Friday, May 11, 2018

Mini-Reviews: The Emma Mills Edition

First & Then by Emma Mills (2015)

What a refreshing story!  A contemporary YA novel that actually feels realistic and relatable.  Devon is in her senior year of high school, unsure of what she wants to do after graduation, while also dealing with some issues at home.  Her cousin Foster has come to live with Devon and her parents because his own mother has major problems.

I love that the crux of this story begins in gym class, of all places.  Devon and Foster have gym class together, and there they cross paths with All-American football player Ezra, who really takes Foster under his wing and (maybe?) develops feelings for Devon.

At first I wasn't sure if I would like Devon; I thought she was going to be whiny and overly sarcastic, but she wasn't.  I grew to really love her.  I identified with her fear of being average, of not knowing what she wanted to do with her life, of being kind of on the fringe in school, and having an unrequited crush on her friend Cas (and she loves books!).  I also fell in love with Foster - there was so much more to him than just an awkward kid.  And Ezra as well - I think this is where the Pride and Prejudice influence came in the strongest.  At first Ezra seems aloof and silent, but by the end of the story, we've learned so much about him.

Nothing really outrageous happened in the story, but that's what I enjoyed.  The characters felt like real high schoolers, living normal lives while also going through some tough issues.  4 stars



Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills (2017)

Emma Mills has become a queen of contemporary YA for me.  She has the ability to take the most relatable, even (dare I say it) mundane, parts of high school and craft heart-warming stories around lovable characters.

In Foolish Hearts, Claudia finds herself stuck working with Iris, who really doesn't like her, on the school play, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.  She also becomes close with Gideon, a popular boy at a neighboring high school who is also in the play, but can she overcome her fears of dating?

I loved the evolution of Claudia and Iris' friendship.  They eventually find some common ground, and Iris really grows as a character.  She doesn't have a lot of friends, but I think she's also a bit misunderstood.  And the slow burn romance between Claudia and Gideon is adorable - at first, I wasn't sure Gideon was even into Claudia.  He just seemed like a bubbly, flirtatious guy.  But when it became obvious that he really does care for her, I wanted Claudia to get out of her own way and just go for it.

Mills also includes one of my favorite things in YA - great families surrounding the main character.  We don't see Claudia's parents that much, but we do meet her brother Alex and sister Julia, and they are all so much fun together, playing their online game.  4 stars

24 comments:

  1. I finally read my first Emma Mills book last year - Foolish Hearts, and I loved it so much! I agree with you, that she has a talent for writing teens, and the family focus in Hearts was just wonderful. And Gideon. I loved that sweet little cupcake of a boy so much.

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    1. Yes, these are the kinds of YA books I want to read when I'm in the mood for contemporary. Gideon was adorable!

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  2. So looking forward to reading my first Emma Mills book - it seems like I won't be disappointed!

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  3. I really have to read Emma Mills now! I love that she isn't super dramatic with her high school plots. Whenever I read book set in high school, I never connect with them that well because my HS experience wasn't that dramatic!

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    1. Exactly! The kids always seem to be doing stuff that no teenager I ever met was doing. Her books are so realistic.

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  4. I love Emma Mills - her dialogue feels so real and witty. I really enjoyed First & Then, but haven't gotten my hands on a copy of Foolish Hearts. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it. I will have to move it up on my TBR list. Great reviews!

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    1. Thanks, Christina! I think you will enjoy her other books.

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  5. I still need to read my first Emma Mills book but both of those sound lovely. I also like how both of these books have realistic storylines that I can easily imagine playing out in any high school. Great reviews!

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    1. Thanks, Suzanne! I related a lot to the stories and the characters, they felt like they could be real people.

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  6. I love how you described First and then -- that it's a tale of normal high schoolers going through not-so-normal things.

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    1. Yes, the story has such a good foundation, which really made everything believable.

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  7. I wasn't a big fan of First & Then, but I am curious about Foolish Heart and your review is convincing me that I ought to give it a shot.

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  8. These both sounds so good! Thanks or sharing your thoughts on them both.

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  9. Both of these have been on my list for awhile! Their covers initially drew me in, but I've also heard wonderful things about their stories. I'm happy to see you really enjoyed them, too! :)

    L @ Do You Dog-ear?

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    1. Emma Mills has the BEST covers! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

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  10. I saw the title of your blog post and Emma Mills and I said "YES!", haha, I was just so happy to see you reviewing her books. I only read First and Then, but really appreciated it a whole lot. I also thought I wouldn't enjoy the main character at first, but I ended up really loving and relating to her as well. I haven't read Foolish Hearts just yet, but I can't WAIT, I am so, so impatient now <3
    Wonderful reviews! <3

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    1. Thank you so much, Marie!! I hope you get to read Foolish Hearts soon!

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  11. Yay I'm so happy to hear that you loved Foolish Hearts!! I completely agree with you on how Emma can take the most everyday topics and make them interesting. It's what I love the most about her books, because I can see so much of my own high school experience in them. I still haven't read First & Then, but it's in my TBR! It sounds like another great one.

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    1. I know, a lot of times when I read YA, I can't relate to the characters. I wasn't popular, I didn't go to parties, and as far as I knew, there weren't all these wild, crazy things going on at my high school. I appreciate a novel where the kids actually feel like kids.

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I'm so glad you stopped by, and I would love to hear your thoughts! Comments are always greatly appreciated!