#ARCReview: FOOLISH HEARTS by Emma Mills

FOOLISH HEARTS

Author: Emma Mills
Series: N/A
Source: ARC via Publisher
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. BYR
Publication Date: December 5, 2017
Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary:
A contemporary novel about a girl whose high school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream leads her to new friends—and maybe even new love.

The day of the last party of the summer, Claudia overhears a conversation she wasn't supposed to. Now on the wrong side of one of the meanest girls in school, Claudia doesn't know what to expect when the two are paired up to write a paper—let alone when they're both forced to try out for the school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

But mandatory participation has its upsides—namely, an unexpected friendship, a boy band obsession, and a guy with the best dimpled smile Claudia's ever seen. As Claudia's world starts to expand, she finds that maybe there are some things worth sticking her neck out for.

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinions.

Wow. Another book that took my breath away by Emma Mills. There isn't much more I can say about it than that. I absolutely loved THIS ADVENTURE ENDS so when I was given the opportunity to review FOOLISH HEARTS, I jumped at the chance. Emma Mills knows how to write contemporary novels, that much is true, but this book took my breath away and made me realize how much a 16 year old version of myself would have loved to read a book like this.

Mills has the ability to write a convincing teenage voice that feels as though it is every teenager trying to figure out the life they have in front of them. I loved her characters in FOOLISH HEARTS because they were all so weirdly complicated. I liked that it was easy to tell the characters and their motivations apart, even the minor characters. I never felt as though I was mixing people up because they were all so distinct. 

I also liked the plot - which I must admit there didn't really feel like one sometimes. I know that there was a lot happening and there were arcs to this, but it felt like we were just getting a glimpse into the every day life of Claudia, which was kinda nice? It is nice to be able to see teens being teens without having to have a bunch of drama or angst to move the plot along. Don't get me wrong, there was some of that as well but it didn't feel forced.

I don't even know how to put into words how much I loved this book. And I am so conflicted because usually when people ask me for contemporary reads, I send them to THIS ADVENTURE ENDS but now I want to send them to FOOLISH HEARTS?? Maybe I will start doing both.