Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert: Review by Ahana Sil

 Book Review by Ahana Sil

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

Two former friends, Bradley Graeme and Celine Bangura, now share nothing between them except a fierce academic rivalry. Or at least, that’s been the status quo for a while. But when Bradley is indirectly responsible for causing Celine to fracture her wrist, hindering her chances at succeeding in a survival course in the woods, he can’t just let her do it alone. The first activity they haven’t been forced to do together for years, and both of them have to work on a team, too. In order to win the grand prize, a full scholarship to study any undergrad degree at any British university of their choice, both students have to set aside their differences and work together, as neither of them can afford to let this once in a lifetime opportunity slip past. And who knows, they might even be able to rekindle their friendship along the way. While the concept is slightly overdone, I believe that it was well executed, and I enjoyed reading it. It was interesting to see how some people who aren’t usually comfortable with team activities, a feeling that I’m sure many can relate to, managed to stow away their fears and work towards their goals. It was an enjoyable read that really left you thinking about expectations set by society and how they can be detrimental to the relationships of young people. It was interesting to see both characters as seen by the other, and how actions can be easily misconstrued without proper communication. While some parts did feel somewhat dry, in general, it was a fun and engaging story about reconnecting the bonds of friendship that will appeal to all kinds of people.