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Wild Roses
You would have never recognized the Dino I lived with in the books that had been written about him before the "incident." No one had a clue. No one seemed to see what was coming. Seventeen-year-old Cassie Morgan has a She's living with a time bomb (a.k.a. her stepfather, Dino Cavalli). To the public, Dino is a world-renowned violinist and composer. To Cassie, he's an erratic, self-centered bully. Dino has always been difficult, but as he prepares for his comeback concert, something in him begins to shift. He seems more high-strung than ever, set off by any little thing. He stops sleeping, starts chain-smoking. And he grows increasingly paranoid, saying things that Cassie is desperate to make sense of, but can't. So she does what she thinks she She tries to hide his behavior from the outside world. Before, she was angry. Now, she is afraid. Enter Ian a brilliant young violinist, and Dino's first-ever student. The minute Cassie lays eyes on Ian she knows she's doomed. She tries everything to keep away from him, but is drawn to him in a way she's never felt before. It should be easy. It should be beautiful. It is not. Cassie thought she understood that love could bring pain. But this union will have consequences she could not have imagined. As the novel crashes through two irreparable events and speeds toward its powerful end, one thing becomes In the world of insanity, nothing is sacred.
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First published August 30, 2005
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About the author
Deb Caletti
37 books2,277 followersDeb Caletti is the award-winning and critically acclaimed author of over twenty books for adults and young adults, including Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, a finalist for the National Book Award, and A Heart in a Body in the World, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. Her books have also won the Josette Frank Award for Fiction, the Washington State Book Award, and numerous other state awards and honors, and she was a finalist for the PEN USA Award. She lives with her family in Seattle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 264 reviews
February 14, 2011
Maybe love too is beautiful because it has a wildness that cannot be tamed. I don’t know... All I know is that passion can take you up like a house of cards in a tornado leaving destruction in its wake. Or, it can let you alone because you have built a stone wall against it... set out the armed guards to keep it from touching you. The real trick is to let it in, but to hold on. To understand that the heart is as vast and as wide as the universe. But that we come to know it from here. This place of gravity and stability.
I feel like I’ve just gotten off the Ghost Rider equivalent roll-a-coaster of emotions. You know that feeling, when you get off of that wild ride at the amusement park, and that first moment your feet touch the ground, you sway a bit, look around to grab your bearings, and have that small moment of indecision wondering what possessed you to go on it, elated that you made it through, and wondering if you should take the ride again. All very intense and emotionally gripping to say the least as this book crash collides themes around genius passion, madness, love and self destruction.
I will warn you upfront, this book has highly mixed reviews, but after a string of no hits between me and the author Deb Caletti, I can say with conviction that Wild Roses really moved me and stood out as a book that will hold top rank in my YA shelf.
Cassie Morgan is one of the best narrators I’ve come across in YA in quite a while. She’s honest, snarky, emotional, yet strong and extremely grounded. She lives with her mother and step father, Dino Cavalli, and periodically stays with her dad and grandma, all according to the divorce decree. Life with her mom and Dino is anything but perfect. As a matter of fact, Dino is like a b0mb about to detonate. He is this genius violin player and composer who to the public eye is a grand perfection of brilliance, but behind closed doors is making Cassie’s life a living nightmare. He’s a mentally disturbed, paranoid, depressed, arrogant, self-serving, bully that is on the verge of self destruction. Then, along comes Ian Waters who becomes Dino’s student and Cassie’s love interest and things begin to unravel fast and not in a good way.
This book really took me for a crazy ride. I have so many raw emotions for just about every character in this story. I’m angry at some, sad for others and resolved for the remaining few.
My heart went out to Cassie. She’s extremely loyal to her mom and will stand by her no matter what. I loved her moments of honest revelations, especially when she’d recite a hidden fantasy, mainly about how she’d like to see Dino take a hike. I was so angry with her mother through most of the novel. I felt her primary responsibility was to her daughter and nothing else. For her to stand back and let that arseholian Dino talk to Cassie the way he did was unforgiveable in my eyes. I couldn’t come to forgive the mom or Dino for the hurt they put Cassie through. Man I disliked them both!!
Cassie’s father wasn’t much better IMO either. He knew Dino was a big phat fraud and he did nothing about it but continued to obsess over finding contradicting facts about Dino. I wanted to shake him and yell “Do something you big dummy! She’s your daughter! You have every right to pull her from that home and protect her! Dumb arse!” Oh and don’t even get me started when Cassie’s mom said the dad had no right intervening. Ummm hell to the yeah he did! Both parents should have realized that their daughter was their main priority, above a step-father, above whatever the divorce decree states, above it all!! I was so mad. GRRR!
Not sure I felt much compassion for Ian, and I don’t know why. Maybe his moments in the book were too brief for me to develop any real emotional stance for the guy. I am glad though that he was there for Cassie as much as he could be and their final moments were a real tear jerker.
I’m still perplexed about this whole Itallian village and their willingness to stand behind one man’s lies to such a fervent level that they actually come to believe the lies. Does that really happen? Crazy! Just crazy!
Overall, despite the rocky relationship I’ve had with Deb Caletti’s books, I’m glad I’ve finally found one that hit a home run and moved me. All very well done and highly emotional as it touches on weighty subjects such as divorce, depression, paranoia, insanity, love and loss. Loved it!
Favorite quotes
If your life truths have to be protected like some people keep their couches in plastic then ciao… have a nice life... if we bump into each other at Target, I’m the one buying the sour gummy worms and that’s all you need to know about me.
We don't want you convicted for condiment theft. You go to that prison, you'll meet big-time operators. Maple syrup stealers.
Love seems to be something to approach with caution, as if you'd come across a wrapped box in the middle of the street and have no idea what it contains.
Supposedly there's an actual, researched link between extreme creativity and mental illness, and I believe it because I've seen it with my own eyes.
Song choice: Cassie and Ian
Playlist song: Best is Yet to Come – Red
I feel like I’ve just gotten off the Ghost Rider equivalent roll-a-coaster of emotions. You know that feeling, when you get off of that wild ride at the amusement park, and that first moment your feet touch the ground, you sway a bit, look around to grab your bearings, and have that small moment of indecision wondering what possessed you to go on it, elated that you made it through, and wondering if you should take the ride again. All very intense and emotionally gripping to say the least as this book crash collides themes around genius passion, madness, love and self destruction.
I will warn you upfront, this book has highly mixed reviews, but after a string of no hits between me and the author Deb Caletti, I can say with conviction that Wild Roses really moved me and stood out as a book that will hold top rank in my YA shelf.
Cassie Morgan is one of the best narrators I’ve come across in YA in quite a while. She’s honest, snarky, emotional, yet strong and extremely grounded. She lives with her mother and step father, Dino Cavalli, and periodically stays with her dad and grandma, all according to the divorce decree. Life with her mom and Dino is anything but perfect. As a matter of fact, Dino is like a b0mb about to detonate. He is this genius violin player and composer who to the public eye is a grand perfection of brilliance, but behind closed doors is making Cassie’s life a living nightmare. He’s a mentally disturbed, paranoid, depressed, arrogant, self-serving, bully that is on the verge of self destruction. Then, along comes Ian Waters who becomes Dino’s student and Cassie’s love interest and things begin to unravel fast and not in a good way.
This book really took me for a crazy ride. I have so many raw emotions for just about every character in this story. I’m angry at some, sad for others and resolved for the remaining few.
My heart went out to Cassie. She’s extremely loyal to her mom and will stand by her no matter what. I loved her moments of honest revelations, especially when she’d recite a hidden fantasy, mainly about how she’d like to see Dino take a hike. I was so angry with her mother through most of the novel. I felt her primary responsibility was to her daughter and nothing else. For her to stand back and let that arseholian Dino talk to Cassie the way he did was unforgiveable in my eyes. I couldn’t come to forgive the mom or Dino for the hurt they put Cassie through. Man I disliked them both!!
Cassie’s father wasn’t much better IMO either. He knew Dino was a big phat fraud and he did nothing about it but continued to obsess over finding contradicting facts about Dino. I wanted to shake him and yell “Do something you big dummy! She’s your daughter! You have every right to pull her from that home and protect her! Dumb arse!” Oh and don’t even get me started when Cassie’s mom said the dad had no right intervening. Ummm hell to the yeah he did! Both parents should have realized that their daughter was their main priority, above a step-father, above whatever the divorce decree states, above it all!! I was so mad. GRRR!
Not sure I felt much compassion for Ian, and I don’t know why. Maybe his moments in the book were too brief for me to develop any real emotional stance for the guy. I am glad though that he was there for Cassie as much as he could be and their final moments were a real tear jerker.
I’m still perplexed about this whole Itallian village and their willingness to stand behind one man’s lies to such a fervent level that they actually come to believe the lies. Does that really happen? Crazy! Just crazy!
Overall, despite the rocky relationship I’ve had with Deb Caletti’s books, I’m glad I’ve finally found one that hit a home run and moved me. All very well done and highly emotional as it touches on weighty subjects such as divorce, depression, paranoia, insanity, love and loss. Loved it!
Favorite quotes
If your life truths have to be protected like some people keep their couches in plastic then ciao… have a nice life... if we bump into each other at Target, I’m the one buying the sour gummy worms and that’s all you need to know about me.
We don't want you convicted for condiment theft. You go to that prison, you'll meet big-time operators. Maple syrup stealers.
Love seems to be something to approach with caution, as if you'd come across a wrapped box in the middle of the street and have no idea what it contains.
Supposedly there's an actual, researched link between extreme creativity and mental illness, and I believe it because I've seen it with my own eyes.
Song choice: Cassie and Ian
Playlist song: Best is Yet to Come – Red
May 11, 2008
Eh. I just couldn't get into this one. I don't know if it was just too much Deb Caletti too soon or if it is just not really good. Caletti also has this weird thing in all her books where the girl sees a boy and immediately falls in love with him and then the boy and girl are magically (but for really) making out and pledge to be together forever. The boys are all pretty bland and not much (if any) conversation seems to take place between boy and girl before the making out and love pledging. It's just weird. And it's in every book.
June 12, 2009
I can honestly say that I hated Wild Roses by Deb Caletti. This novel is about seventeen year-old Cassie Morgan, a girl who divides her time between her divorced parents' houses. Her mother married Dino Cavalli, renowned Italian violinist- who happens to be mean, critical, and paranoid. The story is told from Cassie's point of view. The story is narrated with forced sarcasm and is filled to the brim with nauseating clichés and metaphors. Caletti tries hard to make Cassie seem like a typical teen and make her world realistic, but it never really works. I didn't care about this protaganist at all and I cared even less about what happened to her. The dialogue was stilted and unbelievable- the author seemed to be under the impression that if she used the words sh*t and f*ck every other sentence it would make her characters' (especially her teen ones) dialogue seem more natural. And this totally worked. Not. Anyway, Dino has a big concert coming up and a record deal, for which he needs to compose three new pieces. To add structure to his life and help his creative process, Dino takes a student. He is the young violinist Ian Waters, a prodigy hoping to get a scholarship to Curtis, and is hoping that Dino can help him prepare for the audition. Alright, you judge if this is realistic. Cassie is one day standing at her bedroom window and then she she sees a boy bicycling up the street towards her house. Mind you, she is looking through a window that is two stories high. And suddenly Cassie is overwhelmed by a wave of emotion for this boy, a longing. And it's like, what?! She's never met him, can barely see him. He's just this random boy riding on a bike and all of a sudden she's obsessed with him. Just like that. Okay, maybe if you're going for the whole love at first sight angle it makes sense. But this idea totally didn't fit in with this story, this work of supposedly realistic fiction. Is it desire she's feeling perhaps? That would be more understandable. But she can barely see him! All she can see is that he has black hair and his black coat is flapping in the breeze as he approaches on his bike. Anyway, the boy turns out to be be Ian and (of course) they fall in love. But, oops!, their love is forbidden because Dino forbids him to have a romantic relationship so all his concentration will be on his music. During the whole story I looked for a reason for Ian and Cassie to be in love. I searched in vain and I never found one. They have nothing in common except for a shared dislike of Dino. The author simply tells you they are in love and expects you to believe it, the same way that she tells you Cassie loves astronomy. She has Cassie take out her telescope occaisonally and visit a planetarium, but none of her actions express a true love for what she's doing or even much of an interest. This novel is populated by stereotypical characters, from the girl Nicole Hower at school that Cassie describes as "Nickname whore... because her clothes gave the impression that she wanted to share her boobs with makind" to Dino Cavalli himself, as the crazed musical genius. Caletti's attempt to explore madness fails. Her overuse of examples of artists who were mentally ill/comitted suicide were too numerous and overdone. To summarize, I wouldn't reccomend this book unless you're looking for a dull, often preachy book with a terribly annoying heroine.
January 8, 2013
Where do I begin? Wild Roses was a book I had never heard of until I had received a mashup with two Deb Caletti books. I had heard of Deb Caletti, but only knew about some of her most talked about books. After having done some research, I found that this one really isn't that well known compared to other books. Which I am assuming is why it was republished into this new mashup.
Having never heard anything about it, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I had checked out reviews on it beforehand just to kind of get an idea of what people thought and to me it really seemed quite mix. I didn't dive in to deep to the reviews to figure out exactly why that was, but after having read the book I feel like I got a good idea why some people might have mixed feelings in regards to Wild Roses.
For me personally, I thought Wild Roses was a pretty solid book. It had the things I look for such as a good story, good characters, and a clear plot. With that said, I do feel as though this book had a few downfalls. While the plot was clear, you always had a really good idea of what was going on and you pretty much knew what was going to happen. Which isn't a horrible thing, especially with contemporary. It's hard to keep people guessing with this genre. The negative part of it all for me, is that there were a lot of scenes and situations in the books that just slowed it down and didn't really add much to the story.
Other than some of the stuff that I didn't really see as needed to help the story progress, I thought that Deb did a fantastic job with the book. You have a story that can hit you on so many emotional levels, you feel bad for what Cassie is going through with her mom and Dino. And then you also find yourself rooting for a successful relationship between Cassie and Ian that comes under fire from her step father Dino.
The characters were fantastic in this book. You really get a good feeling of what exactly it is Cassie is going through, and you get a very vivid picture of the troubles Dino is going through with depression and everything else. Although that is often countered by Cassie's own explanations of what it is he is going though. And then you have Cassie's mom that is really stuck in the middle especially when the relationship between Cassie and Ian comes into play. Let's just say that causes a lot of drama.
Overall I found this book to really good and emotional. It's not a light book in my opinion, there is some humor but it can get pretty heavy especially later on. But I really did enjoy it, and I am excited to read more of Caletti's work in the future. If you're looking for a good contemporary read that does have a heavier side, I would suggest checking out this book. Even with it's slower moments, this book really turned out great and I am glad I read it.
This book is part of a new mashup called Love Is All You Need. You can find it by clicking this link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15...
Having never heard anything about it, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I had checked out reviews on it beforehand just to kind of get an idea of what people thought and to me it really seemed quite mix. I didn't dive in to deep to the reviews to figure out exactly why that was, but after having read the book I feel like I got a good idea why some people might have mixed feelings in regards to Wild Roses.
For me personally, I thought Wild Roses was a pretty solid book. It had the things I look for such as a good story, good characters, and a clear plot. With that said, I do feel as though this book had a few downfalls. While the plot was clear, you always had a really good idea of what was going on and you pretty much knew what was going to happen. Which isn't a horrible thing, especially with contemporary. It's hard to keep people guessing with this genre. The negative part of it all for me, is that there were a lot of scenes and situations in the books that just slowed it down and didn't really add much to the story.
Other than some of the stuff that I didn't really see as needed to help the story progress, I thought that Deb did a fantastic job with the book. You have a story that can hit you on so many emotional levels, you feel bad for what Cassie is going through with her mom and Dino. And then you also find yourself rooting for a successful relationship between Cassie and Ian that comes under fire from her step father Dino.
The characters were fantastic in this book. You really get a good feeling of what exactly it is Cassie is going through, and you get a very vivid picture of the troubles Dino is going through with depression and everything else. Although that is often countered by Cassie's own explanations of what it is he is going though. And then you have Cassie's mom that is really stuck in the middle especially when the relationship between Cassie and Ian comes into play. Let's just say that causes a lot of drama.
Overall I found this book to really good and emotional. It's not a light book in my opinion, there is some humor but it can get pretty heavy especially later on. But I really did enjoy it, and I am excited to read more of Caletti's work in the future. If you're looking for a good contemporary read that does have a heavier side, I would suggest checking out this book. Even with it's slower moments, this book really turned out great and I am glad I read it.
This book is part of a new mashup called Love Is All You Need. You can find it by clicking this link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15...
October 8, 2011
The only reason I gave this more than one star is because I like Cassie's wit. (Her dad and grandmother are fun, too. As are Chuck and Bunny.) Other than that I just didn't care. I didn't care whether or not Ian made it into that school, I didn't care what was happening to Dino Cavalli (who is so damn unlikeable I almost couldn't stand it), I just didn't CARE. I knew Cassie was scared, because she told me 800 times, but I didn't FEEL it. I didn't feel anything but irritation throughout the whole thing, actually. Skip this one and go read The Six Rules of Maybe. Hayden's waiting, you'll thank me later.
August 5, 2009
if anyone's looking for a 'love story'; dont read this.. it doesnt do the genre any justice.
this is the second book that ive ever read that i just didnt like. i get what deb was trying to do but she didnt do a very good job.
the whole first chapter is just the heroine yammerin on about insanity and whatever for 14 pages. i had to fight the urge to throw the book across the room and just re-read on of my better books; and keep reading! it wasnt something that grabbed you and held you there. you had to really hang on to get through this entire book really.
the relationship between ian and cassie was WAY to rushed. i mean at first glance she was in love with him (yeah right.. she was two stories up when she saw him) & it took them meeting like what... two; three times before he had already kissed her! and im not talking like 'going out on a date' meeting. i mean they said hey once or twice.. talked a little.. he looked into her eyes once.. then the next time he saw her he called her 'so pretty' and kissed her. and 4/5 of this book was always talking about "dino". it gets so annoying. its like the whole book is all about him and the relationship between ian & cassie is neglected badly!
aND what was with all the cussing?? it was not nessissary!
the only characted i liked was chuck and thats cuz he reminds a lot of one of my friends.
it seemd as though Deb tried WAY to hard. this book was the first book ive read of hers and is deffinantly going to be the last.
this is the second book that ive ever read that i just didnt like. i get what deb was trying to do but she didnt do a very good job.
the whole first chapter is just the heroine yammerin on about insanity and whatever for 14 pages. i had to fight the urge to throw the book across the room and just re-read on of my better books; and keep reading! it wasnt something that grabbed you and held you there. you had to really hang on to get through this entire book really.
the relationship between ian and cassie was WAY to rushed. i mean at first glance she was in love with him (yeah right.. she was two stories up when she saw him) & it took them meeting like what... two; three times before he had already kissed her! and im not talking like 'going out on a date' meeting. i mean they said hey once or twice.. talked a little.. he looked into her eyes once.. then the next time he saw her he called her 'so pretty' and kissed her. and 4/5 of this book was always talking about "dino". it gets so annoying. its like the whole book is all about him and the relationship between ian & cassie is neglected badly!
aND what was with all the cussing?? it was not nessissary!
the only characted i liked was chuck and thats cuz he reminds a lot of one of my friends.
it seemd as though Deb tried WAY to hard. this book was the first book ive read of hers and is deffinantly going to be the last.
May 31, 2021
I love Deb Caletti, but I had to take a star off for the “not like other girls” syndrome our protagonist suffered from and the fact that once things started getting serious in her personal life her friends kind of fell of the face of the earth. Other than those factors, Wild Roses was another solid addition to the Deb Caletti Canon and a quick read!
March 23, 2022
This book was good. I felt like it was a struggle to get through at times though.
March 10, 2015
4.5 stars!!!
~I ordered this on amazon right after hearing someone rave about it (and Deb Caletti in general) so needless to say when I saw that beautiful package waiting for me on my doorstep, I dove right into it. Before I get into the actual review, it should be known that i had extreeeemely high expectations for this book, so that may influence what I'm about to say (for the better and/or for the worst) but all in all, I really did enjoy this!!.~
Wild Roses deals with a lot difficult issues (anxiety, divorce, mental unstableness, love, paranoia, etc), but Caletti hit them all perfectly. I come from a divorced home so I know first hand what its like to be in that kind of scenario and honestly, I get a little frustrated when authors make it better/worse than it seems (and yes I realise every household is different) but Caletti nailed it. I have never read a more perfect description of the life of a child in a divorce situation. Hoowever, one thing that Caletti did not nail was contemporary situation between Cassie and Ian--there was poor character development in the beginning and it made me super sad to find out that this was one of those "automatic love" scenarios but please don't let that effect your interest/curiosity in this book. Once you get past that you can plunge yourself into the goodness this book has to offer. Automatic love interests is a big pet peeve of mine, and I still really enjoyed this book (if that counts for anything haha.) The romance in this book isn't even the main subject-its mostly Dino and his mental issues--which I for one appreciated because I wasn't in the mood for a full, blowout, passionate love affair kind of thing. One thing I also really liked about this book was the humour. Cassie is so sarcastic and real and if it wasn't for her personality I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. She is also very wise and you could probably open this book up to a random page and find words of wisdom that started off of a random object/event. There are some solid points thrown around throughout this book and they really make you take a step back and think.
Overall, I really really liked it (debating whether it belongs on my favourites shelf.) I could probably relate to it more than others because I have dealt with a lot of things that Cassie has to deal with, but that doesn't mean that not everyone should read it because I am definitely recommending it! If you are looking for a really good contemporary with a guy that automatically sweeps you off your feet, and a couple that makes you ogle and ah over their relationship- this isn't the book for you. But if you are just looking for another good book to read (that maybe deals with rough stuff/a little romance) then you should seriously think about picking this book up!
~I ordered this on amazon right after hearing someone rave about it (and Deb Caletti in general) so needless to say when I saw that beautiful package waiting for me on my doorstep, I dove right into it. Before I get into the actual review, it should be known that i had extreeeemely high expectations for this book, so that may influence what I'm about to say (for the better and/or for the worst) but all in all, I really did enjoy this!!.~
Wild Roses deals with a lot difficult issues (anxiety, divorce, mental unstableness, love, paranoia, etc), but Caletti hit them all perfectly. I come from a divorced home so I know first hand what its like to be in that kind of scenario and honestly, I get a little frustrated when authors make it better/worse than it seems (and yes I realise every household is different) but Caletti nailed it. I have never read a more perfect description of the life of a child in a divorce situation. Hoowever, one thing that Caletti did not nail was contemporary situation between Cassie and Ian--there was poor character development in the beginning and it made me super sad to find out that this was one of those "automatic love" scenarios but please don't let that effect your interest/curiosity in this book. Once you get past that you can plunge yourself into the goodness this book has to offer. Automatic love interests is a big pet peeve of mine, and I still really enjoyed this book (if that counts for anything haha.) The romance in this book isn't even the main subject-its mostly Dino and his mental issues--which I for one appreciated because I wasn't in the mood for a full, blowout, passionate love affair kind of thing. One thing I also really liked about this book was the humour. Cassie is so sarcastic and real and if it wasn't for her personality I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. She is also very wise and you could probably open this book up to a random page and find words of wisdom that started off of a random object/event. There are some solid points thrown around throughout this book and they really make you take a step back and think.
Overall, I really really liked it (debating whether it belongs on my favourites shelf.) I could probably relate to it more than others because I have dealt with a lot of things that Cassie has to deal with, but that doesn't mean that not everyone should read it because I am definitely recommending it! If you are looking for a really good contemporary with a guy that automatically sweeps you off your feet, and a couple that makes you ogle and ah over their relationship- this isn't the book for you. But if you are just looking for another good book to read (that maybe deals with rough stuff/a little romance) then you should seriously think about picking this book up!
July 20, 2013
More reviews @ my blog: Jules Bookshelf
MY OPINION:
One word to describe Wild Roses would be cheezy. As well as boring, slow, and irritating. Harsh, yes. But true. At least for me.
Cassie is having a hard time. She's falling, but its with a wrong person, and at the wrong time. Cassie's seeing things that are totally different with Dino, her stepfather. How could this affect her mother, her father, and her new found love?
Please note how I accentuated "love", because for me, what happened with Cassie and Ian is not what I consider love at all. Wild Roses is a mass of contradictions. When I first read it, it felt like reading fiction based on a person's life (I think there's a story about Dino somewhere, just not sure whether he's fictional or not), that's probably what I didn't like most about it, I wasn't reading about Cassie's story at all, it felt like I was learning/seeing Dino's story through Cassie's eyes. The plot isn't really brilliant at all, its mostly mainstream and way too used in my opinion. The pacing is what I'm most irritated about. It was just so dang slow to read, but at the same time, it held no real content to be worth reading, I was practically skimming, not caring if I missed a lot of details at all.
Another thing I hated about it would be the unrealistic formation of love. It was insta-love, and not the kind that I could tolerate, it was so unrealistic because Cassie fell in love with Ian without really thinking about it, it just happened then poof! Done! She's in love with Ian. Other than that, I also didn't like how their "love" progressed. It was just bleh. There was no connection that I could truly feel, it looked like they were a couple, but I didn't feel it at all. Their relationship lacks the kind of connection I usually find in most stories.
I'm not trying to bash Deb for her writing, (I'm reading The Nature of Jade and I'm liking it so far) but this particular book of hers isn't really in my taste. Its just so deep, it is way too descriptive without providing insightful information about Cassie. It felt like I was reading Cassie babble in her brain, its way too messy, and sometimes I don't even understand her babble. I can't say that I hate or like Cassie, Ian, Dino and all the other characters. They were all just meh for me, other than Bunny, who was pretty dang funny. I didn't enjoy Wild Roses at all.
I'd like to make my review short, so simply put... I didn't like Wild Roses I hated how it was so bland, so slow, so cheezy, too mary-sue even. I can tolerate a lot of books that could irritate a lot of people, but this is just too much.
MY ENDING NOTE
I can't say that this is a horrible book. Some people may like it... maybe not, but this is just a meh for me. I don't like the ending, I don't like how the story progressed. Wild Roses isn't a horrible book, it just didn't click with me.
MY OPINION:
One word to describe Wild Roses would be cheezy. As well as boring, slow, and irritating. Harsh, yes. But true. At least for me.
Cassie is having a hard time. She's falling, but its with a wrong person, and at the wrong time. Cassie's seeing things that are totally different with Dino, her stepfather. How could this affect her mother, her father, and her new found love?
Please note how I accentuated "love", because for me, what happened with Cassie and Ian is not what I consider love at all. Wild Roses is a mass of contradictions. When I first read it, it felt like reading fiction based on a person's life (I think there's a story about Dino somewhere, just not sure whether he's fictional or not), that's probably what I didn't like most about it, I wasn't reading about Cassie's story at all, it felt like I was learning/seeing Dino's story through Cassie's eyes. The plot isn't really brilliant at all, its mostly mainstream and way too used in my opinion. The pacing is what I'm most irritated about. It was just so dang slow to read, but at the same time, it held no real content to be worth reading, I was practically skimming, not caring if I missed a lot of details at all.
Another thing I hated about it would be the unrealistic formation of love. It was insta-love, and not the kind that I could tolerate, it was so unrealistic because Cassie fell in love with Ian without really thinking about it, it just happened then poof! Done! She's in love with Ian. Other than that, I also didn't like how their "love" progressed. It was just bleh. There was no connection that I could truly feel, it looked like they were a couple, but I didn't feel it at all. Their relationship lacks the kind of connection I usually find in most stories.
I'm not trying to bash Deb for her writing, (I'm reading The Nature of Jade and I'm liking it so far) but this particular book of hers isn't really in my taste. Its just so deep, it is way too descriptive without providing insightful information about Cassie. It felt like I was reading Cassie babble in her brain, its way too messy, and sometimes I don't even understand her babble. I can't say that I hate or like Cassie, Ian, Dino and all the other characters. They were all just meh for me, other than Bunny, who was pretty dang funny. I didn't enjoy Wild Roses at all.
I'd like to make my review short, so simply put... I didn't like Wild Roses I hated how it was so bland, so slow, so cheezy, too mary-sue even. I can tolerate a lot of books that could irritate a lot of people, but this is just too much.
MY ENDING NOTE
I can't say that this is a horrible book. Some people may like it... maybe not, but this is just a meh for me. I don't like the ending, I don't like how the story progressed. Wild Roses isn't a horrible book, it just didn't click with me.
July 8, 2010
Before this I've only read another book by Deb Caletti (The Nature of Jade), and it was just okay. Thankfully, I liked this one much much better.
This book was about Cassie Morgan, who has divorced parents, and a step-father who is a famous violinst. To the outside world, Dino may seem like a genius musician and composer from a small town in Italy, but Cassie knows the truth. Dino is a terrifying, selfish, insane bully, who just gets crazier and more paranoid every day. Cassie can't imagine why her mom fell for him, and doesn't want anything to do with love....that is, until she meets Ian Waters, Dino's new protege.
I really liked this book. I found Cassie to be a wonderful narrator. She was both funny and insightful. There were many parts where I was nodding in agreement or stifling laughter. Denifite quotable material. Initally though, I didn't quite like the style. It seemed a little too informal for my taste, but I quickly got over it.
I found the characters lively and three-dimensional. Except for Ian. I did not like him. He was hardly in the book, which made the romance seem improbable. I liked this book, but I wouldn't consider it a romance. In fact, it would have been fine without any romantic aspects at all. Just the family dynamic seemed enough.
I was also surprised with how everything turned out. It's not a suspenseful edge-of-your-seat book, but is certainly absorbing.
I will definitely be checking out more of Deb Caletti's books in the future.
This book was about Cassie Morgan, who has divorced parents, and a step-father who is a famous violinst. To the outside world, Dino may seem like a genius musician and composer from a small town in Italy, but Cassie knows the truth. Dino is a terrifying, selfish, insane bully, who just gets crazier and more paranoid every day. Cassie can't imagine why her mom fell for him, and doesn't want anything to do with love....that is, until she meets Ian Waters, Dino's new protege.
I really liked this book. I found Cassie to be a wonderful narrator. She was both funny and insightful. There were many parts where I was nodding in agreement or stifling laughter. Denifite quotable material. Initally though, I didn't quite like the style. It seemed a little too informal for my taste, but I quickly got over it.
I found the characters lively and three-dimensional. Except for Ian. I did not like him. He was hardly in the book, which made the romance seem improbable. I liked this book, but I wouldn't consider it a romance. In fact, it would have been fine without any romantic aspects at all. Just the family dynamic seemed enough.
I was also surprised with how everything turned out. It's not a suspenseful edge-of-your-seat book, but is certainly absorbing.
I will definitely be checking out more of Deb Caletti's books in the future.
November 2, 2011
Category: None.
After reading Honey, Baby, Sweetheart(a novel by Deb Caletti) I wanted to read more of her books. This story was alot different to the first book of hers, but again had me amazed and sent a strong message. I loved that the book captured me within the first few sentences. If you have a deep love for really meaningful stories then Deb Caletti books are the ones for you. I enjoyed this book because it captivated me in this whole different world where young teenagers suffer but find a way through it. I'd recommend this book to young teenage girls because it might just teach a lesson of life and love. (:
After reading Honey, Baby, Sweetheart(a novel by Deb Caletti) I wanted to read more of her books. This story was alot different to the first book of hers, but again had me amazed and sent a strong message. I loved that the book captured me within the first few sentences. If you have a deep love for really meaningful stories then Deb Caletti books are the ones for you. I enjoyed this book because it captivated me in this whole different world where young teenagers suffer but find a way through it. I'd recommend this book to young teenage girls because it might just teach a lesson of life and love. (:
February 7, 2017
I am finally done ugh this was just not the book for me. I deserve an award for finishing this, I wanted to drop this book so many times. Let me just stop now before I go into a review that only has bad things to say about this book. There's not even one nice thing to mention honestly, I just couldn't like this.
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October 8, 2018Wild Roses by Deb Caletti is about Cassi, who is a teenage in highschool. She comes from a broken home and she lives with her mother and stepfather. Cassi had a normal life until her parents split up and her mother remarried. Cassi’s step father, Dino, is a world renowned composer and violinist. Cassi believes he is a self-centered human being. Dino has always caused problems for Cassi, but as you read more in the book things start to take a turn. There is something actually seriously wrong with Dino, and Cassi is terrified. Everything changed for Cassi when she met Ian Waters, Dino’s first student. She falls in love with him the moment she lays eyes on him, but she can not feel this way. There are all sorts of factors why. Cassi’s love for Ian Waters spirals and she has no idea what consequences are coming her way.
This book will hook you in. The plot keeps you interested and wanting to keep reading, you can never see what's coming. This book has really moved me because I can relate to it. Cassi comes from a broken home and she is struggling with high school. This book is full of a romantic relationship between Ian Waters and Cassi. I found Cassi to be a very good narrator. There are moments in the book where I found myself laughing out loud or smirking to myself. This book is full of emotions and it just keeps you interested the whole time.
This book will hook you in. The plot keeps you interested and wanting to keep reading, you can never see what's coming. This book has really moved me because I can relate to it. Cassi comes from a broken home and she is struggling with high school. This book is full of a romantic relationship between Ian Waters and Cassi. I found Cassi to be a very good narrator. There are moments in the book where I found myself laughing out loud or smirking to myself. This book is full of emotions and it just keeps you interested the whole time.
June 4, 2009
Wild Roses is about Cassie Morgan, a high school student whose parents are divorced. Her mother, a musician, has married a great violin player named Dino Cavalli. Dino is somewhat of a bully, saying harsh words to Cassie and her mother when he gets in a bad mood and slamming doors and throwing things. But then things get strange. Dino becomes paranoid, thinking his former manager has come to destroy his career. At the same time, Dino has taken a student Ian Waters whom Cassie falls in love with. Dino does not want the romance to happen, not wanting Ian to be distracted. The book not only explores Dino's mental issues, but also the relationship with Cassie and Ian. I think this book is about priorities. Should Ian ignore Cassie and practice like crazy so he can be successful and start his career, or should he go after his love? Should Cassie and her mother leave Dino (which would be safer for them), or do they stick aroud and hope things get better? This is probably a girl book but I would definately recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2010
I think its Horrible! I even couldn't finnish it to the end because I felt bored! Waste of Money on a bad written story.
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I have finnished reading it. My decision about it didn't change. I don't recommend it to everyone. The plot is absolutly bad. The first 300 pages is rubbish. Tells you the same thing over and over again. Just in the end, something happens and changes the actions of the characters.
If you want to waste your time reading about a girl who is suffering from a mentally ill step-father concurrentlly with a slight love story that in the end it doesn't progress, read it!
I'm very dissapointed, the auther style of writing is really good, and unfortuntly she spends it on this story that isn't beneficial.
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I have finnished reading it. My decision about it didn't change. I don't recommend it to everyone. The plot is absolutly bad. The first 300 pages is rubbish. Tells you the same thing over and over again. Just in the end, something happens and changes the actions of the characters.
If you want to waste your time reading about a girl who is suffering from a mentally ill step-father concurrentlly with a slight love story that in the end it doesn't progress, read it!
I'm very dissapointed, the auther style of writing is really good, and unfortuntly she spends it on this story that isn't beneficial.
February 22, 2012
So very, very terrible. This book was written poorly. The story rambled on about stupid,boring junk that know one really cares about. I hate reading books, when the character is so unlikable. The author tried to make her act cool, but the girl just turned out annoying. To tell you the truth the plot was just stupid........like a first grader made it up. Just don't read the book. I mean, where does the title come in. This book has nothing to do with a rose. Roses are pretty and gentle and sweet etc. etc. etc. This book it ugly, stupid, and waste of my time.
October 12, 2014
This is a YA author that writes with surprising depth. Each one of her novels surprises me with the theme and characters. when I was first told of her work, it was with a number of other authors whose work I enjoy, but who are a little more prosaic. At first Ms Caletti surprised by by how good her books were. Now she surprises me because I cannot believe that all her books are that good.
she is on my must buy/must read list.
This book is all about the fine edge between genius and madness, love and hate, family and enemy. Great stuff.
she is on my must buy/must read list.
This book is all about the fine edge between genius and madness, love and hate, family and enemy. Great stuff.
November 22, 2015
Honestly I'm not a fan of this book. I'm not gonna say much but it makes people who suffer from depression look like paranoid assholes and I mean based on his behaviour and symptoms I think Dino had more than that.
The whole romance aspect of this book is pretty inaccurate as well. It's kind of a 'immediately fall in love skip to making out kind of thing'. Very unrealistic. No one builds that kind of bond and behaves that way with someone they barely know. There are some good parts of this I guess.
It was just kind of disappointing. I don't recommend it.
The whole romance aspect of this book is pretty inaccurate as well. It's kind of a 'immediately fall in love skip to making out kind of thing'. Very unrealistic. No one builds that kind of bond and behaves that way with someone they barely know. There are some good parts of this I guess.
It was just kind of disappointing. I don't recommend it.
July 28, 2010
I always find love at first sight uncompelling, but it was an enjoyable read that kept me turning pages. Unlike the main characters, however, my persistence wasn't motivated by the love affair, but by the other plot layers Caletti used to give the story some depth.
The characters were believable, the plot good, and the love story heartwarming, if initially a little hard to believe. I liked it, though, ultimately.
The characters were believable, the plot good, and the love story heartwarming, if initially a little hard to believe. I liked it, though, ultimately.
January 20, 2015
I loved this book for its humor, good writing and snarky character. I hated this book because of the s#%* and f@!# words throughout. A LOT of swearing! It would have been one of my favorite books if those words weren't consistently thrown in my face. It also would have been more appropriate for a teenager to read. Now I feel like I can't recommend it to any of my nieces. Darn! Was the author raised by a Marine or something?
May 25, 2009
Wasn't her best but it was still a good book. Deb Caletti is just an amazing author, so it was really well written and all that. It was a little slow to start off, but it got a lot better. its different than any of her other books that she has written so it was good! read it!!!
May 29, 2014
I couldn't do it... I've tried in the past to read Deb Caletti's books and sometimes I succeed but sometimes I fail miserably and can't take it anymore. I'm sorry, I just couldn't take it anymore... but really I'm not sorry.
May 24, 2012
She falls in love with this guy that her step-dad is teaching to play violin.
He has to go away to some college to earn money for his family and her heart is broken.
He has to go away to some college to earn money for his family and her heart is broken.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2014
DNF. I refuse to continue reading a book when I want nothing more than to punch the main character in the face. I hate this stupid girl and her stupid instalove.
October 20, 2014
My third Caletti book and I was not disappointed!
April 1, 2016
It was good..not really one of my faves, but it'll do. Kind of had me stressed out due to Dino..
November 4, 2024
Wow, this is a book I first read as a teenager when it was first released and have read every few years since (even as an adult ) and have recently just finished my probably dozenth re-read. This book gripped me with a strange intensity back as a teenager and its grip has not loosened almost 20 years later. It is an EMOTIONAL roller coaster and Caletti handles the up and downs fairly well and its her strongest skill as a writer, mixing humor and pathos. I've read most of Caletti's other books, my other all time favorite being "He's Gone".
Teenage impressions:
I loved this narrator. She says all those things that I wish could say. She is incredible observant, snarky, loyal, loving, and perceptive. I liked her the best of all Caletti's heroines, who are more shy, introverted girls. As a teenager, I found her a super empowering narrator and was really grateful to have this book as a teenage girl. I remember being appalled of how terrible Dino was to Cassie, calling her 'tramp', 'child', 'silly' and THROWING A WINE GLASS AT HER. I found it hard to understand why her mother would allow such terrible behavior to go unchecked, and why Cassie never moved into her Dad's house? Yet, I did sympathize with her mother, who seemed to be trying hard to keep everything together. I LOVED Ian Waters so much and their 'romance' and was devastated at the end of the book, but happy they still remained in contact. I also wondered why Cassie's college plans were never mentioned--I mean she could have just gone to college in the same city as Ian ? I loved the snarky pop culture asides, how the fashion of the era was criticized, ect.
Adult impressions:
Still love Cassie. I love Cassie even more, and am disappointed how little attention was given to her own passions and future career. Astronomy, college, after school clubs, her relationship with her friend Zebe. There was so much focus on Ian moving away, chasing his dreams, Dino finishing his music, people loving/hating Dino that Cassie's are literally barely mentioned except for an occasional trip to the planetarium. I think this was probably to show how caught up she was in the moment dealing with her mother, Dino, School, her Dad, ect. It's sad, and I hope that Cassie is now living her dream! We rarely saw females who like STEM in children's YA back then and this could have been a great chance to do this. Dino is probably the second most complex character in the book, his whole hidden back story, executive functioning issues, bipolar mood swings...like yikes. Caletti did an awesome job revealing this piece by piece but I still have NO sympathy for him. I sympathize LESS with Cassie's parents. Her Dad is jealous, weird, and checked out and her mother is written as some sort of ditz/love-blind/but also martyred woman. I don't feel like she is characterized super well.
Sad to say, Ian and Cassie's relationship is the weakest part of the book. The periods when they actually date and are together are breezed over, and we don't get tons of dialogue between them, or tons of development. They don't seem to have much in common, and don't talk about their dysfunctional families that much...also like why don't they talk about going to college in the same town again?? Its more of Cassie pining after Ian and not them actually being together. But as an adult, I find it appalling how terrible everyone was towards Ian and Cassie. Ian is clearly close to some sort of burnout/break down yet his mother, teacher and even Cassie's mother tell her to stay away because she will "destroy" him. Cassie is treated as some sort of manipulative temptress, a sad stereotype of women. He needs to work 24/7 and cannot have any sort of friends or social life. This is terrible, but also emblematic of the millennial trophy kid experience. They're being "banned" to see each other is clearly dramatic, YA stuff, but it does ring true. There is a strong obsession and control towards women's sexuality/dating life and it shows here.
Also, just oomph with the racist/homophobic tropes scattered in the text. Like oomph they aged badly.
I think this book also did a great job taking down the "crazy male genius" trope. We tend to worship "male geniuses" who treat people like DIRT but we don't really know much about how much their family had to suffer from that. Every time I read this book I feel completely immersed in the world/emotions of this book. Even after all these years, I pick up on new details.
Teenage impressions:
I loved this narrator. She says all those things that I wish could say. She is incredible observant, snarky, loyal, loving, and perceptive. I liked her the best of all Caletti's heroines, who are more shy, introverted girls. As a teenager, I found her a super empowering narrator and was really grateful to have this book as a teenage girl. I remember being appalled of how terrible Dino was to Cassie, calling her 'tramp', 'child', 'silly' and THROWING A WINE GLASS AT HER. I found it hard to understand why her mother would allow such terrible behavior to go unchecked, and why Cassie never moved into her Dad's house? Yet, I did sympathize with her mother, who seemed to be trying hard to keep everything together. I LOVED Ian Waters so much and their 'romance' and was devastated at the end of the book, but happy they still remained in contact. I also wondered why Cassie's college plans were never mentioned--I mean she could have just gone to college in the same city as Ian ? I loved the snarky pop culture asides, how the fashion of the era was criticized, ect.
Adult impressions:
Still love Cassie. I love Cassie even more, and am disappointed how little attention was given to her own passions and future career. Astronomy, college, after school clubs, her relationship with her friend Zebe. There was so much focus on Ian moving away, chasing his dreams, Dino finishing his music, people loving/hating Dino that Cassie's are literally barely mentioned except for an occasional trip to the planetarium. I think this was probably to show how caught up she was in the moment dealing with her mother, Dino, School, her Dad, ect. It's sad, and I hope that Cassie is now living her dream! We rarely saw females who like STEM in children's YA back then and this could have been a great chance to do this. Dino is probably the second most complex character in the book, his whole hidden back story, executive functioning issues, bipolar mood swings...like yikes. Caletti did an awesome job revealing this piece by piece but I still have NO sympathy for him. I sympathize LESS with Cassie's parents. Her Dad is jealous, weird, and checked out and her mother is written as some sort of ditz/love-blind/but also martyred woman. I don't feel like she is characterized super well.
Sad to say, Ian and Cassie's relationship is the weakest part of the book. The periods when they actually date and are together are breezed over, and we don't get tons of dialogue between them, or tons of development. They don't seem to have much in common, and don't talk about their dysfunctional families that much...also like why don't they talk about going to college in the same town again?? Its more of Cassie pining after Ian and not them actually being together. But as an adult, I find it appalling how terrible everyone was towards Ian and Cassie. Ian is clearly close to some sort of burnout/break down yet his mother, teacher and even Cassie's mother tell her to stay away because she will "destroy" him. Cassie is treated as some sort of manipulative temptress, a sad stereotype of women. He needs to work 24/7 and cannot have any sort of friends or social life. This is terrible, but also emblematic of the millennial trophy kid experience. They're being "banned" to see each other is clearly dramatic, YA stuff, but it does ring true. There is a strong obsession and control towards women's sexuality/dating life and it shows here.
Also, just oomph with the racist/homophobic tropes scattered in the text. Like oomph they aged badly.
I think this book also did a great job taking down the "crazy male genius" trope. We tend to worship "male geniuses" who treat people like DIRT but we don't really know much about how much their family had to suffer from that. Every time I read this book I feel completely immersed in the world/emotions of this book. Even after all these years, I pick up on new details.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2022
Cassie's parents are divorced. Her mother married a musical genius, at least according to some. Dino is a composer, a violin virtuoso and a maniac. Cassie's father is obsessed with her step father's life hoping to find faults so he can win his ex-wife back. Cassie is stuck in the middle. To Cassie, Dino is arrogant and dismissive....they don't have a good relationship. When Cassie meets a boy who will take violin lessons from Dino in their home things go awry. Dino has his ways and everything must go his way especially where Ian Waters is involved. Ian needs to get a scholarship and the audition is coming up soon. Dino is helping him prepare. But Dino is relentless, a slave driver. He says Cassie must not have anything to do with Ian, he must have no distractions but Ian and Cassie have other ideas. Dino also is under pressure as his "come back" concert is coming up and he needs to compose three new pieces but he has a mental block. He can't write, he can't concentrate. It's always everyone else's fault....they make too much noise they are inconsiderate. Frustration is growing in the family. As Dino's mental health comes into question the tension in the house escalates. How can Cassie keep her mother happy, Ian happy and have what she wants? It doesn't seem possible to do.
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November 18, 2019“Wild Roses” by Deb Caletti is about seventeen-year-old Cassie and her life living with her famous step-father, Dino. Throughout the story Cassie describes Dino as crazy and a musical genius. He shows signs of being depressions, delusional, paranoid, and emotionally absent. Cassie starts to fall in love with Dino’s prodigy, Ian. This triggers Dino and makes him spiral out of control. This book deals with someone who has major mental health issues. And it shows the other side, like Cassie and her mother. It is interesting to hear what Cassie has to say until she realizes how sick Dino actually is. Mental health like this is a sensitive topic so this book would be suited for older students. Because Cassie does talk negatively and judges his mental health. Which could come off as bad and negative for someone who actually deals with mental health problems like that.
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