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Reviews for Heaven

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  • Mysterious!5

    Kate Verrier This was another impulse buy, I was intrigued by the cover and the synopsis sounded really interesting.

    I'm so glad I did buy it because I really enjoyed this urban fairy tale, every moment was truly fascinating right from the start. There were so many questions raised that I just had to read on to find the answers. These answers came bit by bit and it felt like I was fitting together a puzzle.

    For some reason I expected this to be an old-fashioned story so I was surprised to find that it was actually very modern. Set in London it had a tense and eerie feel to it with plenty of action, a bit of romance and lots of secrets.

    I felt that there was a great energy between David and Heaven, they were so natural with each other and I think this gives the reader a feeling of comfort especially with all the craziness that surrounded the two of them. They had a conversation where they talked about memories being like postcards in our minds and I really liked that idea.

    Miss Trodwood was a lovely character, she was very wise, honest and down to earth which I think made her feel grandmotherly. I liked the way she had taken David in when he was in trouble and that she also did the same for Heaven too. The mysterious man with the black gloves and the equally mysterious client of his really got my imagination going - I had all sorts of theories as to who they were but unfortunately none were correct.

    Towards the end the intensity and action really increased - I found myself holding my breath and hoping for a good outcome!

    This is a dark mysterious story that kept me guessing throughout, a definite must-read. by Kate Verrier

  • Top review

    beautifully-written modern day fairy tale4

    Dani @ Refracted Light Traversing London via rooftop has become second nature for seventeen year old David Pettyfer. What's not second nature? Chancing across a beautiful girl in distress on those rooftops who claims that someone has cut out her heart... and not in the metaphorical sense. What she, this girl named Heaven, suggests is surely impossible, and David is convinced that she must be crazy, while also recognizing that she is obviously traumatized, vulnerable and in great need of his help. Agreeing to help her to the nearest hospital, David and Heaven again encounter the men who stole her heart. Their intent clearly malicious, David decides that no matter how crazy Heaven might be, that he must get her away from these men who wish to harm her further. As David and Heaven attempt to discover why these people are after her and how she lives despite her missing heart, David is forced to consider what he knows of reality, who Heaven actually is, and the very real possibility that this crazy, troubled girl has begun to steal his heart as well.


    I love Christoph Marzi's London. Though I've never actually been myself, I'm one of those rabid anglophiles who has over-romanticized it so completely that if I were to visit one day, the real London might never even have a chance. Marzi's London only enables my romanticizing tendencies. From the freeing, fantastic world of London's rooftops, to the nitty gritty sights and sounds of the London streets, to the gorgeous architecture of the buildings, to the stifling, claustrophobic industrialized efficiency of the Tube, to the quaintness of the local neighborhoods, Marzi's descriptions of the city bring it life in living color giving him a vivid canvas onto which he paints his story.


    The story of Heaven is told primarily from David's point of view; a refreshing change from the slew of female narrators that normally populate this genre. David is an individual with a troubled past. At a young age he fled his home due to one parent's psychosis and the other parent's inability to deal with the issue. He made his way to London where, homeless and penniless, he made a string of rather poor decisions and judgment calls. Then one day, he acted upon an impulse and found himself working in the bookshop of a Miss Trodwood with a home, a benefactress and the opportunity for a fresh start.


    Marzi's development of David is fantastic and thorough. Though not your standard issue White Knight, David is streetwise, resourceful, practical and shows a presence of mind and a stubborn resolve even in the face of danger. Though initially perplexed by what to do with Heaven, he recognizes in her someone who desperately needs his help. He's just a normal guy - an unlikely hero - but kind, decent and stronger than he imagines himself to be. Given his back story and overall development, David's a well-rounded character who I enjoyed getting to know.


    Heaven, on the other hand, is more of a puzzle. Obviously, the huge mystery of the book is trying to discover who Heaven is and why she's not currently in a morgue drawer at St. Mary Abbotts. Perhaps it's because we're viewing her through David's perception of her, perhaps it's because she's supposed to remain slightly on the mysterious side, but Heaven is not as easy to relate to as David's character is. The reader is given brief glimpses into her past and she's clearly independent, passionate, a free spirit who's confused and searching, but her character is a bit lacking in depth for my taste.


    The story itself is pretty entertaining and fast-paced as the reader follows along with David and Heaven's attempts to uncover who she is and why the people who stole her heart are still pursuing her. Throughout their investigation, it's interesting watch Heaven and David form a fledging relationship that's born out of shared heartaches and experiences. As they start zeroing in on the answers they're looking for, Marzi picks up the pace, culminating in a pretty nail-bitingly exciting climax. On the downside, a couple plot points throughout are a little convenient, coincidental or require a bit more explanation, but I still enjoyed the story as a whole.


    The villains are particularly interesting. Specifically, Mr. Drood - as we are introduced to him in the first few pages - is quite chilling. He's a heartless killer - clinical, calculating, remorseless - a psychopath who takes on a variety of aliases throughout the book inspired by Dicken's characters. He is a man of extraordinary abilities and Marzi does an excellent job molding Mr. Drood into a terrifying character, creating a real sense of danger in the story through this villain. And I do love a good villain...


    Overall, Heaven is a beautifully-written modern day fairy tale about unlikely heroes, freedom, and the undeniable power of the human heart. by Dani @ Refracted Light

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