Hello, cruel heart

Sixteen-year-old orphan Estella survives as a thief on the streets of 1960s London, stealing by day while yearning to become a famous fashion designer and, by night, creating work that she hopes will get her discovered. On an excursion to acquire fabric, Estella meets twins Richard and Magda and is catapulted into the world of the rich and famous. She begins making clothes for their high-society friends and believes she is on her way to breaking through. However, Estella's time on top doesn't last, as Magda and Richard show their true colors, snubbing Estella due to her background and leaving her heartbroken. New York Times best-seller Johnson pens an original novel featuring one of Disney's classic villains, Cruella de Vil. When readers meet Estella, they will find that she is kind and pleasant, which may confuse--until they learn that Cruella is an alternate personality that appears more and more often as Estella is scorned. This prequel to the upcoming live-action film Cruella offers a fresh take for a new generation of Disney lovers.

Gr 7 Up--Estella has been living on the street since her mother died under suspicious circumstances on their way to London years ago. Horace and Jasper, who took her in and taught her to survive, are the only ones she has. But Estella has big dreams and high potential as a fashion designer. She already designs trick clothes to aid the trio's heists to keep them afloat, but a chance encounter with the elite society children of London means her dream might be closer to reality than ever before. The only problem is the voice in her head, the one her mother termed Cruella. Sometimes she can keep Cruella quiet and sometimes she can't, especially when she needs Cruella the most. Will Estella choose the high society life she believes she's always deserved, or the family that's protected and cared for her? This is a tie-in with a live-action film of Cruella and teens will want to read the backstory of one of Disney's most iconic villains. Johnson creates the swinging 1960s London of Estella's youth in vibrant color and cements the bond between Estella, Horace, and Jasper. Characters' ethncities aren't stated. VERDICT Fans of Johnson's other books will flock to this classic tale of choosing between friends.--Stacey Shapiro, Cranford P. L., NJ

Penniless 16-year-old orphan Estella dreams of becoming a famous fashion designer but survives by robbing rich tourists in swinging 1960s London. After her mother died in a freak accident, Estella moved to the city, bunking down in the Lair, a grimy pad in a bombed-out building, with her chosen family of fellow thieves Horace and Jasper. Although she flunked out of school, Estella has exceptional design talent and is determined to excel in the field. A pair of well-connected trust-fund twins dazzle her with their carefree, affluent lifestyle and groovy circle of friends, and they ultimately exploit her by bartering her fashion skills for accommodation and friendship. Estella soon learns that their glamorous lifestyle is shallow and their friendships, fickle, and she realizes that she will have to find her own way in life. Estella's complete naïveté in the face of wealth and sophistication is convincingly drawn, and her fashionista ability is fun and engaging; the ending brings a twist that readers may not see coming. The story contains peripheral references to One Hundred and One Dalmatians: Estella has Cruella de Vil black-and-white hair, which she disguises with red dye, and a Cruella alter ego who pops up in her head in moments of crisis and helps her remain true to herself. All characters present White. Rags to riches with a British twist. (Fiction. 12-16) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.