Book Cover
Justification
I chose The hearts we sold as my horror selection for this book blog. One of the reasons I chose this book because it seemed less scary than some of the other horror book selection options. I was also drawn to the fairy tale aspect of the novel. Throughout the novel there are allusions to Faust, Grimm, and other classic fairy tales that show the dark side of human nature. I found The hearts we sold on a reputable blog highlighting excellent new horror books for Young Adults. It has also received favorable reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, The Horn Book, and a starred review in Booklist.
Evaluation
The first quality of excellent writing to note in this novel is the creation of the setting. While the book is set in Portland, Oregon, the characters in this world are experiencing a far different reality than our own. When our main character Dee was just ten years old, demons appeared in Los Angeles and declared they could make dreams and wishes come true. For a price. In exchange for a body part, you could have anything you had always wanted. As the story unfolds, we learn that the demons are using these body parts in a supernatural war between their species and another. Lloyd-Jones expertly weaves in elements of fantasy into the everyday world that we know. The overall result leaves the reader with an eerie feeling as the plot unfolds.
Another aspect of great writing is the plot development of the novel. Our main character Dee is in an impossible situation. Her family life is abusive. After the death of her grandmother, there is no responsible adult to protect Dee from her alcoholic parents. Dee must grow up, and fast. She is solely responsible for cooking, cleaning, and maintaining the house; all the while earning good grades so that she can try and escape her dysfunctional home life. Dee secures a scholarship to a top-notch boarding school she can attend for high school. However, the scholarship money for her spot at the school has run out and she is out of options. She decides to trade her heart for all the money she will need to complete her schooling and ensure that she never has to return to her abusive family again. Dee is banded together with other “heartless” teenagers, those who’ve traded their hearts as a part of their covenant with the demons. Together they must form a team to help fight the supernatural war that is waging in secret between the demons and another species from their realm. As the story unfolds, Dee ironically finds love and friendship in a way that had been unknown to her before losing her heart. It took losing her heart to learn about love and intimacy. The pacing and development of the plot leaves the reader desperate to know what will happen to the troop of heartless teenagers at the service of the demon.
Finally, Lloyd-Jones use of style and language in her writing facilitates the mood of the novel. She uses imagery and allusion throughout the story that helps the reader connect more fully with the plot. A common allusion in the story is the references to fairy tales. Time and again the text references Rumpelstiltskin, Little Red Riding Hood, and Snow White. “Fairy tales with all the shine taken away from them were simply stories of desperation. Of hungry wolves devouring children and jealous stepsisters who hacked off their own toes to fit inside a glass slipper” (Lloyd-Jones, 2017, p. 273). These references deepen our understanding of the desperation of our characters and to understand why they would trade a part of themselves away for the promise of their desired object or outcome. Lloyd-Jones also uses style and language to create disturbing imagery in her writing. “Its ribs were clearly visible, slivers of bone nestled within desiccated flesh, a white cage that was utterly hollow; the flesh hadn’t decayed-it had simply dried out, like flowers left to wither and curl in on themselves” (Lloyd-Jones, 2017, p. 188). Her use of language leaves us as terrified as her protagonist. The masterful imagery creates a picture in our minds that will not be soon forgotten.
Response
(A) Reading about Dee’s desperation in her home life broke my heart. Having to become the responsible person in a home at thirteen years old is not a task that any child should have to do. Unfortunately, addiction can turn people in to people that they would not otherwise become. (B) Too often we see people turning to desperate solutions to solve their problems. While we don’t have demons waiting to make deals for literal pieces of our bodies, there are parallels in our own world. This novel showcased the both desperation and resilience of the human spirit. Even though all the heartless characters were plagued by a desperate situation, they were able to band together to find friendship and love. (F) I thought this novel was built upon a fascinating premise. What would it take to trade away a piece of yourself? The writing, characters, plot development, and mood of the novel will stick with me. I cared deeply for Dee, James, Cal, Cora, and Riley. Lloyd-Jones held my attention the entire novel.
Conclusion
The hearts we sold depicts both hopelessness and hope in the same novel. While the characters are found in desperate situations, they find a way to work together and build hope in a future when their hearts are restored. Emily Lloyd-Jones captivated me in this novel that is part fantasy, party romance, and part horror. I would recommend this novel for high school students.
APA Citation
Lloyd-Jones, E. (2017). The hearts we sold. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
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