I got a free copy of Evil Thing from NetGalley in exchange for a review. 
To start, I feel like Serena Valentino was working with a hard sell here. This is about Cruella De Vil, who is pretty far from a likeable character, no matter how you look at it. Pretty sure anyone who wants to make a coat out of puppies has some issues. Valentino depiction of Cruella as a spoiled, self-centered, deranged, materialistic, selfish brat is pretty spot on. The idea is an interesting one for an origin story, but at no point did I feel any kind of connection to Cruella, no sympathy, and really no empathy. I felt no attachment to any character, I felt like everyone was pretty flat and boring. There was a small period where Cruella could have become a likable character, but the book had a predetermined end point, and there was no changing that. So rather than feeling like I was being made to understand Cruella, I felt like I was being pushed to dislike her more. I also felt like the idea of the “cursed earrings” were added as an attempt at an excuse for her behavior. Or at least to give the impression that her actions were beyond her control.
I felt like the time line had issues, just between the ages of the characters, and how different things played out. I often had a hard time really understanding the time period it was set it in. For a while I felt like we were in Victorian England, but after that really had no frame of reference for the time beyond what I know of the animated film and that there were cars and Cruella wore a little black dress. The book felt like it really could have been an interview with a person who had a break with reality, and since the book is pretty short, it does go fast. I can’t say this is a book I would pick up again, but it’s possible it would appeal to a younger reader.

What a trip this was! My maiden name is DeVille so I knew I HAD to read this book.  And I'm seriously glad I did. Cruella is obviously my favorite villain because we shared a last name. But I never agreed with her plan to kill puppies... 

This book is told from Cruella's point of view. She grew up with a socialite mother who didn't have time for her. She got occasional attention from her father when he came to tuck her in at night. He brought her a pair of Jade earrings and told her they were from a cursed pirate ship and worth a fortune, so Cruella wore them constantly. 

She and Anita were great friends growing up. Anita wasn't from an appropriate family though so Cruella's mother didn't approve of their friendship and did everything she could to tear them apart. Her father died and it only brought Cruella and Anita closer together. 

For her 18th birthday, her father had made arrangements to have his solicitor gift Cruella a dalmatian puppy she had always wanted. Perdita was beautiful and Cruella's closest friend aside from Anita. At least, until Anita told Cruella how awful her mother was. Cruella sent them both away. 

Cruella moved on with her life and was splendidly happy for awhile until everything fell apart again. Poor Cruella was just not setup to be happy with life. 

"Miserable, Darling, as usual. Perfectly wretched" pretty much sums up her entire life. I felt bad for her through the entire book. Right up until the horrible puppy thieving plans.

I was sent this eARC from Disney-Hyperion via Netgalley

Evil Thing was my first experience reading one of Valentino’s books from her Villains series and I’m IMPRESSED and loving it and now need to read the rest of them! 

This story was told from Cruella’s point of view as if she was telling us the story herself, so we had the benefit of seeing what transpired but also hearing her thoughts throughout the entire story. We were able to watch her deterioration and really understand why she is so evil and what influenced her throughout her life for her to be how she is. 

Evil Thing was so beautifully woven and expertly written that I’m beyond excited I was able to read this early and get to enjoy it. Her background story completely explains why she is so cruel and so evil, especially towards puppies. It was so interesting to see how different actions and decisions can make someone the way they are later in their life, this was truly just so enjoyable and interesting to read!

If you’re even remotely enjoy Disney or Disney’s number one fan like me, then you need to read this story and I have zero doubts you’ll love and enjoy it like I did! I can’t wait to read the rest of the Villians series to get inside of all their heads! Also, I loved the note from the author in the end! She really made me feel like she talked to Cruella one on one to get her story and relay it to us, she made it feel like Cruella’s memoir and it just added that much more to the already amazing story!

A must for Disney fans of all ages, Evil Thing is the 7th novel in Serena Valentino's villains series that shares with readers unknown back story or history of a beloved Disney Villain. Once again how ever could I have misunderstood Cruella and her intentions? Or her relationships with her mother and Anita? Serena Valentino continues to write in a style that tugs at my heartstrings with her flipped perspective tales. Evil Thing built and got better and better, page by page so that by the last quarter of the book, I simply could not be interrupted EVEN THOUGH I KNOW HOW CRUELLA'S STORY ENDS! I don't remember an "afterword" in previous book in the Villains series but readers, it is important you do not miss it. Additionally, though suggested reading is young adult, for grades 7th and older, I think many younger/middle grade readers who are Disney fans will not only enjoy but appreciate this retelling. Thanks to #netgalley for the opportunity to preview #EvilThing by Serena Valentino - it was simply marvelous, darlings! Now, when will we get to meet Dr. Facilier and Yzma?

The idea of getting to know an iconic villain like Cruella was really intriguing to me and I am really happy I got to read her story.
Evil Thing is Cruella's memoir, the author, Selena Valentino, actually visited her and interviewed her. She talks about her childhood, her amazing dad, her fabulous mom, and of course her relationship with Anita. We see all the stages of her life and to be honest I felt sorry and sad for her. I got to know her on a deeper level and why she did what she did, although, don’t get me wrong, I don’t justify her actions. (If you ever end up at Hell Hall please don’t tell her).
But again, she wasn’t always like that Darlings, she wasn’t always evil. She once loved Perdita, until something shifted inside of her and wanted to turn her into a fur.
But let’s not talk about that now Darlings, you are going to have to wait until July 7th to know her whole story.

This richly detailed novel tells the back story of Cruella de Vil, sharing insight into how an imaginative child grew up into one of Disney's most notorious villains with an unhealthy dog obsession. More of a moody Gothic melodrama than a Technicolor Disney tale of "happily ever after," EVIL THING leaves you feeling much more sympathetic to a suddenly all-too-human woman.

I have read all of the books in the villain  series and love all of them. One things I always cherish is how all the books are connected . Where one book ended  the next one continue the story. I remember when my friend and I found out this book was being written, we spend the whole day using clue from the Odd sisters to figure out who the next villain might be.  So to say we were excited is an understatement . I enjoyed Curella story and my heart breaks for the little girl , who just wanted the love and acceptance of her mother. This story is beautifully told.  I completely understand Curella life Story and how she became this villain. Honestly I miss the Odd sister and their wackiness. I miss the fairytale   that attach to the other stories, this one felt extremely realistic , which is not a bad thing  because I became emotionally attached to Curella, I just miss the magic .

This struck me right in my Disney loving heart. 

Evil Thing is a magnificent book by Serena Valentino that is surely to take you by surprise. We all know the story of The 101 Dalmatians but not so much on Cruella De Vil. 

Throughout this story we get a peak at Cruellas life. From childhood to the days after she was exploited by the tabloids to be a madwoman. 

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of this book is absolute heartbreak. All the pieces fit perfectly to show how Cruella transformed into this evil thing. My favorite part was seeing her during her childhood with Anita and how she thrived in her adulthood before terrible things come into play. 

The only thing thing I wasn’t pleased with was how fast Cruella De Vil descended into madness. I feel as if her state of mind should have been more pronounced in the beginning and middle of the story.

This was the first book I read in the Villains series, and let me just say it blew me out of the water. I was expecting a silly fun Disney cartoony read and instead I got punched in the gut with a heart wrenching story that had so much depth and genuine emotion. I was completely unprepared for the pummeling my heart took while reading this but I absolutely loved it. 
I have always loved reading villain backstories because I think there is nothing more compelling that a bad guy that wasn’t always bad. Evil Thing does an incredible job building a believable but not predictable back story for Cruella that truly allows you to pity her, but still keeps her as a villain in the original text. I will absolutely be reading more books in this series.

I've read the first book in this series "Fairest of All" based on the evil queen in Snow White a few years ago and I really enjoyed that book. This book was a very slow burn for little payoff. I plan on reading the other books in between these two but I do  like the fact that you can jump into any of these backstory retellings without needing to read the previous books. Cruella De Vil is an interesting character but also a very frustrating one. Much of that stems from her childish behavior but it does not get better the older she gets. It's very hard to sympathize with a character who consistently makes the same mistakes even with everyone around her trying to do their best for her. I think it will ultimately depend on each reader how they feel about Cruella De Vil and whether her descent into madness is justified.

Not being a fan of Cruella or the '101 Dalmation's' movie, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I considered skipping it, but having read all the other books in the series, I just couldn't bring myself to do that.

This book is completely different from the previous six in this series as it's a 100% stand-alone story. You can read this book without reading any of the others and still get the exact same experience as someone who's read them all.

There's no Odd Sisters (which was kind of refreshing) and no magic (maybe a little bit of a curse, but that's up to the reader to decide). Princess Tulip and Prince Poppinjay are mentioned only as characters in Cruella's favorite childhood fairy tales. Other than that, this is ALL Cruella.

I love what Ms. Valentino did with Cruella's childhood. The dynamic between Cruella and her mother really sets the stage nicely for her behavior later in life. I really liked the intense and very close friendship Cruella enjoyed with Anita as a child and into their teens. It made their later relationship much more tragic.

The only thing I was a bit bummed about was the ending...it felt very rushed. We go from normal fun-loving Cruella (who has bursts of anger and impatience) to all of a sudden...BAM! Crazy, off-the-rails, straight-up-lost-her-damn-mind Cruella. It was kind of jarring. The Cruella at the end, who was quoting the lines in the movie, felt like a completely different person than the one I had just spent an entire book reading about. Much more dramatic and obnoxious. It was a struggle to picture her behaving that way...but I suppose madness will do that to a person.

Overall though, much to my surprise, this is one of my favorite books in the entire series. It doesn't have that other-worldly fairy tale vibe to it, but it's a really good story and gives Cruella a layer of humanity she seemed to be otherwise lacking.

I definitely look forward to whatever comes next in this series. I've really enjoyed it thus far.

Distinguish Yourself.
One Disney villain who has never been given a deeper backstory is Cruella De Vil. Anita’s “dearly devoted old school mate”, in Disney’s 1961 original animated movie, 101 Dalmatians. A majority of this book is about Cruella’s disenchanted relationship with her mother, and her steadfast friend Anita. I just wish there was a little more story about her father, he seemed like an interesting man. This book does explain quite a few things. Such as, where her fortune came from, why she finds Anita’s marriage tedious, why she likes furs, why kidnap puppies, and has she always been evil? Cruella is relatable, and there are even a few points where she is likable. If anything, her descent into dognapping resulted from a neglectful upbringing. This retelling will leave you nostalgic for the movies, and it could have used a bit of the 1996 live action movie. Overall, this is a great coming of age character study, showing that not all little girls grow up to be good.
“The world was such a wholesome place until Cruella, Cruella De Vil” Songwriter Mel Leven, Cruella DeVil lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company

Throughout her entire life, Cruella De Vil has always looked up to her dear mama. When Cruella was young, her mother would spend one hour a day with Cruella to teach her the valuable lessons of fashion and how to distinguish yourself. But Cruella’s mother would never take the time to get to know her own daughter, and she would prefer to give Cruella gifts instead. The rest of the day, Cruella would be looked after by her governess while her mother lived a life of extravagance. Although she lived a life of immense wealth and power, Cruella was very lonely and had only one true friend, Anita. 
 Evil Thing presents a new perspective of the iconic villain from One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Cruella De Vil. Told in her own voice, we slowly get to witness the transformation of a lonely rich girl into the cruel and flamboyant Cruella De Vil. 
Evil Thing is part of the Villains series, a collection of novels that tells the lives of the memorable Disney villains, all from their own point of view. This was my first time reading a book from this collection, and I was very surprised by just how much I enjoyed Evil Thing. Cruella’s distinct voice shines through on every page, so much so that you feel as if Cruella is telling you her story directly. I loved reading her story and learning to know why someone could become so obsessed about making a fur coat out of dalmatians. 
I would recommend Evil Thing by Serena Valentino to Disney fans and to those (like me) who were so curious as to why anyone would think of making a fur coat out of puppies!
*I received an advanced reader’s copy of Evil Thing from Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. *

Evil Thing is book number 7 in the villain series and it was just as amazing as the rest of the stories. While this one is completely different than the others I thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. There is a small part of the fairy-tale world and an important tie-in with a pair of earrings but outside of that this is a dark and sad story of Cruella DeVille and her slow progression into insanity that takes place in the human world. The story starts with her childhood in a very wealthy home where Cruella truly doesn't know what true love is or the forms it comes in. She seeks her mother's approval and attention from the start and she continually gets hit with tragedy and grief. As the reader one can't help but hold their breath and feel their own heart break for we are all too familiar with the demise of Cruella Deville. I highly recommend and another amazing story to go with the Villain Series.

There's always another side to the story.  The notorious Cruella  De Vil offers her memoir that gives a glimpse of her sad, lonely childhood and the pain and bad luck that continued into her adulthood and eventually drove her mad.  Growing up as child in an extremely wealthy home, Cruella only ever wanted love and affection from her mother.  Her father offered her unconditional love and support, but sadly died early leaving her to the whims of his selfish and arrogant wife.  Friendship and support were offered to Cruella by Anita, her childhood friend, and by the household staff and servants, but Cruella was too busy chasing her mother's attention and affection to realize this until she drove them all away..  

This book reminded me of Gregory McDonald's "Wicked," where your heart breaks for who you have long thought as the villainess, only to realize the pain and abuse that was endured and how circumstances made them into who they notoriously became.  I had not realized this was a part of a series while I was reading this, so I was delighted to learn that Serena Valentino has penned the "memoirs" of other leading vilenesses!  This series would be great additions to YA collections in middle and high school libraries.

This book was given to me by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

It's hard to believe you can feel bad for Cruella but some how Serena pulls it off. The story follows Cruella throughout her life up until the crime.  She wonderfully expands on the characters we all know and love. And she even she keeps you wondering if things are as they seem for some of the players.
It's interesting to see the story through Cruella and how far she goes off the rails without realizing it. Gives you a good understanding of people who will do anything to be loved, even if it never happens.

I love retelling stories, they are my favorite type of stories to read. The best retellings are the villain's story that explains who they were before and how they became so wicked.

Cruella De Vil is one of my top favorite Disney villains. I was thrilled to receive this ARC and didn't waste any time reading it. This story is not like any other and truth be told this is my first time reading the Villians series and I own all the other books and never got to them yet. Once I saw a story about Cruella I knew I wanted to read the story as soon as possible.

Just like any other villain, they were once a child, we get to know Cruella as a little girl, teen, and then an adult. We also get to meet some familiar faces like Anita. New characters we get to meet are Cruellas parents and how each one treats her differently.

I can say that I didn't absolutely love the book and I could also say I didn't hate the book either. I just felt like something was missing in the story, I felt like the whole time we were chasing Cruellas mother threw the whole story and nothing was coming of it. All I can say is that something was missing in this story and I felt like it could have been a lot better with a twist of a storyline with the infamous character, Cruella. Maybe I feel this way because I didn't read the other books? 

The author was detailed in her writing and did keep me reading and wanting more of the story however I just wished there was more detailed work on Cruella's background story. One detail I like that the author did was explaining in detail about Cruella and how she got her looks as far as her hair and how she is skinny and how she was losing herself. 

The story does follow up towards the end where Cruella wants the Dalmation puppies and for the reason for it, I wish there was more detail as to Cruella and more of a background of herself.

Not a bad retelling story, I look forward to reading more from this author and the other Villian stories.

Not bad but very much a slow descent into madness. 

“Evil Thing” gives the infamous Cruella the chance to tell her side of the story we all know so well and this time we get to meet the young girl desperate to make her father proud and earn her mother’s love even if it means giving up everything. 

I haven’t read the other books in this series so I don’t know if they’re all this kind of character study but it was interesting to see this rather long, drawn out take on Cruella going from this young girl who is blinded by her mother’s presence and her wishing to twist herself into someone worthy of Lady De Vil’s affection even if it meant burning bridges with those who truly care for her. 

My biggest critique is I felt like the emphasis here was on the drawn out part, there is very little action with any and all moments that could have amped up the tension or offered something to the plot happened offscreen so we only got Cruella’s perception on what might have happened behind closed doors or her self isolation which helped create her iconic image. I wish we could have gotten more of that grit and sass that comes with such an iconic character and while I appreciated the arc of her delusion what was fed by her innocent attempt to be loved this book was really, really slow. 

Overall this isn’t bad just not what I would have expected for a character that has been portrayed so many times with such a commanding presence so if you’re looking for the wide eyed fashionista shrieking through Hell Hall you’ll be disappointed. 

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I love a Disney villain! I Evil Thing follows Cruelle De Vil's journey from a young girl to the villain that we know and love. I highly recommend reading Evil Thing as well as the other books in this series.

This book would be great for doing a point of view lesson in the classroom. I loved reading about Cruella as she progressed through life. The reader was able to understand the character of Cruella better - what made her so evil! Quick read!