Heart’s Gambit

Gr 9 Up–Myall’s novel offers a time-traveling race to end the curse that plagues the Baldwin and Davenport families before it takes the life of another one of their own. The Baldwins and the Davenports have been haunted by a curse ever since their enslaved ancestors fell in love and were tortured by Sabine, a bloodthirsty plantation owner, who fated their descendants to hunt and kill each other for generations to come. Eighteen-year-olds Emma Baldwin and Malcolm Davenport have become tired of running, tired of hiding, and tired of the weight of this curse on their lives. They decide to band together to attempt to end the curse, time travel, and kill Sabine once and for all, but they happen to fall in love in the process. Throughout the book, grief is shown to have terrible effects but also the ability to bring people together. Emma’s heart has been shattered since the death of her sister Grace, but she feels like her family is hiding secrets surrounding that fateful night. Malcolm is tormented by the loss of his brother and father and the immense pressure he feels to be the protector of his family. Emma and Malcolm find ways to support and love each other through it. Dual perspectives give extra depth. Emma’s and Malcolm’s perspectives give insight to their fears, worries, and emotions and increase readers’ desire to read the next chapter to know how the other character is processing the same event. Main characters are Black.