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All sixteen year old Yvette Simmons wanted was to disappear. Problem is: she has too many demons for that. Yvette’s life changed forever after a street fight over a boy ended in a second degree murder charge. Forced to start all over again, she’s sentenced to live in a group home far from anything or anyone she’s ever known. She manages to keep her past hidden, until a local cutie, known as Brooklyn, steps in. Slowly, Yvette lets him into her heart and he gives her the summer of her dreams...
 
But in Yvette’s world things are never as they seem.
 
Brooklyn has a few secrets of his own and Yvette’s past comes back with a vengeance. Will she face life head-on? Will she return to her old ways? Or will an unexpected letter decide her fate?

“Simone’s story is reminiscent of Sistah Souljah’s groundbreaking The Coldest Winter Ever…a hard hitting tale of the inner city’s unforgiving streets.” —Library Journal
 
“Simone knows how to tell a story…and she can also bring the drama.” —RT Book Reviews

272 pages, Paperback

Published November 29, 2016

17 people are currently reading
169 people want to read

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Ni-Ni Simone

23 books344 followers

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5 stars
32 (55%)
4 stars
14 (24%)
3 stars
6 (10%)
2 stars
2 (3%)
1 star
4 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Mrs Tupac.
724 reviews52 followers
October 18, 2018
The plot was a good one
Yvette broken English really made me rush through this book. She was hard headed, bad, mouthy, and naive. Glad she got a happy ending.
Profile Image for liv.
86 reviews
May 29, 2025
When I first started this book, I hesitated and thought about taking it back to the library, but I'm so glad I didn't! This book is so heartwarming and showed that family isn't always whether you're related by blood or not. You can be apart of a family and not share the same bloodline. I love Yvette, and I know some people didn't care for her attitude or personality. But I personally think she was so well-written. She had sass and fight in her. But not because shes a mean person or a bad person, but because of her childhood. She never felt true love or care, which morphed her into that person. I'm so happy she got a happy ending, along with a loving family and boyfriend. This girl deserves the world and I was rooting for her every second! I love this book and I'll definitely read another one by this author ^^
Author 23 books26 followers
September 16, 2021
A Great Read

It is not often that I whip up stories and create characters just like Yvette, but it is often that I read stories and characters like Yvette. Yvette captured my heart, and I am proud to announce that Dear Yvette will be in my Recommended Book Club and Reading List
Profile Image for Kimberly.
8 reviews
March 17, 2017
Great story

This was truly a great story. It show how just by being around people who truly love you for you can turn you life around.
Profile Image for Dorothy.
260 reviews1 follower
July 13, 2018
I absolutely loved this book! I think everyone should read it, especially teenagers! :)
2 reviews
January 4, 2022
At times I found Yvette annoying but then I had to think about the circumstances of her life and stop my self. She’s on edge from being neglected most of her life. I’m glad she got a happy ending.
Profile Image for nanee.
6 reviews
February 21, 2019
I loved this book since the first page!! Dear Yvette was an amazing book and even when I said I will not let another book make me cry , I did and I am glad I did. I truly love this book and it has been my favorite book of 2019.
3 reviews
March 1, 2017
Ni-Ni Simone Dear Yvette book is filled with excitement and trials. I was very intrigued reading this book and I also could relate to some parts. Yvette was a young girl living a big life she never really had any family because her mom left when she was 10 and she been in the streets ever since. I love the attitude that Yvette had you can tell she was a very down to earth girl who just had a little problems.

The conflict between Yvette and her grandma was good you can almost imagine being there and seeing the arguments in real life. Yvette was the protagonist and the antagonist because she fights battle and achieve things within herself for her and her 2 year old daughter Kamari. There is a lot of humor in the book towards the end and when Yvette finds a boy she really likes it makes the story even better. I loved the book and recommend it to other high schools students.
Profile Image for Danielle Urban.
Author 12 books166 followers
April 28, 2017
Dear Yvette by Ni-Ni Simone is an interesting YA novel. An urban fiction read that has all of the drama, action, and stakes readers want. Criminal activity, past murder charge, and the difficulty of restarting a life. Yvette Simons will have a challenge at every corner. Staying away from everything she knew will prove hard. Then to add to the intensity of the plot, she finds herself attracted to a good looking guy. But whether he will break or make her new life is for readers to see...

Ni-Ni Simone has a way of capturing the street life of young adults inside of her books. The teens come to life. Their choices are scary and drastic. I was left to holding my breath waiting for anything to tilt Yvette's life. A life that felt like is was hanging onto a thin thread. Intriguing, exciting, and believable. The plot was like a rollercoaster ride. Overall, I recommend this to readers. (I got this book from the publisher.)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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