First off, I have to say that I absolutely love this series. All the books fit so nicely together into this big pictures story and connect so well. They did a great job of planning the series out it feels like before ever writing even the first one. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the Cruella story, or even how it would fit in since she’s a more modern character while the others are more fairy tale medieval/renaissance time. But I loved this story! By the time I was halfway through I had a really hard time putting it down for the night.
Cruella’s background is such a great one. It’s somewhat relatable for those of us who have mother issues and are daddy’s girls. It also was relatable to me personally because I do have a mother who thinks buying things is how you show love, so I totally understand how that can make a person feel unloved or lacking. It was great the way Cruella teetered between being this great person without her mother, not caring if she pleases her mother or not but just being herself and kind to others and then in contrast to always wanting to please her mother, be like her mother, and be a nightmare to everyone and, well, evil. This story made me feel for her and also wish I could reach into the story, pull her out, and check her into a mental rehabilitation center to get her help. She wasn’t always so terrible and she didn’t have to turn into the monster she ended up being if it wasn’t for her mother’s selfish hold on her.
If you were worried this book would match too much to the new movie there is nothing to worry about there. This is its own individual story and offers a fresh and unique look into a possible background story for the beloved villain, Cruella De Ville. Without giving too many spoilers I do have some questions that I hope will be answered later in the series, like what is up with her jade earrings? They kept bugging her, pinching her, and when that happened she seemed to lose control of herself and turn into her evil self. Her father gave them to her when she was younger and he told her the story that they were from pirate treasure and they were cursed. I’m curious to learn more about them since that was never explained in the book. I did notice on the cover of the next book, Cold Hearted about Lady Tremaine, she is also wearing round jade earrings. Could they be the same? I’m on my way to finding out as this is the next book I’m reading. I can’t stop on this series!
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