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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
***4.5 STARS.
I loved this little feel-good story! The one thing I didn’t care for was at the beginning the author repeated points that weren’t necessary. Other than that, I adored it!! I found it very difficult to put down once I had started reading it and I definitely recommend.
I loved this little feel-good story! The one thing I didn’t care for was at the beginning the author repeated points that weren’t necessary. Other than that, I adored it!! I found it very difficult to put down once I had started reading it and I definitely recommend.
This was cute and had some fun banter but it was also forgettable.
This was a cute contemporary. I definitely would have enjoyed this book if I read it as a teenager. This book read so young and even only being 20 years old it really felt like I was NOT the target audience. And this is coming from someone who mostly reads and usually loves YA contemporaries. Claudia felt like a reader insert because she had no distinguishable personality. She felt like drawing left uncolored and unfinished. I thought Iris was so much more interesting as a character. The growing friendship between Iris and Claudia held my attention more than the love story between Claudia and Gideon. Gideon felt just a tad bit too quirky for me. Emma Mills tried to make him feel more real by the end of it but his character missed the mark for me. I did love how obsessing over a boy band was a plot point because I feel like authors shy away from this book in books even though it’s what most teenage girls do. I loved seeing Iris and Claudia bond over it. This book was cute but I wished I would have read when it came out.
The best part of this book was, honestly, Gideon. I have a pretty serious case of resting bitch face so I don't smile much, but he had me smiling and laughing through this whole book. I kind of had a hard time picturing him until I watched Noah Centineo in The Perfect Date on Netflix and honestly I couldn't picture him not being Noah after that.
Claudia was an awesome main character as well. She was smart, funny and most of all, cared about other people. That's hard to find nowadays. She was strong and valued every relationship she had with people. I would want Claudia as my friend.
All in all, this book was adorable. It was a quick read and I didn't want to put it down. I will definitely be reading more of Emma Mills books.
Claudia was an awesome main character as well. She was smart, funny and most of all, cared about other people. That's hard to find nowadays. She was strong and valued every relationship she had with people. I would want Claudia as my friend.
All in all, this book was adorable. It was a quick read and I didn't want to put it down. I will definitely be reading more of Emma Mills books.
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rep: lesbian East Asian side character, side character with epilepsy, wlw side character
If you've read some of my other posts (especially if you follow me on Tumblr), you probably know that I am desperately and wholeheartedly in love with Emma Mills's books. I know I talk about her a lot but it's because I love her and her books, and honestly her books are sooo underrated. She's definitely a must-read/buy author, something I say a lot probably, but I actually mean it this time.
What appeals to me the most about Mills's books are that they always always always make me cry because they are all so reminiscent of me personally. They're all full of heart and love and warmth. Her characters all have some trait that you'll so closely identify with, something that would be negative in someone else's hands but Mills turns into a positive. She just really understands me on a fundamental level honestly, and I'm so thankful for her works.
If you loved To All the Boys I've Loved Before (and who doesn't tbh), I would recommend Foolish Hearts and Mills's other books to you. I do hesitate to do so purely because her books feature primarily white characters, so here's a disclaimer that I am comparing them to TATBILB because they share the same essence to me: lighthearted and heartwarming and overall just a feeling of being known. TATBILB is a book that will reach into your heart and just hold you, making you feel safe and secure and loved, and Foolish Hearts, as well as her other books, evokes that same feeling to me.
BUT let's just ignore how emotional I just got and get to the review part! So much of Foolish Hearts is so good but I'll try and touch only a few aspects.
One thing that Mills does so well is including the protagonist's interests and hobbies without those being the entirety of their character. Here, Claudia likes to game and eventually gets into an obsession with a boy band (but more on that later). Neither of these are treated as her entire character, but rather, they help you to understand her entire personality; she mentions that she likes to game with her siblings and best friend because it makes her feel more connected to them.
Claudia gets into the boy band This Is Our Now because of another friend, again because she feels more closer to her friend. The fact that she is so...I don't even know how to explain it fully. Encompassing of her friends? Yeah, we'll go with that. The fact that she loves her family and friends with her whole heart, that even though she's constantly around them anyways yet still wants to be closer to them all, makes my heart want to combust with love honestly. I love her!! I love all the characters in this book!!
And I love that Iris (the aforementioned friend) and Claudia's love for TION is never trivialized or made to be the whole "teenage girls obsessing over a boy band are so basic and they're shallow" thing. As Harry Styles said, "Who's to say that young girls who like pop music -- short for popular, right? -- have worse musical taste than a 30-year-old hipster guy? That's not up to you to say. Music is something that's always changing. There's no goal posts...How can you say young girls don't get it? They're our future. Our future doctors, lawyers, mothers, presidents, they kind of keep the world going."
(Sorry, I just had to work him in here because I myself am in a bit of a One Direction chapter of my life, YES I KNOW 4 years too late, but I'm fine, it's fine.) Anyways, I love that they're just allowed to like the band and it's never just a throwaway thing. Also the fact that Iris "Resting Would-Probably-Murder-You Face" Huang, also a lesbian, is in love with them? Valid.
[EDIT 12/20/21]: Three years ago, I first read this book as a teenage girl and focused on the above point. Now that I’m older, coming back to this book led me to appreciate a different aspect of the boy band plot. It’s been a year and some months since I’ve become an ARMY, and I wanted to touch on how this book emphasizes a fan’s bond with a band and/or band member. At first, Claudia doesn’t understand Iris’s obsession with TION and Kenji; Iris’s response: “I want him to be happy, and healthy, and to be with people he cares about, and do things that he loves. I want him to know how much he’s appreciated and how much he’s changed people’s lives by…just being who he is. And by helping us be who we are.”
I feel like this really sums up having an emotional attachment with a boy band figure beyond the idea that fans of boy bands are fans solely out of some superficial attraction. It’s a means of making you feel seen without someone literally seeing you, and it’s not always one-sided desire to want the best for the other either. I used a Harry Styles quote above (at the time, I was a fan), so now I’ll expand this point with a BTS quote. In an interview with Rolling Stone India, the interviewer asked RM how he feels when people tell him that BTS’s songs saved their lives (a question that references his ending mention at the Wings Tour Final concert); he responded, “I’m doubtful if I’m worthy of receiving such comments. On the contrary, it’s those very people who have pulled me back from the edge of the cliff down to 98, 97, so you can say we are saving each other’s lives.”
There are other instances of him and other members discussing their bond and appreciation of ARMYs, their fanbase—this is very well documented—but this quote specifically has stayed with me over the past year and came to mind when reading the passage from Foolish Hearts above. If I had to put into words my deep love and appreciation for the BTS members, it would be something like Iris’s words, and later Claudia’s attitude too as she slowly gets into TION, which has made me love this book even more. I’ve changed in the 4 years since I’ve read it, but returning to this book always mirrors some new part of myself, including this aspect, and I just really love that I can come back to it and relate to it in a different way.
Claudia's family dynamic is fairly different than what we usually see in YA. She has two older siblings, with her sister ten years older and her brother only two. That's part of the reason she likes playing the game because she gets to talk to and bond with her sister more often. Also her brother isn't doing a "traditional" college route (i.e. going away to university), but rather he's attending community college in order to save up to go to a bigger university. I liked that touch; it's a reminder that not everyone can afford college, even with loans and aid, and that community college shouldn't be looked down on.
The female friendships in here are amazing!! Claudia and her best friend keep in touch despite going to different schools, private and public respectively. I've been in the same boat, but unfortunately I never really kept in touch with anyone that I didn't see regularly. I honestly regret that, so it was nice to read about them two. Throughout the book, we get to see Claudia and Iris become better friends in spite of, you know, Claudia accidentally witnessing Iris's heart-wrenching break-up, Iris hating her, them being forced to be partners for a class essay, and then subsequently bombing that essay because she refused to actually work with Claudia (see: Iris hating her). It's a hate to friends situation that I loved, especially because they bring the best out in each other.
Which brings me to the characters. I love every single character in this novel: Claudia with her awkwardness, Iris with her warm heart under a cold exterior, Gideon with his entire personality, and I could go on, but I'll leave it to you to read this book and figure the rest out for yourself. I especially love Iris because she is a small, angry girl, which I very much relate to. And she's half of a super sweet f/f relationship; they're so cute
“Sometimes it's hard to know if something's for real? It's hard to believe it, even if you want it to be real. Even if you want it so badly. Sometimes it seems... safer, you know? Not to risk it.”“Your second Emma Mills’ book in two days?” I hear you cry! Yeah, I’m trash for her work, and I’m totally not ashamed of that fact. I need tooth-rotting fluff periodically throughout the year or else my soul will wither and decay, and I’m pretty sure Mills’ catalogue has more than enough to get me through even 2020’s challenges with a smile on my face. Honestly, I really don’t know how I’m going to cope once I’ve finished all of her books, and I’m not sure who else could write touching, light-hearted, and passionate YA contemporaries with awesome, breath-taking friendships and tight-knit, supportive family dynamics quite like her. Basically, I need Mills to write at least two books a year for the next decade, but as that’s not likely to happen any time soon, you shouldn’t be surprised if you see me re-reading everything she has to offer within the next six months. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of all of these characters, romances, and adventures that feel like they were written just for me.
So! Foolish Hearts starts off with our protagonist, Claudia, accidentally eavesdropping on the breakup of the school’s it-couple, Paige and Iris, at a party (she begrudgingly attends) one night. She’s caught by the latter once their fight is over, and despite Claudia’s apologies and promises to keep her mouth shut, Iris is determined to make her life a living hell. So, when Claudia’s thrown against her will into the class production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream alongside her newfound archnemesis, it all begins about as well as you'd expect. However, when she discovers Iris’ love of boybands, a beautiful friendship starts to blossom. And, if Claudia plays her cards right, love might be on the horizon with an unlikely, charismatic candidate…
I’m really struggling to put into words how deeply, fervently, and hopelessly in love I am with this book. Just like with This Adventure Ends, once I started Foolish Hearts, I couldn’t find it in myself to put it down until my heart had left my throat and my tears had finally stopped. I could feel myself falling in love with these brilliant, relatable characters from the very first chapter, and I couldn’t bear to let them go in the end. Claudia was easily my favourite, and I found her sharp, witty, and heartfelt inner monologue a delight to lose myself in for a few hours. She’s infinitely kind, compassionate, and loyal, and if I had to sum her up in one word, it’d be ‘Hufflepuff’. I don’t know many people who wouldn’t be quickly swept away by her unreserved and inviting personality, and while she had her flaws, they only served to make her more human in my mind. If you want a single reason to read Foolish Hearts, I’d look no further than her.
I love the relationships between Claudia and Gideon. They fell in love so slowly, so naturally, that I actually forgot they weren’t already a couple a few times! Gideon is a fantastic complement to Claudia, and he’s so adorably wholesome and caring. I don't think I'm ever going to stop swooning over how protective and considerate he is of his friends, especially Noah. I can’t name a more gentle, thoughtful character, but if I was making comparisons, I’d call him a softer version of Gansey from TRC, so if you love him, you’re going to love this adorable, flirty loser endlessly. <3
“It just feels like..." Her voice is small. "Sometimes it just feels like I'm faking.” “Maybe everyone feels that way.”I’m always complaining about how criminally underrated strong and loving platonic friendships are in YA, which is why I’m so ride or die for Emma Mills – she writes beautiful, all-consuming friendships which are as important to the plot as her romances. Iris and Claudia’s relationship was so wonderful to watch unfold, and when I look back at the parts of Foolish Hearts I loved the most, it’s probably a scene that involves these two together.
Iris also quickly became one of my favourite characters, mostly because I'm a sucker for complex, multi-layered women. She’s a queer teen who’s hiding her (numerous) insecurities behind the façade of the stereotypical ‘tough, uncaring’ popular girl act. I loved how her walls slowly started to crumble as her forced closeness with Claudia began to flourish into a genuine, lasting friendship. I also found her unapologetic obsession with her favourite boyband, TION, utterly endearing, and I was practically bursting with happiness when Claudia embraced her friend’s passion with open arms and ended up genuinely loving the band herself! I swear, the bonds teenage girls form over their favourite bands will never be broken!
Also, her relationship with Paige was stunningly, convincingly written, and I think a lot of young adults will relate to the tumultuous ups and downs the two experienced. Their last scene together made me bawl up so badly, and I can't get over how much I love them both together.
“It's like a snort,” I say. “Like a snort chortle. It's a snortle.” He moves a little closer. “Is that a Pokemon?”Emma Mills also shines a spotlight on family dynamics in Foolish Hearts, and, of course, I was totally captivated by her realistic, healthy, and tear-jerking take on familial love. The relationship between Claudia, Julia, and Alex was like a breath of fresh air, and I hope Mills will tackle sibling relationships more often in the future because she’s terrific at this kind of rep. The three of them spent a lot of time together playing video games, and I couldn’t get enough of how wonderfully heart-warming and contented those scenes made me feel!! They were all so loving, and supportive, and attentive, and while they did fight occasionally, they would do anything for each other at the end of the day. Even though I wish they’d had a few more moments together throughout Foolish Hearts, the ones they did share were memorable and poignant. Julia, especially, was such a remarkable and nurturing character, and I can’t believe Emma Mills pulled that stunt during the last few chapters! I don’t think I’m ever going to emotionally recover…
Overall, I think you can probably tell how much I loved Foolish Hearts. It was fluffy, heart-breaking, and satisfying, and I wish I could've bottle up how I felt while reading this book and share it with the world. If you love charming romantic heroes, well-written and thought-out family dynamics, and intensely beautiful friendships, I’d highly recommend this book, quickly followed by This Adventure Ends! I promise these books will warm even the iciest of hearts!
“There's something soft in his expression that I don't know what to do with, so I take another drink and then say, 'There's also this wizard we really want to fight'.”
"The thing about Moments is that just because a moment is one, doesn't mean it's a good one. They are not all Special, or Cherished, as picture frames and embellished scrapbook inserts would have you believe."Foolish Hearts is a super cute story about friendship and romance with a message of authenticity at it's core. It tells you to like the things you like - cheesy boybands and nerdy online games included- unabashidly and without hesitation. And to find happiness in all the things around you. This was just such a cute little romace with a ton of heart at it's core. I loved Seeing Iris and Claudia's friendship develop, I loved Gideon and Noah's friendship, I loved Claudia and Gidon's romance - it was jsut all so damn cute and enjoyable! What a great book to make you happy.