These Vengeful 💕 (Hearts)

YA chiller 

     "April had more reasons than anyone to want the Red Court destroyed, but she didn't carry the same anger I did.  She'd moved on, past the pain and the prognosis that her chances of walking again were slim to none.  She'd found her place along the new path She'd forged for herself.  It was me who couldn't forgive, couldn't forget that the Queen of Hearts was out there, planning to hurt someone else's sister."

     Heller High, setting of Katherine Laurin's These Vengeful 💕 💞, has its own teenage mafia, The Red Court.  Led by the Queen of 💕 💞, the group has secrecy measures that would make the FBI drool.  They carry out requests from their classmates:  rig an election, change a grade, break up 💔 a relationship, or take down an enemy.  Their web 🕸 of useful contacts includes teachers and administration.

     April, sister of Ember, Laurin's protagonist, was one of their victims.  An 'accident' left her needing a wheelchair.  Despite April discouraging her, Ember is out for blood.  Her goal: to infiltrate the organization and take it down from the inside so that nobody else will have to suffer from its cruelty.  

     It won't be easy.  As a new member, Ember has to carry out acts of cruelty, including ones against people she knows and cares about.  She begins to enjoy some aspects of belonging, to find her moral compas shifting in disturbing ways.

     And you know that the the Red Court is not going to go down without major drama.

On a purrrsonal note, I just got back from my kidney ultrasound.  It was really a challenging experience.  But it's over.  I can reward myself tonight with some cat assisted reading 📚 and a whole box of marshmallow Peeps.  (Jules)

She survived.  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to Eugene who provided transportation so I didn't have to take the bus.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

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