Retellings

Hello, Cruel Heart

Hello, Cruel Heart

  • Downloads：2764
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-06-11 07:51:39
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Maureen Johnson
  • ISBN：1368057764
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

An electric new story of teenage Cruella de Vil in an original novel inspired by the upcoming Walt Disney Studios Live Action Film， Cruella。

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？

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Reviews

Erin ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I liked this book better than Truly Devious but it still fell flat for me。 It got slow in the middle to where I thought about dnfing it and while at the end it does pick up it leaves much to be desired。 I don't know。 It was pretty underwhelming when you realize she starts to become a villain because she was cheated on by her boyfriend and tossed aside by her rich friend。 I mean that is pretty messed up but for how hipped up Cruella is becoming， I was hoping for something more epic， something mor I liked this book better than Truly Devious but it still fell flat for me。 It got slow in the middle to where I thought about dnfing it and while at the end it does pick up it leaves much to be desired。 I don't know。 It was pretty underwhelming when you realize she starts to become a villain because she was cheated on by her boyfriend and tossed aside by her rich friend。 I mean that is pretty messed up but for how hipped up Cruella is becoming， I was hoping for something more epic， something more villainous of a start of an origin story。 But I guess that's what we're gonna get in the movie aye？ I did like Jasper and Horace more with this book。 Although we don't spend too much time with them， they do get fleshed out more and especially with Jasper I grew to like them。 。。。more

Budoor Al。 Khaldi ，

More like 3。5 stars

Estefanía ，

Great new point of view from the "villain"。 It's always fun to read how a character developed to be who we know and love/hate。 Great new point of view from the "villain"。 It's always fun to read how a character developed to be who we know and love/hate。 。。。more

Jill ，

If you've seen the new live action Cruella you'll enjoy even more back story in this fascinating look into the posh mid 60's in London。 If you've seen the new live action Cruella you'll enjoy even more back story in this fascinating look into the posh mid 60's in London。 。。。more

Ferris Vb。 ，

I have read the Truly devious series by Maureen Johnson， and I absolutely LOVED them。 When I read some reviews on this book I didn't think I would like it that much and that I would be let down。 But boy was I proved wrong！ I got through this book in almost one sitting， I absolutely ADORED the writing。 I would highly recommend this book。 I have read the Truly devious series by Maureen Johnson， and I absolutely LOVED them。 When I read some reviews on this book I didn't think I would like it that much and that I would be let down。 But boy was I proved wrong！ I got through this book in almost one sitting， I absolutely ADORED the writing。 I would highly recommend this book。 。。。more

Holly Letson ，

I enjoyed this audiobook。 I really want to see the *Cruella* movie。

Maria ，

This is an easy read。 The audiobook is really good because you have the London accents， the different voices are amazing and you have different original songs。 The book is ok。 It is quite dull and too big without anything really important happening with Estela or Cruela。 Actually， Cruela almost never appears in this book。 This is about the high society in London and the new characters are all unforgettable， from the rich teenagers to a pop band。 There are a lot of parties and fashion， a lot of d This is an easy read。 The audiobook is really good because you have the London accents， the different voices are amazing and you have different original songs。 The book is ok。 It is quite dull and too big without anything really important happening with Estela or Cruela。 Actually， Cruela almost never appears in this book。 This is about the high society in London and the new characters are all unforgettable， from the rich teenagers to a pop band。 There are a lot of parties and fashion， a lot of dresses created and original。 I wish Cruela appeared more and we could understand better the division between Cruela and Estela。 A fun book， tough。 It isn’t super especial but it made me laugh and was enjoyable to understand more of this world of London in the 60s， of thieves and of Cruela 。。。more

Jenifer ，

2。5 stars - rounding upThis book came so close to being a DNF at page 42。 However， I said I would give it one more shot to read it and see if I cared enough to finish。 I finished it in one night。 This is a story that I'm assuming follows pretty closely to the new Disney+ movie with Emma Stone， but I've only seen previews for it and haven't watched the actual movie。 The book was okay but not overly engaging。 I just didn't care enough about any one character to really want to keep me in the story 2。5 stars - rounding upThis book came so close to being a DNF at page 42。 However， I said I would give it one more shot to read it and see if I cared enough to finish。 I finished it in one night。 This is a story that I'm assuming follows pretty closely to the new Disney+ movie with Emma Stone， but I've only seen previews for it and haven't watched the actual movie。 The book was okay but not overly engaging。 I just didn't care enough about any one character to really want to keep me in the story for long。 What I did enjoy about the book though is （view spoiler）[ that the love angle in the book doesn't work out and we don't have the HEA YA ending that is so common。 Instead it ends on an angry note with the promise for revenge。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Anthony ，

The ReviewThis was a truly riveting narrative and perfect spin on the classic story of Cruella。 Estella is an endearing and tragic figure， highlighting the person beneath the persona that is destined to become a classic Disney villain。 The struggle between Estella’s journey to the streets of London and her petty crimes to striving for the posh life she always thought she wanted and even trusting and falling in love all culminate in a series of events that drive the protagonist to face her darker The ReviewThis was a truly riveting narrative and perfect spin on the classic story of Cruella。 Estella is an endearing and tragic figure， highlighting the person beneath the persona that is destined to become a classic Disney villain。 The struggle between Estella’s journey to the streets of London and her petty crimes to striving for the posh life she always thought she wanted and even trusting and falling in love all culminate in a series of events that drive the protagonist to face her darker self， Cruella。The pacing and setting really stood out in this narrative， highlighting the late sixties in London， an era known for great music， upscale fashion and the seeds of rebellion and so much。 The story expertly creates a new layer to the legend of Cruella while honoring the character’s arc and setting the tone for the villains eventual rise， all while making Estella an empathetic protagonist that shows the woman she never had the chance to become， a fate many people have had to endure throughout their lives。The VerdictA brilliant， edgy yet heartfelt retelling of a classic character’s history， author Maureen Johnson’s “Hello， Cruel World” is a must-read YA novel。 The perfect blend of classic Disney characters meeting a retro-style setting and a YA narrative direction， this is the perfect companion read to the hit Disney film Cruella， and a fantastic summer read for 2021。 Be sure to grab your copy today！ 。。。more

Chloe ，

Amazing book。 Wonderful romance。 Beautiful story。 And most importantly， astonishing Estella。 I love this book so much， I want to own it。 I want to read it while I lay on my death bed。 The story ties in so well with the movie， I love it。

Katie ，

This book was predictable and frustrating。 It seemed to shame Cruella for seeking a better life for herself however she could。 It also seems to strongly imply that Estella/Cruella has DID but doesn't actually do anything with this。 And in the end， it doesn't connect very well with the actual movie， as things that happen in it are straight-up ignore there。 I don't expect this kind of tie-in to have 100% continuity， but it's still frustrated。 This book was predictable and frustrating。 It seemed to shame Cruella for seeking a better life for herself however she could。 It also seems to strongly imply that Estella/Cruella has DID but doesn't actually do anything with this。 And in the end， it doesn't connect very well with the actual movie， as things that happen in it are straight-up ignore there。 I don't expect this kind of tie-in to have 100% continuity， but it's still frustrated。 。。。more

Braden Waller ，

This book is a solid 3。5/3。75 stars。 A really fun read。 Johnson does a good job of capturing Cruella’s voice and who is is from the new movie。 The entire book I read in my head in her voice。Everything was fairly predictable though。 By fairly…I mean everything。 But it was such a fun read I didn’t mind it。 Made skim reading the last 100 pages or so very easy because you know xyz needs to happen。Strong themes of friendship， family， and trust which I really appreciated。I’d love another book that lea This book is a solid 3。5/3。75 stars。 A really fun read。 Johnson does a good job of capturing Cruella’s voice and who is is from the new movie。 The entire book I read in my head in her voice。Everything was fairly predictable though。 By fairly…I mean everything。 But it was such a fun read I didn’t mind it。 Made skim reading the last 100 pages or so very easy because you know xyz needs to happen。Strong themes of friendship， family， and trust which I really appreciated。I’d love another book that leads more in to the film。 The ending left on a fun cliffhanger。 I 。。。more

Lauren ，

An original novel starring a teenage Cruella de Vil is exactly the book I so enjoyed that I never knew I needed。 I was curious but not sure if I would love this based on the premise， and I was happy to be wrong！ Sixteen-year-old Estella is a talented aspiring fashion designer who is also a thief。 She catches the attention of a pair of posh siblings that bring her into their world of fashion， glamour， and rock stars。 She is determined to make the most of this lucky break， even if it means changin An original novel starring a teenage Cruella de Vil is exactly the book I so enjoyed that I never knew I needed。 I was curious but not sure if I would love this based on the premise， and I was happy to be wrong！ Sixteen-year-old Estella is a talented aspiring fashion designer who is also a thief。 She catches the attention of a pair of posh siblings that bring her into their world of fashion， glamour， and rock stars。 She is determined to make the most of this lucky break， even if it means changing herself and ditching her friends Jasper and Horace。 It is not a simple task to still surprise when this book is set before a stack of movies。 And yet I was still rooting for Estella to triumph， and that is on the strength of the writing。 A fun， wicked little novel。 Thanks to Net Galley and Disney Press for the ARC！ 。。。more

The Story Girl ，

I decided to pick this up after watching and enjoying the movie Cruella。 This takes place several years before the events of the movie， when Cruella is just 16。 And I knew， shortly after beginning the book， that this book wouldn't take us anywhere new， and that Cruella would end the book in the same place as she began。 After all， the friends （and the boy） she meets in the book weren't in the movie， so of course she couldn't end up with them in the book， either， making this book kind of pointless I decided to pick this up after watching and enjoying the movie Cruella。 This takes place several years before the events of the movie， when Cruella is just 16。 And I knew， shortly after beginning the book， that this book wouldn't take us anywhere new， and that Cruella would end the book in the same place as she began。 After all， the friends （and the boy） she meets in the book weren't in the movie， so of course she couldn't end up with them in the book， either， making this book kind of pointless。I listened to this on audio and did like the narrator， as well as the few bits of actual music they included！ 。。。more

Kaylee ，

I don't know， I liked it。 Nothing super special but fun。 I don't know， I liked it。 Nothing super special but fun。 。。。more

Lynn ，

This was so much fun！ Cruella De Ville's back story as only Maureen Johnson could imagine it ;-） Swinging London， fabulous fashions and the events that hardened Estella's heart and let Cruella take over。Terrific！ This was so much fun！ Cruella De Ville's back story as only Maureen Johnson could imagine it ;-） Swinging London， fabulous fashions and the events that hardened Estella's heart and let Cruella take over。Terrific！ 。。。more

Tracey ，

middlegrade/teen fiction - street orphan， shoplifter/pickpocket， skilled fashion designer Estella becomes Cruella。2-1/2 stars。 A quick， readable PG story， though I still don't really get the opening dalmatian scene （she likes other dogs， just not those from the breed that suddenly， inexplicably killed her mother） and red hair dye will absolutely NOT cover up black/white hair without bleaching the black first。 But Cruella's origin is admittedly an odd thing to try to explain， especially if you ha middlegrade/teen fiction - street orphan， shoplifter/pickpocket， skilled fashion designer Estella becomes Cruella。2-1/2 stars。 A quick， readable PG story， though I still don't really get the opening dalmatian scene （she likes other dogs， just not those from the breed that suddenly， inexplicably killed her mother） and red hair dye will absolutely NOT cover up black/white hair without bleaching the black first。 But Cruella's origin is admittedly an odd thing to try to explain， especially if you have to work within Disney's restrictive guidelines， so this was perfectly fine and an easy， fun read。 I was hoping for a little more fashion/sewing， but there were some neat creative details （a dress slapped-together from newspaper， another dress with clear pockets showcasing bean can labels） so I guess I'm satisfied。 。。。more

Becky Osmon ，

Great origin story， clever and charming

Kenneth ，

3。5 Stars。 I enjoyed this one。 I loved the Cruella film and this prequel caught my interest。 Estella is a good character here and I enjoyed her battle with her evil side。 The new characters are alright， but when Estella is sent to prison， it gets so great， I couldn't put it down and it's a satisfying ending。 3。5 Stars。 I enjoyed this one。 I loved the Cruella film and this prequel caught my interest。 Estella is a good character here and I enjoyed her battle with her evil side。 The new characters are alright， but when Estella is sent to prison， it gets so great， I couldn't put it down and it's a satisfying ending。 。。。more

Cassie Kelley ，

Cruella DeVil wasn’t always the rich fashion designer that could spend millions to start over a line of clothes on a whim。 In this prequel story， we meet her as a sixteen-year-old street urchin with a penchant for style。 She wasn’t always evil， and in this tale， she really tries to be good。 But some things are not meant to be。 After losing her mother in a freak accident， Estella winds up in London。 Found by Jasper and Horace， two boys with no home and a skill for thievery， she takes up a life as Cruella DeVil wasn’t always the rich fashion designer that could spend millions to start over a line of clothes on a whim。 In this prequel story， we meet her as a sixteen-year-old street urchin with a penchant for style。 She wasn’t always evil， and in this tale， she really tries to be good。 But some things are not meant to be。 After losing her mother in a freak accident， Estella winds up in London。 Found by Jasper and Horace， two boys with no home and a skill for thievery， she takes up a life as a thief in the big city。 But she wants so much more than stealing and living in a bombed out mansion with no amenities。 And things seem to begin going her way when she meets Richard and Magda Moresby-Plum。 Richard and Magda are incredibly rich and have no parents to watch over them。 Living a life of luxury previously unknown to Estella， they draw her into their group in the summer of Swinging London。 Now she has a purpose and people who appreciate her skill with fashion。 She even gets a boyfriend from an up-and-coming band。 But are things too perfect to be real？ Are they really her friends， or is there another reason for their kindness to her？This story is a fantastic look at Cruella and her past。 The author explores some possible reasons for her actions in 101 Dalmatians。 With a backstory that’s tragic yet endearing， we finally get to look into the head of one of Disney’s most iconic villIns。 Set in the sixties， this is a tale of a passionate love of fashion and the value of knowing your real friends。 If you enjoy Disney， this book will interest you。 I would recommend this to teens and those who want to explore the psyche of Cruella DeVil and why she is a Disney villain。 。。。more

Taylor Givens ，

I love a good Disney villain origin story and this one did not disappoint。 I think some of the characters could have been more flushed out and found everyone other than Cruella lacking in depth， but I’m not surprised given how short this work is。 I thought this book was cute， full of feeling， and charming。

Stephanie ，

This was a fun read about how Cruella came to be！

Summer ，

Very good！ An enjoyable quick read。 The print was larger than expected but it was alright。 I’m excited for the movie。

Krystal （Nerdy_book_lover_1987） ，

This was a quick fast paced read about Cruella in her teenage years before she became so cold hearted and what made her become that way。 It was nice to see a back story to the ever popular clothes maker before her puppy stealing days。

Jesika G ，

I predicted that this book would be a 5-star read but it ended up being a 3 star read。Reasons for three stars:1。 I found myself reaching for other books instead of this one。 I thought it would take me two days to read but it took me a week。 It didnt hold my interest。2。 It seemed a little to descriptive。 This might be odd to say about a book but I found myself wanting to skip paragraphs。 However， I did add new words to my vocabulary。 I wrote down words to look them up。3。 The ending seemed a bit r I predicted that this book would be a 5-star read but it ended up being a 3 star read。Reasons for three stars:1。 I found myself reaching for other books instead of this one。 I thought it would take me two days to read but it took me a week。 It didnt hold my interest。2。 It seemed a little to descriptive。 This might be odd to say about a book but I found myself wanting to skip paragraphs。 However， I did add new words to my vocabulary。 I wrote down words to look them up。3。 The ending seemed a bit rushed。 I wonder if the ending will be more drawn out in the movie。 4。 The quality of the book could have been better。 Near the end， pages were a little stuck together。 I don't blame this on the author。 However， it does impact my decision - if I should have bought the book。 I am looking forward to watching the Disney movie！ 。。。more

Cecilia Rodriguez ，

Johnson sets Cruella's origin story in 1967 London。Sixteen year old Estella is an aspiring fashion designer and thief。On page 151， Johnson explains how a trend becomes Fashion: trickle up。 Johnson sets Cruella's origin story in 1967 London。Sixteen year old Estella is an aspiring fashion designer and thief。On page 151， Johnson explains how a trend becomes Fashion: trickle up。 。。。more

Emily Frances ，

I read this in anticipation of Disney’s new film， Cruella。 I liked this was a prequel to the prequel film and helped get me excited for its release。 This was a fun YA novel and gave readers an opportunity to get to know Horace and Jasper and Cruella （Estella） more than you get to from 101 Dalmatians。 I liked the fashion and the London iconography as well as references to the 1960s British music scene。 A fun read。

La Crosse County Library ，

"Estella didn't cry。 She hardened。"I think those lines from late in the story sum up the heart of this new teen novel by Maureen Johnson。According to her website， Hello， Cruel Heart is "an original novel inspired by the upcoming Walt Disney Studios live action film Cruella。" Since I'd recently seen the trailer for the movie （starring Emma Stone and opening May 28th） and enjoyed Johnson's "Truly Devious" mystery series， I thought I'd give this tale of a teenage Cruella de Vil a try。 And who d "Estella didn't cry。 She hardened。"I think those lines from late in the story sum up the heart of this new teen novel by Maureen Johnson。According to her website， Hello， Cruel Heart is "an original novel inspired by the upcoming Walt Disney Studios live action film Cruella。" Since I'd recently seen the trailer for the movie （starring Emma Stone and opening May 28th） and enjoyed Johnson's "Truly Devious" mystery series， I thought I'd give this tale of a teenage Cruella de Vil a try。 And who doesn't love a good origin story？It's 1967， and 16-year-old Estella is living in swinging London。 Her mother's been killed under mysterious circumstances， but Estella's not on her own。 She's living in a bombed-out building with her two best friends， Horace and Jasper， and surviving by pickpocketing tourists。 It's a rough life but Estella has dreams of changing her fortune and using her talent to become a fashion designer。 She gets her shot when she meets a pair of uber-rich siblings who introduce her to the world of wealth and high society。 But she soon discovers her dream of being a part of that world carries a high price tag。 Hello， Cruel Heart is a story of friendship， ambition， romance， and betrayal。 And it's a story of a kid with a cold， cut-throat "inner voice" helping her harden and survive a cruel world。 I thought it was a fun， inventive origin story for a classic Disney villainess。 4 stars-Katherine， Youth ServicesFind this book and other titles within our catalog。 。。。more

Kimberly Franco ，

DNF @30% I don’t know what it is about this book but I just find it to be boring。 I love Disney sooo much but it just doesn’t feel like I am reading about Cruella。 I might pick up this book again sometime in the future to give it another chance but as of right now I have to put this book down 🥺🙃💔

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Hello, Cruel Heart

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Hello, Cruel Heart&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Hello, Cruel Heart&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0