Title: The Hearts We Sold
Author: Emily Lloyd-Jones
Genre: Young Adult | Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 8, 2017
Source: Gifted
Format: ARC
When Dee Moreno makes a deal with a demon—her heart in exchange for an escape from a disastrous home life—she finds the trade may have been more than she bargained for. And becoming “heartless” is only the beginning. What lies ahead is a nightmare far bigger, far more monstrous than anything she could have ever imagined.
With reality turned on its head, Dee has only a group of other deal-making teens to keep her grounded, including the charming but secretive James Lancer. And as something grows between them amid an otherworldy ordeal, Dee begins to wonder: Can she give someone her heart when it’s no longer hers to give (goodreads)?
The Hearts We Sold was a unique concept that took a different direction than I had expected.
Plot: Emily Lloyd-Jones is a beautiful writer. From the first page, I was hooked on the story of demons coming to the world and making bargains. I was sucked in immediately and could understand everyone's reasoning for making deals with the devil. My enthusiasm died down when Dee joined a ragtag group who were indebted to a demon to help destroy mysterious portals. I felt that this wasn't explained well and I was let down regarding the demon's origin story. I thought this book would have explored Dee's new life without a heart and how that affected her current relationships, but it barely even touched on it. I know it sounds like I'm being super hard on this book, and that's because I (foolishly) went into this book having specific expectations. I think readers with a more open mind will greatly enjoy this one.
Characters: Dee was handed a pretty crappy card. Her parents neglected her and chose to drown their problems in alcohol rather than have real conversations. I empathized with Dee and loved how hard she fought to make her own choices and live the life she chose. In terms of her other Heartless friends, I wanted more. I needed more backstory besides the reason as to why they gave up their hearts, and I definitely needed more from the demon that held their hearts.
Worldbuilding: It was surprising how easy it was to believe a world with demons lurking in the background. The author's writing seriously made it easy for me to envision Oregon and Dee's dorm lifestyle.
Short N Sweet: Emily Lloyd- Jones is a very strong writer, unfortunately this book did not live up to my expectations.
Labels: book review, emily lloyd-jones, little brown books for young readers, review. 3.5 stars, the hearts we sold
