From the Publisher
Praise for Foolish Hearts:
"Through . . . friendship struggles and romances old and new, Mills evokes the high stakes and vast rewards of trust, intimacy, and honesty." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
". . . the characters are wonderfully fresh and honest. Claudia narrates in funny, conversational first-person present as the plot meanders toward opening night of Midsummer, allowing time for Claudia's blooming relationships and self-confidence to develop. The course of true love never did run smooth, but in the case of these two lovers, the journey is worth your while." —Kirkus Reviews
". . . the backdrop of [Claudia's] school interactions, family events, (including her sister's dangerous premature delivery), gaming, part-time job, developing interest in a hot new band, and personal growth in her circle of friends is exceptional . . . " —School Library Journal
This Adventure Ends:
"Immensely enjoyable." —Booklist
"Mills (First & Then) seamlessly creates art imitating life imitating art while bringing freshness to the familiar romantic conventions she invokes. With taut, realistic dialogue, she expertly crafts blossoming friendships and nascent romances." —Publishers Weekly
First & Then:
“With sporadic references to Jane Austen's famous characters and wickedly inventive language, Mills closely observes the social milieu of an American high school. . . . A fresh, smart, inventive, and altogether impressive debut.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Kirkus Reviews
2017-08-27
In Mills' (This Adventure Ends, 2016, etc.) latest, the beginning of senior year leads to new friendships and new love. When Claudia accidentally overhears the breakup of Iris and Paige, Prospect-Landower School for Girls' "cutest couple," no-nonsense Iris threatens to ruin her. Instead, Claudia and Iris strike up an unlikely friendship after a failed group project forces them to participate in the school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Iris is Chinese-American, the other primary characters ambiguously described, suggesting a white default. Claudia, who previously hadn't bothered to make friends outside her childhood bestie, Zoe, begins to open herself to her peers. Chief among them is outgoing, kindhearted Gideon, a student at nearby all-male Danforth Prep. Even when Claudia lets herself believe that Gideon may actually be interested in her, a previous breakup makes her hesitant to pursue a new relationship ("It's just easier to never start something than to have to see it end"). Unfortunately, the story follows the tired popular-boy-falls-for-unpopular-girl trope; otherwise, however, the characters are wonderfully fresh and honest. Claudia narrates in funny, conversational first-person present as the plot meanders toward opening night of Midsummer, allowing time for Claudia's blooming relationships and self-confidence to develop. The course of true love never did run smooth, but in the case of these two lovers, the journey is worth your while. (Fiction. 13-18)
