The Wild Roses by D.B. Carter

‘The Wild Roses’ is the latest book by D.B. Carter.

By autumn 1984 Sharon and Pip are in their final years of school and on the verge of adulthood. Best friends for as long as they can remember, the two young women befriend their badly bullied schoolmate, Gavin. Their futures are bright until a chance meeting leads to a path of corruption, anger and malicious betrayal. Sometimes, when we can’t rely on those we love, our only hope is in the kindness of strangers.All three teens are driven from their homes to follow very different paths. They face dark times of heartbreak and new temptations. But there may be ways out and better futures, if they are willing to take risks. What will they choose, and will they ever see each other again?

Set in the 80’s, this book is a story of friendship that spans decades.

Pip and Sharon are best friends, Pip is more stable and set in her ways whilst Sharon is more of a wildcard. One day, Sharon’s head is turned by Sam, the front man in a band and she disappears to London hoping to find fame and fortune leaving chaos and despair behind her, leaving her best friends life in tatters and everyone wondering where she has gone.

The story spans over a number of years as Pip tries to recover her life from the web of lies that Sharon spread about her with the help of another friend called Gavin. A quiet, bookish character that the girls took under their shoulder, he never understood Sharon’s disappearance and helped her father with the search.

Seen from the perspective of both Pip and Gavin, we see how their lives have changed over the years and the single connection of knowing Sharon brings them together. Set in the 80’s, the story is vividly written and descriptive with music and fashion of the era as well as the treatment of women during that time.

The story has strong, relatable characters as well as focusing on social issues such as bullying, harassment and poverty and writes about such issues with care and precision. ‘The Wild Roses’ is a compassionate and well written coming of age story about the importance of friendship and its strong bond.

You can buy ‘The Wild Roses’ from Amazon and is avaialble to buy from good bookshops.