Evil Thing: Villains Book 7

Title: Evil Thing

Author: Serena Valentino

Published: July 7, 2020 by Disney-Hyperion

☆☆☆☆☆/5

Blurb: Cruella De Vil is the perfect villain: stylish, witty, relentless…and possibly cursed.

From her lonely childhood, to her iconic fashion choices, to that fateful car crash (you know the one), Cruella tells all in this marvelous memoir of a woman doomed. Even the cruelest villains have best friends, true loves, and daring dreams. Now it’s Cruella’s turn to share hers.

This latest novel by the author of the wildly popular and darkly fascinating Villains series brings readers a tale told by the Evil Thing herself-a tale of the complicated bonds of female friendship, of mothers and daughters, and of burning, destructive desire.

After all, nothing is as simple as black and white

Review: Wow. Just wow. It’s been a while since I’ve read and reviewed a five star book, hasn’t it? Even though this isn’t canon, this is a great way to add to the story, to put in the blank pieces of the story that we get with the movie. About why Cruella barges into the house expecting puppies right then and there. I was pretty much hooked from the get-go.

I’ve been on sort of a Disney kick lately and when I went to the store and saw this, I had to get it. No hesitation. The slow descent into madness, the subtle hint at being cursed, which could give clue as to why she acts the way she does. Now, I wasn’t too sure about how I felt about the curse part, but how she was raised could also work in favor of how she acts.

It grew on me though, the idea of her being cursed. Serena Valentino made me feel sorry for a villain and I’m not afraid to admit that I almost cried a few times.

Written very simply, this could be said to be a children’s book, like R.L. Stines Fear Street or Goosebumps, but I actually felt like Cruella was sitting across from me, talking to me and telling me her life story. I’m really not a fan of stories being told in the first person, but this was done very well.

I love the style of the cover and the way the hardback has a second cover of her with her crazy face. I loved the inclusion of the scenes from the movie to tie it all in.

I would highly recommend people read these, from kids watching Disney movies to adults re-watching the classics. It’s a story I’ll be happily re-reading.

Thank you for reading my review.