Hello, Cruel Heart
- Downloads：8066
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-09 01:31:06
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Maureen Johnson
- ISBN：1368057764
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Danielle Masterson
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Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC。 I love the premise of this book， but after five days of only reading a page or two a night， I realized now is probably not the right time for me to read it。 I will keep this on my shelf and return to it - and update my review if I do。 That said， there is always an audience for every book and I will be recommending this to my patrons who enjoy villain origin stories and fairy tales。
Jodi Gallegos
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A book about Cruella De Vil as a teenager？ Yes， please！ I wa so excited to receive an ARC copy of Hello， Cruel Heart and it didn’t disappoint。 Author Maureen Johnson opens with the teenage Estella。 She’s got a knack for petty crime but dreams of fashion design。 The sixteen-year old and her accomplices Jasper and Horace are getting along just fine。 And then Estella is introduced to the posh life by twins Magda and Richard。 Under the tutelage of the twins， Estella can finally imagine a more prospe A book about Cruella De Vil as a teenager？ Yes， please！ I wa so excited to receive an ARC copy of Hello， Cruel Heart and it didn’t disappoint。 Author Maureen Johnson opens with the teenage Estella。 She’s got a knack for petty crime but dreams of fashion design。 The sixteen-year old and her accomplices Jasper and Horace are getting along just fine。 And then Estella is introduced to the posh life by twins Magda and Richard。 Under the tutelage of the twins， Estella can finally imagine a more prosperous future in which she has the job—and the love—she’s always dreamed of。 But Estella’s underlying dark side—Cruella—is just a betrayal away from taking over entirely。 Hello， Cruel Heart is an imaginative origin story for One of Disney’s classic villainess’s。 Set in the 1960’s it almost seems like a true biography of a bright， talented young girl on the cusp of becoming so very infamous。 Hello， Cruel Heart is available now。 *I received an advanced audiobook copy of Hello， Cruel Heart from Disney Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more
Bethany
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I tore through this book in 2 days。 It is both an easy read and an origin story for（you guessed it） Cruella Deville。 I think based on the newest Cruella movie， that these are not related。 I enjoyed the story and learning more about where she came from and what makes her tick。 I think all of us can see ourselves in these characters and in the extremes of society that the author paints a very clear picture of。 Great character and world building。 Great story。
Ceylan （CeyGo）
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read Hello Cruel Heart A young girl named Estella。。。。 3 Dalmatians 。。。 and the beginning of Cruella 。。。✔️ I really enjoyed parts of this story - Estella and her friends Jasper and Horace and their thieving was quite fun to read✔️ Cruella did make an appearance or two- trying to to protect the young Estella ✔️ the main story of the rich friends etc was a bit too long and not as exciting Overall though this was a fun story 。
Valerie
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I don’t think Cruella is a villain that I’ve thought all that much about origin story wise。 After reading Hello， Cruel Heart though I find myself empathizing with her character SO much。 It utterly breaks my heart how different her story could have ended up had those around her had treated her in a different manner。 I absolutely loved reading this quick and easy to read origins story on the villain we all loved to hate and not only was I able to understand her a bit better but I throughly enjoyed I don’t think Cruella is a villain that I’ve thought all that much about origin story wise。 After reading Hello， Cruel Heart though I find myself empathizing with her character SO much。 It utterly breaks my heart how different her story could have ended up had those around her had treated her in a different manner。 I absolutely loved reading this quick and easy to read origins story on the villain we all loved to hate and not only was I able to understand her a bit better but I throughly enjoyed learning more about the face behind Cruella; Estella。 I’d definitely love to read more about Estella fully embracing her alter ego Cruella because while Estella was fun to read about as we get to see the humanity that was in her before she was driven into fully becoming Cruella， I just know that there is so much more to the story。 。。。more
Dawn
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Ever wanted to learn about Disney villains pasts？ This book is your chance to see what there’d Estella into Cruella。 After her mother died， Estella was left homeless without adult care。 Horace and Jasper took her in and made her a part of their family， living in a bombed out house。 Estella thought her world was turning for the better one summer but at the end， it was her true friends， Horace and Jasper， who made her see the truth。OpinionThis is the second book of villain backstories that I have Ever wanted to learn about Disney villains pasts？ This book is your chance to see what there’d Estella into Cruella。 After her mother died， Estella was left homeless without adult care。 Horace and Jasper took her in and made her a part of their family， living in a bombed out house。 Estella thought her world was turning for the better one summer but at the end， it was her true friends， Horace and Jasper， who made her see the truth。OpinionThis is the second book of villain backstories that I have read。 I have to say I am quite intrigued。 I’m a huge Disney fan and these books are a fun look into how the villain became so evil。 This one was done particularly well。 There was no magic in it and it seemed as if it could have actually happened。Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book。 。。。more
r。bookish
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pretty quickly， i knew this book wasn't for me， there was just so many random ass crap between the characters that just didn't make sense what so ever， so it really took away from my enjoyment。 especially since i have literally no bit of clue when this book actually took place， cause it was such a mess， but i guess it wasn't for me， so hopefully someone else will like this book。 pretty quickly， i knew this book wasn't for me， there was just so many random ass crap between the characters that just didn't make sense what so ever， so it really took away from my enjoyment。 especially since i have literally no bit of clue when this book actually took place， cause it was such a mess， but i guess it wasn't for me， so hopefully someone else will like this book。 。。。more
Hannah
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3。5/5 stars。 I received an eARC from Disney Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Full thoughts for TCG to come。
Brittany | chasingmrdarcy
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This book was super fun！ It was very easy to get immersed in 1960s London and be in Estella’s shoes。 The plot was very fun， albeit predictable。 It was interesting to see where parts of Cruella’s gruesome personality originated。 I think compared to other books of the same grade level， this book is a star！ It is easy to ready as well as easy to love。 I think any Disney lover， young or old， will enjoy this book， especially leading into the release of the new Cruella movie。 The writing was really we This book was super fun！ It was very easy to get immersed in 1960s London and be in Estella’s shoes。 The plot was very fun， albeit predictable。 It was interesting to see where parts of Cruella’s gruesome personality originated。 I think compared to other books of the same grade level， this book is a star！ It is easy to ready as well as easy to love。 I think any Disney lover， young or old， will enjoy this book， especially leading into the release of the new Cruella movie。 The writing was really well-done and engaging， and I could not put this book down。 Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review Disney！ 。。。more
Caity
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This is a really interesting book。 It is very well written and I enjoyed reading it but it also wasn’t really what I was expecting。 Stella throughout the story hasn’t become the hateful would be puppy murderer yet， but she also isn’t a very sympathetic character。 There are some dark moments to her life but she is also manipulative and self centered。 She’s not evil yet but she’s also not someone I would voluntarily spend time with。 I was expecting more of an explanation of why she was the psycho This is a really interesting book。 It is very well written and I enjoyed reading it but it also wasn’t really what I was expecting。 Stella throughout the story hasn’t become the hateful would be puppy murderer yet， but she also isn’t a very sympathetic character。 There are some dark moments to her life but she is also manipulative and self centered。 She’s not evil yet but she’s also not someone I would voluntarily spend time with。 I was expecting more of an explanation of why she was the psycho Cruella we know from the movies but the book ends with her clearly beginning her true descent into awfulness。 That said the book is really well written。 While Stella isn’t really a sympathetic character that always felt kind of off the table for me; there isn’t really a way to justify wanting to kill a bunch of puppies。 I thought the book did a great job however of humanizing her。 She does fell like a real person on a bad path and not just a villain。 I also loved the setting and how she forced herself into the high fashion crowd for the summer。 The other characters that travel in this circle are also well written as kind of sad and awful， using Stella for her fashion just as she uses them for the exposure and lifestyle。 It was also interesting seeing that her future henchmen are also the closest thing she has to family and how she treats them。 There is clearly an intense bond but she also treats them as far beneath her even as they’re all living together in the remains of a bombed out building。 The setting was well written and just a little surreal; I loved the vibrant summer feel of everything。 The story ended at a natural turning point that left me satisfied that tale was done but still wanting more。 I am curious to see more of her journey to fully being Cruella and curious if she ever learns more about her own past。 It is an entrancing story and I found the book hard to put down。 。。。more
Alaina
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I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Okay， yes， I am super excited for the new movie 'Cruella' to come out。 So it's really sad for me to say this。。 but I was so disappointed and underwhelmed with Hello， Cruel Heart。 I think the reason why was because I read two Cruella retelling books around one another。 Which I probably should have dove into a completely different book in-between them。 Maybe two different books。 I just couldn't stop comparing them to one anot I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Okay， yes， I am super excited for the new movie 'Cruella' to come out。 So it's really sad for me to say this。。 but I was so disappointed and underwhelmed with Hello， Cruel Heart。 I think the reason why was because I read two Cruella retelling books around one another。 Which I probably should have dove into a completely different book in-between them。 Maybe two different books。 I just couldn't stop comparing them to one another and it just made my experience with reading this a little less fun。 That being said， I liked Estella as a character but other than that。。 she was kind of boring in this one。 Again， I couldn't stop comparing no matter how hard I tried。 It was interesting to see her being an orphan and finding her way through life but it just did nothing for me。I am glad that I got the chance to dive into this but I'm just really disappointed in myself for not enjoying it。 Maybe I will dive into this again but at the moment。。 I think I need to take a breather from retellings for Disney characters。 This is definitely a 'it's not you but me' situation。 Sorry。 。。。more
Amanda B
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review。 I requested this because it’s a book by Maureen Johnson and I usually love Johnson’s books。 Plus， Cruella？ Sign me up。 I didn’t end up liking this as much as I thought I was going to。 Cruella is actually named Estella。 Her mom dies and she ends up all alone in London。 She meets two boys that become her family。 They survive by stealing。 They steal food and money or whatever else they need to survive。 I liked Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review。 I requested this because it’s a book by Maureen Johnson and I usually love Johnson’s books。 Plus， Cruella？ Sign me up。 I didn’t end up liking this as much as I thought I was going to。 Cruella is actually named Estella。 Her mom dies and she ends up all alone in London。 She meets two boys that become her family。 They survive by stealing。 They steal food and money or whatever else they need to survive。 I liked the relationship between these three。 But I think we could have gotten more from it。 I feel like I still know nothing about these two boys that are like brothers to Estella。 I don’t know their history。 I did like Estella’s backstory。 Definitely enough to turn me into a villain。 I also just liked Estella， even when she was kind of being a jerk。 She’s sixteen in this book and definitely still a bit naive。 I saw the ending coming almost as soon as she made friends with Magda and Richard。 Estella is swept up by the wealthy London scene and starts making clothes for everyone。 And the whole time I was left thinking: why is she not asking anyone to pay for these clothes she’s hand making？ Overall， I had a tough time with this book。 The ending felt rushed。 I would have liked to see what her plans for her next steps were after reconciling with her brothers。 I also had a hard time because of the eARC。 There were weird images that I assume are going to be chapter designs that chopped up and even moved some paragraphs。 It was manageable， but annoying enough to affect my reading experience。 I will say that I think Johnson did a good job with the writing and the setting。 She was consistent with the language used by the characters and while telling the story。 London sounds like a blast during this period of time。 。。。more
Travis
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**Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley as an ARC for an honest review** Hello Cruel Heart was full of heart。 I really enjoyed seeing Cruella as a teenager and getting to know a bit more about what makes her so evil。 This book really makes me like Cruella because she was written as a very relatable character。 It was also nice to see how fashion inspires her。 I liked seeing a little bit more of Horace and Jasper as well and learning to like them as we do not know much about them other t **Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley as an ARC for an honest review** Hello Cruel Heart was full of heart。 I really enjoyed seeing Cruella as a teenager and getting to know a bit more about what makes her so evil。 This book really makes me like Cruella because she was written as a very relatable character。 It was also nice to see how fashion inspires her。 I liked seeing a little bit more of Horace and Jasper as well and learning to like them as we do not know much about them other than they are Cruellas sidekicks。 Now， there were a few things about this book that somewhat bothered me。 The first is that， honestly not a lot is going on and is sort of repetitive at times。 However， I will counter that even though I say this， I still throughly enjoyed reading it but I couldn’t see the big picture until the end。 Secondly， if you do not like fashion， I’m not sure you will like this book too much because it is fashion heavy。 Which most people whom are familiar with Cruella should know this coming into the book， but just in case there’s your warning。 Overall， this was a fun and interesting backstory that will make you empathize with one of the cruelest villains around！ 。。。more
Nichole
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Thank you， NetGalley and Disney Press for providing Hello， Cruel Heart by Maureen Johnson in exchange for my honest review。I jumped at the opportunity to read Hello， Cruel Heart because meeting Cruella devil pre 101 Dalmatians seemed like a no-brainer。 We meet Cruella at the age of 16 and her name is Estella。 She’s an orphan， living in a Lair with two boys she meets after her mother died。 They taught her how to survive and to be a skillful thief。 Horace and Jasper are her family。 Her best friend Thank you， NetGalley and Disney Press for providing Hello， Cruel Heart by Maureen Johnson in exchange for my honest review。I jumped at the opportunity to read Hello， Cruel Heart because meeting Cruella devil pre 101 Dalmatians seemed like a no-brainer。 We meet Cruella at the age of 16 and her name is Estella。 She’s an orphan， living in a Lair with two boys she meets after her mother died。 They taught her how to survive and to be a skillful thief。 Horace and Jasper are her family。 Her best friends。 I personally wish we got to know them better， unfortunately， they had small side parts。 Important to Estella…Anyway， 16-year-old Estella randomly runs into twins， Magda and Richard who are posh， spoiled socialites who are bored and looking for some excitement。 Estella is a gifted fashion designer with a fantastic eye for detail and Magda and Estella connect， as much as you can connect with someone who looks down on you。 Through the twins， Estella meets Peter， a musician in a local band。 She likes that he does all the work for the bad， but she’s frustrated that he’s not getting all the attention， and she offers to design him an outfit for their television debut。 Estella’s life goes from stealing fabric to having fabric she’s never dreamed of， handed to her by Magda。 She is thrust into the life to London social scene， but is she really？Throughout the story， we see glimpses of Cruella， but in truth， she felt almost like an afterthought。 I really wanted to like this one， but I am not the main age group and perhaps it will work for some younger readers。 For me， I had so many questions that were never answered。 I waited to learn the story of Cruella， but it really gets glossed over。 I just wanted more… 。。。more
Elyse （ElyseReadsandSpeaks）
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This was a fast， enjoyable read。 If you're even remotely interested in Cruella， I think you'll at least find the story interesting enough for a quick read。Was this layered with a rich backstory and multi-faceted characters？ Nah。 In a nutshell， Cruella comes from nothing， creates a found family with Jasper & Horace， sells out to be friends with the rich kids and then that comes back to bite her in the ass。 After all， we know she ends up with Jasper & Horace。 We've seen 101 Dalmations。 No spoilers This was a fast， enjoyable read。 If you're even remotely interested in Cruella， I think you'll at least find the story interesting enough for a quick read。Was this layered with a rich backstory and multi-faceted characters？ Nah。 In a nutshell， Cruella comes from nothing， creates a found family with Jasper & Horace， sells out to be friends with the rich kids and then that comes back to bite her in the ass。 After all， we know she ends up with Jasper & Horace。 We've seen 101 Dalmations。 No spoilers here。Things I liked: - Estella's background as an underground fashion designer。 I loved that she was becoming the "it" girl for new and inventive designs。 Very easy to believe this same girl would think that skinning puppies would be a great idea。 - The beginning part with her mom。 What happened？！ I need to know more。 Who did she run from？ Why？ Does the movie answer any of these questions？！- The found family with Jasper & Horace。 It was kind of endearing to think these two bad guys took Cruella under their wing。Unfortunately， the fast pace left much to be desired because it felt like a surface-level story。 I suppose that works for a Disney prequel story for a movie， but I was really hoping for more。 We hear in 101 Dalmations how Cruella is an old friend of Anita's and I expected that to make an appearance in this book so I was kind of bummed when it didn't。 I also think Cruella was kind of mad/insane and I didn't see a reason or catalyst for that wild behavior in this book。 I guess it was supposed to be the Cruella takeover of Estella， but it just wasn't enough for me。This was fine but a little disappointing。 I think most people will enjoy it for what it is though - a quick， fun read about a famous Disney villain。 。。。more
Lauren （The Bookish Belle）
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3 STARS I was not expecting this at all。 I liked the idea of telling the backstory of Cruella， aka Estella in this book， and how she came to be the villainess we know and love。 But this book was more of a history book， and the tone/wording/pacing just didn’t work for me。 It barely brought Cruella’s story to life。 This book was definitely a marketing strategy to promote the upcoming Disney Plus movie but I wish this book would had a little more of the classic Cruella。 Thank you to NetGalley， and 3 STARS I was not expecting this at all。 I liked the idea of telling the backstory of Cruella， aka Estella in this book， and how she came to be the villainess we know and love。 But this book was more of a history book， and the tone/wording/pacing just didn’t work for me。 It barely brought Cruella’s story to life。 This book was definitely a marketing strategy to promote the upcoming Disney Plus movie but I wish this book would had a little more of the classic Cruella。 Thank you to NetGalley， and Disney Publishing Worldwide/Disney Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Brittany N Wilson
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This is the story of Estella。 （Don’t you mean Cruella？） No Cruella。 Well a little I guess。This is the story about Estella and how the events in her life led her to give in to the Cruella inside her。 I enjoyed several of the aspects of this villain origin story。 It was nice to see how Cruella met Horace and Jasper and this story makes their relationship believable and valuable。 It was also interesting to see her love of fashion and how it drove her into the choices she made。 I thought the book wa This is the story of Estella。 （Don’t you mean Cruella？） No Cruella。 Well a little I guess。This is the story about Estella and how the events in her life led her to give in to the Cruella inside her。 I enjoyed several of the aspects of this villain origin story。 It was nice to see how Cruella met Horace and Jasper and this story makes their relationship believable and valuable。 It was also interesting to see her love of fashion and how it drove her into the choices she made。 I thought the book was good， but I’m more excited about how it will play into the upcoming movie about Cruella， if at all。 It gives me hope that the movie will be pretty good。 。。。more
Leslie M。
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I adore Disney， so I was excited to read this book。 It was a quick read， but it wasn't quite what I expected。 I figured there would be more backstory on Cruella， but instead， you discover she's the alter ego of Estella。 I did find Estella to be a strong， independent character who knows what she wants and will do what's needed to get it， even if she doesn't always make the best decisions along the way。 I'd hoped this book would enhance the Cruella storyline from the movies， but I'm not sure it su I adore Disney， so I was excited to read this book。 It was a quick read， but it wasn't quite what I expected。 I figured there would be more backstory on Cruella， but instead， you discover she's the alter ego of Estella。 I did find Estella to be a strong， independent character who knows what she wants and will do what's needed to get it， even if she doesn't always make the best decisions along the way。 I'd hoped this book would enhance the Cruella storyline from the movies， but I'm not sure it succeeded。 I do still want to see the movie， and perhaps I'll appreciate things more in that format。 You do learn why she feels the way she does about Dalmatians， but it doesn't necessarily make sense。 I wasn't crazy about how she treated Horace and Jasper， but I wasn't surprised。 I liked their characters， particularly that they weren't as dimwitted as they're portrayed in the movies。 I think I liked them a bit better than Estella。Overall， it fell a bit flat as an origin story。 Many plot points， and twists， were predictable， but it may still be enjoyed by its target YA market。 Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy， but I wasn't required to leave a positive review。 。。。more
Suzanne （The Bookish Libra）
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 3。5 Stars。 Have you ever wondered how Cruella de Vil came to be the way she is？ Was she always evil or once upon a time， was she just a normal average young girl with dreams of love， success， and happiness？ Inspired by the upcoming Disney live action film， Cruella， Hello， Cruel Heart by Maureen Johnson sets out to explore that exact topic and provide a plausible origin story for this Disney villain extraordinaire。The story is set in London in the late 60’s and follows 16-year-old Cruella， actual 3。5 Stars。 Have you ever wondered how Cruella de Vil came to be the way she is？ Was she always evil or once upon a time， was she just a normal average young girl with dreams of love， success， and happiness？ Inspired by the upcoming Disney live action film， Cruella， Hello， Cruel Heart by Maureen Johnson sets out to explore that exact topic and provide a plausible origin story for this Disney villain extraordinaire。The story is set in London in the late 60’s and follows 16-year-old Cruella， actually known as Estella here， on her quest to become a famous fashion designer。 Orphaned at a young age， Estella has been basically homeless for years， living in an old bombed-out building with two boys， Jasper and Horace， who are in similar dire straits。 They teach her how to pick pockets and shoplift， and thus the three of them muddle along， stealing enough to survive and forming a little makeshift family of their own。 Estella dreams of bigger things for herself though。 She aspires to become a famous fashion designer and often steals fabric and other items so that she can practice her craft。 Sadly， much of her time is spent sewing disguises and costumes for their many heists rather than the high fashion clothing she dreams of creating。Johnson does a wonderful job of making young Cruella/Estella very likeable and sympathetic。 Who wouldn’t root for an orphan， who also happens to be a gifted fashion designer， to realize her dream？ When Estella has a chance encounter with Richard and Magda， two of London’s most fashionable young people， and they invite her to join them， Estella wonders if this is the out from her old life she has been looking for， especially when they take such special interest in her designs。 She hopes this friendship is the start of something big and is invited to one party after another and is inspired to create dress after dress for these events that are the envy of everyone she meets。 She’s so happy doing what she loves and making friends and even meeting boys that I found myself cheering her on that she really would have a happy ending even though I knew it was impossible。The only area where I struggled a bit to connect with the story was that Cruella was used almost as an alter ego whenever Estella did something bad， like a ‘It wasn’t me， it was Cruella” kind of thing。 As Estella got a little older， Cruella then became a mean voice in her head telling her would never have friends or love。 This Cruella alter ego didn’t turn up very often in the story， but each time she did， it just read awkwardly for me。 There was an instance， for example， where she gets into a fight with Horace and Jasper and when she goes to apologize to them later， they’re all “We know it wasn’t you， it was Cruella。” The ending of the book was also somewhat awkward for me for similar reasons。 I just couldn’t exactly tell what Cruella was supposed to be。 At first I thought maybe mental illness but， by the end， I had more questions than answers。 Hopefully the movie will bring some clarity。Even with my Cruella issues though， I still enjoyed Hello， Cruel Heart overall。 It’s a creative villain origin story that definitely made me feel sympathy for one of Disney’s most despicable villains， which is quite a feat in and of itself。 Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Tasha Robinson
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I have had so little use for Disney's live-action adaptations of its animated classics， and not much more use for prequels like Maleficent， which often don't add a lot to the story， especially since they're all headed for foregone conclusions。 But something about the idea of a Cruella de Vil backstory did actually interest me， maybe because it has so much potential — Cruella isn't an evil witch or god or animal， she's an actual person who had to come from somewhere。 So I requested the arc of Hel I have had so little use for Disney's live-action adaptations of its animated classics， and not much more use for prequels like Maleficent， which often don't add a lot to the story， especially since they're all headed for foregone conclusions。 But something about the idea of a Cruella de Vil backstory did actually interest me， maybe because it has so much potential — Cruella isn't an evil witch or god or animal， she's an actual person who had to come from somewhere。 So I requested the arc of Hello， Cruel Heart， which seems to be a prequel to the prequel movie Cruella， coming out in spring 2021。It's a brisk but enjoyable read。 The setting alone is a winner: 1960s Swinging London， amid the rise of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones， with the British Invasion going on over in America， and an energetic youth culture taking over fashion and culture in England。 Estella is an orphaned London teenager who lives in an abandoned building that was never remodeled after the Blitz， and she steals to survive alongside her friends Jasper and Horace。 （If there's anything that bothers me about this prequel， it's the idea that these three all used to be equals， friends， and roommates， given that by the time of 101 Dalmatians， the two men are so clearly from a different class， and Jasper at least is a sharp， savvy kid who grows up to be such a lummox。） "Cruella" is more of a voice in her head， the least charitable and angriest part of herself， who leads her to constantly question herself and to doubt other people。But Estella is a brilliant savant about design and fashion， and she makes her own clothes， which leads her to an accidental run-in with London's trust-fund kids。 One of my favorite parts of the book was the culture shock she experiences when she realizes how the idle rich live， and how much they take for granted， compared to how she and her friends get by。 The setting is sketched pretty simply compared to what it would be in a book aimed more at an adult audience， but it's still pretty evocative， feeding a fantasy of luxury while making it clear what the cost of that luxury is for the shallow， spoiled people enjoying it — and making it clear how appealing it is to something who comes from nothing。The ending is inevitable， not just because this is a prequel， but because there's barely any other way for a story like this to go， as a poor girl falls in among the rich and learns that her fantasies aren't all they're cracked up to be。 But the getting there is entertaining， whether it's focusing on the details of Estrella's latest fashion project， or the design of her posh new friends' favorite café， or the convoluted process involved in accessing her bombed-out home。The one place that isn't really detailed enough at all is the passage where Estrella loses her mother， which is so vague that it must be leaving room either for a sequel that follows up on what happened there， or for the movie， which seems to deal with the same people involved in what happened there。 Regardless， I'd read an actual series about the adventures of Estrella in London if it came to that — she's a decently compelling character all on her own， even without a classic-film tie-in ahead of her。 。。。more
Kim Roberts
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I did enjoy being able to see Cruella as a teenager and see why became who she did。 You get Jasper and Horace and how they became friends and overcome some challenges in their friendship。 I liked being able to see how Cruella was once a soft （and at times moral） person but because how she was treated， it hardened her。 Love that she had fashion and designing even in her teens and that it’s what keeps her grounded when everything around her goes into chaos。 I wish we got to see more of her life in I did enjoy being able to see Cruella as a teenager and see why became who she did。 You get Jasper and Horace and how they became friends and overcome some challenges in their friendship。 I liked being able to see how Cruella was once a soft （and at times moral） person but because how she was treated， it hardened her。 Love that she had fashion and designing even in her teens and that it’s what keeps her grounded when everything around her goes into chaos。 I wish we got to see more of her life instead of just one summer （2 months） and few flashbacks。 This is a cute story and I know many will love it！ Thank you NetGalley for the ARC！ 。。。more
Cassandre
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I am a huge Disney fan， but I’ve never been all that interested in Cruella DeVil or the 101 Dalmatians movie（s）。 I’m not a big animal person （except for my pupper， of course）， and I think the premise scared me as a child， so I never really returned to the film。 I have seen the Glenn Close version a few times， however， and though she was fantastic in the role， the movie isn’t one I return to often。 All that being said， Emma Stone is picking up the torch for the prequel/origin story Cruella that i I am a huge Disney fan， but I’ve never been all that interested in Cruella DeVil or the 101 Dalmatians movie（s）。 I’m not a big animal person （except for my pupper， of course）， and I think the premise scared me as a child， so I never really returned to the film。 I have seen the Glenn Close version a few times， however， and though she was fantastic in the role， the movie isn’t one I return to often。 All that being said， Emma Stone is picking up the torch for the prequel/origin story Cruella that is coming out later this year， and this book， Hello， Cruel Heart by Maureen Johnson is the prequel to that movie。 It’s all a bit convoluted， but it was honestly Johnson’s name as the author that attracted me to this book， more than the protagonist。 13 Little Blue Envelopes is one of those books that has stayed with me， and though I haven’t read many books from her expansive list， I perk up every time I see her name。I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this story。 As previously mentioned， I’m not a big Cruella DeVil fan， and I dragged my heels a little at diving into this story， but once I got invested in Estella’s story， I was curious to see where it went。Estella’s origin story here is interesting and believable。 You learn how Jasper and Horace come into her life， how into fashion she is and why she became so cruel。 She truly was a girl who thought she was going places: She had made new friends， found love and was an in-demand designer， only to have everything taken away from her in one fell swoop。 Her alter-ego， Cruella， is a little bit of a stretch， but I see what they were trying to do: It’s not like anyone would actually name their child Cruella。I wish there was a connection to puppies or dogs somewhere along the line。 I may be missing something from my vague memory of the movies， but Estella has a puppy that she loves in the book， and I really wish something had happened to her （along with everything else） that made her have no remorse for wanting to skin dogs later in life， because “just for the fashion” is not enough for me。Maureen Johnson continues to impress with Hello， Cruel Heart。 It’s nicely paced， the characters are fully developed and full of life， and Disney fans （or even fans of historical YA fiction） will really enjoy this story。 I’m interested to see how it all plays out in the movie later this year， and I’m glad I was able to read this book first to get the whole picture。4 starsThank you to NetGalley and Disney Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
MissBecka Gee
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An origin story for Cruella de Vil。You get to see the soft side of Cruella （aka Estella） as a child/teenager， and the exact moment when betrayal changes her heart。 I loved it！ I am now even more excited for Disney's new Cruella movie！Much love to NetGalley & Disney Publishing Worldwide for my DRC。 An origin story for Cruella de Vil。You get to see the soft side of Cruella （aka Estella） as a child/teenager， and the exact moment when betrayal changes her heart。 I loved it！ I am now even more excited for Disney's new Cruella movie！Much love to NetGalley & Disney Publishing Worldwide for my DRC。 。。。more
Audra
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I really， desperately wanted to love this book as a huge Johnson fan， but it was not for me。 I felt the plot too heavily relied on the reader wanting to find out how she becomes Cruella， rather than the plot of the book actually pulling you in。 I didn’t feel compelled to keep reading to find out what would happen next， nor did I develop attachments to the character。 Super bummed， but you may love it a lot more if you’re a huge Cruella fan。
Shay | Books Are Magic Too
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What an absolute JOY！ As a huge Disney fan who is so excited for the upcoming movie about Cruella’s backstory， this charming book was everything I didn’t know I needed。 I sat down to start it and just stayed up MUCH too late to devour it from start to finish in one sitting & I have no regrets！ More thoughts soon， but I just loved this one。
Courtney
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2。5 stars I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 Hello， Cruel Heart is a sort of prequel/companion novel to the upcoming Cruella film， and one of the things I had to keep in mind was that both the film and book appeared to be reimagining Cruella’s narrative， including the time in which the story takes place， with the book being set in 1967 and the film in the 70s， while the original book came out in the 50s， and the original 2。5 stars I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 Hello， Cruel Heart is a sort of prequel/companion novel to the upcoming Cruella film， and one of the things I had to keep in mind was that both the film and book appeared to be reimagining Cruella’s narrative， including the time in which the story takes place， with the book being set in 1967 and the film in the 70s， while the original book came out in the 50s， and the original animated Disney movie in 1961。 That being said， I do think the book replicates the era fairly well， with its sense of the rock ‘n roll lifestyle in all its decadence。 I did struggle to really connect to the character though。 Estella never really came alive to me。 She has some of the basic hallmarks of the Cruella character， like a love for fashion and attempting to balance high-society connections with seedier associates。 I just never really got to know her beyond that。 I mean， it’s not shocking， as she’s hardly known as a villain with a lot of depth。 But I also feel like this story would make a lot more sense in context with what Disney are trying to do with the film， instead of going in blind with nothing but the premise of the new film and prior knowledge of her as the one-note villain in the original。 This book is fun， and I’m open to revisiting the book once I know more about Cruella。 I do think it would also be wise to wait to read until you’ve seen the film and are looking for more about her backstory。 。。。more
Lauri Rottmayer
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I loved this book so much。 I loved Estellas desire to succeed and loved reading about the clothes she planned to design。 It made me sad that she was taken advantage of when she was only trying to find a way to succeed。 I’d love to see a sequel where Estella and her designs become the toast of the town！
Brianne
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Hello， Cruel HeartBy Maureen JohnsonActual Rating: 4。5/5 starsI received an eARC via NetGalley from Disney Publishing Worldwide: Disney Press in exchange for an honest review。***Warning: mild spoilers ahead***In Hello， Cruel Heart， we get to meet a 16-year-old Estella before she becomes the Cruella we all know from Disney’s 101 Dalmatians。 We follow Estella as she lives during the summer of 1967 in a swinging London， England。 She lives with Horace and Jasper， young thieves and her found family， Hello， Cruel HeartBy Maureen JohnsonActual Rating: 4。5/5 starsI received an eARC via NetGalley from Disney Publishing Worldwide: Disney Press in exchange for an honest review。***Warning: mild spoilers ahead***In Hello， Cruel Heart， we get to meet a 16-year-old Estella before she becomes the Cruella we all know from Disney’s 101 Dalmatians。 We follow Estella as she lives during the summer of 1967 in a swinging London， England。 She lives with Horace and Jasper， young thieves and her found family， in the ruins of a building which was bombed during World War II。 They have made a way for themselves by pickpocketing and stealing other items they need to survive。 While in the process of stealing fabric for one of her clothing designs， Estella meets Magda and Richard Moresby-Plum， twins from London high society。 Subsequently， Magda and Richard sweep Estella away into their lavish lifestyles。 While Estella sees this as the perfect opportunity to finally have her clothing designs noticed by the rich and famous， she has to decide what she might be willing to lose to get there。I absolutely enjoyed this origin story for Cruella de Vil。 Throughout the story， Estella is fighting against her inner Cruella。 This inner Cruella is constantly trying to tell Estella that she doesn’t belong with her new high society friends。 Estella is already a creative and talented clothing designer who just wants to be noticed for her work。 While Horace and Jasper don’t entirely understand Estella’s creative genius， they are supportive。 In fact， Estella makes the disguises the three of them use when they go out to steal。Hello， Cruel Heart is such a fun story， and Maureen Johnson’s writing is fantastic。 Following Estella as she has a whirlwind summer in London’s high society was exciting。 Of course， it was also satisfying to see Estella learn that her supposed friends， Magda and Richard， don’t necessarily have her best interests at heart。 I couldn’t help but smile when Estella finally embraces her inner Cruella and is welcomed back by her real friends， Horace and Jasper， at the end of the story。I recommend Hello， Cruel Heart to readers who are Disney fans and who enjoy coming-of-age stories for strong female characters。 。。。more
Jelke Lenaerts
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