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When Claudia accidentally overhears the breakup of Paige and Iris, the it-couple at her school, she finds herself at odds with Iris, who seems determined to make her life miserable because of it. Unfortunately, it’s hard to avoid Iris when they’re in several of the same classes, and after turning in a poorly executed shared report, Claudia and Iris find themselves thrust against their will into the class production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Claudia quickly learns she is not destined for a life on the stage. She wouldn’t even be wasting her time working backstage if she wasn’t so desperate for a second chance to improve her grade and earn a shot at a college scholarship. And yet at the same time, if it wasn’t for Iris and that report and helping behind the scenes, Claudia never would have gotten to know Gideon.
Gideon is perhaps the goofiest, cutest boy Claudia has ever known — unlike Claudia, who would rather spend time at home playing Battle Quest, he seems to know everyone at school and he’s always making someone laugh. Stranger still, he seems interested in her.
Claudia isn’t sure she’s ready to open up her heart and let things go beyond friendship. She’s been hurt before and she doesn’t want to be hurt again. On top of that, she hates change. But things are changing fast for Claudia whether she wants them to or not, and senior year is already proving to be an eye-opening experience she will never forget.
I don’t like reading books with a lot of language, and I almost didn’t finish this book because of that. However, if you can look past the frequent and colorful language, Foolish Hearts is a cute, endearing story full of tentative romances, strong friendships, nerdy gamers, boy bands, strong sibling relationships, new opportunities, and learning to accept and love people for who they are. It’s about characters who make mistakes and care too deeply at times, but who love unconditionally and who aren’t afraid to forgive and forgive again. And it’s about learning how much you matter to those around you even if you don’t see your own value. At its heart, I found Foolish Hearts to be a light, endearing read, and I’m glad I stuck with it until the end.
Rated: High. For at least 50 instances of mild and moderate language, 19 uses of the name of Deity, and 45 uses of strong language. Sexual content includes some crude banter and innuendos. A parent poses a question about the character being sexually active. A male body part is used to describe the shape of something. There is talk of seeing two girls making out at a party, and vague references are made to same-sex sex. Couples, including a same-sex couple, kiss.
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