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. So when her older sister comes home after abandoning her ten years earlier, with her hot new stepson in tow, Ashtyn wants nothing to do with either of them. Then she comes up with a plan that would finally give her the chance to leave, 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 get the future she wants?
- Used Book in Good Condition
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
Wildly addictive and fun!
By Step Into Fiction
You know how some times you are just in a mood for a light story? A story without too much heavy angst, but not a comedy. Well that was just what I was looking for recently. And luckily for me I found that in Wild Cards. I had read so much paranormal last month, that I needed a break. I was burned out. Wild Cards is the perfect story for anyone to read who wants a fast and simple story. Sometimes it's nice to just sit and read, and not have to think too much while reading.Wild Cards is told from two point of views. Ashtyn is a female high school student who is on her school's football team. She is a tough as nails on the football field, but she has a heart of gold off the field. She's a perfect role model because she never gives up, and she follows her dreams. I also really love her name. While I was reading the book, I kept think Ashtyn is such a cool name. Derek is a prankster and former football player. After pulling a prank on his senior class in boarding school, Derek is expelled from high school. His stepmother decides to move them back to her hometown in Chicago. There he meets Ashtyn in a hilarious scene that involves a barn and a pitchfork!The beginning of Wild Cards was solid. The story flowed really well, but towards the end it started to drag a little bit for me. There were a few scenes that I felt were added in just to try to further the plot, but I didn't think were really necessary. If anything, I think they slowed the book down. There was even a point where I thought, "Just get on with it already!" But once that hump was passed over, it was smooth sailing again.I would recommend Wild Cards for anyone who is looking for a light, quick, and easy read. I would especially recommend it for anyone who enjoys a book with a strong female lead.Reviewed by Sana @ Step Into Fiction
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Review for Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles
By Alyssa
***Review posted on The Eater of Books!***Wild Cards by Simone ElkelesPublisher: Walker Books for Young ReadersPublication Date: October 1, 2013Rating: 2 starsSource: eARC from NetGalleySummary (from Goodreads):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 I Liked:First, let me say that I have never read a book by Elkeles, so I don't know if I would like her books, or if it's just this one, or if I would probably dislike all of her books. Before (and after) I read this book, I've heard Elkeles fans say that this book wasn't her best. So, it's not just me. I still might look up some of her older books, and even read some of her upcoming ones if I get the chance.Derek's father re-married a really young, bimbo-type woman, who is actually only a bit older than Derek himself. Derek's father is in the Navy, and so he is always away. Derek's stepmother decides to move back to Chicago, and Derek is forced to go with her. In Chicago, the stepmother's sister, Ashtyn, is the only girl who plays on the football team. She's a tomboy, rude, non-girly, and doesn't want anything to do with the yummy Derek, who actually was a football legend himself, years ago.I loved Derek in this book. He isn't a "bad boy", though you can tell that was the angle Elkeles was trying to get. He is thoughtful and contemplative, and he fixes sheds and mows the lawn without being told to do so. Also, he does all of that shirtless. YAY for shirtless!But seriously. He's a good guy. He's the only reason why I gave this book two stars, and not one. Well, him, and his grandmother. That lady is HILARIOUS.Okay, but that's it.What I Did Not Like:This book really made me want to rip some hair out, or launch it to the next country. Of course, there would be no hair-ripping-out, because I LOVE my hair, and I can't launch the book anywhere, because that would involve launching my Kindle, and I NEED my Kindle.Let's start with Ashtyn. Gosh, I hated her SO MUCH. This book is written in alternating first person - between her and Derek. So... we get her inner monologue A LOT. I enjoyed Derek's (for the most part), but not hers. She is selfish, self-absorbed, self-important, all the "self" adjectives I can think of. It is BRUTAL, reading her train of thought. Everything is about her, and her football, and her football camp, and her boyfriend, and her wanting to be with Derek BUT WAIT. She hates him. Right?And by the way, what is UP with the football thing?! Okay, to all you feminists, I get it. Women should be able to football with me, blah blah blah. To that, I say WHATEVER. I've always watched football with MEN, and I enjoy the game with MEN. I didn't like the football aspect of the book, because Ashtyn is such a b**** off and on the field, and she makes the sport so pansy in the book.Again, feminists. I get it. I'm a female too. But I like football... with men. Ashtyn on the men's football team? Weird.And the football plot was dumb. Ashtyn got picked as team captain. Ashtyn was all mopey because she couldn't go to football camp, but then she could, because it just happened to be in Texas, where Derek is from, and Derek just happened to be summoned to Texas by his grandmother. Ashtyn was bullied and ignored at football camp. You think I feel sorry for her? No, I don't. I still think football - at least on a collegiate/school/professional level - should be played by men. And the football plot was silly. And trivial.Ashtyn was also annoying because every five seconds she's like, I don't like Derek one bit. But then, she's like, I think I love him and I want him to stop flirting with my friends and other girls, and I want him to love me and care about me and stay. I want him to build his entire life around me and my football. I'm totally allowed to get mad at Derek because he didn't tell me about him being a football prodigy. IT'S TOTALLY OKAY THAT I'M SO SELFISH!Yup, that's Ashtyn. Queen of denial and complaining and selfishness.Derek was bad too - in terms of his inner monologue about Ashtyn. Everything was about Ashtyn, and her bossy attitude, and her hot body, and her life problems that made her so strong. WHAT PROBLEMS DOES SHE HAVE?! It's not like she was uprooted from one state to the other! She has zero "grown-up", "tough" issues to deal with AT ALL.So... I hated the romance, but really because of Ashtyn. She's so controlling and selfish and bossy and she strings Derek along wherever she goes. She blames him when he doesn't tell her things. She gets mad at him ALL THE TIME. Seriously - the bickering NEVER STOPS. It's not even the cute, or chemistry-filled banter. It's like the I-HATE-YOU banter, but you know they are in lust (or love, I guess).Ew.And the ending is so hunky-dory. Derek decides to stay and follow Ashtyn, as always. He starts doing something that he gave up a long time ago FOR ASHTYN. He drags his grandmother with him, FOR ASHTYN. Everything thing is for f****** Ashtyn and her "perfect" self.Excuse me while I barf. I'm finished.Would I Recommend It:No. Not even to Elkeles fans. Don't do it. This book is ridiculous. The romance is ridiculous. It isn't even steamy! Ugh!Rating:1.5 stars -> rounded up to 2 stars. Because I liked Derek. He's a good guy.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.Not as good as Perfect Chemistry
By Hannah @ Paperback Treasures
I loved the Perfect Chemistry series, so I was really excited when I heard Simone Elkeles would be starting another Young Adult romance series. The set-up of the story is great. It's another love/hate story, exactly what Simone Elkeles does best. Sadly, though, I found the execution to be lacking, and I didn't like Wild Cards as much as the Perfect Chemistry books: it's an enjoyable read, but there were quite a few things about Wild Cards that didn't work for me.Ashtyn and Derek are okay characters, but nothing special. I wish there'd been more showing and less telling: we're told Derek is a bad boy, but he never does more than play a relatively harmless prank. We're told Ashtyn is a football star, but we never actually get to see her play. We're told they have issues, but they never seem to struggle with anything other than their own stubbornness.The relationship between Ashtyn and Derek is, in a word, frustrating. I get that their fighting and going back and forth between hating and loving each other is the point, but it just got annoying after a while. Their feelings are so melodramatic: I wanted to tell them both to make up their minds and get over themselves. And it also bugged me that it's never even mentioned that their relationship is somewhat incestuous. They're not actually related, so this shouldn't have stopped them from doing anything. But I still found it strange how Ashtyn being Derek's step-aunt is never even mentioned in relation to them going out. That just seemed weird to me.Other than romance, there really isn't much to the story. Both Ashtyn's and Derek's family storylines had potential but were never really elaborated on, which I found especially disappointing because these could have provided a better background for the issues in their relationship.Despite the melodrama and cliches, Wild Cards is an entertaining read. Simone Elkeles's style reads quickly, even when the story is underdeveloped. Wild Cards is a fun read, but it can't compare to the Perfect Chemistry series. I'm not sure whether I will be reading the rest of this series.
