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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
Emma Mills does it again, I think it’s safe to say she’s one of my top 3 ya contemporary authors.
I wish I had her books in high school
I wish I had her books in high school
You know that incredible feeling you get when you read the right book at the right time? And that incredible feeling you get when you encounter a character you find yourself identifying with in a really strong way? Well, combine those two feelings into one gigantic ball topped with giddiness, and swoons, and amusement, and you may find yourself with an idea of how much I loved FOOLISH HEARTS.
I loved the cast of characters, and I loved the relationships, and I loved the little details that made the story come alive, and I loved the story itself. So good, and I’d highly recommend it.
I loved the cast of characters, and I loved the relationships, and I loved the little details that made the story come alive, and I loved the story itself. So good, and I’d highly recommend it.
i LOVED this book. I read it cover to cover in one sitting. This is everything I want in a contemporary high school setting. Once again, Emma Mills gives us an experience that could actually happen IRL. The drama is believable. The characters are multi-dimensional. The dialogue is witty and well-done. Read this book! Then read all of her other books because I love them.
This book was so compulsively readable! Seriously, before I knew it I had blown through 200 pages and it felt like nothing. I thought all of the characters were all likable and I liked that Claudia was a gamer, but was also normal. I think a lot of times authors rely on stereotypes for their characters because it’s easier, but I appreciate when an author can “break the mold”. I liked all of Claudia’s interactions with Iris, but I found it a tad unbelievable that Claudia wouldn’t have ANY friends at school until senior year? But perhaps it’s because everyone else at her school is so rich… I don’t know, it just didn’t really ring true to me. While I enjoyed this book and Claudia’s story, I found myself wondering more and more about her older sister, Julia. I almost would like a story about her starting with the beginning of her pregnancy. She just seemed like a really interesting character and I wanted to know more about her–I found myself hardcore relating to her. Perhaps that’s just showing my age… Another great book from Mills and I’m excited to read more from her!
This book was so good! I was absolutely in love with it. I read it in a day and it kept me smiling and laughing. Claudia is so relatable but still has her flaws. This flowed great and the character were awesome and you got to actually understand them. I would definitely recommend this to anyone!
Just read all of Emma Mills’ books in the span of 4 days, what a wonderful and cute week it has been. I love Iris in this, she is me in high school but out of the closet. The female friendships in this made me so happy and the romance was so cute. At one point I screamed so loud my dog left the room cuz I was disturbing her nap.
Before I picked up this book, I’d kind of gotten to the point where I thought that maybe YA contemporary romances just aren’t for me anymore. I’m definitely not in the target demographic, and many that I’ve read recently have been very disappointing.
But this book reminded me that it doesn’t matter what audience a book may be targeting. A good story is a good story, end of sentence. And this is a really good one.
What I liked:
1. The friendships. I love the friendships in this book. Claudia and Zoe, Claudia and Iris, Gideon and Noah...it all works so well for me. It just feels so authentic and everyone should have friendships that close.
2. The sibling dynamic. This could also go with friendships, but I’m giving it its own point because I just loved Claudia’s relationship with her brother and sister. Also Gideon’s with his sister.
3. The romance. It was so good. I loved their friendship and how it grew over the course of the book. I loved their banter that was in turns sarcastic and witty. I also really felt invested in Iris and Paige’s relationship.
4. Gideon. I know I could talk about this in the romance point, but he deserves kudos just on his own. One of my pet peeves in romances (especially in YA contemporary) is the he’s-a-bad-boy-jerk-to-everyone-but-me trope. Why would a girl want to be with a guy who treats everyone around her like shit?! Gideon is the sweetest. But he’s sweet without being boring. He’s a quirky guy, and I think it was really smart of the author to give him these quirks because it keeps him interesting. His interactions with Claudia are adorable, and his bromance with Noah is probably one of the best I’ve read.
Things I didn’t like:
...
...
...
I honestly can’t think of a single thing. Are there moments the characters (especially Claudia) do things I wish they’d done differently? Sure. But at the same time, each of those decisions were authentic to those characters. It didn’t feel like a plot device just to move the story along.
I loved this book. It’s one of my favorite of the year. I think it’s definitely the best “fluffy” book I’ve read this year for sure. If nothing else, it proved to me that a good story doesn’t have an expiration date. A 15-year old and a 35-year old can both read this book and thoroughly enjoy it.
But this book reminded me that it doesn’t matter what audience a book may be targeting. A good story is a good story, end of sentence. And this is a really good one.
What I liked:
1. The friendships. I love the friendships in this book. Claudia and Zoe, Claudia and Iris, Gideon and Noah...it all works so well for me. It just feels so authentic and everyone should have friendships that close.
2. The sibling dynamic. This could also go with friendships, but I’m giving it its own point because I just loved Claudia’s relationship with her brother and sister. Also Gideon’s with his sister.
3. The romance. It was so good. I loved their friendship and how it grew over the course of the book. I loved their banter that was in turns sarcastic and witty. I also really felt invested in Iris and Paige’s relationship.
4. Gideon. I know I could talk about this in the romance point, but he deserves kudos just on his own. One of my pet peeves in romances (especially in YA contemporary) is the he’s-a-bad-boy-jerk-to-everyone-but-me trope. Why would a girl want to be with a guy who treats everyone around her like shit?! Gideon is the sweetest. But he’s sweet without being boring. He’s a quirky guy, and I think it was really smart of the author to give him these quirks because it keeps him interesting. His interactions with Claudia are adorable, and his bromance with Noah is probably one of the best I’ve read.
Things I didn’t like:
...
...
...
I honestly can’t think of a single thing. Are there moments the characters (especially Claudia) do things I wish they’d done differently? Sure. But at the same time, each of those decisions were authentic to those characters. It didn’t feel like a plot device just to move the story along.
I loved this book. It’s one of my favorite of the year. I think it’s definitely the best “fluffy” book I’ve read this year for sure. If nothing else, it proved to me that a good story doesn’t have an expiration date. A 15-year old and a 35-year old can both read this book and thoroughly enjoy it.
i hate that i dnfed it for the first time
first thoughts:
pages 1-72 are read, idk why but i couldn't get into it!! i wanted to like it so badly, i'll have to try again :((
second time reading:
honestly, i get that i needed to dnf this at the time, but WOW this was good!!! gids is the sweetest cinnamon roll, 10/10 would die for him <3 and my burnt marshmallow iris!! i love you!! (also the casual queerness made my heart soar)
first thoughts:
pages 1-72 are read, idk why but i couldn't get into it!! i wanted to like it so badly, i'll have to try again :((
second time reading:
honestly, i get that i needed to dnf this at the time, but WOW this was good!!! gids is the sweetest cinnamon roll, 10/10 would die for him <3 and my burnt marshmallow iris!! i love you!! (also the casual queerness made my heart soar)
reread 06/12/20 — 06/14/20 (i'm finally writing a review!!)
How does Emma Mills do it? How does she manage to make me adore these characters, plotlines, just everything... every single time? My initial reaction upon rereading Foolish Hearts was: "i love this i love this i love this," and I think it's safe to say that that basically sums up my review.
What I Loved:
- Claudia was SUCH a relatable and funny main character and her!! growth!! is!! everything!! Emma Mills crafts character arcs subtly but so beautifully that you're just hit with a giant puddle of feels afterwards.
- THE RELATIONSHIPS. We have strong friendships, sibling relationships and the cutest romance ugh I LOVE THEM ALL.
- Iris was by far my favorite character in this entire novel (or maybe Gideon. but he gets his own section below so enough about him here)!!! She's the character who acts like she doesn't care but is actually the cutest cinnamon roll inside. I. Love. Her. Paige and Iris are also so freaking cute together!
- The sibling relationships were so amazing!!! Alex, Julia and Claudia have the most beautiful dynamic. (Spooky tree had my heart!!)
- The romance between Claudia and Gideon is *chef's kiss*!!! Honestly, Gideon restores my faith in humanity. He's so sweet and adorable and cheesy in the perfect way!! Also GIDEON IS GANSEY. They're so similar ahhh!!
OTHER LITTLE THINGS I LOVED:
- The fangirling over boy bands was so adorable and I love how Claudia tried to get into TION for Iris at first but then she actually ended up becoming a real fan!!
- The humor was so on point, I remember laughing out loud the first time I read this (this is saying a lot because I almost NEVER laugh out loud in books)
- Honestly this book just left me with a very warm feeling, it's one of my best comfort reads! I decided to reread this when I was feeling slumpy, and it may or may not have pulled me out of my slump!!
What Fell Flat:
- Can I say nothing for this section?? Because honestly, I love everything and anything about this book.
Overall:
Emma Mills is the queen of writing contemporaries. She crafts the best characters and stories every time (well... almost every time... I'm looking at you, [b: Lucky Caller|44281049|Lucky Caller|Emma Mills|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564519875l/44281049._SY75_.jpg|68794552]), and the fact that my review is basically A Mess proves how much I love this. Just go read this. Now.
5 stars
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originally read 09/21/19 — 09/30/19 (5 stars)
How does Emma Mills do it? How does she manage to make me adore these characters, plotlines, just everything... every single time? My initial reaction upon rereading Foolish Hearts was: "i love this i love this i love this," and I think it's safe to say that that basically sums up my review.
What I Loved:
- Claudia was SUCH a relatable and funny main character and her!! growth!! is!! everything!! Emma Mills crafts character arcs subtly but so beautifully that you're just hit with a giant puddle of feels afterwards.
- THE RELATIONSHIPS. We have strong friendships, sibling relationships and the cutest romance ugh I LOVE THEM ALL.
- Iris was by far my favorite character in this entire novel (or maybe Gideon. but he gets his own section below so enough about him here)!!! She's the character who acts like she doesn't care but is actually the cutest cinnamon roll inside. I. Love. Her. Paige and Iris are also so freaking cute together!
- The sibling relationships were so amazing!!! Alex, Julia and Claudia have the most beautiful dynamic. (Spooky tree had my heart!!)
“Is it because people could be judging me?” I asked Alex once. “Like, because it’s an opportunity for me to be judged?” “I mean, if it helps, just know that I’m judging you all the time.” “Shut up.” He grinned. “I’m judging you right now.”
- The romance between Claudia and Gideon is *chef's kiss*!!! Honestly, Gideon restores my faith in humanity. He's so sweet and adorable and cheesy in the perfect way!! Also GIDEON IS GANSEY. They're so similar ahhh!!
"He opens the door to reveal the biggest home office I’ve ever seen. It looks like something out of a movie—all warm wood paneling and shelves lined with books. Thick curtains and paintings and a fireplace with a leather couch and two club chairs situated in front of it." < anyone who disagrees that Gideon is not Gansey is wrong ok
“You need GoogleMaps to find your way out of my eyes,” Gideon says, executing an elaborate turn before catwalking back. “Or at least a comparable navigation app.”
OTHER LITTLE THINGS I LOVED:
- The fangirling over boy bands was so adorable and I love how Claudia tried to get into TION for Iris at first but then she actually ended up becoming a real fan!!
- The humor was so on point, I remember laughing out loud the first time I read this (this is saying a lot because I almost NEVER laugh out loud in books)
- Honestly this book just left me with a very warm feeling, it's one of my best comfort reads! I decided to reread this when I was feeling slumpy, and it may or may not have pulled me out of my slump!!
What Fell Flat:
- Can I say nothing for this section?? Because honestly, I love everything and anything about this book.
Overall:
Emma Mills is the queen of writing contemporaries. She crafts the best characters and stories every time (well... almost every time... I'm looking at you, [b: Lucky Caller|44281049|Lucky Caller|Emma Mills|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564519875l/44281049._SY75_.jpg|68794552]), and the fact that my review is basically A Mess proves how much I love this. Just go read this. Now.
5 stars
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originally read 09/21/19 — 09/30/19 (5 stars)
I adored this read so stinking much! Though it swore more that I personally like, the story was engaging, and the characters loveable. There are so many layers and aspects to the story that I flew through it, and loved it!