So I pretty much swallowed the book.
But there is absolutely nothing spectacular in here.
Still, a fun and interesting read.

FINAL VERDICT: Try ( )

The path to happiness and togetherness is not always that clear cut build-up, neat conflict, and ultimate outcome. Nowhere is that more clear in the most new adult to ever new adult than in this straightforward book. I loved the central friendships in this, and that these two were respectably, age appropriately, struggling with who they were and who they wanted to be. And a bit immature at that.

The style of writing supported these rapidly-changing new adults, leaving aside sentiment and overdone descriptions in favor of immersing readers in the world in an accessible, if almost distant and observational way. Almost like an in-depth journalist would chronicle a relationship: A year in college.

None of this is bad, though reading a Romance in this style may not be for everyone. It's not really tugging at your heart strings as these two take a baby step forward just to get in their own ways (again in a way that feels so familiar to that time) and drag themselves back by great distances. It's not taking any cheap shots to make your compassion activate, more like dropping you in without a parachute and saying, "hey, remember shit like this, can you relate?" It's not fancy or beautiful (at times it is in its simplicity all these, including funny) but it's effective. ( )

Summer Skin is a racy romance which doubles as a feminist primer for girls about to embark on college life. It features the unlikely pairing of Jessie, a girl who isn’t afraid to speak up about sexist attitudes, and Mitch, who has a lot to learn about the subject, giving the usual boy-meets-girl romance a new twist. College guys seeing women as sex toys and publicly shaming them is a real and ongoing problem, and Summer Skin fearlessly picks at this festering academic scab. Jessie’s story is the thinking girl’s guide to navigating the grey areas of college life. She is relentless in pointing out the double standards surrounding her, which leads to plenty of funny and clever moments along the way:

“STUD
STUT
SLUT

‘Stud to Slut in two moves.’ Jess told her.”

Reading Summer Skin took me back to my own uni days, which could often be messy and confusing. Jessie’s struggles reminded me of the rawness of those encounters. This is the kind of book I would have loved to have come across back then.

*With explicit sex scenes, Summer Skin is recommended for readers seventeen years and older.
( )

Literary merit: ok
Characterization: ok
Recommended: no
Level: high school or college

I did not like this book. I had a difficult time finishing the book. The book is based around a college sorority's revenge on an all-male college that they referred to as "Knights". The main character's name is Jess. She is the one that plans the "revenge" because her best friend Farren was the center of a horrible contest that the Knights hosted last semester.

From beginning to end this book sent a horrible message. The sorority committed horrible acts against the Knights. (The boys were not involved in the contest!) Then to top it off, Jess falls in love with the Knight she "pranks." She calls him sexist throughout the whole book but won't admit that she did anything wrong during the prank! The prank, where she took advantage of him while he was naked and shaved his eyebrows!

This book is not about feminist. The only feminist in the whole book is Farren and no one would listen to her! ( )

Raw Blue made me an ardent Kirsty Eagar fan. It and Summer Skin don't have alot in common, but what they do share is a sparkling intelligence, rare depth, and warm respect for their young characters' complexities. Also must be said that Kirsty Eagar can write one hell of a sex scene. Excellent stuff.