by Deb Caletti
First published 2005
Seventeen-year-old Cassie Morgan watches her stepfather Dino Cavalli unravel. The world sees a celebrated violin virtuoso and composer. Cassie sees a man who no longer sleeps, grows more paranoid each day, and terrorizes their household with his volatile moods. She has moved from anger to genuine fear as Dino's behavior becomes increasingly unpredictable. Then Ian arrives as Dino's first violin student. Brilliant and talented, Ian captivates Cassie from their first meeting. She knows she will fall completely in love with him, but the timing could not be worse. As Cassie tries to hide the truth about Dino's deteriorating mental state, she finds herself caught between protecting her family's secrets and pursuing her feelings for Ian. Her growing relationship with Ian becomes complicated by the dangerous instability of the man who brought them together. Cassie thought she understood how love could hurt, but she has no idea what consequences await her choices.
Genres: mystery, contemporary, psychological-thriller, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
304 pages · Hardcover · Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Content warnings: mental-illness