“‘All right, you,’ a voice said.”

From Maureen Johnson’s Hello, Cruel Heart.

The summer of 1967 brings a world of possibilities for the fashion-loving sixteen-year-old thief, Estella, and her friends, Jasper and Horace.  In the four years since her mother fell off a cliff at a strange estate outside of London, Estella and the boys have been an inseparable surrogate family of sorts.  While her passion has always been fashion and design, Estella and the boys have lived as thieves to support themselves, and their cunningness has allowed them to stay one step ahead of the police.  Estella dreams of bigger and better things, much with the urging of her vengeful inner voice that she’s named Cruella.  However, things begin to change slightly when Estella meets and befriends the wealthy, fashionable twins Richard and Magda, that invite Estella into their bizarre world.  Suddenly allowed to step into the world of rich fashion that she’s always dreamed of, Estella tries to balance her life with Horace and Jasper with her new friends’ wealth and friendship with the kind musician, Peter.  After a fight with Horace and Jasper, Estella moves in with Magda and Richard, gladly sinking herself into their world of wealth, fashion, and excess.  However, as the summer draws to a close, Estella finds that her new, perfect world begins to crumble which makes Cruella harder for Estella to control.

Inspired by the 2021 origin movie, Cruella, this book looks to discover how a young girl could come to be one of the most infamous Disney villains of all time.  With a steady pace, Johnson brings an attitude to the main character that is endearing, despite her often negative motivation.  Hello, Cruel Heart is a must-read for both fans of the character or anyone looking for a fun, gritty story.