This review is also posted on my blog, Anatea's Bookshelf. 
 Simone Elkeles has this gift when writing books, she makes you read the book in one breath. You just skim through the pages wanting and needing to know what will happen in the next 5 seconds, and then those 5 seconds turn into few hours and you are wondering, where did the time go, is this really the last page? 
 When Derek gets kicked out from his school, he is forced to move in with his step-mom who decides to move in her childhood home with her family, while his dad is away in military. What he doesn't expect is a hot young step-aunt. Enter Ashtyn. She is a tomboy and a football player. They take a dislike toward each other immediately, but as the book goes on, they come to like each other and finally develop a relationship. 
 Derek is no Fuentes brother, but in his own way, he's just as much swoon worthy. I don't think he was a bad boy like the book description wants us to believe. He did have some snarky comments and he did do a few pranks in his old school, but that doesn't make him a bad boy. He was a sweet boy really, caring and always thinking of others. I loved the way he interacted with his little stepbrother, Julian. Ashtyn, on the other hand was really tough. Alone the fact that she played football and was voted captain in a boy team is admiring. Their relationship was intense and I loved their constant arguing, but I have a feeling that it turned into romance too quickly. 
 Another thing I really enjoyed is that the focus was on characters and not that much on the story and football aspect in this book. It may leave some of you disappointed, but not me. I don't really like football elements in the books and I usually just skip them because I have no clue when it comes to American football. 
 All in all, I really enjoyed Wild Cards. It was sweet and fast pacing, and if you're into YA contemporary novels, I'm sure you will enjoy this book as much as I did. 
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