The cover of These Vengeful Hearts drew me in at first, and the blurb held promise of a dangerous secret society that ran a high school with an iron fist, handing out favors but only to those who give something up of themselves at a later date or pay the price later. Sixteen-year-old Ember Williams knows the price someone can pay because her older sister had to pay it and is now paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, and ever since April’s accident, Ember has vowed to infiltrate the Red Court and take them down.
But Ember doesn’t know that belonging to the secretive group just might destroy the lives of her best friend and those closest to her, as well as her own reputation and sense of morality. After being asked to join after throwing her card into the ring, Ember is paired with a girl who keeps her cards very close to her vest, mostly communicating with Ember via burner cell phone. The Red Court doesn’t talk amongst themselves or know who other members are except for their partner, so Ember’s campaign to take them all down proves very difficult.
Written from Ember’s point of view, I really enjoyed following her journey from straight-A student, athlete, and overall good person to sliding down the slippery slope of morally gray areas where the Red Court would ask her to manipulate and manufacture situations as people have asked to help out their ideas. Her best friend Gideon was a breath of fresh air both supporting Ember and trying to keep her from going off the deep end. Ember’s character really goes through a lot in this book, and her growth was nice to see, along with another character that Ember befriends
I give These Vengeful Hearts a five out of five. As Ember grows more deeply embedded into the Red Court, she’s in danger of losing herself and her goal–and that’s when the book becomes so much more devious and enjoyable. The overly emotional and drama-filled halls of this high school reminded me of why I’m happy to be very far removed from those years. I found myself wanting to keep reading when I needed to stop to do other things. The novel wrapped up things pretty nicely with a little glimmer there for a sequel, and I for one would love to see another book in this series.
Find THESE VENGEFUL HEARTS
Indie Bound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Bookshop.org | Books-A-Million | Kobo | Goodreads
About Katherine Laurin
Katherine Laurin lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, and tiny dog. When she’s not writing, Katherine enjoys reading, traveling, hiking, and listening to true crime podcasts. These Vengeful Hearts is her first young adult novel.
Connect with Katherin Laurin
Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram
Latest posts by Heather (see all)
- Nuclear Blonde by A.J. Lape - March 2, 2026
- Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick - December 13, 2025
- How To Grieve Like a Victorian by Amy Carol Reeves - December 13, 2025
Leave a Reply