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Wild Ride
Swindle meets Adventures in Babysitting in this action-filled comedy!
No parents. No rules. No curfew.
Things are about to get dangerous...
The grownups are out-of-town, and for Charley Decker that means one thing: a last epic weekend with her older brother Greg before he leaves for college. Bring on the burgers, milkshakes, and movie marathons!
So when Greg ditches Charley for a date night downtown, she’s kind of crushed. Worse, he gets their mom's boyfriend’s super-expensive, super-rare Mustang towed and needs Charley’s help to get it back. What's an unsupervised seventh grader to do? Grab her best friends, sneak into the city, pull off the ultimate car heist, and then make Greg pay, of course!
Only now the Mustang has a new feature in the trunk: a stowaway named Mitch who’s guarding a world-changing secret. And a pair of seriously big, seriously scary dudes are after him.
What follows is an all-night race around the clock as Charley and her friends try to dodge the twin terrors, save Mitch, fix a sibling squabble...and get the Mustang home before morning!
No parents. No rules. No curfew.
Things are about to get dangerous...
The grownups are out-of-town, and for Charley Decker that means one thing: a last epic weekend with her older brother Greg before he leaves for college. Bring on the burgers, milkshakes, and movie marathons!
So when Greg ditches Charley for a date night downtown, she’s kind of crushed. Worse, he gets their mom's boyfriend’s super-expensive, super-rare Mustang towed and needs Charley’s help to get it back. What's an unsupervised seventh grader to do? Grab her best friends, sneak into the city, pull off the ultimate car heist, and then make Greg pay, of course!
Only now the Mustang has a new feature in the trunk: a stowaway named Mitch who’s guarding a world-changing secret. And a pair of seriously big, seriously scary dudes are after him.
What follows is an all-night race around the clock as Charley and her friends try to dodge the twin terrors, save Mitch, fix a sibling squabble...and get the Mustang home before morning!
256 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2022
6 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 22, 2022
Cover looks ordinary but this is actually a super fun Adventures in Babysitting style caper with a huge cast of characters and a rollicking plot with car chases and kidnappings and a little something to say about megalomaniac billionaires and invasive tech gadgets. 100% fun!
January 10, 2023
Wild Ride, by Keith Calabrese, follows Charley Decker on a weekend adventure where things quickly out of hand. Together with her two best friends, her brother, brother’s girlfriend, and an eclectic set of allies, trying to schedule a movie night with her brother balloons into a crazy race against a technological conspiracy. This is a fun, whimsical novel, very much a homage to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, which a crazy assortment of characters and settings. While the overarching antagonist is improbable and absurd, the novel great small moments between characters.
I appreciate how tightly plotted the story is. Every small moment mentioned earlier in the novel comes back to matter later on in the story. I also liked the relationships between the characters, such as Charley and her brother, Charley and her two best friends, and Wade and Oona. There is a good roster of side characters, and Parker and his ability to mimic voices was definitely my favorite.
The novel touches on a lot of themes. The most prominent is communication and discussion between individuals, highlighted by the conflict between Charley and her brother, Wade and Oona, and the tech juggernaut Peck. The other major theme in the novel was taking risks and stepping outside of your comfort zone, which was exemplified in a conversation with Oona and Parker.
Overall, Wild Ride lives up to its title. It’s a fun homage to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but trade the overbearing principal for an megalomaniac tech genius and add a dash of eccentric friends. Still, it’s the relationship between characters that carries the novel. I’m glad I had a chance to read the book.
I appreciate how tightly plotted the story is. Every small moment mentioned earlier in the novel comes back to matter later on in the story. I also liked the relationships between the characters, such as Charley and her brother, Charley and her two best friends, and Wade and Oona. There is a good roster of side characters, and Parker and his ability to mimic voices was definitely my favorite.
The novel touches on a lot of themes. The most prominent is communication and discussion between individuals, highlighted by the conflict between Charley and her brother, Wade and Oona, and the tech juggernaut Peck. The other major theme in the novel was taking risks and stepping outside of your comfort zone, which was exemplified in a conversation with Oona and Parker.
Overall, Wild Ride lives up to its title. It’s a fun homage to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but trade the overbearing principal for an megalomaniac tech genius and add a dash of eccentric friends. Still, it’s the relationship between characters that carries the novel. I’m glad I had a chance to read the book.
March 31, 2024
A Maine Student Book Award Nominee for 23|24.
This book was such a fun cross between Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Michell’s Vs. The Machines.
Charley and her brother Greg have one last night before their mom and her boyfriend come home from vacation. Charley is hoping for burgers and milkshakes followed by a movie marathon all night long; but nothing quite go to plan.
There’s an inpound car lot, a car chase, an evil maniac tech genius, and a collection of characters you can’t help but root for. This was such a fun read!
This book was such a fun cross between Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Michell’s Vs. The Machines.
Charley and her brother Greg have one last night before their mom and her boyfriend come home from vacation. Charley is hoping for burgers and milkshakes followed by a movie marathon all night long; but nothing quite go to plan.
There’s an inpound car lot, a car chase, an evil maniac tech genius, and a collection of characters you can’t help but root for. This was such a fun read!
October 28, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Charley Decker loves her older brother Greg, and knows that when he graduates from high school, she will miss him dreadfully. He's been very supportive after the death of their father, even if he has bonded a bit too much with their mom's new boyfriend, Derrick, who has a rare vintage Mustang the two work on together. When their mother and Derrick go on a vacation and leave the two home in Chicago together, Charley hopes that the two can have a movie and snack night with her friends Wade and Oona. When Greg decides to hang out with his girlfriend, Marisa, Charley is disappointed. Oona has "run away" from home yet again, since she tries to rebel against her perfectly nice parents, but the evening is tense because she heard Wade say something mean to another boy at school, and she doesn't want to talk to him. When Greg calls to say that Derrick's Mustang has been towed and he needs Charley to give Marisa some money to retrieve it from the impound lot, Charley sees this as an opportunity to have an adventure. She demands that Marisa bring them along, and things get strange. The impound lot keeps changing the rules, and demand to see the title to the car. Since Oona doesn't want her parents to think she's NOT at Charley's, she leaves her phone at Charley's house, and has to use Charley's phone to "narrate" her life, an annoying habit she has. Add to the mix a local corporation trying to blanket the world with the Pangea Ursula device, a stoway named Mitch, sibling difficulties, and a time deadline, and Charley and her friends are in for a wild ride indeed.
Strengths: Charley is a very fun character, and I loved her positive relationship with her older brother. There are a lot of children who have much older siblings, and it is difficult when they leave home to go to college. This is a great topic to address. The Chicago setting is almost like another character, and gives a great background for the adventure. Pangea's Ursula has a fun role. I'm always glad to see an upbeat adventure book with children being allowed to roam enough to get into a little bit of trouble. Quite fun.
Weaknesses: Oona was really annoying. Reading about her was like hanging out with a friend who talks about herself in the third person. It also seemed like a better plan to the adult me to confess to having taken the car out and wait for Derrick to sort things out with the parking authority.
What I really think: Like reynold's It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit, this pays homage to 1990s teen comic adventure flicks. The cover is great, the book had its moments, but I found it hard to connect with Charley or the adventure. I did like this much more than this author's Drop of Hope or Connect the Dots and will probably end up purchasing. Just read this on a February day when I hated everyone and everything.
Charley Decker loves her older brother Greg, and knows that when he graduates from high school, she will miss him dreadfully. He's been very supportive after the death of their father, even if he has bonded a bit too much with their mom's new boyfriend, Derrick, who has a rare vintage Mustang the two work on together. When their mother and Derrick go on a vacation and leave the two home in Chicago together, Charley hopes that the two can have a movie and snack night with her friends Wade and Oona. When Greg decides to hang out with his girlfriend, Marisa, Charley is disappointed. Oona has "run away" from home yet again, since she tries to rebel against her perfectly nice parents, but the evening is tense because she heard Wade say something mean to another boy at school, and she doesn't want to talk to him. When Greg calls to say that Derrick's Mustang has been towed and he needs Charley to give Marisa some money to retrieve it from the impound lot, Charley sees this as an opportunity to have an adventure. She demands that Marisa bring them along, and things get strange. The impound lot keeps changing the rules, and demand to see the title to the car. Since Oona doesn't want her parents to think she's NOT at Charley's, she leaves her phone at Charley's house, and has to use Charley's phone to "narrate" her life, an annoying habit she has. Add to the mix a local corporation trying to blanket the world with the Pangea Ursula device, a stoway named Mitch, sibling difficulties, and a time deadline, and Charley and her friends are in for a wild ride indeed.
Strengths: Charley is a very fun character, and I loved her positive relationship with her older brother. There are a lot of children who have much older siblings, and it is difficult when they leave home to go to college. This is a great topic to address. The Chicago setting is almost like another character, and gives a great background for the adventure. Pangea's Ursula has a fun role. I'm always glad to see an upbeat adventure book with children being allowed to roam enough to get into a little bit of trouble. Quite fun.
Weaknesses: Oona was really annoying. Reading about her was like hanging out with a friend who talks about herself in the third person. It also seemed like a better plan to the adult me to confess to having taken the car out and wait for Derrick to sort things out with the parking authority.
What I really think: Like reynold's It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit, this pays homage to 1990s teen comic adventure flicks. The cover is great, the book had its moments, but I found it hard to connect with Charley or the adventure. I did like this much more than this author's Drop of Hope or Connect the Dots and will probably end up purchasing. Just read this on a February day when I hated everyone and everything.
July 18, 2022
If you have a kid who is just looking for a fun read with no heavy issues or big preachy message, this is it.
A bunch of kids, in Chicago, driving their future-stepfather's rare classic Mustang without permission find themselves in the middle of an evil genius's plot to steal all the world's data. Something like a cross between Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Adventures In Babysitting, it's fun romp of an adventure that doesn't take itself too seriously, perfect for leisure reading.
A bunch of kids, in Chicago, driving their future-stepfather's rare classic Mustang without permission find themselves in the middle of an evil genius's plot to steal all the world's data. Something like a cross between Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Adventures In Babysitting, it's fun romp of an adventure that doesn't take itself too seriously, perfect for leisure reading.
June 7, 2022
Quite a wild adventure with many characters. Word of warning: children have guns aimed at them several times and are kidnapped and threatened with death. But don’t worry: only those over 16 ever get behind the wheel of a vehicle. (Just found that slightly odd.)
October 7, 2022
🍿🌆🌌Wild Ride🌌🌆🍿
2.5 Stars
Charley is a mischievous and brave girl who has two close friends, Oona and Wade. However, Oona and Wade do not get along, but are forced on an adventure of their lives as they are on the run from one of the richest men on Earth. Greg, Charley's brother, ditches her when he goes on a date with his girlfriend. To make matters worse, he gets his mom's boyfriend's super expensive car towed. One thing turns into another, and as they reclaim the car, their lives are tangled in a hidden conspiracy she uncovers. Friend, foe, siblings, and stranger must work together to escape the people who hunt them for the secrets they have learned.
* Book reviews are meant to express opinions. If my opinion will offend you in any way, then feel no obligation to read. I try to include both what I like and not. What I say doesn't define a book, but is rather an opinion.
This was a Wild Ride. I liked the synopsis a lot, but this book was just not what I expected. The beginning I found interesting, and I liked the plot. However, I found myself losing interest and then I slowly stopped caring. With 2.5 star books for me, I read them but can't get through this shield that keeps me from getting immersed or invested. This was good, but it didn't suit my personal taste.
I liked the concept of two people being friends with the same person but frenemies. This book was really plot-driven and had certain emotional and character aspects that I would have loved to be focused on.
🆗PLOT
🆗PLOT TWIST
2.5 Stars
Charley is a mischievous and brave girl who has two close friends, Oona and Wade. However, Oona and Wade do not get along, but are forced on an adventure of their lives as they are on the run from one of the richest men on Earth. Greg, Charley's brother, ditches her when he goes on a date with his girlfriend. To make matters worse, he gets his mom's boyfriend's super expensive car towed. One thing turns into another, and as they reclaim the car, their lives are tangled in a hidden conspiracy she uncovers. Friend, foe, siblings, and stranger must work together to escape the people who hunt them for the secrets they have learned.
* Book reviews are meant to express opinions. If my opinion will offend you in any way, then feel no obligation to read. I try to include both what I like and not. What I say doesn't define a book, but is rather an opinion.
This was a Wild Ride. I liked the synopsis a lot, but this book was just not what I expected. The beginning I found interesting, and I liked the plot. However, I found myself losing interest and then I slowly stopped caring. With 2.5 star books for me, I read them but can't get through this shield that keeps me from getting immersed or invested. This was good, but it didn't suit my personal taste.
I liked the concept of two people being friends with the same person but frenemies. This book was really plot-driven and had certain emotional and character aspects that I would have loved to be focused on.
🆗PLOT
🆗PLOT TWIST
May 23, 2024
Unfortunately I didn’t care for this. The premise was promising and my action-fan kid picked this one, but it felt like this was just all over the place and my kids were glad when this was over. For me the biggest issue I had was not knowing who is the intended audience for this book. The main character and her friends are about 12, but her older brother (also a main character) is a senior in high school. But then other characters get added to the story that just feel so out of place because they are adults, not kids, so it just felt like they were intruding on the story. Oscar is a young adult of college fraternity age and Mitch is presumably a young adult, as an employee of Pangea. Both characters should have been cast as teens and I think we would have felt more of a connection with them. Instead I just felt like they, along with the older brother and his girlfriend, just got in the way. My kids were constantly asking me to explain things, so some of the vocabulary and technology and plot points were a little out of their reach. (Ages 9, 10, 12, and 16.)
I loved Drop of Hope so I’m bummed to give this a bad review, but it just wasn’t for us.
I loved Drop of Hope so I’m bummed to give this a bad review, but it just wasn’t for us.
April 15, 2022
I loved Keith Calabrese's first novel, A Drop of Hope, so much that it built up enough goodwill for me to read anything else that he writes. I wasn't crazy about the cover of this one, but now that I've read the book, I can appreciate it more - yet another example of how one should not judge a book by its cover. At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! What starts out as a simple story about a few kids having some fun without any adults around eventually develops into a more elaborate tale with an expanded group of kids who set out to prevent a technology titan from essentially taking over the world. The plot unfolds in a very clever way and there was never a moment where I lost interest. With Charley, Greg, Oona (my favorite), Parker, Wade, Marisa, Michaela, and Oscar (who reminds me of Ernest from A Drop of Hope), Calabrese succeeds in creating a cast of very likable and quirky characters who come together for a night of adventure that the reader - this one anyway - wishes they could go on too.
February 22, 2023
Charley is looking forward to some quality time with her best friend and big brother before her Mom and her mom’s boyfriend Derrick return from vacation. When her brother brings his girlfriend along and decides to take Derrick’s extremely rare Mustang out for spin, Charley is crushed that her quiet night at home with her brother has been derailed. When the car is impounded and Charley’s brother is short on funds to retrieve the car, Charley and her friends gather all their cash and head into Chicago to help. Things quickly go awry – the car is missing from the impound lot, they rescue a hapless college student, they discover a stowaway in their trunk who has a crazy story about a tech giant with evil plans (think Elon Musk), and they only have so many hours to fix everything before their Mom and Derrick arrive home! This is indeed one wild ride.
July 8, 2022
I read this with my rising 6th grader- he loves cars and I thought this would be a fun read.
It had so many odd characters and situations we could never get engaged in the book. There was a part about a drag queen show that just seemed to not fit in the book. It was like a million ideas just thrown together and nothing stuck.
I would not recommend.
It had so many odd characters and situations we could never get engaged in the book. There was a part about a drag queen show that just seemed to not fit in the book. It was like a million ideas just thrown together and nothing stuck.
I would not recommend.
May 5, 2022
Meh, it seemed to go off the rails and I think middles will have trouble keeping track of all the characters.
May 30, 2022
Humorous and “wild”.
Read
June 14, 20223.5
July 18, 2022
This is a very well written book. I loved the plot and will be recommending it to the kids in the library.
October 2, 2022
Really fun and frenetic, reminds me of Adventures in Babysitting. Great characters! Not realistic at all, but a very entertaining read!
April 13, 2023
A fun middle grade adventure.
July 16, 2023
This will make a great classroom read aloud !
Want to read
January 11, 2024O
February 7, 2024
This was a fun book. A mix of heist-y, thriller-y, adventure-y shenanigans that just worked well together.
June 30, 2024
This is a fun, fast-paced, not too long middle grades book. My students are going to going to like it.
January 18, 2025
i liked this book because it keeps you interested and there's always something going on. I gave it 4 stars because it is a bit overwhelming with the characters and hard to keep up.
Want to read
April 28, 2025J FIC CALABRESE, K.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews