Since November 2009American Saturday: Book Review - The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells
May 29th, 2010 by Danielle
After getting dumped by her boyfriend, sixteen-year-old Mia Gordon is looking forward to spending a relaxing summer in the Hamptons with her glamorous cousins. But when she arrives, her cousins are distant, moody, and caught up with a fast crowd. Mia finds herself lonelier than ever.
That’s when she meets her next-door-neighbor, Simon Ross. Simon isn’t like the snobby party boys her cousins seem obsessed with; he’s funny, artistic, and utterly adventurous. And from the very first time he encourages Mia to go skinny-dipping, she’s caught up in a current impossible to resist.
We all grow up, it’s inevitable and practically unavoidable. Yes, sure there are the few “young-at-heart” souls who seem to think it’s okay to continue behaving as a ten year old well into their 30′s and 40′s, but it’s rare and often only seen on very popular television shows. In reality though, for each of us there comes a time when we must sit back and decide who we are, what we want out of life and how we are going to get there. In The Summer of Skinny Dipping Mia is just beginning this journey when the book starts and as you watch her grow your own heart remembers it’s journey as well. It’s breathe taking.
Amanda Howells has impeccable pacing and character development. Within moments, it seems, nearly a third of the book is gone and you meet the other main character, Simon, but before this there is the slow build up of individual characters that leave you thinking about them when the book is closed. Each character from Beth to Corinne to Gen and even Eva, Mia’s little sister are real, so much so that you could imagine sitting down at the beach with them yourself.
What truly astounded me about the development of the early characters in the book was how completely unaware I am of the on goings in the “upper-class/elite” portion of our society in the US. Not that I’m not aware of the parties, the wealth, the property, etc. It’s the background, the people, their humanity that I wasn’t aware of because so often we only see what the camera shows us. This is not to say that Howells drafted a documentary here, but her insight into their daily life made them “come alive” for me. One example would be Gen, Corinne’s (Mia’s cousin) friend visiting for the summer, and her “live and let live” attitude. You’d want to believe that she’s cold with no care for those around her, but as the story continues you come to realize that’s not the case, she does care, but in her own way.
By far though my favorite character in the book was actually Simon. I don’t know if it’s that name in particular, but there have been other Simon’s in other books I’ve loved as well. But Howells’ Simon is amazing and it’s him that brings out the very best in Mia and ultimately helps her realize so much of the potential she has inside. Simon lives in the moment the way each of us should, enjoying every second of movement his body makes and loving without restriction. It’s his honesty and trust that enable Mia to find the path she’s searching for from the beginning of the book.
Ultimately The Summer of Skinny Dipping is a coming of age story, but in a more poignant way than I’ve ever read. Mia learns that it’s not what our faces show, but what is in our hearts that matter. That some of the most important things in life are worth dreaming of and enjoying right in the moment they’re happening. Her journey is unbelievable and through Mia, Howells is able to teach us to value what is most important. To value life, the moment and the opportunity ahead of us. This is a brilliant book that I can’t wait to share with others.
Posted in 2010 releases, American Saturday, Book Reviews, Rating: 5/5 | 2 Comments »
Aww added to my TBR pile
I can’t wait to read this. My copy is on the way. Brilliant review!