Summer Skin by Kirsty Eagar

Summer Skin by Kirsty Eagar presents "not your typical love story". Whilst I had doubts about how Eagar would sell this unconventional romance, I'm happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

It's a twist on your classic Romeo and Juliet tale. Teenagers from opposite sides meet, share some suggestive conversation and then... one ties the other to a chair (under unfavorable circumstances, I will say... *gulp*) and posts a picture of the prank to Instagram. Boom! Lovers.

Okay... so it didn't happen quite that quickly. Which brings me to my next point.

DISCLAIMER: This book is extremely graphic with intense sex/erotica scenes that could make someone feel really awkward especially if they are on a public bus. If such writing offends thee, do avoid this novel.

The eroticism isn't that much of a big deal, I guess. I'm trying to think of how the story could've progressed without it and coming up blank. It's kind of a big contributor to the movement of the plot. Just don't read it aloud to your friends in the middle of the school-yard. You get some weird looks.

So, back to the previously mentioned unconventionality. I liked it. I didn't think the romance would work, I honestly expected it to play out like any other teen fiction romance. But, like I said, this one surprised me. It's different and it works. It just adds to the overall spunk of the novel. But that isn't actually where the heart of the story really is.

What I couldn't imagine happening, what I didn't expect at all, was this book to touch on the theme of loss and death. This layer of the story, just existing below the surface of the concerns of most of the characters, adds an interesting level of depth. It turned the story into something real. It took me into a very real world with realistic characters but also very real themes that people have to deal with. The loss explored in this story is one that too many teenagers and young adults experienced. In fact (kind of spoilers here but not really) young drivers (17 – 25 years) represent one-quarter of all Australian road deaths, but are really only 10 – 15% of the licensed driver population. Think about that for a moment.

So, in truth, this book actually makes a very troubling theme apparent to young readers like myself. Because this loss happened to relatable characters who remind me a lot of some of my friends. Sometimes it's nice to receive a big chunk of "reality check" right in the face.

Okay so my last point on this novel is that, yes it does get quite enjoyable, but I found it started a little
confusingly. It was kind of like trying to sort out a tangle of multiple cords or strings and then straightening them out neatly. The first few chapters were kind of knotted and then things began to become clear. I suppose most books are like this and it adds to the complexity of the story but I just found it difficult to get into at the start. But then things got pretty cute with Blondie so it was okay. The story began to straighten out by that point.

Apart from this and some kind of cringey dialogue, I enjoyed this novel. Straight-forward and hard-hitting, I would definitely recommend to lovers of teen fiction over the ages of 16.

Quote: "And being different... along with all the other people being different."

3 out of 5 stars.

Don't forget that With Wicked Words does have a Facebook page. If you've found the site from the Facebook page then hey! Great to see you! For those who haven't liked it, find the page here; https://www.facebook.com/withwickedwords/

Summer Skin by Kirsty Eagar

Summer Skin by Kirsty Eagar presents "not your typical love story". Whilst I had doubts about how Eagar would sell this unconventional romance, I'm happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

It's a twist on your classic Romeo and Juliet tale. Teenagers from opposite sides meet, share some suggestive conversation and then... one ties the other to a chair (under unfavorable circumstances, I will say... *gulp*) and posts a picture of the prank to Instagram. Boom! Lovers.

Okay... so it didn't happen quite that quickly. Which brings me to my next point.

DISCLAIMER: This book is extremely graphic with intense sex/erotica scenes that could make someone feel really awkward especially if they are on a public bus. If such writing offends thee, do avoid this novel.

The eroticism isn't that much of a big deal, I guess. I'm trying to think of how the story could've progressed without it and coming up blank. It's kind of a big contributor to the movement of the plot. Just don't read it aloud to your friends in the middle of the school-yard. You get some weird looks.

So, back to the previously mentioned unconventionality. I liked it. I didn't think the romance would work, I honestly expected it to play out like any other teen fiction romance. But, like I said, this one surprised me. It's different and it works. It just adds to the overall spunk of the novel. But that isn't actually where the heart of the story really is.

What I couldn't imagine happening, what I didn't expect at all, was this book to touch on the theme of loss and death. This layer of the story, just existing below the surface of the concerns of most of the characters, adds an interesting level of depth. It turned the story into something real. It took me into a very real world with realistic characters but also very real themes that people have to deal with. The loss explored in this story is one that too many teenagers and young adults experienced. In fact (kind of spoilers here but not really) young drivers (17 – 25 years) represent one-quarter of all Australian road deaths, but are really only 10 – 15% of the licensed driver population. Think about that for a moment.

So, in truth, this book actually makes a very troubling theme apparent to young readers like myself. Because this loss happened to relatable characters who remind me a lot of some of my friends. Sometimes it's nice to receive a big chunk of "reality check" right in the face.

Okay so my last point on this novel is that, yes it does get quite enjoyable, but I found it started a little
confusingly. It was kind of like trying to sort out a tangle of multiple cords or strings and then straightening them out neatly. The first few chapters were kind of knotted and then things began to become clear. I suppose most books are like this and it adds to the complexity of the story but I just found it difficult to get into at the start. But then things got pretty cute with Blondie so it was okay. The story began to straighten out by that point.

Apart from this and some kind of cringey dialogue, I enjoyed this novel. Straight-forward and hard-hitting, I would definitely recommend to lovers of teen fiction over the ages of 16.

Quote: "And being different... along with all the other people being different."

3 out of 5 stars.

Don't forget that With Wicked Words does have a Facebook page. If you've found the site from the Facebook page then hey! Great to see you! For those who haven't liked it, find the page here; https://www.facebook.com/withwickedwords/