Hello, Cruel Heart was a really quick read about Estella also known as Cruella. It is set before the time we know her as a vilain who wants to kill Dalmatians for their fur (thinking about it, she probably is the vilain I hate the most because of that). But anyway, I'm glad that there was no animal abused in this story. Other than that, we saw Estella struggle a little bit as she finds out that the people she wants to be friends with might not be the best people. She'll learn some things and might end up wanting to let Cruella take over her personality but we don't really see it happening even by the end. We know it's coming but we don't see it.

Overall, this was a pretty quick read and I enjoyed it. It was my first Cruella retelling so I can't compare it to another book but while I would have liked a more complex plot perhaps, I was in the mood for a short book and I got it :).

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

I loved the premise of this book - how did Cruella become Cruella? Following Estella around the age of 16, life definitely seems to have dealt her a rough hand. She is an orphan, lives in a bombed out building and has to resort to stealing for living when all she wants to be is London's top fashion designer. My biggest complaint about this story is the pacing, certain parts would feel really dragged out while others happened very quickly (i.e., the final ending where she decides who she wants to be). I would read another story from this series if there is another Disney villain backstory. I just feel like I will read this book once and not necessarily rush to re-read it. It was a great one-time read though!

I was so excited to get a copy of this book to read while waiting on the movie to come out. To get a glimpse into the life of Cruella and see what made her the person she is was very interesting.

When Estella's mom passed away while they were moving to London, she had no choice but to pick up where she was and move forward. When Estella was adopted by two other homeless guys, Horace and Jasper, they teach her how to survive in the world, but they also teach her some not so good habits. Estella learns how to steal very well. She also has an eye for fashion and soon makes them some clothes that aid in their stealing charades.

In the 1960's we learn that there was a part of London that was known as the Swinging London. Who would have ever thought that was a thing? When Estella meets two other young people by chance, she is not thrown into the world of a higher class society. All Estella ever wanted to do was be a fashion designer and make it big. When Magda and Richard take Estella to expensive stores and restaurants to eat, she thinks this could be her chance. Estella meets a member of one of the up and coming band and thinks that maybe she could have a relationship with him. But is Estella really ready for this lifestyle change? When her alter ego Cruella begins to come out, we see a different side of Estella that sort of make you scared to see what she is actually capable of.

I thought this was a good quick read and gave you something to look forward to with the movie coming out. I am definitely going to watch this movie to see how they depict Cruella in it. There are some things left undone in this book that has you guessing to what might happen in the movie.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy!

I was so excited to get a review copy of this novel, since I love Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious mystery series. This is a historical fiction novel, so it’s different than what I’m used to, but it was immediately hooking. The main character, Estella, had such a fascinating backstory that led to her having a very unique personality. I think many people could find something to relate to in her and her challenges really propelled the novel forward.

The plot itself was a little predictable in some parts, but I was kept intrigued by how Estella dealt with everything that occurred. Also, I admit I was surprised by the ending. I thought it might be leading up to something sad, but that wasn’t exactly how I would describe it. I shall say no more because of spoilers.

Anyway, this book was written in prequel to a movie that’s coming out soon, so I’m excited to watch that when it comes out. I would definitely check this out if you want a fun read, with some angst and poignant social commentary.

This was an amazing retelling of Cruella’s story. I couldn’t stop reading. I am even more excited for the release of Disney’s new film after reading this book.

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.

This was a great and fun read while I wait for the new live action movie to come out this year! My daughter and I both enjoyed this book.

When Estella's mother dies on their way to relocate to London, what's a girl to do? Survive. Estella gets adopted by two other orphans, Jasper and Horace. They teach her how to shoplift, but she quickly becomes the brains of the operation. Estella has an eye for fashion and designs disguises for the three of them.

What I liked about this book:
1. Swinging London. Who knew? I'd never heard of this term before, but London in the 60s seemed like a very lively place. The clothes. The music. The tourists and energy of city.
2. The backstory. I wouldn't say that Estella became likeable, but I did pity, respect in some ways, and understand her.
3. Familiar characters like Jasper and Horace. Can we say "future henchmen"?

There were a few loose ends to the story. I wanted to figure out who owned the house with the Dalmatian crest. I also wanted a little more hope at the end. How does Estella/Cruella end up rich and powerful? There were some good options in this plot, but the ending left me waiting for more. Perhaps the movie...

Content: clean (no language, no violence, a few kissing scenes, one line of mild innuendo, a lot of shoplifting)

At first, I was really into this. A Cruella YA novel with her backstory? That sounds awesome, right?

Turns out, the trailer for the movie (Walt Disney Studios Live-Action Film, Cruella) that inspired the book is more thrilling in a few minutes than the whole book. I'm sure I'll love the movie, it's like I can already tell I'll love it. The book however was too slow for me. I was hoping for more action or intrigue/drama I guess? I don't know there was just something missing that made it meh instead of amazing like the synopsis made it sound. I got bored and started reading other books when I was in the middle of this one and then finally got back to it. The way it ends means that if there's a next one, that one will be super interesting. Wish we got some of that in this one!

Disclaimer: I received this ebook free of charge from NetGalley. It was my choice to read and review.

Maureen Johnson has given us a remarkable insight into the young orphan, Estella, that eventually becomes the infamous Cruella. I really enjoyed the back story and how a cunning ragamuffin gets swept up into high society, only to fall from grace. The characters were well developed and the pacing was on point. You can feel the inner turmoil that Estella suffers and begin to change your point of view of the nasty "villain". The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is that we were left wanting a bit more of the Cruella aspect. I didn't want the story to end yet.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this fantastic book in exchange for my honest review.
#DisneyCruellaHelloCruelHeart #Netgalley #MaureenJohnson

Hello Cruel Heart is a great origin story for Cruella De Vill. The story follows Estella, an aspiring designer living on the street. She gets caught up suddenly in the fashion scene of the 1960's and tries to do anything to stand out.

This was a very fun historical fiction book and origin for Cruella. This will tie nicely into the other movies, but also works well as a stand alone work. Estella is a very complicated character that you root for. I loved Johnson's descriptions of London in the 1960's as well, I felt like I had been transported there. I will be recommending this to fans of London stories, historical fiction, and Disney fans.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

This book was nice? There was lots to love and lots to...not love. I suppose a lot like Cruella herself.

I thought Estella/Cruella was an awesome character! She took what she wanted and didn't care who she had to step on to get there. The cut-throat-ness was real. It was easy to see how Estella came to be Cruella through this origin story. She had a tough past and had to claw her way out of her situation to even begin to climb up the social ladder. Although she does get some awesome opportunities because of her connections, it's only through her tenacity and diligence to her craft that she truly "makes it."

That being said, this book was kinda boring. Estella was a great character, but the plot wasn't all too interesting. The plot doesn't involve much of Cruella's backstory. It's more about how Estella allowed herself to become Cruella.

I wasn't super impressed by this book, but it could have been worse. Overall, I'm not in love with this book, but I enjoyed the quick read.

I was gifted an ARC by Disney Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Here we have another origin story. Honestly an origin story that could have a sequel. This story line gave your a little origin and mostly happens over a few weeks in the Summer. Estella and her alter ego Cruella are "be friended" by a group of posh individuals in London. However, Estella misinterprets many relationships and conversations.

Ultimately our sweet Estella obviously gets burned because hello she's a villainess. The story pulls you in, you read chapters and pages without realizing you've gulped down massive sections. It even leaves us with dinner hanging pieces if they decided to do another prequel. I was left with some questions like what happened to Estrella's mom? Who was she going to see? When are we going to learn more about the dalmatian fixation? And when are we going to get the connection to the movie plot? Also she missed out on a wonderful tie in of having Peter be named Roger. Overall it was a decent story, I definitely recommend it.

There would be no better title for this book than this one because it really is a Hello, just an appetizer of what will come around with the film. In Hello, Cruel Heart we are introduced to a suffering girl reacting to a cruel world where she needs to realize who her real friends are.

Estella has a dream of being a famous stylist and thinks she has found the right people who can help her in this endeavor, but we know that life is not always how we want it to be and people are not always what they seem.

Many tips presented are loose so I hope that the film can clarify these doubts. A short YA, quick to read and in some points very fun, I love the writing by Maureen Johnson and I loved this cover very much.

I was able to review Hello, Cruel Heart by Maureen Johnson and Disney press for providing me with an advanced ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It was very easy to get immersed in 1960s London and be in Estella’s shoes. I
t was easy to read 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.  A great book for those who like sympathetic villain retellings, and fashion.

My Rating 4/5 Stars

Thank you so much to Disney Hyperion and Disney Books for sending a advanced readers copy of this my way!

I’ve always been intrigued by Villian backstories. Who were they before they became the evil person we know today?

We follow Estrella, a young girl who just wants to be a fashion designer, who after her mother dies in an accident. She, Jasper & Horace make their way to London and pick pocket and steal for money. Until one day she meets Richard and Magda who she becomes fast friends with.

I loved this story, The 60s fashion and the people immediately drew me in and I could not put this book down. Estrella was so relatable in just wanting a life for herself and to design clothes. However as the story progressed, you can easily guess how its going to end. This is Cruella’s backstory after all.

As the story progresses, you slowly realize that Cruella is Estrella’s other personality. She’s the more angry and stronger version of Estrella that sometimes lashes out for Estrella when people are cruel to her.

As I was reading, I kept looking for links to Richard and Anita from 101 Dalmatians, so you can eventually see what drew Cruella to animal fur. But you don’t really see that. She’s only a teenager in Hello Cruel Heart.

Overall, this book felt more of a very beginning story to eventually lead into 101 Dalmatians. I left this with a lot of questions unanswered and wanted to know more about Cruella as a whole. this story felt very predictable with Magda and Richard eventually dropping Estrella and she has to crawl back to Jasper and Horace who she left in the first place. who felt very one dimensional to me as side characters compared to Richard and Anita as well as every other side character in the story had more depth to them.

Overall, this story was great if you are wanting something to get you out of a reading slump or are curious about the Cruella Film thats going to be released

Even as a big fan of Maureen Johnson I was a little skeptical about this book because why does the world need a book about teenage Cruella DeVille, however, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book!

I found it a very quick read and quite fun with little Easter Eggs referring to the original work. Johnson made this character her own and managed to make true villain likable in her own way. I loved the descriptions of the fashion and music scene. I found the original characters fresh and interesting.

Johnson was the right author for this novel. I greatly enjoyed it.

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.
Opinion
This 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.

This follows Cruella, who is called Estella in this, before she becomes the dog killing crazy person. She is slightly crazy though. Cruelly seems to be a split personality of hers even though she should really listen to cruella.sometimes.
Not sure how she decides to start murdering puppies though. She's still a nice person in this.