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Skid #1
Skid
Samantha drove the car that killed her dad. Now racked with guilt, the 17-year-old girl racer from Oklahoma promises to fulfill the racing dreams they shared. Even if it kills her. Samantha sneaks into a private testing session and impresses the eccentric owner of Formula 1 racing team who takes a chance on the outspoken, yet crazy-talented girl.
Samantha pushes herself, pushes her car, pushes her luck at 200 miles per hour. She battles a seven-time world champion and Ferrari racing god who was once a crush-worthy hero to a girl, but now a dream-crushing rival to a young woman. Samantha befriends the nerdy-cute nephew of the team's owner who she leans on for support and to keep her sanity. Yet his gentle advances beyond friendship clash with Samantha's racing goals. For advice on what to do, Samantha wants to ask her two sisters, but they won't speak to her. Not since she told them the real truth about Dad's accident. The real truth about that dark and rainy night that splits her family in two.
All Samantha's problems come to a head at a place called Spa in the lush Belgian forest. A place infamous for killing race car drivers. Samantha must use all her skill, all her daring, and all her luck to win it all and become the young woman she's destined to be.
But only if she can beat the Ferrari next to her. And only if the rain stops falling. And only if she can get her hands on the steering wheel to stop shaking.
Skid should appeal to readers of John Green and Courtney Summers who love character-centered stories with more action and readers who love empowering heroines who can change the world around them.
Samantha pushes herself, pushes her car, pushes her luck at 200 miles per hour. She battles a seven-time world champion and Ferrari racing god who was once a crush-worthy hero to a girl, but now a dream-crushing rival to a young woman. Samantha befriends the nerdy-cute nephew of the team's owner who she leans on for support and to keep her sanity. Yet his gentle advances beyond friendship clash with Samantha's racing goals. For advice on what to do, Samantha wants to ask her two sisters, but they won't speak to her. Not since she told them the real truth about Dad's accident. The real truth about that dark and rainy night that splits her family in two.
All Samantha's problems come to a head at a place called Spa in the lush Belgian forest. A place infamous for killing race car drivers. Samantha must use all her skill, all her daring, and all her luck to win it all and become the young woman she's destined to be.
But only if she can beat the Ferrari next to her. And only if the rain stops falling. And only if she can get her hands on the steering wheel to stop shaking.
Skid should appeal to readers of John Green and Courtney Summers who love character-centered stories with more action and readers who love empowering heroines who can change the world around them.
271 pages, Audiobook
First published May 6, 2012
45 people are currently reading
519 people want to read
About the author
Doug Solter
22 books97 followersDoug Solter has worked in local television for over 20 years. He's directed rap music videos and short films. His screenplays have been semi and quarter finalists in the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences' Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. He drank wine on the streets of Barcelona. Hiked the Rocky Mountains. Loved a cat. And worked as a Starbucks barista for a month.
Doug currently lives in Pennsylvania where he writes young adult novels full of escapism. Doug's first young adult novel Skid was first a screenplay before it was adapted into a book. Doug is an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Doug enjoys...
Reading young adult books, spy thrillers, biographies, historical fiction & non-fiction, and wants to read more science fiction & fantasy.
Watching every movie from the silent-era classics through the golden age and film-noir, through French new wave and the 70s auteur movement, and to the blockbusters of the modern era. (Yes, he's a movie nerd.)
Traveling to new places. Vacation is not an evil word. He believes travel is the answer to happiness. Traveled to 31 of the 50 states in his country. He's visited Canada, Spain, Italy, France, and Monaco. He hopes to do more.
Watching modern day television with all the great writing. He's excited about the flood of interesting shows that are out there now.
Cats. Wishes he could have one inside his small apartment but is forced to enjoy them on social media.
Hearing about science stuff and things about outer-space because it all blows his mind.
Cars. He enjoys looking at them and pretending that he has hundreds of them inside his mental garage.
You can connect with Doug on Facebook too! >>>>>> https://www.facebook.com/DougSolterYA...
Doug currently lives in Pennsylvania where he writes young adult novels full of escapism. Doug's first young adult novel Skid was first a screenplay before it was adapted into a book. Doug is an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Doug enjoys...
Reading young adult books, spy thrillers, biographies, historical fiction & non-fiction, and wants to read more science fiction & fantasy.
Watching every movie from the silent-era classics through the golden age and film-noir, through French new wave and the 70s auteur movement, and to the blockbusters of the modern era. (Yes, he's a movie nerd.)
Traveling to new places. Vacation is not an evil word. He believes travel is the answer to happiness. Traveled to 31 of the 50 states in his country. He's visited Canada, Spain, Italy, France, and Monaco. He hopes to do more.
Watching modern day television with all the great writing. He's excited about the flood of interesting shows that are out there now.
Cats. Wishes he could have one inside his small apartment but is forced to enjoy them on social media.
Hearing about science stuff and things about outer-space because it all blows his mind.
Cars. He enjoys looking at them and pretending that he has hundreds of them inside his mental garage.
You can connect with Doug on Facebook too! >>>>>> https://www.facebook.com/DougSolterYA...
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September 12, 2020
I am on a forever quest to find a good racing book, and it sure as hell wasn't this one.
Never before have I hit the character count limit writing a goodreads review, but today it happened. I just want to make clear that this book is actually a revised edition of Skid, so while I would feel bad writing such a negative review of a book with only 8 other ratings, this book does actually have over 200 ratings.
Season of Speed follows Samantha Sutton, an American teenager who becomes the first female Formula 1 driver in over 20 years, and her romance with Manny, the nephew of the team owner.
First of all, this book is just creepy. If you're an adult man, you better have a really really GOOD REASON to spend two pages writing about your female teenage protagonist's nipples. There were no good reasons here, she just happened to forget a bra, it had no relevance to the plot, other than to show her being a bit distracted, but that could have been done in so many less creepy ways.
Samantha should not be allowed to race cars. In the beginning of the book, she keeps racing a car that is clearly unsafe, it's literally on fire. That's not just being a danger to herself, but a danger to everyone around her. (She also forgot her racing shoes so her soles are burning. Very professional). This car should be black flagged, she should have been told to pull over, but instead she wins and the guy who sees it is so impressed (at what? Her putting people in danger? She should get a race ban) that he offers her a testing session for F1. Later in the book she runs across the pit lane in the middle of a race without checking if there was a car coming, and almost gets run over. She shouldn't be allowed in the paddock.
I need to say that I have no problem with a book about a female racing driver who's as talented as the men around her, even as a teenage girl (there are some very talented teenage boys in racing, why not girls?). But I never want to read a story about a protagonist who is just automatically the best without putting in any of the work, and that's what we get here. She simply does not have the experience it takes to make it to F1, and the book knows this! It's acknowledged in the text! So why not write about a girl who HAS gone through the normal route, who has the relevant experience? Why couldn't she have relevant European racing experience? That would've made for a so much better book.
This girl went from racing a mustang on Creek County Speedway, Oklahoma, to racing Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an F1 car in just a couple of months, with no mention of her actually doing any racing in between. As if a racing driver ever just does nothing for a few months. And that's another problem, when she is out of the car we don't really get a sense of her caring about racing, especially not in the beginning. We doesn't hear about her devoting time and energy to racing outside that F1 seat and driving in the beginning. She MENTIONS having racing experience, but she just doesn't do anything. She doesn't even try to get any racing done. We don't hear about her talking to sponsors, trying to raise money, finding a series to race in, nothing. There is no mention of this girl ever doing any sim work, you know, what a test driver actually does.
Samantha is also as stupid as a loaf of bread. First of all she hasn't heard about the Spice Girls. I don't care how much time and energy you've invested into racing and training, you can't not have heard about the Spice Girls. Having someone be so dedicated to their chosen craft that they haven't heard of some pop culture thing is obviously a pretty normal trope, but it's just lazy writing. That trope in general also has a touch of Not Like Other Girls, but to be fair to the book, Samantha generally doesn't have that "I'm so special, not like the other girls" attitude through the book (mostly because all the other characters except her family are men).
And get this, it's not just the Spice Girls she hasn't heard about. This girl who love Formula 1, wanted to race in Formula 1, has been in Formula 1 for almost a year at this point....... doesn't know who Graham Hill is. She focuses on the sport so much that she hasn't heard about the Spice Girls, but she also hasn't heard about actual important people IN the sport? What does this girl actually know??
At one point her adult sister asks her where Monaco is. I guess Americans don't need to know where Monaco is, but if you know anything about racing you probably should know. This sister doesn't race but her sister does and her dad did, and okay neither of them had ever raced in Monaco at this point, but she should still know where Monaco is! Your sister is travelling with F1 and she's going to Monaco next and you're telling me her sister hasn't even bothered to look up Monaco?
And then there is Manny, probably the most boring, annoying love interest ever to be written.
First of all, what is the point of a sports romance if they're NOT rivals in the sport? Why I have I read so many sports romances where that's the case? When will I get the sports romance I want, where they're actually competitors? Instead we get Manny, the annoying cowardly spoilt nephew of a team owner. This isn't really a criticism of the book, because the summary clearly states who Manny is, so see this more as a cry for help, because where is my rivals to lovers sports romances?? In racing they can be teammates AND rivals (AND lovers)! Seriously if anyone has any recs like this hit me up, m/f, f/f, m/m, I'll read anything if's a rivals to lovers sports romance.
Have some quotes to understand why I hate Manny.
That's page two (!!) of the very first Manny POV.
On the same page:
My dude you were in Spain many months ago at this point, if that's all you have to go on it's not great. (And this has big "a girl smiled at me once so clearly she's into me vibes, yikes)
Two pages later:
I don't care that he's german, who hears her laughing and talking about her "boyfriends" BUGS and DAFFY and actually think they are human boys? They're clearly pets!
Still same chapter:
sir, this is a wendy's.
A page later and he is creepily hovering behind her, thinking about kissing her, but for some reason the author decided to write him as if his sweat is dripping all over him. Imagine you're going to kiss someone and sweat is rolling down their face, it's not sexy. And they were literally just sitting there watching TV! Not exercising, or being out in the sun or doing anything that would lead to copious amounts of sweating.
I think there are only three drivers in this universe? We have the two drivers on Samantha's team, and Emilio Ronaldo with Ferrari. Samantha's team isn't doing great, so Emilio is winning literally anything (until Samantha steps into the car of course). I mean it's realistic to have a dominating driver, but surely someone else should win a race every now and then? Does Emilio not have a teammate?
There is actually a Norwegian driver on Samantha's team. He's called Nelson Vofram. Nobody in Norway would ever be named that. I don't expect some weird perfect Norwegian representation but I truly don't think it's too much to ask that at least the name sounds Norwegian. (Nelson is called a fjord-loving bastard at one point. And yes that did make me laugh.)
We've had a break from creepy Manny, but here are some more things I hate about him and this romance:
What even is this interaction?? I hate Manny but how is she saying that she looks good being a "perv", at least in this context, where they are of similar age, they are already friends, and she's at a party where she is dressing up? Why does she describe herself as slutty? Why is she like that (tm)?
And then everything gets worse from here.
I hate him so much, why is he Nice Guy(tm), who has never actually been nice in this entire book.
The author keeps using the word "girl parts and I HATE it. Why can't he just say that guys are looking at her? We get that they're eying her because she's a woman (okay technically a literal teenage girl but you know), we don't need to hear "girl parts"!
So Manny takes photos of her without her consent. Not inappropriate photos, but still creepy. Cute if it's your girlfriend, weird as fuck when it's not. And later in the book Manny gets creds for 1) not taking pictures of her in her underwear and posting them online and 2) not raping her. The bar is literally on the floor.
Petition to ban adult men from writing about teenage girl protagonists and using the word "slut"! This teenage girl (17!!!) is having a photoshoot, and they want her to pose in her underwear, and she refuses, but instead of this ending with her not having to do it, she eventually agrees and does it anyway. Barf.
Manny and Samantha are both so freaking weird. At one point they're on a canal boat in Amsterdam, before they get together. A woman offers them a joint, Manny accepts, but Samantha is raised in America so she's obviously terrified, and she gets really weird and uncomfortable. He asks if she disapproves and she's just says "well I'm not your mom" and instead of being like "okay good" like a NORMAL person, he pouts, complains about her looking down on him, says she's acting like his mom, says "can I have some wine mom?", like a creep. And then. She throws his wineglass. In the canal. Literally who does that? She's paying to be on this boat and then throws their private property in the canal. What the fuck.
Emilio, the Only Other Driver, is also really weird. What kind of 7 times world champion goes around kicking other people's cars? But Samantha does not like to be outdone, so she grabs a fire extinguisher right out of a track worker's hands and sprays Emilio with the foam. This comes only weeks after her going up to him after a race and shoving him in anger. Is he awful and deserves it? Sure. Can a professional act like that? No??? And there is no mention of her getting punished from any of this, not from the higher ups in the sport, and not from the team, despite the fact that both of these things are clearly examples of unsportsmanlike conduct (in both cases she got physical first).
At one point Manny charms Samantha..... by breaking out into song. But not just any song. No, he sings "Silent Night" in german. It's a beautiful song and sounds great in german, but it wasn't even Christmas, it's just freaking September. He's just singing it in an old storage room because it has good acoustics and she wouldn't duet with him.
I'm SURE it sounded great but who reacts like that to the boy you kinda like getting up and singing Silent Night out of nowhere in an old storage room?? I would be crying tears of laughter no matter how good he sounded.
So Manny confesses his feelings, but she turns him down, and then we get this: "Another season of watching her smile. Watching her laugh. Watching her kiss other guys. I can't take such abuse without losing my sanity."
First of all he hasn't kissed a single guy in this entire book, I think you're good. Second of all, calling having to see a girl you like but doesn't like you back be happy ABUSE is.... a choice.
To give this book some creds, there are a lot of racing here that is correct. The Formula 1 weekend format is correct, the way the calendar works mostly makes sense, the way things work in the paddock all makes sense. But there is no way this girl can come into the sport and just DOMINATE. I don't believe it. And then, in the last race, she stops her car for several minutes! And just doesn't race! And then she starts up again and somehow comes second despite the fact that she should be several laps behind! You can't just stop your car and take a break! I don't understand why he wrote it like that when the rest of the racing is mostly believable!
All in all, this was not the racing book I wanted it to be. I feel bad for dragging so hard, but it just wasn't any good, and I would not recommend it.
Never before have I hit the character count limit writing a goodreads review, but today it happened. I just want to make clear that this book is actually a revised edition of Skid, so while I would feel bad writing such a negative review of a book with only 8 other ratings, this book does actually have over 200 ratings.
Season of Speed follows Samantha Sutton, an American teenager who becomes the first female Formula 1 driver in over 20 years, and her romance with Manny, the nephew of the team owner.
First of all, this book is just creepy. If you're an adult man, you better have a really really GOOD REASON to spend two pages writing about your female teenage protagonist's nipples. There were no good reasons here, she just happened to forget a bra, it had no relevance to the plot, other than to show her being a bit distracted, but that could have been done in so many less creepy ways.
Samantha should not be allowed to race cars. In the beginning of the book, she keeps racing a car that is clearly unsafe, it's literally on fire. That's not just being a danger to herself, but a danger to everyone around her. (She also forgot her racing shoes so her soles are burning. Very professional). This car should be black flagged, she should have been told to pull over, but instead she wins and the guy who sees it is so impressed (at what? Her putting people in danger? She should get a race ban) that he offers her a testing session for F1. Later in the book she runs across the pit lane in the middle of a race without checking if there was a car coming, and almost gets run over. She shouldn't be allowed in the paddock.
I need to say that I have no problem with a book about a female racing driver who's as talented as the men around her, even as a teenage girl (there are some very talented teenage boys in racing, why not girls?). But I never want to read a story about a protagonist who is just automatically the best without putting in any of the work, and that's what we get here. She simply does not have the experience it takes to make it to F1, and the book knows this! It's acknowledged in the text! So why not write about a girl who HAS gone through the normal route, who has the relevant experience? Why couldn't she have relevant European racing experience? That would've made for a so much better book.
This girl went from racing a mustang on Creek County Speedway, Oklahoma, to racing Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an F1 car in just a couple of months, with no mention of her actually doing any racing in between. As if a racing driver ever just does nothing for a few months. And that's another problem, when she is out of the car we don't really get a sense of her caring about racing, especially not in the beginning. We doesn't hear about her devoting time and energy to racing outside that F1 seat and driving in the beginning. She MENTIONS having racing experience, but she just doesn't do anything. She doesn't even try to get any racing done. We don't hear about her talking to sponsors, trying to raise money, finding a series to race in, nothing. There is no mention of this girl ever doing any sim work, you know, what a test driver actually does.
Samantha is also as stupid as a loaf of bread. First of all she hasn't heard about the Spice Girls. I don't care how much time and energy you've invested into racing and training, you can't not have heard about the Spice Girls. Having someone be so dedicated to their chosen craft that they haven't heard of some pop culture thing is obviously a pretty normal trope, but it's just lazy writing. That trope in general also has a touch of Not Like Other Girls, but to be fair to the book, Samantha generally doesn't have that "I'm so special, not like the other girls" attitude through the book (mostly because all the other characters except her family are men).
And get this, it's not just the Spice Girls she hasn't heard about. This girl who love Formula 1, wanted to race in Formula 1, has been in Formula 1 for almost a year at this point....... doesn't know who Graham Hill is. She focuses on the sport so much that she hasn't heard about the Spice Girls, but she also hasn't heard about actual important people IN the sport? What does this girl actually know??
At one point her adult sister asks her where Monaco is. I guess Americans don't need to know where Monaco is, but if you know anything about racing you probably should know. This sister doesn't race but her sister does and her dad did, and okay neither of them had ever raced in Monaco at this point, but she should still know where Monaco is! Your sister is travelling with F1 and she's going to Monaco next and you're telling me her sister hasn't even bothered to look up Monaco?
And then there is Manny, probably the most boring, annoying love interest ever to be written.
First of all, what is the point of a sports romance if they're NOT rivals in the sport? Why I have I read so many sports romances where that's the case? When will I get the sports romance I want, where they're actually competitors? Instead we get Manny, the annoying cowardly spoilt nephew of a team owner. This isn't really a criticism of the book, because the summary clearly states who Manny is, so see this more as a cry for help, because where is my rivals to lovers sports romances?? In racing they can be teammates AND rivals (AND lovers)! Seriously if anyone has any recs like this hit me up, m/f, f/f, m/m, I'll read anything if's a rivals to lovers sports romance.
Have some quotes to understand why I hate Manny.
Girls are different from dogs. Dogs don't expect you to constantly talk to them, yet girls do. If you pet a dog, they're as happy has can be. If you pet a girl before asking them, they get mad and slap you.
That's page two (!!) of the very first Manny POV.
On the same page:
I need a girl. Someone soft to touch and someone who smells nice and someone who can stand to be around me. Samantha does seem to tolerate me. I know this because we did text each other when she was in Spain.
My dude you were in Spain many months ago at this point, if that's all you have to go on it's not great. (And this has big "a girl smiled at me once so clearly she's into me vibes, yikes)
Two pages later:
I should try asking Samantha out. Yet I need to confirm something first.
"Did you see your boyfriend?"
Samantha laughs. "Yeah, bugs and Daddy were happy to see me!"
What a complete disaster! Samantha had not one, but two boyfriends. How on earth can I compete with two boyfriends? I can barely compete with non existent boyfriends. Cupid seems to love kicking me in the face.
I don't care that he's german, who hears her laughing and talking about her "boyfriends" BUGS and DAFFY and actually think they are human boys? They're clearly pets!
Still same chapter:
I watch her soft right hand forming letters in a round, cursive-like pattern that's beautiful and so feminine. Her words build sentences. Her sentences build paragraphs. Her paragraohs build pages.
sir, this is a wendy's.
A page later and he is creepily hovering behind her, thinking about kissing her, but for some reason the author decided to write him as if his sweat is dripping all over him. Imagine you're going to kiss someone and sweat is rolling down their face, it's not sexy. And they were literally just sitting there watching TV! Not exercising, or being out in the sun or doing anything that would lead to copious amounts of sweating.
I think there are only three drivers in this universe? We have the two drivers on Samantha's team, and Emilio Ronaldo with Ferrari. Samantha's team isn't doing great, so Emilio is winning literally anything (until Samantha steps into the car of course). I mean it's realistic to have a dominating driver, but surely someone else should win a race every now and then? Does Emilio not have a teammate?
There is actually a Norwegian driver on Samantha's team. He's called Nelson Vofram. Nobody in Norway would ever be named that. I don't expect some weird perfect Norwegian representation but I truly don't think it's too much to ask that at least the name sounds Norwegian. (Nelson is called a fjord-loving bastard at one point. And yes that did make me laugh.)
We've had a break from creepy Manny, but here are some more things I hate about him and this romance:
"You look nice tonight, but you always look nice," Manny says.
" I wish I felt nice, but I feel more slutty," I say.
"Oh you don't like wearing dresses?"
"I have a girlie side, but this doesn't feel like a dress, it feels like I'm wearing only my underwear."
"It looks great to me," Manny says.
Eww. Is he undressing me? I thought he was my friend, not another perv.
Manny's cheeks turn red and he frowns, almost like he heard my thoughts, or maybe it's because I'm glaring at him.
"Ah - what I mean to say is, your body gives me no pleasure whatsoever," he says.
Huh? Is Manny saying I have a terrible body? That even in this sexy dress I look like a forest troll?
What even is this interaction?? I hate Manny but how is she saying that she looks good being a "perv", at least in this context, where they are of similar age, they are already friends, and she's at a party where she is dressing up? Why does she describe herself as slutty? Why is she like that (tm)?
And then everything gets worse from here.
Manny cools down. "You didn't piss me off. I'm frustrated."
"With me?"
"No. Girls in general."
"If it's any comfort, I don't understand guys either."
"We do come in different models."
"I know. You're definitely the nice-guy model," I say.
"Girls don't want that model. They want the stronct athletic models."
"That's not true."
"It's true where I come from."
I hate him so much, why is he Nice Guy(tm), who has never actually been nice in this entire book.
The author keeps using the word "girl parts and I HATE it. Why can't he just say that guys are looking at her? We get that they're eying her because she's a woman (okay technically a literal teenage girl but you know), we don't need to hear "girl parts"!
So Manny takes photos of her without her consent. Not inappropriate photos, but still creepy. Cute if it's your girlfriend, weird as fuck when it's not. And later in the book Manny gets creds for 1) not taking pictures of her in her underwear and posting them online and 2) not raping her. The bar is literally on the floor.
I'm lying across a race car in my undies like some slut.
Petition to ban adult men from writing about teenage girl protagonists and using the word "slut"! This teenage girl (17!!!) is having a photoshoot, and they want her to pose in her underwear, and she refuses, but instead of this ending with her not having to do it, she eventually agrees and does it anyway. Barf.
Manny and Samantha are both so freaking weird. At one point they're on a canal boat in Amsterdam, before they get together. A woman offers them a joint, Manny accepts, but Samantha is raised in America so she's obviously terrified, and she gets really weird and uncomfortable. He asks if she disapproves and she's just says "well I'm not your mom" and instead of being like "okay good" like a NORMAL person, he pouts, complains about her looking down on him, says she's acting like his mom, says "can I have some wine mom?", like a creep. And then. She throws his wineglass. In the canal. Literally who does that? She's paying to be on this boat and then throws their private property in the canal. What the fuck.
Emilio, the Only Other Driver, is also really weird. What kind of 7 times world champion goes around kicking other people's cars? But Samantha does not like to be outdone, so she grabs a fire extinguisher right out of a track worker's hands and sprays Emilio with the foam. This comes only weeks after her going up to him after a race and shoving him in anger. Is he awful and deserves it? Sure. Can a professional act like that? No??? And there is no mention of her getting punished from any of this, not from the higher ups in the sport, and not from the team, despite the fact that both of these things are clearly examples of unsportsmanlike conduct (in both cases she got physical first).
At one point Manny charms Samantha..... by breaking out into song. But not just any song. No, he sings "Silent Night" in german. It's a beautiful song and sounds great in german, but it wasn't even Christmas, it's just freaking September. He's just singing it in an old storage room because it has good acoustics and she wouldn't duet with him.
Manny stands there, draws in a deep breath, and his sweet voice begins the most beautiful solo of Silent Night that I've ever heard.
Each note is on point and never flat.
His voice is smooth and not rushed.
It's quite comforting in a way. Like a blanket of fuzzy warm sound that hugs your body. His voice sounds amazing inside this little room. The boy can really sing.
I'm SURE it sounded great but who reacts like that to the boy you kinda like getting up and singing Silent Night out of nowhere in an old storage room?? I would be crying tears of laughter no matter how good he sounded.
So Manny confesses his feelings, but she turns him down, and then we get this: "Another season of watching her smile. Watching her laugh. Watching her kiss other guys. I can't take such abuse without losing my sanity."
First of all he hasn't kissed a single guy in this entire book, I think you're good. Second of all, calling having to see a girl you like but doesn't like you back be happy ABUSE is.... a choice.
To give this book some creds, there are a lot of racing here that is correct. The Formula 1 weekend format is correct, the way the calendar works mostly makes sense, the way things work in the paddock all makes sense. But there is no way this girl can come into the sport and just DOMINATE. I don't believe it. And then, in the last race, she stops her car for several minutes! And just doesn't race! And then she starts up again and somehow comes second despite the fact that she should be several laps behind! You can't just stop your car and take a break! I don't understand why he wrote it like that when the rest of the racing is mostly believable!
All in all, this was not the racing book I wanted it to be. I feel bad for dragging so hard, but it just wasn't any good, and I would not recommend it.
December 21, 2014
4.25 stars.
This book was good. If you don't mind a book that's race-filled and less on the romance and more on the action, which with this I didn't.
I had a few issues with it. Samantha was a bit annoying at times and totally oblivious to some things. And how Jonathan talked--which isn't that big a deal, I know, but I'm English and when I ask questions I NEVER end it with "Yes". Does anyone do that?!
Other than that though, I got really into Samantha's journey from winner of everything small circuit, to F1 test driver to F1 racing driver. She deserved it and she earned it. She overcame many issues and grew up a lot.
I've noticed that there's a second book in the series and would like to read that too.
This book was good. If you don't mind a book that's race-filled and less on the romance and more on the action, which with this I didn't.
I had a few issues with it. Samantha was a bit annoying at times and totally oblivious to some things. And how Jonathan talked--which isn't that big a deal, I know, but I'm English and when I ask questions I NEVER end it with "Yes". Does anyone do that?!
Other than that though, I got really into Samantha's journey from winner of everything small circuit, to F1 test driver to F1 racing driver. She deserved it and she earned it. She overcame many issues and grew up a lot.
I've noticed that there's a second book in the series and would like to read that too.
August 23, 2018
Skid pulled me in right from the beginning and didn't let up. The author is phenomenal at bringing us into the world of racing. I know nothing about cars or racing, but I could easily follow the story. The writing made the story work so well. The main character, Samantha, is realistically written as a passionate teenage girl trying to make it in a male dominated sport. Her passion and determination races off each page, making me want to keep reading. I also really enjoyed that the story can be really inspirational for a lot of teenage girls. The more books we feature with strong passionate females, the better. Skid should really be in the hands of more middle and high schoolers.
The only critiques I have are that Samantha kept calling the car her best friend, while driving. Is this a racing thing? After awhile the repetitiveness became a bit annoying. Also she doesn't have a ton of professional race experience, but after a few months of intense training, she's competing against seasoned pros. Not incredibly realistic, but young phenols do happen in sport. It certainly makes the world of sports super exciting!
But overall I really enjoyed the book for the exciting world of competitive racing, inspiring character of Samantha and overall fun that made the entire book work.
* My rating is actually 4.5 stars but since there aren't half stars I always round up.
The only critiques I have are that Samantha kept calling the car her best friend, while driving. Is this a racing thing? After awhile the repetitiveness became a bit annoying. Also she doesn't have a ton of professional race experience, but after a few months of intense training, she's competing against seasoned pros. Not incredibly realistic, but young phenols do happen in sport. It certainly makes the world of sports super exciting!
But overall I really enjoyed the book for the exciting world of competitive racing, inspiring character of Samantha and overall fun that made the entire book work.
* My rating is actually 4.5 stars but since there aren't half stars I always round up.
September 1, 2012
Woww Doug this is an amazing book. As soon as i started it i couldn't put it down. I was reading it on my iPod and would start to read around 8:00 (PM) after my soccer practice and i would usually stop reading around like 11 to 12. (Which is pretty late for me LOL)Which is why it only took me a couple of days to read. Sorry i just got around to writing the review i hadn't the time but i made sure I did and before the deadline because this book is fantastic. The story line is just fantastic and it's one of a kind. I did notice a couple of typo errors here and their but that's nothing but going back in and editing. I'm super excited to read the next two in the series and cant wait. (and when are the next two books going to come out, do you have a rough idea) But i think you did a great job with this book and hit out of the park. I'm going to make sure i recommend this to friends and I'll make sure my school librarian orders a couple of the books for the kids to read.
December 29, 2015
Loved, loved, loved this book! Samantha is such a strong character and a bit of a hot head which makes her seem real. She goes for her dreams with everything she has even when she feels like she has no idea what she is doing.
The full review can be found at http://katetilton.com/introducing-k8a...
The full review can be found at http://katetilton.com/introducing-k8a...
April 3, 2020
🤨
I couldn’t really connect to any of the characters to be honest , I think it was too much of just racing and not about the relationship.
I couldn’t really connect to any of the characters to be honest , I think it was too much of just racing and not about the relationship.
August 28, 2017
(This review may contain spoilers).
When I first saw the cover of this book, I was immediately taken with it. And I really wanted to like this book. The blurb was such an intriguing one and there was a lot that could have made the book really easy to read.
I felt that Samantha was a character who came across as quite one-dimensional, with a few sparks of more to her that didn't really go anywhere. I actually found it quite hard to relate to any of the other characters. While there was a lot of potential with Samantha's mother and sisters, I felt that most of their characteristics only cropped up when it was relevant to the plot. For instance, Samantha saying her mother didn't like people to be in same-sex relationships. Actually, the two young women romantically involved weren't even mentioned before the whole conversation. It really felt like there was a lot missing in character development and the switching from Samantha's first person POV to Manny's was confusing and made it hard to read towards the end.
I would have liked it if the book had been expanded upon, with more details about the other secondary characters, such as Samantha's host family. I was also very disappointed that Samantha's personality kept changing. She went from being absolutely clueless about a guy being interested in her to outright flirting. And there were a lot of cringeworthy scenes where she seemed to come across as a vapid fangirl, rather than a strong female character.
The book was very short, which was a mistake. Considering the book was (I'm guessing?) meant to be about a young woman breaking her way into a man's sport, it spent very little time actually developing that and it was irritating that Samantha was so much better, despite it being acknowledged she didn't have the same experience.
There was so much potential in this book, but it really fell short of the execution. I don't think I'll be reading more books in this series unless there are some drastic changes put in place.
When I first saw the cover of this book, I was immediately taken with it. And I really wanted to like this book. The blurb was such an intriguing one and there was a lot that could have made the book really easy to read.
I felt that Samantha was a character who came across as quite one-dimensional, with a few sparks of more to her that didn't really go anywhere. I actually found it quite hard to relate to any of the other characters. While there was a lot of potential with Samantha's mother and sisters, I felt that most of their characteristics only cropped up when it was relevant to the plot. For instance, Samantha saying her mother didn't like people to be in same-sex relationships. Actually, the two young women romantically involved weren't even mentioned before the whole conversation. It really felt like there was a lot missing in character development and the switching from Samantha's first person POV to Manny's was confusing and made it hard to read towards the end.
I would have liked it if the book had been expanded upon, with more details about the other secondary characters, such as Samantha's host family. I was also very disappointed that Samantha's personality kept changing. She went from being absolutely clueless about a guy being interested in her to outright flirting. And there were a lot of cringeworthy scenes where she seemed to come across as a vapid fangirl, rather than a strong female character.
The book was very short, which was a mistake. Considering the book was (I'm guessing?) meant to be about a young woman breaking her way into a man's sport, it spent very little time actually developing that and it was irritating that Samantha was so much better, despite it being acknowledged she didn't have the same experience.
There was so much potential in this book, but it really fell short of the execution. I don't think I'll be reading more books in this series unless there are some drastic changes put in place.
September 15, 2018
Skid by Doug Solter
Ok, this one took me completely by surprise. It is YA but this plot is so full of excitement and intrigue. The characters are strong and consistent painting a very solid picture of middle America, until Samantha breaks all the rules to follow her dreams. This is one well deserved HEA. #TeamManny
Ok, this one took me completely by surprise. It is YA but this plot is so full of excitement and intrigue. The characters are strong and consistent painting a very solid picture of middle America, until Samantha breaks all the rules to follow her dreams. This is one well deserved HEA. #TeamManny
October 1, 2018
Absolutely brilliant
Funny, intense, not predictable just freaking awesome in every way. Don’t get this book do yours of a favor get the box set now lol. You don’t have to have a racing background she makes everything pop and realistic and easy to understand.
Funny, intense, not predictable just freaking awesome in every way. Don’t get this book do yours of a favor get the box set now lol. You don’t have to have a racing background she makes everything pop and realistic and easy to understand.
August 25, 2018
I'm not a racing fan, but this was a thrilling and emotional read nonetheless.
January 17, 2016
4.5 stars.
Really good read, and pretty much the only good racing book out there, at least through my research. Most (read: all) of the other racing books lately seem to actually be romance books with a racing theme - not that there's anything wrong with that, but this book is actually a racing book through and through, and that's why it's special. As far as I can find it's literally the only book of its kind.
I read this book because I was actually looking for a book about racing, and after a while, I actually gave up on looking, since I wasn't interested in reading romance. However, a writing buddy of mine happened to find this in a Goodreads list, and since I saw it was free on Amazon, I didn't give it a second thought before starting it. I wasn't expecting that much, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was.
My only real complaint about the book is that most of the racing scenes outside of the final one felt more like summaries of racing scenes as opposed to actual immersive, intense racing scenes. The one at the end made up for a lot of it but a lot of this book didn't feel as intense as I think it should have.
I also have to put into question the logic of Samantha being as good as she is at racing. Obviously she had to be that good or else the story couldn't move forward, but except for her rival Emilio, she speeds past all the other F1 racers in the book like they're not even there. For all intents and purposes, the only actual racers in most of the book are her and her rival. I didn't think it made sense that someone her age, even if she is good, could beat all of her opponents so effortlessly throughout the book.
However, the complaints aside, this is a good book because of the great characters. I found Samantha to be a particularly believable and flawed young adult, struggling with her internal doubts and criticisms as much as with the races that she tries to win. Throughout the book, she says a lot of things that she shouldn't have (which makes her immediately regret having said them), she makes mistakes that she should have known better than to make, and those things make her believable. She isn't perfect and she doesn't always win, and a lot of the time it's all her fault. Sometimes other people even suffer because of her decisions, forcing her to learn from them much harder than she otherwise would have.
I also like how the relationship with Manny was handled in the book - As a guy, I'm so, so bitterly sick of YA books having a hot, muscular, perfect man that the girl protagonist melts under every time they are together, to the extent that she can barely function without him. Maybe a slight exaggeration, but you get my point. In this book, the relationship was way more practical and believable, and to me, that made it far better than most romances in YA fiction. Manny wasn't perfect and he didn't have it all together - he was just a guy, but he was the guy that stood by Samantha, and that's what counted. I probably wouldn't dislike YA romances so much if more of them were like this. Also note the lack of the ever-present Love Triangle in this book, which to me is another big plus.
This is a great book about racing that everyone should read, assuming they want to read a book about racing. It's well worth it, on top of being totally free on Amazon. Having finished this one, I really look forward to reading the other two, as well as the fourth one whenever Doug finishes it.
Really good read, and pretty much the only good racing book out there, at least through my research. Most (read: all) of the other racing books lately seem to actually be romance books with a racing theme - not that there's anything wrong with that, but this book is actually a racing book through and through, and that's why it's special. As far as I can find it's literally the only book of its kind.
I read this book because I was actually looking for a book about racing, and after a while, I actually gave up on looking, since I wasn't interested in reading romance. However, a writing buddy of mine happened to find this in a Goodreads list, and since I saw it was free on Amazon, I didn't give it a second thought before starting it. I wasn't expecting that much, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was.
My only real complaint about the book is that most of the racing scenes outside of the final one felt more like summaries of racing scenes as opposed to actual immersive, intense racing scenes. The one at the end made up for a lot of it but a lot of this book didn't feel as intense as I think it should have.
I also have to put into question the logic of Samantha being as good as she is at racing. Obviously she had to be that good or else the story couldn't move forward, but except for her rival Emilio, she speeds past all the other F1 racers in the book like they're not even there. For all intents and purposes, the only actual racers in most of the book are her and her rival. I didn't think it made sense that someone her age, even if she is good, could beat all of her opponents so effortlessly throughout the book.
However, the complaints aside, this is a good book because of the great characters. I found Samantha to be a particularly believable and flawed young adult, struggling with her internal doubts and criticisms as much as with the races that she tries to win. Throughout the book, she says a lot of things that she shouldn't have (which makes her immediately regret having said them), she makes mistakes that she should have known better than to make, and those things make her believable. She isn't perfect and she doesn't always win, and a lot of the time it's all her fault. Sometimes other people even suffer because of her decisions, forcing her to learn from them much harder than she otherwise would have.
I also like how the relationship with Manny was handled in the book - As a guy, I'm so, so bitterly sick of YA books having a hot, muscular, perfect man that the girl protagonist melts under every time they are together, to the extent that she can barely function without him. Maybe a slight exaggeration, but you get my point. In this book, the relationship was way more practical and believable, and to me, that made it far better than most romances in YA fiction. Manny wasn't perfect and he didn't have it all together - he was just a guy, but he was the guy that stood by Samantha, and that's what counted. I probably wouldn't dislike YA romances so much if more of them were like this. Also note the lack of the ever-present Love Triangle in this book, which to me is another big plus.
This is a great book about racing that everyone should read, assuming they want to read a book about racing. It's well worth it, on top of being totally free on Amazon. Having finished this one, I really look forward to reading the other two, as well as the fourth one whenever Doug finishes it.
October 17, 2012
Samantha Sutton is pretty awesome at racing back home in Oklahoma, especially for someone her age. But when an opportunity to test drive in the Formula 1 racing circuit presents itself, Samantha does everything she can to land her dream job. But getting the job isn't the hard part. The hard part is earning her way into the team and proving she is just as worthy as her teammates. But is she worthy to be racing side by side with the greats of Formula 1 racing? Heck yeah she is.
Samantha loves racing more than life itself. But there is one life that Samantha wishes she could bring back. It's the life of her father. It's his life that was taken away one rainy night while she was driving the car he was in. It's his life and the memory of the fateful wreak that goes through her mind each and every time it rains. And it's his life and that same wreck that could make tear her family apart. Does Samantha have what it takes to win it all? Or will memories from the past put her career in jeopardy?
Skid was a fun read that kept my interest and I really enjoyed it. I think I learned quite a bit about Formula 1 racing too. Will I be turning on the tv set to watch a race? Eh, probably not...I think I will stick to my Nascar Sprint Cup. (oooh Go Jimmie #48) But all in all I really liked the book and really enjoyed Solter's writing. He gave us a 17/18 year old girl that was quite believable.
Samantha was the main POV throughout the book…with a little bit of Manny’s POV thrown in. Samantha comes off sometimes a little unsure about herself…except when it comes to racing. She doesn’t really fit in with anyone at school but she comes alive when behind the wheel of a racing car. And I think that’s what I liked about her character…she was easy to relate to in that regard. Everyone has something that can hold them back at times but they also have something they excel in.
Manny was another good character and it was a nice change getting his way of thinking at times. And what was up with that ex-girlfriend of his? Poor guy doesn’t have the best of luck when it comes to the ladies. But seriously, he is one of the good guys. Samantha just needs to wake up for a second and notice before it gets too late in the game. One character I did not care for though was Emilio. Did not like him one bit.
I do believe this was the first time I read about racing, but like I said earlier, I really enjoyed it. I think guys and gals alike will enjoy Skid and it’s fast story line And no, that was not a racing pun. It was a quick read and keeps a great pace. Thanks Doug for allowing me to review your work…I look forward to more of it in the future.
Samantha loves racing more than life itself. But there is one life that Samantha wishes she could bring back. It's the life of her father. It's his life that was taken away one rainy night while she was driving the car he was in. It's his life and the memory of the fateful wreak that goes through her mind each and every time it rains. And it's his life and that same wreck that could make tear her family apart. Does Samantha have what it takes to win it all? Or will memories from the past put her career in jeopardy?
Skid was a fun read that kept my interest and I really enjoyed it. I think I learned quite a bit about Formula 1 racing too. Will I be turning on the tv set to watch a race? Eh, probably not...I think I will stick to my Nascar Sprint Cup. (oooh Go Jimmie #48) But all in all I really liked the book and really enjoyed Solter's writing. He gave us a 17/18 year old girl that was quite believable.
Samantha was the main POV throughout the book…with a little bit of Manny’s POV thrown in. Samantha comes off sometimes a little unsure about herself…except when it comes to racing. She doesn’t really fit in with anyone at school but she comes alive when behind the wheel of a racing car. And I think that’s what I liked about her character…she was easy to relate to in that regard. Everyone has something that can hold them back at times but they also have something they excel in.
Manny was another good character and it was a nice change getting his way of thinking at times. And what was up with that ex-girlfriend of his? Poor guy doesn’t have the best of luck when it comes to the ladies. But seriously, he is one of the good guys. Samantha just needs to wake up for a second and notice before it gets too late in the game. One character I did not care for though was Emilio. Did not like him one bit.
I do believe this was the first time I read about racing, but like I said earlier, I really enjoyed it. I think guys and gals alike will enjoy Skid and it’s fast story line And no, that was not a racing pun. It was a quick read and keeps a great pace. Thanks Doug for allowing me to review your work…I look forward to more of it in the future.
August 21, 2012
The reason I chose to read this book is because I like the Formula 1 and cars. I haven’t yet seen many books about racing, so this is actually an original book.
It was good to read for a not-native English speaker. The words that are used aren’t too hard to understand.
Before I reached page 50, I already loved this book. It didn’t take me long to get ‘into it’, before I couldn’t stop reading. I’ve read it in two days because I wanted to know what happened to Samantha’s dad (which you find out quite early, not in the last pages of the book like most books) and if she could become the world champion. Although that seemed very unlikable, because in your first season, racing with the best of the world, you really have to be a very good talent. Very soon I recognized myself in Samantha. I have dreamed for a lot of years of racing, but I live in a country where you’re not allowed to drive when you’re 16 yet.
There is one thing about this book that bothered me a bit. Quite often the book says ‘two weeks later’ or ‘three days later’, but I understand that it is hard to fill in a complete year, when almost only the races are important.
Doug Solter wrote from two kinds of view: Samantha’s and Manny’s. I liked that, I always like that. It is good described what they think and feel.
I always like reading the Donald Duck because it’s just really nice and funny, but also because names used for brands, stores, countries and cities are adapted a bit, into something from Duckburg. In Skid, names are adapted too, I think. Fernando Alvaro? Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hanson? Lewis Hamilton. Jenson Kinkade? Jenson Button. Michael Schuman? Michael Schumacher. I can be wrong about it, but those names are really similar (but I don’t mind, I always like that, too!). I only don’t know who Emilio Ronaldo is.
I really doubted whether I should give Skid four or five stars. Actually I wanted to give 4.5 stars, but that isn’t possible. So I give it five stars, because the idea was so original! If Doug Solter is going to write more books, I am sure I’m going to read them, and if there will come a sequel to Skid, I already can’t wait! :)
It was good to read for a not-native English speaker. The words that are used aren’t too hard to understand.
Before I reached page 50, I already loved this book. It didn’t take me long to get ‘into it’, before I couldn’t stop reading. I’ve read it in two days because I wanted to know what happened to Samantha’s dad (which you find out quite early, not in the last pages of the book like most books) and if she could become the world champion. Although that seemed very unlikable, because in your first season, racing with the best of the world, you really have to be a very good talent. Very soon I recognized myself in Samantha. I have dreamed for a lot of years of racing, but I live in a country where you’re not allowed to drive when you’re 16 yet.
There is one thing about this book that bothered me a bit. Quite often the book says ‘two weeks later’ or ‘three days later’, but I understand that it is hard to fill in a complete year, when almost only the races are important.
Doug Solter wrote from two kinds of view: Samantha’s and Manny’s. I liked that, I always like that. It is good described what they think and feel.
I always like reading the Donald Duck because it’s just really nice and funny, but also because names used for brands, stores, countries and cities are adapted a bit, into something from Duckburg. In Skid, names are adapted too, I think. Fernando Alvaro? Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hanson? Lewis Hamilton. Jenson Kinkade? Jenson Button. Michael Schuman? Michael Schumacher. I can be wrong about it, but those names are really similar (but I don’t mind, I always like that, too!). I only don’t know who Emilio Ronaldo is.
I really doubted whether I should give Skid four or five stars. Actually I wanted to give 4.5 stars, but that isn’t possible. So I give it five stars, because the idea was so original! If Doug Solter is going to write more books, I am sure I’m going to read them, and if there will come a sequel to Skid, I already can’t wait! :)
January 23, 2016
Let’s be honest. I barely know anything about Formula One Racing. Actually, not even barely, I don’t know anything about formula racing. Yet, despite the plot being centered around racing, I loved this book so much that I would be willing to read it again.
I loved Samantha. She had such an amazing amount of spunk, realistic flaws, insecurities, and struggles and I loved her for it. Her situation, in my opinion, was a bit far-fetched, but, as I said before, because I know very little about Formula One Racing, maybe it isn’t so far-fetched. Even so, I loved Samantha’s character. She has a deep chasm in her heart that has not been filled yet, because she is the one that killed her father, but rarely does she let that stop her. (I refuse to give anything away about this book, so the review might be a little short, but should you read this book, I want you to read it with a mind that hasn’t read spoilers.) It was difficult for Samantha, was much was obvious, after telling her family the truth about her father’s death and having to come to terms with her fear of driving in the rain. But she pushed on and never stopped. While I couldn’t connect with Samantha’s struggles completely, as they weren’t my struggles, I still felt for her and the burdens she carried because of her past. The character development for Samantha was wonderfully done. She grew up gradually at a steady pace and at first, you may or may not notice it, but at sooner or later you do. It’s a realistic turn around, she doesn’t go from “bratty snotty kid” to “young woman that attends charities every day”, but rather she faces her fears and experiences the reality of the world. But she doesn’t let it change her for the worse, instead, she learns from it and keeps on going...
Read the rest of this review and more here: https://paigeturnerreads.wordpress.co...
I loved Samantha. She had such an amazing amount of spunk, realistic flaws, insecurities, and struggles and I loved her for it. Her situation, in my opinion, was a bit far-fetched, but, as I said before, because I know very little about Formula One Racing, maybe it isn’t so far-fetched. Even so, I loved Samantha’s character. She has a deep chasm in her heart that has not been filled yet, because she is the one that killed her father, but rarely does she let that stop her. (I refuse to give anything away about this book, so the review might be a little short, but should you read this book, I want you to read it with a mind that hasn’t read spoilers.) It was difficult for Samantha, was much was obvious, after telling her family the truth about her father’s death and having to come to terms with her fear of driving in the rain. But she pushed on and never stopped. While I couldn’t connect with Samantha’s struggles completely, as they weren’t my struggles, I still felt for her and the burdens she carried because of her past. The character development for Samantha was wonderfully done. She grew up gradually at a steady pace and at first, you may or may not notice it, but at sooner or later you do. It’s a realistic turn around, she doesn’t go from “bratty snotty kid” to “young woman that attends charities every day”, but rather she faces her fears and experiences the reality of the world. But she doesn’t let it change her for the worse, instead, she learns from it and keeps on going...
Read the rest of this review and more here: https://paigeturnerreads.wordpress.co...
November 29, 2012
This book was offered free on Amazon and I enjoy young adult/new adult books and if you throw in racing, I'm always game (which is hilarious, because outside of books, racing isn't really my thing). So, I took a chance.
This was a really good book. You can tell the author really thought this book through and I adore that a guy wrote this book about a teenage girl and pretty much nailed the female mentality at that age.
Samantha was selfish, immature, fiery, and so wracked with guilt and turmoil over the accident. She was such a well developed character (even though at times she really got on my nerves). The supporting cast (the racing team, Benito, Emilio) were all super well done as well. I highly enjoyed Manny (and the parts from his perspective).
Th relationship development was fantastic. Mr Solter really took his time in developing the relationship between Samantha and Manny. At times, the relationship is non-existent and at others, you see the spark and interest, but it is slow building. I read a lot of the New Adult/Young Adult books and instant love or first love connections are kind of the "thing" in those books. It wasn't in this book and it was such a refreshing change to watch the characters meet, become friends, become best friends, and then watch more develop. Even while that is happening, your getting a look into Manny's brain which at times is heartbreaking and other times is so guy.
I will gladly pick up any other book Solter writes. He did a really good job with this book.
This was a really good book. You can tell the author really thought this book through and I adore that a guy wrote this book about a teenage girl and pretty much nailed the female mentality at that age.
Samantha was selfish, immature, fiery, and so wracked with guilt and turmoil over the accident. She was such a well developed character (even though at times she really got on my nerves). The supporting cast (the racing team, Benito, Emilio) were all super well done as well. I highly enjoyed Manny (and the parts from his perspective).
Th relationship development was fantastic. Mr Solter really took his time in developing the relationship between Samantha and Manny. At times, the relationship is non-existent and at others, you see the spark and interest, but it is slow building. I read a lot of the New Adult/Young Adult books and instant love or first love connections are kind of the "thing" in those books. It wasn't in this book and it was such a refreshing change to watch the characters meet, become friends, become best friends, and then watch more develop. Even while that is happening, your getting a look into Manny's brain which at times is heartbreaking and other times is so guy.
I will gladly pick up any other book Solter writes. He did a really good job with this book.
August 13, 2014
This is about a teenager called Samantha who has grown up spending a lot of time behind the wheel of a racing car. She's got lots of experience and had an encouraging father.
In every other respect Samantha is a normal teenager. She's a little naive about the world, easily angered and very affected by love, although oblivious to most interest in her.
I found myself enjoying this novel much more than I expected from the description and opening chapter. Samantha soon wormed her way into my heart and I found myself routing for her, both in love and in races. I could hardly put the book down and read it in less than two days.
Only one slight thing niggled at me. One particular character who also raced on the same team as Samantha kept saying ',yes?' at the end of most of his sentences even when it didn't quite seem to fit. I found this a little odd and couldn't quite get my head around how sentences would be ended like this so often, but it could just be I've not met someone who speaks like that. It thankfully, only threw me for a few pages. The character only has a small part to play.
The romance was gorgeous and I actually really liked the rest of the results of the plot too. I completely felt Samantha's struggle with her difficulties and appreciated her triumphs even more. I also very much loved the ending. It was a perfect ending to the book even though it wasn't a perfectly happy ending, it still felt right.
I strongly urge readers to pick this book up. It's one of the best I've read in a while.
In every other respect Samantha is a normal teenager. She's a little naive about the world, easily angered and very affected by love, although oblivious to most interest in her.
I found myself enjoying this novel much more than I expected from the description and opening chapter. Samantha soon wormed her way into my heart and I found myself routing for her, both in love and in races. I could hardly put the book down and read it in less than two days.
Only one slight thing niggled at me. One particular character who also raced on the same team as Samantha kept saying ',yes?' at the end of most of his sentences even when it didn't quite seem to fit. I found this a little odd and couldn't quite get my head around how sentences would be ended like this so often, but it could just be I've not met someone who speaks like that. It thankfully, only threw me for a few pages. The character only has a small part to play.
The romance was gorgeous and I actually really liked the rest of the results of the plot too. I completely felt Samantha's struggle with her difficulties and appreciated her triumphs even more. I also very much loved the ending. It was a perfect ending to the book even though it wasn't a perfectly happy ending, it still felt right.
I strongly urge readers to pick this book up. It's one of the best I've read in a while.
January 4, 2013
I have to confess that I very vaguely know Doug in an electronic sense - but I've never met the guy, barely exchanged a couple of e-pleasantries and frankly I only picked up his book because it was free and I was mildly curious. Not curious enough to stick it on the top of my reading list, but I was between books and thought I'd give it a go.
First page and I was a bit annoyed with the choice of telling the story in present tense - I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to novels - however not only did I quickly get over that, but it's actually a very smart move given the type of story that's being told.
The other potential warning sign was the fact that it's a self-published book. I'm self-published myself and I'm still prejudiced against authors who haven't gone through a traditional publisher (and usually it's a prejudice that turns out to be correct).
Not in this case though. Skid is well-written (and it looked better proofed than many 'legitimate' books), fun, fast-paced and very difficult to put down (I was actually wanting to close my eyes and have a nap on my morning commute, but I had to keep reading). I didn't pay anything for this, but given my enjoyment of it, I'd almost be willing to hand over the full paperback price for it (almost, but not quite as I still like a bargain).
This probably sounds like hyperbole, and it's exactly what I'd suspect if I read a review like this against some other self-published author's novel, but it's not. So there!
(Plus you can read the preview for free on Amazon and judge if I'm lying for yourself).
First page and I was a bit annoyed with the choice of telling the story in present tense - I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to novels - however not only did I quickly get over that, but it's actually a very smart move given the type of story that's being told.
The other potential warning sign was the fact that it's a self-published book. I'm self-published myself and I'm still prejudiced against authors who haven't gone through a traditional publisher (and usually it's a prejudice that turns out to be correct).
Not in this case though. Skid is well-written (and it looked better proofed than many 'legitimate' books), fun, fast-paced and very difficult to put down (I was actually wanting to close my eyes and have a nap on my morning commute, but I had to keep reading). I didn't pay anything for this, but given my enjoyment of it, I'd almost be willing to hand over the full paperback price for it (almost, but not quite as I still like a bargain).
This probably sounds like hyperbole, and it's exactly what I'd suspect if I read a review like this against some other self-published author's novel, but it's not. So there!
(Plus you can read the preview for free on Amazon and judge if I'm lying for yourself).
October 28, 2012
Skid is a story that revolves around racing. Personally, I'm not a fan of racing but my husband is. He even races himself. Because of this, I jumped at the chance to read this book. I thought that it might teach me a thing or two, and it did!
Samantha is just a normal, small town girl who is struggling with the death of her father. A death that was caused by her driving. She jumps at the chance to become a real race car driver. A chance to make her fathers dreams for her come true. She becomes best friends with a boy named Manny. As her career in professional racing grows, so do her feelings for Manny.
I really like Samantha's character. She had a bit of a temper but she stood up for herself. Manny seemed a bit nerdy to me and I couldn't ever quite envision him in head. They're "love story" frustrated me a little. I don't want to give to much away but they both just seemed a bit to stubborn about revealing their feelings to each other. It was a tad bit overkill.
The writing was really well done. Mr. Solter really drew me into this story. And that is saying a lot coming from a girl who doesn't enjoy racing! The ending held a small let down. I just anticipated it being a little more dramatic than it was. But it completed the story line very well. It even brought a few tears to my eyes.
Even if you aren't into racing, I'd recommend this book. It was a fun read. It surely didn't "blow my mind", but I enjoyed the time spent with Skid.
Samantha is just a normal, small town girl who is struggling with the death of her father. A death that was caused by her driving. She jumps at the chance to become a real race car driver. A chance to make her fathers dreams for her come true. She becomes best friends with a boy named Manny. As her career in professional racing grows, so do her feelings for Manny.
I really like Samantha's character. She had a bit of a temper but she stood up for herself. Manny seemed a bit nerdy to me and I couldn't ever quite envision him in head. They're "love story" frustrated me a little. I don't want to give to much away but they both just seemed a bit to stubborn about revealing their feelings to each other. It was a tad bit overkill.
The writing was really well done. Mr. Solter really drew me into this story. And that is saying a lot coming from a girl who doesn't enjoy racing! The ending held a small let down. I just anticipated it being a little more dramatic than it was. But it completed the story line very well. It even brought a few tears to my eyes.
Even if you aren't into racing, I'd recommend this book. It was a fun read. It surely didn't "blow my mind", but I enjoyed the time spent with Skid.
October 20, 2014
I have not read Skid, the first book in this series. While I never felt lost or disconnected, I definitely want to be back and read it to see how Samantha succeeded in becoming a successful, young female Formula One racer!
The writing is generally crisp, keeps the reader engaged and wanting to continue. A couple times I wanted to slap Samantha and tell her to quit making stupid decisions, oh yes, she is definitely a teenager! This was written realistically, although I couldn't quite imagine the adult professionals allowing her to behave so badly. But hey, that's what makes for a fun story.
Not having read the first book and not knowing much about the car racing world, it seemed a little far-fetched that a teenager (hey, I'm all for girls racing, go Danica Patrick!) could make it into this world. But the writing pulled me in and even provided another hook - horses!
So I decided if I could fall for the Black Stallion books with a teenage jockey, then why not a teenage race car driver. Samantha is certainly a strong enough personality!
I think my only nit that would occasionally pull me out of the story was both Samantha and Manny referring to each other as "my boyfriend" or "my girlfriend" when he/she, his/her would suffice.
Otherwise, a fun ride with great tension and although I must read the first book, I can't wait for book 3 to see how Samantha pulls herself out of her problems and returns to the top of the standings!
The writing is generally crisp, keeps the reader engaged and wanting to continue. A couple times I wanted to slap Samantha and tell her to quit making stupid decisions, oh yes, she is definitely a teenager! This was written realistically, although I couldn't quite imagine the adult professionals allowing her to behave so badly. But hey, that's what makes for a fun story.
Not having read the first book and not knowing much about the car racing world, it seemed a little far-fetched that a teenager (hey, I'm all for girls racing, go Danica Patrick!) could make it into this world. But the writing pulled me in and even provided another hook - horses!
So I decided if I could fall for the Black Stallion books with a teenage jockey, then why not a teenage race car driver. Samantha is certainly a strong enough personality!
I think my only nit that would occasionally pull me out of the story was both Samantha and Manny referring to each other as "my boyfriend" or "my girlfriend" when he/she, his/her would suffice.
Otherwise, a fun ride with great tension and although I must read the first book, I can't wait for book 3 to see how Samantha pulls herself out of her problems and returns to the top of the standings!
November 10, 2012
Skid sped through the Formula 1 race circuit via the eyes of a young girl who had always dreamed of being the racing champion her father molded her to become. In a world where males dominate this sport, it was refreshing to see a female beat the odds and rise to the top of the game.
Samantha was a determined character, but as times I felt
she lacked depth that could have enhanced the story. The
secondary characters also lacked the same depth that could have
had the potential to enhance Samantha’s journey through the
racing circuit. There was a hint of romance between Samantha
and the team owner’s nephew, Manny, but I could not feel the
spark needed to make my romantic side swoon.
The struggles Samantha fought were real for readers. She
was trying to rise to the top as the unspoken underdog, dealing
with the guilt of her father’s death, and suffering from the
alienation of her family. Throughout it all though, she kept
her spirits high and pushed forward towards her dreams.
The pace of the book was steady and I did find myself
rooting for Samantha to top the racing charts and leader boards.
This was a debut novel by Doug Solter and I’m looking forward to
where his stories lead us in the future.
Samantha was a determined character, but as times I felt
she lacked depth that could have enhanced the story. The
secondary characters also lacked the same depth that could have
had the potential to enhance Samantha’s journey through the
racing circuit. There was a hint of romance between Samantha
and the team owner’s nephew, Manny, but I could not feel the
spark needed to make my romantic side swoon.
The struggles Samantha fought were real for readers. She
was trying to rise to the top as the unspoken underdog, dealing
with the guilt of her father’s death, and suffering from the
alienation of her family. Throughout it all though, she kept
her spirits high and pushed forward towards her dreams.
The pace of the book was steady and I did find myself
rooting for Samantha to top the racing charts and leader boards.
This was a debut novel by Doug Solter and I’m looking forward to
where his stories lead us in the future.
September 3, 2012
I originally signed up for this by accident. But, I guess it was more of a small act of serendipity.
'Skid' was well-written, had meaning and it really pulled you into the plot, making you actually care about (and rant at times) at the characters. Characterisation was one of the strongest points of this piece of prose, besides the writing and original plot. I found that every character was three dimensional and well-developed, not having just one side to them. This just added more realism to the writing and story, knowing that everyone actually seemed perfectly flawed, even the supposed 'villain'.
The idea of the plot was well-thought out, every point in the story had some significance and it was very structured. Actual writing was good, especially writing the events as seen through a teenage girl's eyes. Some writers just can't nail that, so I applaud Solter for hitting it right on the mark.
All in all, I couldn't really see much wrong with the story apart from a few typos and some parts that didn't flow as smoothly.
Rating: 4.5
'Skid' was well-written, had meaning and it really pulled you into the plot, making you actually care about (and rant at times) at the characters. Characterisation was one of the strongest points of this piece of prose, besides the writing and original plot. I found that every character was three dimensional and well-developed, not having just one side to them. This just added more realism to the writing and story, knowing that everyone actually seemed perfectly flawed, even the supposed 'villain'.
The idea of the plot was well-thought out, every point in the story had some significance and it was very structured. Actual writing was good, especially writing the events as seen through a teenage girl's eyes. Some writers just can't nail that, so I applaud Solter for hitting it right on the mark.
All in all, I couldn't really see much wrong with the story apart from a few typos and some parts that didn't flow as smoothly.
Rating: 4.5
October 27, 2015
This book was a fast-paced wild ride set right in the center of the Formula 1 racing circuit. The characters were believable, and I got caught up in the action quickly. There were times I disconnected a little bit with the main character, because I was aggravated by the difference in her private and public personas without hearing about the frustration that comes with it. It didn't reduce my enjoyment of the story, though.
I appreciated the way the author brought me into the action of Formula 1 by using enough jargon to make the experience authentic, while not drowning me in so much that I couldn't follow it. I enjoyed both the action and backstory of this novel. I often thought the family stuff would have caused more difficulty for the main character, and I think that it could have enriched the story some.
Overall, this was a well-written story that kept me interested all the way through.
I appreciated the way the author brought me into the action of Formula 1 by using enough jargon to make the experience authentic, while not drowning me in so much that I couldn't follow it. I enjoyed both the action and backstory of this novel. I often thought the family stuff would have caused more difficulty for the main character, and I think that it could have enriched the story some.
Overall, this was a well-written story that kept me interested all the way through.
December 13, 2014
Since I first read
Skid
it's become one of my favorite books. I've decided to review it after my recent reread so I could share this book with as many other people as possible.
Doug Solter does a great job of making characters, places, and events jump off of the page and into the imagination of the reader. There are no cardboard cutout people here and each piece of action feels real and draws the reader into the world of the book.
This book is very well written and I definitely recommend it, specifically for teens and young adults, though I know that people beyond that age bracket have read and enjoyed it as well.
Full review on my blog: http://writerbritnim.blogspot.com/2014/12/book-review-skid-by-doug-solter.html
Doug Solter does a great job of making characters, places, and events jump off of the page and into the imagination of the reader. There are no cardboard cutout people here and each piece of action feels real and draws the reader into the world of the book.
This book is very well written and I definitely recommend it, specifically for teens and young adults, though I know that people beyond that age bracket have read and enjoyed it as well.
Full review on my blog: http://writerbritnim.blogspot.com/2014/12/book-review-skid-by-doug-solter.html
September 1, 2015
How the hell is this book a 4 star? Samantha, though mentioned to be 17-18 yo, acts more like a whiny, bratty, sometimes gutsy 13 yo. She has guts in driving, but once she's out of the car, I want to smack her. Multiple times. She's whinny and the author has a gift in making me not give a shot about any of the characters. Start liking a character? The plot won't let that happen for long. And Manny? Why make him such a spineless coward? I take it he was supposed to come off as shy and endearing, but he was just pathetic to look at. The romance was nonexistent, more out of convenience than anything else. The plot details were... Sketchy at best. The plot had a lot of potential, but weak characters thrown in with a Annoying artificial martyrdom left a very sour taste in my mouth. Samantha had brief glimpses of brilliance and guts. Too bad that was overshadowed by poor character development.
August 21, 2012
I enjoyed this book. There were only a few errors in my edition typo-wise and I was surprised. I have never found an interest in racing, and in fact trivialized the sport. However, this book had me enjoying Samantha's journey in racing. It gave much more of a story to the racing sport than what I had imagined. The mental game as well as the physical tole it can take was inspiring. I enjoyed the pace of the novel as well as the short chapters. I felt that the Manny/Samantha relationship was obvious although enjoyable. I felt that the truth about her father's accident came out fairly early in the novel, but it did make for interesting conflict with her family later on. Overall it was very enjoyable, well paced, and fascinating to a reader not accustomed to the racing world. I hope to read more from this author in the future as I am sure it will be well worth my time.
May 25, 2015
The first book I've read featuring competitive racing. I think some details (especially some of the events and the celebrities) are reminiscent of Disney Pixar's Cars 2, but it in a good way! Having watched Cars 2 helped me make more connections with Samantha as she was driving her cars!
I love the fact that Samantha stands up for herself, and doesn't let herself get talked down by her co-workers in a male-dominant occupation! The switching between Sam's and Manny's point of view is awesome; so much better than Veronica Roth's, and possibly even Rick Riordan's! It's just like reading by favorite "Warriors" books again (in which the POV's are constantly switching between the cats, many times in the middle of a chapter!).
All-in-all, a well-rounded and very well-written book!
I love the fact that Samantha stands up for herself, and doesn't let herself get talked down by her co-workers in a male-dominant occupation! The switching between Sam's and Manny's point of view is awesome; so much better than Veronica Roth's, and possibly even Rick Riordan's! It's just like reading by favorite "Warriors" books again (in which the POV's are constantly switching between the cats, many times in the middle of a chapter!).
All-in-all, a well-rounded and very well-written book!
May 16, 2015
I loved it its hard to find a really good racing book that has a really good story line and chaches the thrill of racing. I love the feeling of climing into my racecar and the thrill of trowing it around the dirt tracks here in Arkansas and not much else can touch that feeling. this book captures all this and had me doing nothing else but reading it. I loved it and already have the next book to tear into. the best racing book I have read since the hover car racers seares that got me into reading
October 7, 2012
I really enjoyed the young adult novel "Skid", by Doug Solter! It was a fun and fast read about Samantha and her exciting life racing cars. There was romance, the enemy, family drama, and exciting races! Samantha was young but seems older as you are reading because of the life she is leading, and what she has gone through in her past. This first YA novel by Mr. Solter is a great one, and I encourage anyone else to give it a try! I was given a copy by the author for an honest review.
February 28, 2015
Amazing!!
Honestly, I can't believe that a great book like this is free. It had me crying my eyes out and laughing at the same time. It showed me the power of a girl who had the capability for great things. I loved the sweet, yet determined nature of her character and found my heart aching at all that she endured in order to accomplish her dream.
Honestly, I can't believe that a great book like this is free. It had me crying my eyes out and laughing at the same time. It showed me the power of a girl who had the capability for great things. I loved the sweet, yet determined nature of her character and found my heart aching at all that she endured in order to accomplish her dream.
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