I'll admit, this is a chaotic explosion of a book. While it fit with what I had in mind after reading the blurb, I had no way of expecting what would happen. I enjoyed seeing it as a story, but this is by no means a story for everyone, and as mentioned it's about two terribly troubled teens, and in no way should this give readers the idea that these things are okay in real life, they're not! That said, if you are able to handle that, this is a fast-paced exciting read.

DNF at 17%

My reoccurring thought: What the fuck? Wilder was crazy and extremely convoluted. It was often difficult to follow their conversations, because they were random and bounced all over the place. I could tell the author was trying to build suspense, and I'm sure there would have been a big reveal later on, but I didn't want to stick around to find out.

Melissa, Meili, or whatever her name actually is, was condescending and evasive. The girl's secrets had secrets. She's supposedly in danger, but seems to be the only person that doesn't care. She's brash and abrasive, combative and cruel. “You’d do alright in a thong, wouldn’t you? Make a fortune dancing at a gay club. Is there one in town?”

Neither character was relatable, but Wilder was desperate and eager to please the girl he'd just met. He knows nothing about Meili, but he's willing to do whatever she asks him to. I think he would have chopped of his hand just to see her smile for a few seconds. She seriously treated him like garbage, and he kept trying to make her happy. "And you’re very cute for blushing. I mean, it would be cute if you were twelve. At your age, it’s a bit sad, isn’t it?” Why was he so obsessed with her from the beginning? He should have had more respect for himself.

Wilder and Meili had a toxic and extremely unhealthy relationship. She would ignore him at school, turn down his offer to hang out, and then show up unexpectedly at his house. She was constantly changing her mind, and I honestly don't think even she knew what she really wanted. However, she was more than happy to take someone else down with her.

Also, where the hell did Manny come from? He was abusive and threatening, but only because he "cared" about Melissa. Apparently, the two share the same dark secret, so he's being a protective douche canoe, but dude was aggressive. He also went from being Wilder's best buddy to his worst enemy in a single conversation. It was like watching someone play ping pong, but with a grenade instead of a ball.

In the end, my annoyance outweighed my curiosity. I was tempted to skip to the end just to see what their secrets were, but I had no desire to share that experience with them.

*Review will post on my blog on the 30th.

Jason's life is literal hell. He is the school outcast and is in permanent in school suspension. He has to spend his days in a no longer used classroom, which has been dubbed the Rubber Room. He can't talk to anyone, he can't take any "weapons" with him, He just has to sit there, shut up and do his work. His boring days change when the new "foreign" girl gets put in the rubber room for breaking a popular girls finger. They connect and form a bond when they shouldn't be associating at all.
As the story goes along, we find out that "Melissa" has a lot of deep dark secrets and she can not be found out by the cops or any one of importance. Jason just can't let her go and he forms a very quick and intense relationship with her. he has a lot of problems of his own. Being the town arsonist is a lot to handle, not to mention the many assault cases he has.
This story was not what I was expecting at all. I thought it would end up being about some troubled kid who finally gets things to go right after learning, but nope. I then expected some of "Melissa's" family to be behind all of her disastrous family drama. Maybe a kidnapping. I also did not expect all the sex scenes. WHAT!!!! But I should have expected it from two teenagers who are alone with no parents or guardians.
I give this a 4 out of 5 stars because the expectations I had were no where near what actually happened. I also felt like Jason had some sort of Norman Bates type personality... maybe.

This is not your typical YA story. I wouldn't put this book in my YA section of the library but it also doesn't feel like it would be appealing to older adults. I found the teens unrelatable and wild. Not that there isn't reality in that, it just wouldn't fit my YA population needs, who tend to be on the younger side.
Although the teens are high school age I would not feel okay having my teens read it until they were 17+ . Everything about the two main characters was wild and out of control, including the sex. Its tough because sometimes the sex in YA isn't necessary. However, this time it did make sense for the characters but it does make the reading material more mature. Beyond this, I liked the MC Jason but I didn't realize how out of control his anger really was until the very end . It took me by surprise and yet I still doubted how messed up he really was. And I was left wanting to understand more of Mellie's story, I just found it confusing and unresolved. The book kept me interested , the writing was good, the plot and characters were unique but the ending left me unsatisfied.

Jason Wilder is spending his senior year in the Rubber Room, AKA in-school suspension. He landed there because he is considered to be a danger to his peers ... he is, after all, an arsonist, but he’d tell you otherwise. Jason wiles away the hours reading fantasy novels and not actually doing any of the schoolwork assigned to him. That is, until the mysterious Meili walks into the room.

The only thing Jason knows about Meili is that she ended up in the Rubber Room for breaking another girl’s finger. As Jason finds himself strangely drawn to this unusual girl, he feels like he is falling down the rabbit hole. Meili is wayward and enigmatic ... and everything Jason needs in his messed-up life right now.

Andrew Simonet makes his YA fiction debut with Wilder, a novel that explores what happens when troubled boy meets extraordinary girl. As the book cover and Jason forewarn, this isn’t a love story with a fairy tale ending. No, rather, this is one enormous crash and burn ... but that’s the beauty of it.

When I began Wilder, I was instantly worried that this was going to be another of those YA novels that is trying too hard to be edgy, unique, and quirky. Meili is an over-the-top character, and she can be a bit much to swallow in the beginning. My opinions quickly changed after a few chapters though as I found myself captivated by Jason and Melii’s story. I was especially intrigued by Jason’s character and the way he sees himself and how he navigates the world. He isn’t your typical male protagonist, and I found him refreshing and sympathetic.

If you’re thinking of reading Wilder, put on your seat belt (or in this case, motorcycle helmet), because this is one crazy ride complete with jail time, insane parties, rowdy fistfights, international crime, and two teenagers drawn to each other like moths to a flame. What makes Wilder so good, however, is not the wild drama packed within this novel’s pages, but rather the fragile human elements of this story. When you turn down the noise, Wilder is hopeful, and tragic, and so very very beautiful. Don’t think you have this one all figured out because like the cover states, “She swerves. So do I. So does this story.” Are you ready?