Hello, Cruel Heart by Maureen Johnson
YA, Historical Fiction, Contemporary
Disney Press | April 6th, 2021
3/5 Stars
Swinging London, Summer 1967. Sixteen-year-old Estella, gifted with talent, ingenuity, and ambition, dreams of becoming a renowned fashion designer. But life seems intent on making sure her dreams never come true. Having arrived in London as a young girl, Estella now runs wild through the city streets with Jasper and Horace, amateur thieves who double as Estella’s makeshift family and partners-in-(petty)-crime. How can Estella dedicate herself to joining the ranks of the London design elite when she’s sewing endless costumes and disguises for the trio’s heists?
When a chance encounter with Magda and Richard Moresby-Plum, two young scions of high society, vaults Estella into the world of the rich and famous, she begins to wonder whether she might be destined for more after all. Suddenly, Estella’s days are filled with glamorous parties, exclusive eateries, flirtations with an up-and-coming rock star, and, of course, the most cutting-edge fashions money can buy. But what is the true cost of keeping up with the fast crowd-and is it a price Estella is willing to pay?
Estella has been an orphan for years. Staying alive by stealing only what she needed and living in an abandoned building with her friends Jasper and Horace. When Estella meets Magda and Richard Moresby-Plum, she is thrust into this whole new world of the rich and she begins to contemplate whether she deserves more in life. Estella begins living a new life, even now dating an up and coming rockstar, but it doesn’t last forever.
I can honestly say that I don’t remember much about 101 Dalmatians or Cruella DeVil. It was fun to read about teenage Estella and how Cruella came to be.
This book was perfectly paced and definitely an interesting read. I really enjoyed learning about Estella, but I also enjoyed the time period. It’s swinging London, with all these rich people just spending their money, wandering and staying in everyone’s super mansions, and talking about things you could only imagine.
Estella’s ups and downs throughout the story were crucial to her development and I’m glad I had a chance to read this book and learn about Estella, now Cruella.
I’m super excited to see the movie about teenage Cruella with Emma Stone coming out this year, so I guess this was a great book to read ahead of time.
Thank you, NetGalley and Disney Press for this arc in return for an honest review.
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