Were you one of those people who was required to read The Great Gatsby in high school? If not, you were one of the lucky ones. I found that book so incredibly boring. Beautiful little fools, however, is absolutely amazing. IT’s the story of the great Gatsby, but told through the perspective of the various women in the story. I found it so wonderfully told, and had a hard time putting it down. Keep reading for my review.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Beautiful little fools, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
About the author
Jillian Cantor is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of eleven novels for teens and adults, which have been chosen for LibraryReads, Indie Next, Amazon Best of the Month, and have been translated into 13 languages. Jillian’s next historical novel for adults, BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOLS, will be published in February 2022. Born and raised in a suburb of Philadelphia, Cantor currently lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons.
The story of beautiful little fools is told through 4 points of view.
Daisy, who fell in love with jay Gatsby when she was young, and even thought she would marry him. When tragedy befalls her family, she forces herself into a marriage of convenience to Tom Buchanan.
Jay has gone off to war, but promises himself that he will become worthy of daisy.
Catherine, who meets jay when he returns from war, has a sister who is in an abusive marriage. Catherine determines she will never allow herself to fall for someone like that, decides to stay single. She and jay begin a sort of “friends with benefits” relationship, which ends suddenly when daisy moves back to town.
Jordan, daisy’s best friend from childhood, hides a secret of her own. In the war-torn 40’s, Jordan has made a name of herself in the world of women’s golf, and she’s finally able to support her ailing father, but her secret threatens to steal all of that from her.
Detective frank Charles, who is investigating jay gatsby’s death, meets with each woman separately, and tries to determine how jay died, and even though he’s convinced that each woman is lying, he can’t tell why, or about what. All he really knows is that they have secrets, and he finds it his job to figure them out before his retirement.
Like I said above, I was not a fan of the great Gatsby. I thought the story was shallow and trite. I didn’t enjoy reading it and have never read it since high school.
Beautiful little fools, however, is different. It’s told from a different perspective, and told with such heart, that it’s difficult not to absolutely fall in love with the story.
Trigger warnings
If you’ve lost a parent or a sibling or have ever been with a cheating spouse or partner, please be careful with this book. The author is careful to treat the subjects with sensitivity, but not in such a way that she pulls her punches. Some of the story could be difficult to read for someone who has been through those things.
Characters
Daisy’s character is so hard not to love. She very much makes mistakes, with her marriage to Tom at the top of the list. She never really loves him, and he’s a dickbag. I don’t usually cuss in my blog posts, but if you read the book, you’ll see it fits. I absolutely hated him, and for sure wished him down an elevator shaft.
I really felt for Daisy. She was in such a difficult situation. Most of it she put herself in, such as choosing to marry Tom when she didn’t really love him. I’m not condoning what Tom did to her, because as I established earlier, he’s a dickbag. Daisy kept hoping he would change, and gave him plenty of opportunities to do so, but he kept up his horrible ways, eventually putting Daisy in a pretty serious depressive state.
Jordan is another of my favorite characters. She struggles with her identity through much of the book, and because of the time and culture she lives in, she becomes ostracized when she tries to be herself. I know many people who have struggled with this same thing, even during modern times, and I always feel for them. Jordan is one of those characters that you just want to grab hold of, give a huge hug, and promise that everything will be ok.
Save this Post to Pinterest
Writing Style
I wouldn’t call this book a quick read, or a slow and steady. I was able to read it in a few days, and at times I found it hard to put down, but it’s one of those books you will either devour quickly, or relish over a few days. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in your experience either way.
I found the story satisfying. I’m not going to say too much about the ending, because I hate spoilers and would never do that to you. I found enough closure in the ending that I felt it was the perfect way to close out the story, and I didn’t feel like it warranted a sequel.
The book’s setting was during World War 2, yet I could imagine the fashions, and the world/setting perfectly. Jillian gave such life to the characters’ surroundings that I almost felt like I was walking along with them, or driving with them, or playing golf with them.
Overall, Beautiful Little Fools was a beautiful story, told in a wonderful way. I’m so thankful I received this book from Netgalley and had the chance to read this gorgeous story.
If you enjoyed the great Gatsby, you’ll love this book.
If you didn’t enjoy the great Gatsby, you’ll enjoy this book.
I truly believe that despite your feelings about the inspiration for this story, you’ll get what you looked for in this book. It’s well worth your time, and I highly recommend it.
Reading a story from a unique perspective is something I always enjoy in a new story. Even if the book is mainstream, and not my preferred indie, I can appreciate a unique story, told in a beautiful way. Beautiful Little Fools is a story like that, and if you haven’t read it, I sincerely hope you will.
Please let me know below what you think of the story, and who your favorite character was. I’d love to chat! if you enjoyed this book review, please share with someone you think would enjoy the book.
WHile you’re here, please subscribe! You’ll get weekly notifications of new posts, and I never spam. Promise!
Until Next Time, Friends!
