Review: Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Hardcover, 342 pages
Published October 1st 2013
by Walker Books for Young Readers

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After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

What can I say about Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles that hasn’t already been said?

She writes such realistic stories that warp you into a world where no one else but her characters exist. Sometimes I have to wonder if she is writing stories about real life people because that is how real her stories feel. Wild Cards is no exception. I love her writing, I love the way the story falls into place and especially love that Simone isn’t afraid to cross lines.

Wild Cards is what I look for when I pick up a New Adult novel. It’s clean, but not too clean. It has its racy moments, but it is not overly done to the point that I feel like I am reading a contemporary romance instead. It’s no secret New Adult has taken the world by storm, but I don’t think we quite figured out exactly what New Adult is. But I will say that when I think of New Adult, I will forever think of Wild Cards. This is exactly what I needed. I knew it would not disappoint.

Now moving on to the actual story. I will be honest and say that it’s not really that different, and did not stick out from any of the new adult books I’ve read today. In fact, it was a bit predictable, but what contemporary isn’t? The reason I think I enjoyed it so much – aside from the fact that it’s written by one of my favorite authors, were the characters and the relationship between them all. I laughed and blushed so much I just did not want to reach the ending. Everything felt so simple and easy going. Loved it!

I love anything Simone Elkeles writes and no matter what mood I am in I can always pick up one of her books and know that I will for sure get lost inside it. Wild Cards is a definite TOUCHDOWN! You’ll love it!