Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

Talia Hibbert’s 2023 YA novel Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute follows two teens in the UK as they compete for scholarships and try to deny their undeniable attraction.

The main story centers on Celine Bangura, an overachieving young woman with a popular TikTok channel delving into conspiracy theories, from alien abductions to the idea that Santa Claus is a capitalist plot. Her former best friend/enemy, Bradley Graeme, is a young bisexual man dealing with OCD. A prominent football (soccer) player, excellent student, and aspiring writer (though considering law school), Bradley adds complexity to the narrative.

The two end up in the same wilderness adventure camp attempting to win a scholarship to university. Taken out of their normal setting, the two are forced to work together to pursue their goals, and sparks start to fly.

Bradley is utterly unconcerned by his bisexuality. Because the book is told in alternating first-person perspectives, Bradley simply states his bisexuality, it’s unambiguous and uncomplicated. Although he spends most of the book pursuing Celine, he notices attractive men and women throughout the book and mentions his crushes on both. It’s refreshingly nonchalant and seamless, even though it isn’t a major plot point.