, tantalizing tension, and enough intrigue to keep readers turning pages long into the night… Sometimes a book comes along and smacks you in the face with how good of a read it is. These Vengeful Hearts is that kind of book.”–The Nerd Daily
School Library Journal
07/01/2020
Gr 7 Up—Sixteen-year-old Ember Williams is ready when she receives her invitation to join the Red Court. The Red Court rules over Heller High, doling out favors and exerting power over the student body and administrators. Two years ago, the secret society was responsible for the tragic accident that left Ember's sister April paralyzed, and Ember has been plotting her revenge ever since. What she didn't count on was feeling excited about her assignments from the Red Court. Even when she is tasked with bringing down her best friend, Gideon, thwarting the task and learning the reasons behind the request make her feel powerful. Soon, Ember loses sight of her original mission as she is pulled into the intrigue and power of the Red Court. There are many novels about secret societies in schools, though not all of them have the vicious bent this one does. The Red Court is willing to do just about anything—and hurt just about anyone. In first person, Ember draws readers into the drama of finding the members of the Red Court, including their leader, the Queen of Hearts, while trying not to lose her own identity. It takes a little bit to get into the story but after the first chapter, the narrative picks up. Ember is a well-drawn protagonist, and Gideon and April are more than just stock characters. VERDICT Recommend this to fans of E. Lockhart's The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and Daisy Whitney's The Mockingbirds.—Natalie Struecker, Cedar Rapids P.L., IA
Kirkus Reviews
2020-06-30
A high school sophomore discovers revenge comes with a price.
When Ember Williams entered Heller High, she had a particular goal in mind: to join the Red Court, a powerful secret organization with a track record for, among other things, influencing student elections, altering grades, and spreading slander. Carrying out these actions doesn’t cost money but instead leaves the requester indebted, with a favor that can be called in at the Red Court’s whim. Ember’s invitation finally comes, setting in motion her four-step plan to take down the Queen of Hearts—the group’s leader—and dismantle the organization as revenge for an accident the Court caused that left her sister, April, paralyzed. At first, her missions seem relatively mild—posing for a picture to incite a breakup or leaving notes to request favors from indebted students—and they even lead to a budding relationship with Chase Merriman, a know-it-all with whom Ember competes to be top of their class. However, the missions soon escalate, affecting those closest to her—like her best friend, Gideon—and as Ember learns more about her sister’s accident, she begins to reevaluate both her intentions and her decision to stay in the Court. Laurin’s novel tackles the destructive power of high school bullying through characters who are compelling in their complexity; their deceitfulness is often a means of survival. Most characters are White by default; Gideon is gay and biracial (White/Korean).
Gripping, thrilling, Machiavellian. (Thriller. 14-18)
