This was an interesting and unique read! So often the villain is seen in one light: as being evil. But this book fills Cruella in as a complex character in her own right. Especially her childhood and friendship with Anita gave insight as to why Cruella reacted the way she did.
I definitely recommend Evil Thing. While it is not your typical YA novel, I think you will still find yourself enjoying it.

Cruella De Vil was a spoiled little girl. Her father loved her and spent time with her, but her mother only bought her gifts to show her love. When Cruella’s father died, she was abandoned by her mother, who decided to travel the word after sending Cruella away to school. The only way that Cruella knows how to give and receive love is through money and gifts. The ultimate gift to her is fur, and it would be an even more special gift if it was a unique fur coat made from black and white puppies.

This is the first book I’ve read in this Disney villains series and I loved it! Cruella De Vil is one of the meanest Disney villains. She wanted to make a fur coat out of Dalmatian fur. This story didn’t try to justify what Cruella wanted to do, which is so horrible it can’t be explained. What the story does though is show how Cruella became a woman who wanted a coat made out of puppies.

Cruella narrates this story herself. She tells the story of her upbringing and her confusing relationships with other people. Cruella was from a high class family, who lived in a large house with servants. She would describe the people who she was close to, but weren’t quite at her high level in society, as in-betweens. This included her best friend Anita, who lived with an upper class family but was not given the same privileges as them. Anita later becomes the owner of the Dalmatians which Cruella wants to have for their fur. The relationship between Cruella and Anita was much more complex than in the movie 101 Dalmatians. This story explained why Cruella behaved the way she did.

I really enjoyed this story!

Thank you Disney Book Group for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of Cruella De Vil. It follows something of The Great Gatsby route, being centered in that same old money world. All she ever wanted was her mother's love. Love that was not to be found even though Cruella could never see it. He mother was more obsessed with "things" and social status and couldn't be bothered with raising a child. **Shakes Fist** Darn you, Serena Valentino, for making feel empathetic to such an evil villain. If I had any criticism, it would maybe be that Valentino tried to connect and explain too many little things to the movie.

Apparently Valentino has written a whole series of these books about Disney villains, but this was my first exposure. I liked it well enough that I'll check out some others.

This has to be my favorite of all Serena Valentino's books. I really enjoyes seeing the progrssion of Cruella's life and she became an "evil thing". Her side of the story was kind of sad and heartbreaking. You can really feel the emotions she had throughout the book and that reallg kept me engaged in the story. ♡

I do not want to feel sorry for Cruella, yet here I am saying to myself, “It’s no wonder she turned into a puppy-stealing, dog-murdering, canine-fur-coat-making, maniacal villain and sovereign of Hell Hall””

“Evil Thing” by Serena Valentino explains just how the sweet young girl turned into the evil, penniless Cruella De Vil. The author also explains her trademark black/white hair, black slip dress, red lipstick and heels, fur coat, and jade earrings. Oh, those earrings!

This is the 7th book in the series. Although it is not my favorite in the series (I have read a couple of the others), it is fun to read especially if you are a fairy tale or Disney fan. In all fairness, Cruella is not my favorite villain, either. I specifically like that these are not just rehashings of the classic fairy tale or beloved Disney movie, but the fresh, backstory of the villain. These are all standalone books, but the author does recommend reading in order.

I especially love these covers; they look great on a bookshelf. Her tagline for the series if perfect, “Evil is made, not born.” In these cases, she is undeniably correct; life plays a huge part of who we are and what we become!

Publication Date: July 7, 2020
Genre: Fairy tale, fantasy, young adult, retelling, fiction
Cover: Perfect
Rating: 4 stars
Source: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!
#EvilThing #NetGalley

I love this series! This book is a great addition to the collection. I can't wait to get this to put with the rest of the books.

dnf at 10%

i honestly couldn’t get into this book. i tried to read another book but this author, and i think in the same series and i couldn’t get into it.

I enjoyed this book. I am a huge fan of fairytale retellings. While this isn't a retelling, it's more of a villain backstory. I think that this book idea is a really cool concept. There is a whole series of these villain books and this is Cruella De Vil's story. The author did a really good job creating a whole backstory for Cruella. Considering she is one of the Disney villains that doesn't have a clear backstory in the movies and has never really had a backstory for her. Her story is very sad and there is some mental abuse/trauma in this book. I think due to that fact it was a little sad for me and a bit harder to get through. The author did a really good job showing why Cruella became a villain and it came across really well. All in all I thought it was a good read.

Oh man I really love this series of books and I can't wait to read book 8. These stories just give you so much of what you don't really know about each villain since we only ever see the culmination of them being evil and not how their childhood and experiences shaped them into the famous villains we love to hate. I just really found this story super interesting and while Cruella isn't my favorite villain it was still an interesting read and made you sympathize with the character and gave her a humanizing touch. While the ending was a little abrupt with the dramatic change to how off the rails she ends up in 101 dalmations it was still very good.

Thanks to Disney Hyperion and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own

This was my first book in the Villains series by Serena Valentino and I loved it. Evil Thing is the story of a young Cruella De Vil. It is written from Cruella’s point of view and follows her life from a young girl to the villain we all know and love. I found her character to be fascinating. She was awful of course, but there were glimpses of kindness at points. The story flows perfectly and the characters are all well written. It is a quick read and highly enjoyable.

“Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil…if she doesn’t scare you, no Evil Thing will…”

“ Evil Thing” by Serena Valentino was my first step into her villain series! This book focuses on the life and times of the villain we all know as Cruella De Vil. At times, I felt sorry for Cruella. She did not even realize how her childhood would play a part in who she would become. I felt that this book was well constructed. The plot was great, and the character building was amazing. I did feel that there were some parts that were a little slow and drawn out but overall, it was just so good! I cannot wait to go back and read the rest of this series!

This was a very interesting retelling of Cruella De Vil and her backstory. I loved that we got to see a gradual shift into insanity. The author packs so many details of her life into this book from her friendship with Anita, her relationship with her parents, and her marriage to Jack. I can't wait to rewatch 101 Dalmatians after reading this book!

For the full review, follow this link: https://fictionfixerreads.wordpress.com/2020/07/06/arc-review-evil-thing/

The prose is simplistic, but the descriptions of London, the estates, the clothes, the grand furniture, and lavish lifestyles of high society heighten immersion and enrich the atmosphere of each scene. Cruella’s voice and characterization is fantastic as well! Valentino took movie!Cruella’s traits and built a complex emotional and psychological profile to explain (not excuse, in my opinion!) Cruella’s actions and motivations. In addition, the book tackled the materialism and discriminatory attitude that a materialistic-led lifestyle brings. It also showed how some villains aren’t inherently evil, but made that way. That said, this book does have some faults. There’s some spoonfeeding and redundancy in character interactions. Some integral parts to Cruella’s descent into villainy were rushed as well. This book’s pacing is slow, which does allow for reasonable character development, but there are moments that make it seem like Cruella’s emotions or decisions came out of nowhere.

Overall, Serena Valentino’s Evil Thing is a fun and thoughtful take on one of Disney’s most iconic villains. It offers a nuanced backstory on a villain that didn’t have the most sympathetic of motivations (really, what kind of person would kill puppies for their coats?), which is difficult to do. I enjoyed the writing immensely, especially how Cruella’s voice was clear and so in-character, and I’m impressed with this newest addition to the Villains series!

Evil Thing by Serena Valentino.
Publication Date: July 7, 2020

Description from NetGalley...
“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.”

Thank you to @NetGalley, Disney Hyperion, Disney Book Group for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
.
My thoughts...
This was my first Villain series book. It’s considered in the middle-grade and ya genres. I enjoy reading backstories, and who wouldn’t want to read about Cruella’s. There was not a lot of action in the story, instead you read about Cruella’s transition to becoming a notorious villain. Certain themes were prolonged or were used quite often. Written as an autobiography, you read how Cruella defined her parents’ love for her, how she tried so hard to win her mother’s approval and how she loses the only friend she ever had. It’s about mother-daughter relationship, social-class, friendship and love.

We finally learn things from Cruella’s point of view, how she became the Villain we all know.

Cruella grew up with a socialite mother who didn't have time for her.

Her father adored her, but rarely had time to spend with her. He brought her a pair of Jade earrings one night and told her they were from a cursed pirate ship and worth a fortune, so Cruella wore them constantly. ⁣
⁣
Her closest friend growing up was Anita, who wasn't from a proper family, so Cruella's mother didn't approve of their friendship and did everything she could to tear them apart. After her father died and it only brought Cruella and Anita closer together. ⁣
⁣
For her 18th birthday, her father had arranged for Cruella to be gifted a dalmatian puppy. 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 happy for awhile until everything fell apart again. Poor Cruella

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.