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    52 Likes
    52 Likes
    52 Likes
    Ebook176 pages2 hours

    52 Likes

    By Medeia Sharif

    4.5/5

    ()

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    About this ebook

    After a brutal rape and near-murder, Valerie wants to get past feelings of victimhood from both the assault and her history of being bullied. Not knowing the identity of her masked rapist and dealing with the nasty rumors about that night are two things that plague her daily.

    Valerie will have to follow ghostly entities, past victims of the rapist-murderer, contacting her through a social media site. Why do all of their eerie photos have 52 likes under them? Their messages are leading her to the mystery man, although he’ll put up a fight to remain hidden.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEvernight Teen
    Release dateJan 18, 2015
    ISBN9781772331868
    52 Likes
    Author

    Medeia Sharif

    Medeia Sharif (Miami Beach, FL) is a Kurdish-American author and high school English teacher. She received her master's degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. is her debut novel.

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    Reviews for 52 Likes

    4.5/5

    20 ratings11 reviews

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    • 5/5
      On the first page 52 Likes will hit you in the gut and never let up. A story about the aftermath of the rape and attempted murder of a high school girl, we glimpse the internal struggles created by the initial assault and made even worse by how some of her peers treat her. Yet through it all we also come to understand, to the extent someone who has not experienced such a violation can, what it takes to simply keep going. Then to not simply keep going but to seek some form of justice for both herself and the rapist's past victims. A difficult read at times but definitely worth the effort.Reviewed from an ARC made available by the publisher via LibraryThing.
    • 4/5
      Note: I received a free copy of this book as part of a LibraryThing giveaway in exchange for an honest review. 52 Likes is a gripping book that deals with some very difficult subject matter in an honest, but sensitive manner. The author's description of Valerie's brutal rape, her emotional response to it, and the shocking bullying she endures at school, were very realistically written. The characters were well-developed, and despite the painful subject matter, the story was very engaging. However, as a fan of paranormal fiction, I thought the supernatural aspects of the book did not work that well and detracted from the gritty reality of the book. I also wasn't a huge fan of the ending. I thought everythng was resolved too quickly and easily in the end.
    • 2/5
      I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. This did not effect my opinion of the book, or my review itself.The good about 52 Likes:The idea of social media being used to solve a crime is one that fascinates me. We are currently seeing examples of this with podcasts like Serial and Missing Maura Murray, as well as online forums for solving cold cases, and even PostSecret possibly getting a clue to a murder from the murderer themself.52 Likes explores how social media can hurt victims of crime, but also help bring their attackers to justice. Through Valerie, her protagonist, Sharif shows how, thanks to technology, one moment can haunt a person for a lifetime. But Valerie is strong, and works to turn friendship and photo sites to her own advantage.The not-so-good about 52 Likes: The writing style is unfortunately flat. Sharif does a lot of telling, and not a lot of showing. When metaphors are used, they read as cliched. Sharif also seems to repeat herself a lot, giving the readers the same information over and over again.The big twist seems to come out of nowhere, and doesn't really make much sense looking back. Valerie also seems to figure it out in a sudden flash, off of very little information.The other negative is, for me, a personal preference. This was a very dark story, with very little light. So many bad things had happened, and kept happening to Valerie, many times in graphic detail. I do read a lot of darker mysteries and thrillers, but there has to be some glimmer of hope throughout, not just in the last few pages.I personally wouldn't read another book by this author, or recommend it to a friend. It wasn't for me.
    • 5/5
      Once I started reading I couldn't stop!!!!! This book is fast paced and makes you really feel for Val. This author is one of the good ones I cant wait to read more. This is going in my top 10 for sure!!
    • 5/5
      What a great book! Did not put it down until I finished. This might be a YA book however everyone can benefit from reading. It shows the struggle an determination of Valerie. She was not going to just become a victim. There are details given but not over done. This is the first book I have read by Sharif. I can not wait to read more. I highly recommend ypu won't be disappointed.
    • 5/5
      No review of this book would give justice to how great 52 Likes is. Best opener to a story I have ever read. I felt I was experiencing it first hand. Every detail and event was well described. The author also introduced her characters well especially the main one. I better understood the future events in the story because of the opener. The author described the typical feelings and reactions of a rape victim. As the story progresses I really get a sense of who the main character was before the rape. She does a thing with the timeline order of events that was very successful in this book. I found myself crying on occasion for all she has to go through along with the rape. At times I felt the treatment she gets from her peers is more painful than the rape. My thoughts were always racing with the strong plot development. The suspenseful moments always left me hanging onto my seat. I liked the way she used the fact that people are anonymous online for the story. The cast of characters was right for every situation. Pace of the story was good. I would recommend this book to both teens and adults. There is nothing I would change about this book except that I wish there was a book two. Looking forward to more books from this author. The ending was superb but one that will elude you if you aren't paying close attention. Look out for the small details they are the key to figuring out the ending. It left me with a feeling of hope and triumph in the after math of tragedy.
    • 4/5
      I received this book and was asked to provide a review. From the first page I was consumed. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. You will experience different emotions for many of the characters ranging from sadness to anger to relief. You have Valerie, a rape victim which you have sympathy for and hope that she will get through this whole situation. Cesar & Leon, typical bullies that truly do exists in today's schools, Rudy, the bully who changes and tries to help, Cookie, a best friend who always has your back no matter what, Hector, the boy who is not so popular with the girls and the mother, who does anything and everything for her child. These are the types of characters that you come across both fictionally and in reality because some time in your life you know or knew some of these people. The realization and fondness of of this book is why I would recommend others to read it, especially teenagers.
    • 5/5
      This an emotional read for sure and in places, difficult. We follow Valerie, a rape victim and the aftermath of the traumatic event that has changed her life forever. We delve into her mentality and grow attached to the strength she shows towards trying to get herself back into normal life and moving on. It's not that easy at all. With fellow classmates being cruel and judgemental, the suffering goes from bad to worse but after a very curious incident through social media, it becomes clear to Valerie what she must do to take those shaky first steps in the healing direction.This is a very gutting insight into the life of a rape victim from the event itself to the ultimate outcome. There is graphic mental imagery in places that make it uncomfortable to read but that's effective in understanding or at least empathising with the main character and all that she goes through.There are places where your skin crawls, where you want to reach into the book and maim certain characters and places where you just want to cry. It's effective and yet mysterious with ghostly elements that capture you and want answers. I struggled with the writing style in some places but from half way I was hooked and praying for a happy conclusion. I wasn't entirely convinced by the main character but again, she grew on me during the second half. I do believe that is is hard to completely understand if you haven't suffered yourself but this book gives you a fair idea of the destruction it causes and the slipping of mentality. The loss of control over ones own life.Overall I rate this book 4.5 stars as it was a gripping, emotional roller coaster that got me thinking and really got under my skin.I received this book through LibraryThing giveaways :)
    • 5/5
      I was finally able to download this book after a few problems. I was expecting to read something more for teens than adults, but I was pleasantly surprised. Right from the beginning the story took hold of me and I wanted to keep reading. It tells of the troubles and pain a girl goes through when they are assaulted. I really felt sorry for what she went through, but I feel it made her stronger in the long run. I would suggest to others to give this book a try. It's not just for teens, but for really anybody to learn how to fight back. Really a good book. Thanks for the chance to read and review this.
    • 5/5
      Rape. We read about it in the newspapers. We see it on the TV news. We see how this act of violence affects the life of the victims, their families and their friends. We may even know someone whose life has been changed by this horrible crime. Author Medeia Sharif’s latest YA novel, 52 LIKES, opens with a rape scene that catches the readers’ attention at once. The author describes the scene just right. It’s not gross, with gory details, but it contains enough description and the victim’s thoughts that I was caught up in the scene with Valerie , imagining the terror she felt. The fear. Wanting it to end. Helpless to stop it.She survives and although she’d like to stay hidden and forget the horrid event, she can’t. She’s afraid, yes, but she’s also determined to discover who raped her and see that he’s caught and punished. Until she does, she can’t have her life back. Facing the rumors at school, the school counselor who doesn’t care, and the boys that taunt her and call her names isn’t easy. Soon she finds herself searching not only for the rapist for herself, but also for the three other girls in the photos that appeared on her cell, the ghost girls that he’s killed, his original plan for Valerie, until someone intervened.Medeia Sharif has written a story that, unfortunately, is true to life. She’s given us a glimpse into the mind of a victim. The author keeps the reader in suspense throughout the book, letting us wonder who the rapist/murderer is until the very end.In 52 LIKES, we also see a lovely mother-daughter relationship. When everyone else fails her, Valerie’s mother is there. Valerie is a character that you want to hug and protect and help her realize the beauty inside herself. This is a good book to use for a discussion on bullying and how hatred can destroy lives and relationships. Nice job. I was provided with an ARC for my honest review.
    • 5/5
      I received a KINDLE copy of this book from the author through a giveaway she had on LibraryThing and the following is my honest opinion.What is THE MOST TERRIFYING experience any woman should ever have to face? Now image how this individual would feel if she had only been a teenager looking for an evening of fun at a party in an abandoned or vacant home and had gone to the wrong address, only to be viciously raped and nearly killed. You can image the intense impact this would have on the protagonist of this book, Valerie; can’t you. I know you can.Being constantly bullied by her classmates had always plagued Valerie, but now, in addition, she not only had to face being taunted with nasty rumors of that fateful night; she also had no idea as to who her masked rapist was. Imagine looking at every guy passing by you and wondering if he had been the guilty culprit who had raped you.While you would probably want to put this horrific incident of your life and the rest of the negative experiences of your life; Valerie definitely wants to. What she didn’t know when she began her quest to return her life to a sense of normalcy, had been the psychological and metaphysical hurdles she’ll have to face. The most baffling of these had been why all of the eerie photos of the past victims of her rapist/murderer had 52 LIKES under their photos, something which had to be more than mere coincidence. The author has done a wonderful in writing about Valerie’s real life experience and feelings connecting with spirits of the culprit’s victims, especially the angst she experiences before, during and after her rape; feelings her readers should feel as well as they read this book. But when all is said and done, at the end of the day, will Valerie ultimately become an unfortunate victim of her horrific ordeal, scarred for life; or will she triumph and become a survivor. You’ll have to read the book to find out. As for me, I’m happy to give Ms. Sharif the 5 STARS it deserves.

    Book preview

    52 Likes - Medeia Sharif

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