Review: Wild Roses

Title: Wild Roses
Author: Deb Caletti
Age Group: Young Adult
My Rating: 4/5

Wild Roses is about Cassie Morgan's life, well part of her life...basically the year she was 17. Cassie's parents are divorced and so she spends some times at her dad's house and sometimes at her mom's. The thing about her mom's home is that she also has to live with her violin-genius step-dad. Oh, and her step-dad is on the verge of crazy.

Crazy Step-Dad is the world renowned violinist and composer Dino Cavalli. But at home he is mean, short-tempered, and basically paranoid. Dino constantly thinks his ex-manager is following him around, stalking the house, and preparing to ruin his wonderful career.

Dino is preparing for a concert and has also taken in cutie Ian Waters. Cassie falls for him the second his bike (bicycle) enters the front yard. The thing about Cassie is she doesn't want to fall in love because in her mind love = pain. And that is a BIG NO NO. And let's not forget crazy step-dad won't have anyone get in the way of a violinist, even a young student violinist.

So can Cassie deal with her step-dad and his insane mind...and does she give in to love???

If it were not for a book challenge, I probably would never have read this book (the challenge was to find a book with the words "wild" or "things"). This book was so much fun to read. I wanted to know who this supposed stalker was and why Dino was crazy. And I wanted to know Ian's story and why he wanted to continue playing the violin, even if it wasn't making him happy.

Not only did I want my questions answered, but I also loved the characters, and not just the main characters. Nannie, was hilarious...the part when she tried a crossword and would fill in the squares with random words, and would leave some squares blank...funny stuff. Then there was Bunny and Chuck...two big guys who practice natural healings and meditation chants...love it!!!

Deb Caletti does an awesome job writing the way teens talk and I can guarantee that I'll be picking up more of her books...I can't wait!

Some lines from the book that I love...

"Grammar words were so unlikable---conjunctive, some eye disease you need goopy medicine for; gerund, an uptight British guy. Gerund would like his tea now!" Cassie, page 25

"Lesson learned---charm is one-way ticked to hell. Better to fall in love with a man who is dull as a pancake than one with charm." Cassie, page 43

"Have you been drinking Optimism in a Cup?" Cassie, page 83 (referring to coffee)

"Snow is magical, and if you don't think so, you won't see magic anywhere." Cassie, page 158

"The cello sounds like a kind grandfather, while the violin is the ultimate PMS instrument." Cassie, page 188

"Bunny,'Three French men, two turtle doves.' Chuck, 'No one knows all those words. It's a fucking long song.' Bunny again, 'Three French men? Wee wee, monsieur. Jacques, Pierre, and Luc'" page 194

"You just never knew where you might find your kindred ones. Usually you just walk and walk among people who are not of your tribe, and then suddenly, there you are, in a place that feels familiar and known." Cassie, page 206

"In every one of those cars there is a story, or a hundred stories. For every light on in all of those huge city buildings, there is a story. No one knows what I am about to face, no one knows my story, and neither do I right then." Cassie, page 264