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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
4.5
I am so happy I finally read this book!! What lovely ya contemporary - definitely one of the best I've read in the past few years.
I truly adored the characters, Claudia was a great narrator and I really felt like she captured what it felt like to be an average teen in high school. Iris was such a fun character and it was nice that she had an arch without overly having to change herself. Gideon was delightful from start to finish - such a great love interest and well rounded character in his own right. This book just felt so realistic to me - none of the conflicts were that serious, people acted dumb but it felt reasonable and nothing was too high stakes. These are all things I personally love in a ya contemporary. As someone who was on stage crew I always love seeing the behind the scenes of the play. But honestly what spoke to me most was the boy band - Emma Mills so perfectly captured the overwhelming feeling of love that a teen girl feels to the first boy band she really becomes obsessed with. I saw myself so much in Iris and Claudia's love for this is our now - all the cringe included.
I am so happy I finally read this book!! What lovely ya contemporary - definitely one of the best I've read in the past few years.
I truly adored the characters, Claudia was a great narrator and I really felt like she captured what it felt like to be an average teen in high school. Iris was such a fun character and it was nice that she had an arch without overly having to change herself. Gideon was delightful from start to finish - such a great love interest and well rounded character in his own right. This book just felt so realistic to me - none of the conflicts were that serious, people acted dumb but it felt reasonable and nothing was too high stakes. These are all things I personally love in a ya contemporary. As someone who was on stage crew I always love seeing the behind the scenes of the play. But honestly what spoke to me most was the boy band - Emma Mills so perfectly captured the overwhelming feeling of love that a teen girl feels to the first boy band she really becomes obsessed with. I saw myself so much in Iris and Claudia's love for this is our now - all the cringe included.
I absolutely loved it! I loved all the sarcasm, as I'm pretty sarcastic myself, and loved the different types of friendships portrayed. Contemporary usually isn't my thing, but I am an Emma Mills fan!!!!
CLAUDIAGIDEON WERE SO CUTE!!! THEY HAVE MY WHOLE HEART!! this book was so cute and fluffy, my heart is so full. I loved watching their friendship grow into something more and learning more about how much they care about each other. Gideon is so perfect, I was giggling every time he was doing something for Claudia. Claudia is so me, I found her so relatable. I loved her character so much.
I think this is one of my new favourite reads, I can definitely see myself rereading this!!
I think this is one of my new favourite reads, I can definitely see myself rereading this!!
Emma Mills is an author whose books I always think I will like but find a flaw that puts me off. Well it looks like third times the charm because I actually enjoyed this book. I think it has to do with the fact that the main focus was on the friendships as opposed to the love story.
Goodreads has a decent enough summary for it, so there's really no point. In her senior year of high school, Claudia is basically forced to go beyond her friend group of her best friend since pre-school and her siblings. Claudia and her best friend have always gone to different high schools, Claudia has a scholarship to the local all girls prep school and her friend Zoe is at the local public school. Think Rory and Lane from Gilmore Girls. In fact, Claudia's forced upon begrudging/rude/blunt work partner turned kind of friend in school is very similar to Paris from GG. Weird how that came to me as I was typing. Anyways. Claudia and Zoe play a MMO with Claudia's brother, sister, and brother-in-law. But a turn of events makes Claudia go beyond her "people" comfort zone.
In many ways, it's a story that's been done before and will be done again. But the characters are developed enough for the genre and it's done charmingly. I suppose there's a bit of Mary Sueing with Claudia, but it's to be expected. And the love interest is kind of a manic pixie dream boy but toned down slightly. But what balances it are the other characters and the interactions. I had mentioned that there's a lot on just the friendships over the love story and that's really what sets this book apart. And also the sibling relationships. It's well balanced and for once, I didn't feel that the love story over shadowed anything else.
The all girls prep school is putting on a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with the all boys prep school and it's fun reading about everyone struggling with Shakespeare. I'm currently in the UK and actually just watched a production of Midsummer's Night in Sheffield so it was nice to get a refresher of that play while reading this book. I don't think people have to know the play, but it does add some fun things for the reader.
I am surprised how in the background the parents were. That didn't quite fit the family we were given, and especially because Claudia's father teaches at her school. Also as seniors in high school, there's surprising very little on college applications, talking about colleges in specifics, and any future plans. Which is odd for a book like this. Also climbing nitpick, it's called "routes" not "paths". And if they were bouldering, it's a "problem".
One big thing that I think makes this book successful compared to her other books is the fact that it's not overly ambitious. Mills' previous books often had unresolved plotlines or pointless plots in general that lead no where.
It's nice to see an author that I've had high expectations for finally meet my expectations.
Goodreads has a decent enough summary for it, so there's really no point. In her senior year of high school, Claudia is basically forced to go beyond her friend group of her best friend since pre-school and her siblings. Claudia and her best friend have always gone to different high schools, Claudia has a scholarship to the local all girls prep school and her friend Zoe is at the local public school. Think Rory and Lane from Gilmore Girls. In fact, Claudia's forced upon begrudging/rude/blunt work partner turned kind of friend in school is very similar to Paris from GG. Weird how that came to me as I was typing. Anyways. Claudia and Zoe play a MMO with Claudia's brother, sister, and brother-in-law. But a turn of events makes Claudia go beyond her "people" comfort zone.
In many ways, it's a story that's been done before and will be done again. But the characters are developed enough for the genre and it's done charmingly. I suppose there's a bit of Mary Sueing with Claudia, but it's to be expected. And the love interest is kind of a manic pixie dream boy but toned down slightly. But what balances it are the other characters and the interactions. I had mentioned that there's a lot on just the friendships over the love story and that's really what sets this book apart. And also the sibling relationships. It's well balanced and for once, I didn't feel that the love story over shadowed anything else.
The all girls prep school is putting on a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with the all boys prep school and it's fun reading about everyone struggling with Shakespeare. I'm currently in the UK and actually just watched a production of Midsummer's Night in Sheffield so it was nice to get a refresher of that play while reading this book. I don't think people have to know the play, but it does add some fun things for the reader.
I am surprised how in the background the parents were. That didn't quite fit the family we were given, and especially because Claudia's father teaches at her school. Also as seniors in high school, there's surprising very little on college applications, talking about colleges in specifics, and any future plans. Which is odd for a book like this. Also climbing nitpick, it's called "routes" not "paths". And if they were bouldering, it's a "problem".
One big thing that I think makes this book successful compared to her other books is the fact that it's not overly ambitious. Mills' previous books often had unresolved plotlines or pointless plots in general that lead no where.
It's nice to see an author that I've had high expectations for finally meet my expectations.
Completely and utterly delighted by FOOLISH HEARTS. I was smiling like a fool today because of how great it was and how much I wasn't annoyed I didn't get to sleep before midnight two nights in a row because I was so attached to this story.
Because of a group project gone wrong, Claudia finds herself involved in the big theater production, combining the boys school and the girls. She isn't someone who does a lot out of her comfort zone. She has Zoe, a best friend she loves to hang out with. She's dedicated to playing her MMO, Battle Quest, with her brother. She mostly keeps to herself. But getting involved in the school play leads to many surprising friendships and hangouts and new opportunities she didn't expect to be a part of in her senior year of high school. I love how she was apprehensive about it and I love how she really did try to put herself out there in new ways. Gideon, the class clown/guy everyone loves in class, catches her eye and brought me back to my own freshman year experiences. I liked his character a lot but I could understand why she was wary of her feelings for him -- after a crappy breakup with a guy a few years ago and the fact that everyone flocks to Gideon, I would have been the same way. But they keep getting put together in one way or another.
The real winner of a relationship for me, though, was Iris and Claudia. Iris is not having a friendship with Claud at all. She's reeling from a bad breakup, she isn't exactly the warm and cuddly type, and as the story went on and we learned more about her, I felt like this friendship was so earned and so special. You don't go into your senior year of anything thinking you are going to make this kind of friend but it was really wonderful and funny and just another unexpected pleasure of this book.
I've enjoyed every single one of Emma's books, and I cannot wait until the next time she introduces us to some new characters. I was sad for this one to be over, and I will surely be reading it again in the future.
Keywords: school play, friendships, senior year of high school, fandom, siblings
Because of a group project gone wrong, Claudia finds herself involved in the big theater production, combining the boys school and the girls. She isn't someone who does a lot out of her comfort zone. She has Zoe, a best friend she loves to hang out with. She's dedicated to playing her MMO, Battle Quest, with her brother. She mostly keeps to herself. But getting involved in the school play leads to many surprising friendships and hangouts and new opportunities she didn't expect to be a part of in her senior year of high school. I love how she was apprehensive about it and I love how she really did try to put herself out there in new ways. Gideon, the class clown/guy everyone loves in class, catches her eye and brought me back to my own freshman year experiences. I liked his character a lot but I could understand why she was wary of her feelings for him -- after a crappy breakup with a guy a few years ago and the fact that everyone flocks to Gideon, I would have been the same way. But they keep getting put together in one way or another.
The real winner of a relationship for me, though, was Iris and Claudia. Iris is not having a friendship with Claud at all. She's reeling from a bad breakup, she isn't exactly the warm and cuddly type, and as the story went on and we learned more about her, I felt like this friendship was so earned and so special. You don't go into your senior year of anything thinking you are going to make this kind of friend but it was really wonderful and funny and just another unexpected pleasure of this book.
I've enjoyed every single one of Emma's books, and I cannot wait until the next time she introduces us to some new characters. I was sad for this one to be over, and I will surely be reading it again in the future.
Keywords: school play, friendships, senior year of high school, fandom, siblings
4.5 stars! Super cute, super fast, super easy to read. I binged it almost straight through. Is it an earth shattering good book, no. Was it adorable and gave me fuzzy feelings, yes. Would recommend to anyone needing something easy, cute, and lgbtq friendly! (Loved the obvious BTS storyline!)
BRUHH i sat through like 6 chapters of cringy dialogue bc i thought it was going to be a cute wlw story only to find out its a straight romance.. i’ve seen what i have to see and immediately no
I loved this book! I rarely give contemporary books five stars but this was just so good!
I loved Iris and the friendship between Iris and Claudia. It was so good and sweet and I can't stop thinking about it. I laughed so much reading this book. Emma Mills has such a great sense of humor and her books are just so enjoyable to read. Gideon is also my favorite Mills love interest by far. Like I really enjoyed and loved Ezra in First & Then but he has nothing on Gideon. That kid is actual perfection.
I loved Iris and the friendship between Iris and Claudia. It was so good and sweet and I can't stop thinking about it. I laughed so much reading this book. Emma Mills has such a great sense of humor and her books are just so enjoyable to read. Gideon is also my favorite Mills love interest by far. Like I really enjoyed and loved Ezra in First & Then but he has nothing on Gideon. That kid is actual perfection.
AHHHH I LOVED THIS. Being a drama club kid and being a sarcastic weirdo and being such a big fan of something you lose yourself and trying to be a good and honest friend and person in sputtering and messy stops and starts
"We broke up." The truth again, unbidden: "He broke up. With me."
"What?" Gideon says. "Why?"
On-screen, Trippola Lightyear begins an arming a flaming arrow.
"What are you doing?" I say.
"I'm going to shoot him," Iris replies simply.
"Iris! You can't just shoot players indiscriminately!"
"He dumped you; he deserves to die."
"We broke up." The truth again, unbidden: "He broke up. With me."
"What?" Gideon says. "Why?"
On-screen, Trippola Lightyear begins an arming a flaming arrow.
"What are you doing?" I say.
"I'm going to shoot him," Iris replies simply.
"Iris! You can't just shoot players indiscriminately!"
"He dumped you; he deserves to die."