House of Hearts Summary, Characters and Themes

House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt is a dark, atmospheric mystery set within the privileged halls of Hart Academy, a boarding school where secrets shape the lives of its most influential students.  The story follows Violet Harper, a new senior who arrives with a hidden agenda: uncover the truth behind her best friend Emoree Hale’s death.

Though the school claims Em jumped from the clock tower, Violet refuses to accept that explanation.  As she navigates elite cliques, ghost stories, an old family curse, and a secret society with dangerous influence, Violet discovers that Hart Academy is far more ruthless—and haunted—than she ever imagined.

Summary

Violet Harper transfers into her final year at Hart Academy with one purpose: find out what truly happened to her best friend, Emoree Hale, who died the year before under suspicious circumstances.  Although the school insists Em jumped from the clock tower, Violet is certain that she was killed, and she suspects Percy Lockwell, the headmistress’s son.

From the moment Violet arrives on campus, she senses how thoroughly the academy has wiped away any trace of Em’s death.  Her roommate, Birdie Pennington, is cheerful and chaotic, and Violet quickly learns that she was placed in the same bed Em once slept in.

Birdie’s friends—Oliver, Amber, and others in their circle—welcome Violet, introducing her to Hart’s culture, its traditions, and its most powerful students: the Lockwell twins, Calvin and Sadie.

The group often mentions an exclusive, influential student organization known as the Cards, whose headquarters is the House of Hearts.  Membership grants immense privilege, and initiation requires surviving Joker Night, the academy’s legendary test.

Violet unexpectedly receives an invitation, delivered by Calvin Lockwell after he drags her into the clock tower to hide from his sister.  The tower overwhelms Violet with memories of Em’s death, and Calvin seems to notice her distress, though he masks it with sarcasm and a mysterious confidence.

When Joker Night arrives, the House of Hearts transforms into a masked spectacle.  Violet, Birdie, and Amber join the festivities as a storm rages overhead.

Violet dances with a masked boy in a fox costume, who later turns out to be Calvin.  Suddenly the lights cut out, Anastasia Hart’s portrait appears to bleed, and ghostly hammering echoes through the walls.

Violet glimpses Emoree—pale, silent, and maskless—moving through the chaos.  Chasing her, Violet ends up on a balcony where Em appears injured and decayed, repeating a twisted rhyme before reenacting her fall.

Calvin pulls Violet back from the railing just in time.

The second part of Joker Night takes place in the hedge maze surrounding the campus cemetery.  Blindfolded pledges must navigate the maze, pledge their hearts to Anastasia Hart, and retrieve a hidden heart before sunrise.

Calvin guides Violet through the maze, confronting her about Em’s necklace and hinting he knows more than he should.  Violet accuses Percy of murder; Calvin quietly denies it but promises answers soon.

She completes the test, digs up the heart, and earns a Queen of Hearts card, officially joining the Cards.

Soon after, the Cards reveal their purpose: they believe in a Lockwell family curse tied to Anastasia Hart, claiming that each eldest Lockwell is destined to kill their soulmate.  Emoree, who was romantically involved with Percy, is labeled the latest victim.

Violet refuses to believe supernatural explanations, but the ghostly events she experiences grow impossible to dismiss.  Violet finally admits to Birdie that Em wasn’t just some girl from her hometown—she was Violet’s dearest friend—and the two reconcile, determined to work together.

As Violet learns more about the Hart family’s past and the origins of the curse, she grows closer to Calvin, who carries guilt about his family’s history and the pressure placed on him by their mother, Headmistress Meredith Lockwell.  Their connection deepens as they share their fears and investigate Em’s death.

Séances become part of the Cards’ strategy, and at Violet’s suggestion, they attempt one in the locked clock tower.  There, Em’s ghost responds, telling them to go “down the rabbit hole.” A hidden panel reveals Anastasia’s grimoire, which Em once marked with a heart sticker, though the first page is missing.

During a Halloween party, Violet, Birdie, Calvin, and Sadie sneak into the hedge maze to search the four Hart mausoleums.  Violet finds a trapdoor beneath Anastasia’s tomb and discovers Percy Lockwell alive but trapped in a magical sleep.

His notes reveal he cast a spell to sacrifice himself rather than harm Emoree, misunderstanding the spell’s true consequences.  The group decides to keep Percy hidden while they work to decode the grimoire and break the curse.

Strange visions and hauntings escalate for Violet.  She sees ghosts across campus, receives warnings from Emoree, and experiences disturbing illusions.

When Violet overhears Headmistress Lockwell planning to kill her to protect Calvin, she realizes she must confront Anastasia directly.  Entering the hedge maze alone, she finds herself in a twisted version of reality shaped by the curse.

Calvin, partially possessed by Anastasia, tries to attack her, but he briefly breaks free by injuring himself.  Violet flees deeper into the maze and finds Percy again, who helps her realize that Anastasia is using Calvin as a vessel.

They set a trap inside the mausoleum by concealing the grave-like hole Percy dug earlier.  When Calvin, possessed by Anastasia, chases them, he falls into the pit, dragging Violet down with him.

In the darkness, Violet understands the truth: the two heart-shaped lockets she and Percy carry are the literal halves of Anastasia’s heart.  Instead of killing Calvin, Violet reunites the lockets around his neck and recites a restoring spell.

Anastasia’s spirit emerges, reclaims her heart, and finally lets go, releasing Calvin and ending the curse.  Percy, already dead in the real world, chooses to leave with Emoree’s spirit, both of them finally at peace.

In the aftermath, Violet honors Emoree by creating a scholarship in her name.  Months later, at graduation, Violet stands with her friends—Birdie, Amber, Oliver, Sadie—and Calvin, who is healing and free from the curse.

The maze is quiet, the ghosts gone, and the future uncertain but filled with possibility.  In the clock tower where everything began, Violet and Calvin share a kiss and look toward what comes next, choosing hope over fear as they step into life beyond Hart Academy.

Characters

Violet Harper

Violet enters House of Hearts as someone who is simultaneously determined, fractured, and deeply loyal.  Her entire identity at Hart Academy is built around her grief for Emoree and her unwavering need to uncover the truth behind her friend’s death.

Much of Violet’s emotional complexity comes from the tension between her outward composure and her internal volatility—she is calculating and bold, yet haunted by visions, trauma, and guilt.  Her ability to lie convincingly, improvise under pressure, and confront danger shows a kind of reluctant heroism.

Yet she is also vulnerable: easily shaken by memories, terrified of losing control, and terrified of losing people again.  Her growing connection with Calvin complicates her mission, forcing her to choose between the clarity of revenge and the messy truth of his humanity.

Violet evolves from someone who enters Hart with tunnel vision to someone who learns to accept love, uncertainty, and the need to stop carrying every burden alone.  She ends the story not as someone seeking revenge, but as someone capable of building something hopeful from ruin.

Calvin Lockwell

Calvin is the emotional centerpiece of the Lockwell family legacy—a boy raised under crushing expectations, haunted by the curse, and desperate to avoid repeating his family’s tragedies.  Beneath his intimidating, mischievous exterior is someone yearning for connection and terrified of causing harm.

His relationship with Violet reveals the layers he hides: guilt over Percy, the pain of being compared unfavorably to his brother, and the fear that he is destined to destroy anyone he loves.  Calvin’s protectiveness is instinctive, and he frequently sacrifices his own well-being to shield others, even when it means allowing Violet to believe the worst of him.

His struggle with possession in the maze symbolizes the way his life has never been fully his own—always manipulated by history, family, and fate.  By the end, Calvin becomes a figure of self-determination, reclaiming the autonomy his ancestors and his mother denied him.

His bond with Violet is not a fairy-tale romance but a grounding force that teaches him he deserves a future shaped by his own choices.

Emoree Hale

Emoree is the emotional catalyst of House of Hearts, a presence who lingers long after her death—both as a memory and as a literal ghost.  In life, she was bright, imaginative, and fiercely loyal, but her time at Hart isolated her, and she faced pressures and secrets she never shared fully with Violet.

Emoree’s ghost is not vengeful but sorrowful, desperate to communicate the truth and protect Violet even from beyond the grave.  Her haunting is an expression of unfinished love—her love for Violet, her love for Percy, and her yearning to be believed.

Through visions and riddles, she guides Violet toward understanding the curse, Percy’s sacrifice, and the heart-shaped lockets that hold the key to ending Anastasia’s torment.  Emoree’s story is ultimately about the tragedy of a girl caught in a cycle older than herself, and the emotional triumph of finally being able to leave peacefully once the truth is acknowledged.

Birdie Pennington

Birdie is one of the most emotionally open and endearing characters in the story.  She begins as a whirlwind of whimsy—messy, extravagant, enthusiastic, and always eager to make others feel included.

Beneath her eccentricity is a deep loneliness from losing Emoree as her roommate and a hidden insecurity about not being enough for the people she loves.  Her crush on Sadie adds charm but also reveals her earnestness and capacity for tenderness.

Birdie’s heartbreak upon learning that Violet lied about knowing Emoree shows her sensitivity and capacity for loyalty.  But she also demonstrates remarkable forgiveness and resilience, choosing to rebuild her trust with Violet and eventually embracing her feelings for Sadie.

Birdie represents emotional honesty, the courage to confront her own pain, and the power of choosing to love fully even after profound loss.

Sadie Lockwell

Sadie is simultaneously sharp, vulnerable, and fiercely intelligent.  She carries the weight of the Lockwell name with quiet anguish, caught between loyalty to her mother, fear of the curse, and her desire for a life defined by her own terms.

Her research-driven approach to the curse contrasts with the emotional chaos around her, grounding the group with logic and focus.  Sadie’s relationship with Birdie softens her edges, revealing her longing for affection outside the shadow of family expectations.

Her decision to lie to protect Violet from her mother marks a pivotal moment in her development, showing she is capable not only of academic brilliance but also moral courage.  Sadie stands as a testament to breaking generational cycles—not through rebellion alone, but through choosing love and bravery in the face of inherited fear.

Oliver

Oliver is the group’s quiet strategist, someone who thrives on information, analysis, and structured problem-solving.  His membership in the Cards and his role researching sigils and language make him a vital part of unraveling the curse.

Though initially distant, Oliver shows consistent loyalty and a gentle, protective streak, especially toward his friends.  His calmness contrasts with Birdie’s chaos, Amber’s drama, and Tripp’s recklessness, making him an invaluable anchor for the group.

Oliver’s steady presence and willingness to follow Violet into danger reflect his integrity and his belief in uncovering truth, no matter how unsettling.

Amber

Amber brings sharp humor and social awareness to the story.  As a gossip columnist, she thrives on knowledge, speculation, and the thrill of uncovering secrets, but her motives are rarely malicious.

She watches over Violet and Birdie in her own way, often being the first to point out tensions or force difficult conversations into the open.  Her jokes mask her perceptiveness, and moments of vulnerability—such as her shower conversation with Violet—reveal that she understands emotions far better than she admits.

Amber is an observer, someone who sees patterns and undercurrents, making her an essential part of the group’s dynamic despite her outward frivolity.

Percy Lockwell

Percy is the quiet tragedy of the Lockwell family—a boy burdened by a curse he never asked for and forced into an impossible position by love.  His relationship with Emoree is tender yet doomed, and his choice to sacrifice himself to protect her shows the depth of his devotion.

Percy is not the villain Violet initially believes him to be; instead, he is someone who tried desperately to outmaneuver an ancient curse and failed.  His existence in magical stasis, trapped in the maze, makes him a haunting parallel to Anastasia—a soul suspended between life and death, waiting for someone to free him.

His final choice to leave with Emoree’s spirit demonstrates his acceptance, his grief, and his enduring love for the girl he couldn’t save.

Meredith Lockwell

Meredith stands as the embodiment of authoritarian power at Hart Academy—ruthless, ambitious, and obsessed with control.  She rules the school with an iron will, manipulating its traditions, secrets, and history to maintain her influence.

Yet her cruelty is rooted in fear: fear of the curse, fear of losing another child, and fear of relinquishing control.  Meredith’s willingness to kill Violet to protect Calvin reveals how distorted her love has become.

She no longer sees her children as people but as pieces in a centuries-long legacy she must preserve.  Her existence is a cautionary tale of how fear can warp love into tyranny.

Anastasia Hart

Anastasia is both legend and haunting, a tragic figure whose heartbreak echoes through generations.  In life, she was passionate and romantic, devoting herself entirely to Oleander.

But betrayal, loss, and the suffocation of patriarchal expectations twisted her love into something monstrous.  Her ghost embodies longing and rage, a spirit tormented by the memory of her own death and the betrayal that shattered her heart.

Her manipulation of the maze and control over Calvin illustrates her refusal to be forgotten, her desire to reclaim what was taken from her.  Yet when Violet restores the halves of Anastasia’s heart, her spirit softens, revealing the broken girl beneath the horror.

Her release is bittersweet—a liberation from centuries of anguish and a reminder of how powerful and destructive unresolved grief can become.

Themes

Revenge and the Cost of Pursuing the Truth

Violet’s arrival at Hart Academy is defined not by ambition or excitement but by a mission that has hollowed out her final year of high school.  Her fixation on proving that Emoree did not die by suicide shapes every decision she makes, narrowing her world until grief and suspicion become her closest companions.

The pursuit of truth in House of Hearts is not presented as a triumphant march toward justice but as an exhausting, isolating commitment that erodes Violet’s sense of safety, identity, and even sanity.  Each step forward seems to demand a sacrifice: her relationship with her mother, her ability to trust new friends, her sleep, and ultimately her belief that the world operates on logic rather than cruelty.

The deeper she digs, the more the truth reveals itself as something dangerous—protected not only by the influence of the Lockwell family but also by forces she cannot fully understand.  Violet’s drive to expose what happened to Emoree becomes tangled with her guilt over not preventing the tragedy, creating a cycle in which seeking answers becomes a way to punish herself.

The theme shows how revenge blurs into grief, grief blurs into obsession, and obsession blurs into self-destruction.  Yet the story also explores the possibility that uncovering truth can be a means of reclaiming control.

When Violet finally understands the curse, Percy’s choices, and Emoree’s suffering, revenge evolves into something quieter but more powerful: the commitment to ensure Emoree is remembered with dignity, and the promise to stop another cycle of violence.  The novel suggests that truth, when finally faced, is rarely clean or comforting, but it can open a path away from bitterness and toward healing.

Grief, Haunting, and the Persistence of the Past

The book treats grief as something that does not fade naturally with time but manifests in emotional, psychological, and even supernatural forms.  Emoree’s presence hovers over every space Violet enters—her old dorm room, the clock tower, the hedge maze—and that lingering ache is mirrored by the literal ghosts Violet encounters throughout the narrative.

The hauntings are not just frightening apparitions but reflections of unresolved relationships, unanswered questions, and the inability of the characters to release those they’ve lost.  Violet is haunted because Emoree’s story was stolen from her, rewritten by those in power.

Calvin is haunted by Percy’s disappearance, by the weight of the Lockwell curse, and by a lifetime of comparison and expectation.  Sadie carries grief shaped by generational trauma, while Birdie’s grief stems from feeling shut out of Emoree’s final months.

The novel treats ghosts not simply as supernatural entities but as symbols of memory that clings until acknowledged.  Emoree’s appearances shift from terrifying to mournful as Violet slowly understands what truly happened, turning fear into clarity and acceptance.

Even the curse itself embodies an inherited grief—a wound passed from ancestor to ancestor with no opportunity to heal.  When Anastasia finally lets go after Violet reunites the halves of her heart, the story frames this release as an act of compassion, not conquest.

By the end, grief becomes something shared rather than hidden, something that softens enough to let the characters step forward without forgetting the past.

Power, Privilege, and Institutional Corruption

Hart Academy is constructed as a place where wealth, legacy, and reputation matter more than safety or truth.  The Cards operate with near-total impunity, protected by the Lockwell family’s status and the school’s desperation to maintain its polished image.

Students are conditioned to follow rules that only apply to the powerless, while the privileged manipulate outcomes to suit their desires.  The secrecy surrounding Emoree’s death demonstrates how institutions prioritize self-preservation over justice; the administration erases all signs of tragedy, hoping that silence will be enough to absolve them.

Meredith Lockwell’s willingness to sacrifice students—including her own children—to maintain prestige exposes a culture where image outranks humanity.  The curse mythology becomes entangled with this theme, functioning as both a literal and metaphorical explanation for the generational violence embedded in the Lockwell line.

For some characters, the curse becomes a convenient justification for harm, allowing them to deny responsibility by framing death as fate.  Violet’s presence disrupts this system because she refuses to be intimidated by hierarchy or legacy, and her refusal forces others to confront the ways they, too, have been complicit—whether through silence or fear.

The novel reveals how privilege can warp morality and how breaking entrenched systems requires not only courage but an understanding of the structures that enable them.

Identity, Reinvention, and the Weight of Expectations

Characters throughout the story struggle under identities assigned to them, whether by family history, public reputation, or personal guilt.  Violet arrives at Hart under a false identity, pretending to be a typical new senior while secretly carrying the burden of justice for Emoree.

This duality forces her to constantly manage how much of herself she can safely reveal, leading to relationships built on half-truths and careful omissions.  Calvin is defined by expectations he never asked for: the musical prodigy, the golden Lockwell twin, the heir to the curse, the one who must succeed where Percy failed.

The pressure weighs on him so heavily that even small acts of defiance feel monumental.  Birdie’s cheerful eccentricity hides her fear of being forgotten or unwanted, especially after Emoree’s death.

Sadie wrestles with a family legacy that dictates her beliefs and responsibilities, torn between loyalty to her mother and her own moral compass.  The novel examines how identity becomes a battleground where characters decide whether they will accept the roles imposed on them or forge their own.

Violet’s journey culminates not in shedding her past but in choosing how it will shape her future—not as a source of vengeance but as a reason to build something meaningful, shown through her decision to create Emoree’s scholarship.  Calvin’s arc resolves in a similar way; he steps out from beneath the shadow of the Lockwell curse and begins imagining a life defined by choice rather than obligation.

Love, Loyalty, and the Complexity of Human Bonds

Relationships in the book are messy, emotionally charged, and often strained by secrets or fear.  Violet and Emoree’s bond is the driving force of the narrative, portrayed as a form of love that exceeds simple friendship.

Violet’s loyalty to Emoree is fierce enough to challenge an entire institution, yet this same loyalty sometimes blinds her to the complexities of Emoree’s final days.  The friendships Violet forms at Hart—particularly with Birdie—are built slowly, disrupted by mistrust, and strengthened through moments of profound vulnerability.

Birdie’s breakdown reveals how love can take the form of regret, longing, or the desire to be better for someone else.  Calvin and Violet’s developing connection is rooted in shared wounds more than romantic fantasy; their attraction grows alongside an understanding of each other’s fears and histories.

The book refuses to romanticize love as a cure-all.  Instead, it presents it as something that requires choosing someone despite their flaws and the risks they represent.

The curse itself is a distorted reminder of what happens when love is twisted by possessiveness, jealousy, and generational pain.  When Violet gives Anastasia her heart back, she rejects the idea that love must be destructive.

The final scene shows this theme most clearly—not with a sweeping declaration but with two people choosing a future that acknowledges trauma without letting it define them.