LSSL 5385: Book 19


Foolish Hearts
By Emma Mills



** Best Fiction for Young Adult List**

Mills, E. (2017). Foolish hearts. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

            Claudia starts her senior year off on the wrong foot when she accidentally hears the it couple, Paige and Iris, breaking up at a party.  Iris immediately threatens that she will ruin her if she tells anyone what she heard, and for the first time Claudia doesn’t share what happened with her best friend Zoe.  Claudia has always existed in two worlds; the one with her parents, brother Alex, sister Julia, and best friend Zoe, and the one where she simply goes to school but isn’t invested in making new friends.
            In her Lit class, they are forced to partner up for an assignment, and Claudia and Iris get stuck together.  Iris doesn’t want to work together, and they split the paper into two parts.  Since they didn’t work together the paper isn’t cohesive, and the teacher allows them to redo it.  Her other heavily implied suggestion is to audition for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  The production is put on by their school and the boy’s school across the grove.  Iris is cast in the play and Claudia is assigned to work on costumes for the play.
            While working on the play, Claudia slowly starts to accumulate new friendships.  Iris and her slowly become friends, and she gets hooked on Iris’ favorite band TION.  Claudia is one of the few students who actually understands the play, and tutors quite a few of them with their lines.  Throughout the play Gideon Prewitt shows interest in Claudia, wants to hang out with her, and seems as if he’s interested in having a relationship with her.  Claudia’s been burned by a previous relationship, and has a hard time believing that Gideon’s feelings for her are real.  One of the way Gideon tries to let her know he’s interested is by playing Battle Quest.  Battle Quest is an interactive role play video game that she plays with Alex, Julia and her husband, and Zoe.  Gideon creates a player and even convinces Iris to join too.
            The night before the play Julia goes into labor and several events take place.  Alex, Zoe, and Claudia finally defeat the Lord of Wizard on Battle Quest, and mend their friendships and relationships.  Iris, Gideon, and Noah come over after the last dress rehearsal for pizza, and while Gideon is sleeping Noah shares with Claudia why he truly is a great person.  Claudia begins to see that what Gideon feels for is true and real.  The next night after the play has gone off spectacular, Gideon returns something special that Claudia had lost, and she’s finally ready to take a chance with him. Claudia ends her first semester of senior year with new friendships, and reinforced foundation on old ones.
            Foolish Hearts was a book I received with my subscription to Uppercase earlier this year, and it was a book that I fell in love with right away.  You can’t help but love Gideon’s character, and how Claudia is always willing to see the best in people, especially Iris.  Iris’ character development is a pleasure to witness, and we should all “try to be better than we are.”  Emma Mills has quickly become a favorite author of mine, and after reading Foolish Hearts I devoured several of her other novels.  I would most definitely agree that this qualifies for best fiction for young adults!


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