A Thousand Heartbeats: Tiktok made me buy it! A compelling new romance novel for young adults

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It took me by surprise when the publisher offered me a review copy of this book– I was pretty over the moon, honestly. After Annika and Lennox’s worlds collide, they can’t stop thinking of each other. Annika has waited her whole life to find out what love truly feels like—but could it be that she’s found love with someone she can never have?

Okay, so the book. I liked Annika and found some things about her character really compelling. She’s all about justice and fairness. But there’s definitely kind of a weird self-sacrificial thing about her that kind of… made me sad? I don’t know. Like, I feel like she tended to divide things into two possible outcomes: either she could be happy and everyone else miserable, or everyone else could be happy while she was miserable. Annika, the princess of Kadier, believes in the love of fairy tales but knows it’s not in her future since her father demanded she marry to secure a political alliance. Not too far from their kingdom, there is a growing army of those who believe Kadier rightfully belonged to their ancestors, and they plan to reclaim it. When stoic, hardened soldier Lennox is given the opportunity to prove himself, he makes a plan to sneak into the kingdom. Neither Annika nor Lennox is prepared for the ways their lives and those of everyone around them will forever be changed upon their meeting. They start as enemies, but their hearts have other ideas, and soon their love is impossible to ignore. This stand-alone fantasy romance shifts between the two protagonists’ points of view, giving readers access to the interior lives of both. Patience is required, as the tale is slow to start; it finds its footing eventually, but readers may find it to be too little, too late. Much of the narrative feels bloated with story yet hollow in characterization and emotional depth. Even moments meant to evoke big emotions, like important deaths or grand romantic gestures, wind up falling flat since there’s not enough substance to give them weight. Characters are assumed White.No one in the world of young adult publishing writes romance quite like Kiera Cass. The author of the bestselling The Selection series and The Betrothed duology is known for her strong female characters, lush and fully realized settings, and, of course, swoony love stories full of twists and longing. And her latest novel, A Thousand Heartbeats is no different. It’s always a joy to read anything Kiera Cass puts out, and A Thousand Heartbeats is no different. If you want a young adult fantasy story with love, politics, and some sword fighting, I recommend this book as a cozy autumn read. Princess Annika has lived a life of comfort—but no amount of luxuries can change the fact that her life isn't her own to control. The king, once her loving father, has gone cold, and Annika will soon be forced into a loveless marriage for political gain.

A THOUSAND HEARTBEATS by Kiera Cass is a YA fantasy novel told in dual POV from Annika, a princess grappling with a fractured family and obligations to the crown, and Lennox, a young warrior, brutal with his sword and friendless because of it. Seemingly, they are worlds apart, but when their paths do cross, what gets set into motion cannot be undone. Now, Annika must figure out how best to protect her country while keeping what’s left of her family together, and Lennox needs to decide when he’ll step forward to take what’s rightfully his. With so many wanting different things from these two, the most difficult question they’ll face is: does one of them have to die for the other to succeed? A Thousand Heartbeats is popular PDF and ePub book, written by Kiera Cass in 2022-11-29, it is a fantastic choice for those who relish reading online the Young Adult Fiction genre. Let's immerse ourselves in this engaging Young Adult Fiction book by exploring the summary and details provided below. Remember, A Thousand Heartbeats can be Read Online from any device for your convenience. A Thousand Heartbeats Book PDF Summary America has the right mix of sass and heart, and her over-the-top royal treatment is enough to make any reader who has ever played dress-up envious. Cass wisely keeps readers on the edge of their seats to find out who Maxon will finally choose as his bride.”— Publishers Weekly Lennox… That guy took me on a journey. At certain moments, I did not think I could like him. He serves his leader as a kind of enforcer, doing the dirty tasks that no one else wants, but have been decreed to be done. It takes him a long time to realize his own worth and even longer to really decide what to do about it. But when love, against all odds, finds them both, they are bound by its call. They can't possibly be together—but the irresistible thrum of a thousand heartbeats won't let them stay apart.

Miles away, small comforts are few and far between for Lennox. He has devoted his life to the Dahrainian army, hoping to one day help them reclaim the throne that was stolen from them. For Lennox, the idea of love is merely a distraction—nothing will stand in the way of fighting for his people. An engrossing tale reminiscent of Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy and Ally Condie’s Matched. Fairy-tale lovers will lose themselves in America’s alternate reality and wish that the next glamorous sequel were waiting for them.”— School Library Journal Paste: I know A Thousand Heartbeats is meant to be a standalone story, and the book’s epilogue does leave everything in such a satisfying place overall. But could you ever see yourself revisiting this universe in some way? Cass: Yeah, let’s talk about my ladies. America, Eadlyn, and Kahlen all had a certain level of seriousness about them. America grew up in poverty, Eadlyn was raised with a crown on her head, and Kahlen had to deal with the teeny tiny issue of murdering people… it’s a lot. But they’re all finding joy on their journeys, and I think that’s part of their charm and why people enjoy their stories. When Hollis came along, it was fun to swing the pendulum to the other side and have someone who really had no concept of being serious or responsible at all, and then watch her grow into that role so beautifully.

Cass’s immensely readable debut novel is a less drastic Hunger Games, with elaborate fashion and trappings. The fast-paced action will have readers gasping for the upcoming sequel.”— ALA Booklist In the last few years, I’ve been working through a lot of forgiveness, and that’s something that’s come up a lot in their story, too. I’ve said before that I don’t go into my books trying to teach a lesson or give a moral, but it does feel like sometimes I go in with a question, and I seem to try to answer it in 80,000 words or so. I’m not sure. But forgiveness seems to have been on my mind. Paste: Annika is such a great entry to your sort of overall catalog of strong fantasy heroines. Tell me about how you see her journey through this book.There were definitely some conflicts that split themselves that way where those were legit her only options. But it felt like she tended to view all conflicts that way.