Synopses & Reviews
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. andlt;BRandgt; Seventeen-year-old Cassie Morgan has a secret: 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. andlt;BRandgt; 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 must: She tries to hide his behavior from the outside world. Before, she was angry. Now, she is afraid. andlt;BRandgt; Enter Ian Waters: 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. andlt;BRandgt; As the novel crashes through two irreparable events and speeds toward its powerful end, one thing becomes clear: In the world of insanity, nothing is sacred.
Review
"Multifaceted and emotionally devastating."
-- School Library Journal, starred review
Review
"Cassie's first-person narrative will sweep up readers, and her exploration of the fine line between madness and genius alternates between humor and painful truth."
-- Publishers Weekly, starred review
Review
"Populated with delightfully oddball yet solidly real characters and shot full of genuine wit."
-- Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Cassie is falling in love with her stepfather Dino's brilliant young violin student, all while trying to cover up his increasingly erratic behavior, in this story of intense love, family, and secrets from Printz Honor medal winner and National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti. Seventeen-year-old Cassie Morgan lives with a time bomb, a.k.a. her stepfather, Dino Cavalli. To the public, Dino is a world-renowned violin player and composer. To Cassie, he's an erratic, self-centered bully. And he's getting worse. Dino no longer sleeps, and he grows increasingly paranoid. Before, Cassie was angry. Now she is afraid.
Enter Ian Waters: a brilliant young violinist, and Dino's first-ever student. The minute Cassie lays eyes on Ian she knows she's doomed to fall head-over-heels in love with him.
Cassie thought she understood that love could bring pain, but this union will have consequences she could not have imagined.
About the Author
Deb Caletti is the award-winning author of The Queen of Everything; Honey, Baby, Sweetheart; Wild Roses; The Nature of Jade; The Fortunes of Indigo Skye; The Secret Life of Prince Charming; The Six Rules of Maybe; Stay; and The Story of Us, among others. In addition to being a National Book Award finalist, Deb’s work has gained other distinguished recognition, including the PNBA Best Book Award, the Washington State Book Award, and School Library Journal’s Best Book award, as well as finalist citations for the California Young Reader Medal and the PEN USA Literary Award. She lives with her family in Seattle. You can visit her at DebCaletti.com and become a fan on Facebook.