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#BookReview: Hype by Yvette M Calleiro @YvetteMCalleiro

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Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for a read from fellow author and friend, Yvette M Calleiro. I’ve posted this book review on a Monday instead of my usual review Thursday because I won’t be online so much on the 23rd. Happy Holidays, everyone! >>>

59581922. sy475 About the Book:

Cici’s junior year in high school is going to be the best year ever. Popular co-captain of the varsity cheerleading team, she’s dating the starting quarterback. Even her jealous co-captain’s attempts to steal her boyfriend can’t curb her enthusiasm.

When her mom moves in with her fiancé, a handsome, wealthy man, only one small detail threatens Cici’s perfect life. The school’s social pariah is about to become her stepsister, and Cici wants nothing to do with her.

Everything changes when someone Cici cares about throws her life into a tailspin, and the one person Cici couldn’t stand becomes her only ally.

Warning: This story contains scenes of sexual assault.

 

My Review:

🌟🌟🌟🌟

An intense YA read which tackles some hefty and important issues.

Cici has the perfect life … until she doesn’t. Her mom drops the bombshell news that she’s going to marry her boyfriend, and this means that Grub (Gaby) will become her stepsister and move in with Cici and her mom. She likes the rich, successful, and attractive husband-to-be but does NOT want anyone at school to know she’s becoming family with the dark goth misfit.

Life rolls on, and the first half of the book shows us a world of teens, their cliques, and all the mini-dramas that come with older adolescence, including the pressure to have sex and drink and all of that. The book really gets moving, and heavy, at a little after the halfway point when Cici is raped by someone close to her. The rapist then threatens to kill her mother if she ever tells a soul. Cici feels trapped and terrified and withdraws from her boyfriend and BFF.

I felt the author did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life and making me feel for them all, including hating the abuser and rolling my eyes at the petty co-captain.

Here are some lines I loved …

“I swear that girl loves to crawl under my skin and roll around like a dog in the grass.”

And …

“The glare she gave him would send gladiators running for the hills.”

And …

“There are moments in our lives that forever change us, but how we choose to allow it to change us is within our control.”

This is a good read that will pull you in slowly as the build-up hooks you and piques your interest.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

 

For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …

UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

US … https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

 

That’s it from me until the new year now. Thank you, everyone, for your support and friendship this year! Happy Holidays and stay safe.

Happy Holidays graphic

25 Comments on “#BookReview: Hype by Yvette M Calleiro @YvetteMCalleiro”

  4. Excellent review, Harmony. I knew the subject matter of this book was going to tend to the dark side, but I also know Yvette has surely delivered a strong and important message. Thanks for sharing and congratulations to Yvette!

  5. This is the next book up on my TBR list and I look forward to reading it. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Hype, and congrats to Yvette!!

  8. Great review, Harmony! Although its a heavy read I found myself pulled into Cici’s world and rooting for her.