The Summer of Skinny Dipping Review

TITLE: The Summer Of Skinny Dipping
AUTHOR: Amanda Howells
PUB DATE: June 2010
PAGES: 295
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire

SOURCE: I received this copy from Sourcebooks Fire for review.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Sometimes I still wake up shivering in the early hours of the morning, drowning in dreams of being out there in the ocean that summer, of looking up at the moon and feeling as invisible and free as a fish. But I’m jumping ahead, and to tell the story right I have to go back to the very beginning. To a place called Indigo Beach. To a boy with pale skin that glowed against the dark waves. To the start of something neither of us could have predicted, and which would mark us forever, making everything that came after and before seem like it belonged to another life. My name is Mia Gordon: I was sixteen years old, and I remember everything.

MY THOUGHTS

When I first heard about this book I knew I wanted to read it for three reasons:
-this is Amanda Howells debut original YA novel (Did you know she was the ghost writer for the Sweet Valley High books? No neither did I until I heard about this book)
-Amanda lives near the ocean and she grew up on a small bay on the Atlantic Ocean (very similar to me where I grew up)
-The Summer of Skinny Dipping sounded like a fun read

I pretty much devoured this book in one sitting. For me this was the perfect book to start off the summer season. As I am reading this it brought back memories to when I was Mia’s age (16 years old) and a summer filled with romance and of course drama.

Mia is heading on family vacation from Georgia to the Hampton’s to visit with her aunt, uncle and cousins. She is excited to spend time with her cousins but quickly realizes that alot has changed since she last saw them. In my opinion they came off as spoiled rich brats. Mia tries to fit in but quickly realizes she doesn’t but she stays true to herself and makes it a point to never change herself.

To help Mia get through the summer she decides to sneak out at night and walk the beach because that is were she feels most comfortable. Its during these walks late at night that she meets Simon. The furthest thing from her mind is a summer romance because she is still getting over a broken heart from her ex cheating boyfriend.

It wasn’t long before Simon swept Mia of her feet and she began to trust again. This was the summer romance. We all know that some summer romances don’t last and that is exactly what happens here. Its a summer romance that has ended too soon. Its a summer that Mia will never forget.

My favorite part of the book is on page 95:

I’d always held back from boys. I didn’t fall for them the way my friends did. While Kristin and Lacey hooked up with different guys and had crushes that were returned or rejected or fizzled, I just waited. Sometimes I wondered if the boy I was waiting for even existed. Until Jake came to our school. Then I knew. Except I never thought he’d even look at me. He was far too cool and far too cute to notice a shy, ordinary girl in a sea of admirers. And yet here he was, my queen of hearts in his hand.

When I read that I instantly thought that Amanda spoke to me. Where was she when I need her some 25 years ago? That above quote was something I thought and felt alot about back then. So if you think you are shy and ordinary let me say you will stand out in a sea of admirers. It will happen trust me.

I want to send out a huge thank you to Carrie at Sourcebooks Fire for sending me this great debut novel to read. I really enjoyed it and I have to say it brought back alot of memories of my first summer romance when I was starting high school. He was my Simon in the book and will always have the little piece of my heart.