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Vârsta perfectă
O dramă, dar şi o carte amuzantă, despre deciziile care trebuie luate în diverse etape ale vieţii. La doar cincisprezece ani, Helen este angajată la piscina hotelului Dunes din Las Vegas pe post de salvamar. Trebuie să salveze vieţi, însă propria viaţă o surprinde nepregătită când barbaţii, mai tineri sau mai bătrâni, încep să-i acorde atenţie. Şi mama ei, Kathy, se trezeşte brusc într-o situaţie la fel de incertă: copiii cresc, căsnicia ei reuşită este poate prea stabilă, iar zilele toropite ale verii o lasă complet dezorientată.
by M
by M
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
18 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Heather Skyler
4 books48 followersHeather Skyler was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her first novel, "The Perfect Age," was published by W.W. Norton in the U.S. and Penguin in the U.K. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek.com, and GOOD magazine, among other publications. Her second novel, "Vegas Girls," was published October 2016 by Skyhorse Publishing. She lives in Athens, Georgia with her son, Malcolm and daughter, Lux.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 8, 2013
This is my first book ever to receive one star. I hated it so much, I don't know where to begin. I didn't like any of the characters, they all annoyed me, the storyline was s*it and I can't believe I wasted my time on this.. And I was so excited :(
August 23, 2024
Did not finish. To slow moving and to many words
August 30, 2010
This story parallels a daughter's coming-of-age, and her mother's exploration of an affair outside of her marriage. It takes place over the span of three summers, in Las Vegas.
15 year old Helen and her boyfriend Leo have been dating forever, and Leo wants to move their relationship to the next level. Helen is not sure she is ready....until she sees her mother with another man, who happens to be Helen's supervisor at work, Gerard. At once, Helen feels the need to lash out and hurt her mother any way that she possibly can, and she knows that actions speak louder than words.
Kathy, Helen's mother, becomes attracted to Gerard, surprising herself. Her marriage has reached the point where she and Edward, her husband, have settled into a comfortable normalcy. When she meets Gerard, she experiences feelings that she hasn't had in a long time. She takes a chance to explore them, to see where they lead.
I found this novel to be reminiscent of Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout. A beautiful story of intimate family secrets, and the love between a mother and daughter, both longing for something different in their lives. Ms. Skyler captures perfect images of Las Vegas in the sweltering summer heat, and proving that love, at any age, is irresistible.
15 year old Helen and her boyfriend Leo have been dating forever, and Leo wants to move their relationship to the next level. Helen is not sure she is ready....until she sees her mother with another man, who happens to be Helen's supervisor at work, Gerard. At once, Helen feels the need to lash out and hurt her mother any way that she possibly can, and she knows that actions speak louder than words.
Kathy, Helen's mother, becomes attracted to Gerard, surprising herself. Her marriage has reached the point where she and Edward, her husband, have settled into a comfortable normalcy. When she meets Gerard, she experiences feelings that she hasn't had in a long time. She takes a chance to explore them, to see where they lead.
I found this novel to be reminiscent of Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout. A beautiful story of intimate family secrets, and the love between a mother and daughter, both longing for something different in their lives. Ms. Skyler captures perfect images of Las Vegas in the sweltering summer heat, and proving that love, at any age, is irresistible.
December 8, 2016
This was basically a story about nothing. Average people living in Las Vegas without any real character development, no real plot line, reminded me of a cheap porno trying to pretend it's about more than sex. Overall pretty depressing because nothing happened and there wasn't any point to this novel.
May 30, 2017
I've given this book 4 stars because it was a great "beach" read that sucked me in and I read it quickly in one day. It certainly isn't a masterpiece, but it's an interesting tale of a mother and daughter coming of age and their secrets and adventures (or shall I say, misadventures) over three summers in Las Vegas.
June 2, 2021
Toţi vor să-i aplice lui Helen pomezi pe umeri, pe linia înaltă a omoplaţilor, apoi în jos în jurul gâtului, spre marginea adânc răscroită în spate a costumului de baie de culoare neagră. Pentru început, managerul piscinei, Gerard, îşi umple căuşul palmei cu loţiune Panama Jack nr. 4, îşi freacă mâinile una de alta şi, smucindu-şi surprinzător capul în sus, îi face semn să se întoarcă pe spate. „Are palme aspre”, remarcă fata în timp ce el îi masează umerii pentru ca uleiul să între în piele, trăgându-i în acest scop bretelele costumului. Când a terminat, bate din palme şi spune:
— Doar nu vrei să te arzi chiar din prima zi.
— M-am dat cu loţiune de plajă azi-dimineaţă, înainte de a pleca de acasă, îi spune ea. FPS 15. Rezistentă la apă.
— Ei bine, va trebui să foloseşti produsele pe care le vindem aici.
Helen încuviinţează dând din cap, fără să scoată un cuvânt şi se gândeşte la prietenul ei, Leo. Dacă ar vedea-o acum, în această situaţie, sub atingerea mâinilor altui bărbat, fie el şi unul trecut de patruzeci de ani, bronzat în culoarea nucilor (rezultatul excesului de loţiuni antisolare?), ţipetele şi suferinţa nu s-ar mai sfârşi, la fel acuzaţiile geloase şi, ulterior, rugăminţile ei de iertare.
Mai târziu, aşezată în scaunul rezervat salvamarilor, sus, deasupra vastului cadran albastru al piscinei, de unde are de supravegheat doar o femeie în vârstă întinsă pe o saltea pneumatică şi două cupluri care stau în picioare la capătul puţin adânc al bazinului şi savurează nişte băuturi roz, simte încă o pereche de mâini atingându-i umerii.
De această dată este Miles, şeful salvamarilor, în vârstă de douăzeci şi ceva de ani, pe care l-a cunoscut la angajare.
— E timpul să te mai dăm cu loţiune, nu crezi? întreabă el.
— Cred că loţiunea mă ajută să mă ard, spune ea privind peste umăr figura bronzată, plăcută a salvamarului, apoi îşi întoarce din nou privirea spre bazinul de dedesubt.
— O săptămână de stat la soare şi te obişnuieşti, zice el ca şi când ar rosti un adevăr solemn.
Fetei nu-i displace atingerea mâinilor lui pe spate, cum a fost în cazul lui Gerard, ci dimpotrivă, este chiar uşor flatată. Cu toate acestea, se simte cam stânjenită de acest tratament în scaunul de salvamar, o mângâiere în văzul tuturor. Deşi nimeni nu pare a băga de seamă. Să fie ea exagerat de pudică? Dincolo de zidurile împrejmuitoare se văd doar vârfurile reclamelor uriaşe de neon, plutind în aerul deşertic ca nişte nave spaţiale.
— Hm, începe ea, cu intenţia de a înviora conversaţia.
Cum i te adresezi unei persoane trecute de douăzeci de ani?
— Aşadar, cu ce te ocupi cât ţine iarna?
— Urmez clasele pregătitoare pentru şcoala de medicină, la Reno, spune el plimbându-şi pentru ultima oară mâinile pe gâtul ei, apoi pe sub părul umed şi în jos, de-a lungul şirei spinării. Eşti foarte slabă, continuă şi apoi adaugă: cum ai reuşit să iei examenul de salvamar?
— Înot foarte bine, îi răspunde ea. N-a fost mare scofală.
— Doar nu vrei să te arzi chiar din prima zi.
— M-am dat cu loţiune de plajă azi-dimineaţă, înainte de a pleca de acasă, îi spune ea. FPS 15. Rezistentă la apă.
— Ei bine, va trebui să foloseşti produsele pe care le vindem aici.
Helen încuviinţează dând din cap, fără să scoată un cuvânt şi se gândeşte la prietenul ei, Leo. Dacă ar vedea-o acum, în această situaţie, sub atingerea mâinilor altui bărbat, fie el şi unul trecut de patruzeci de ani, bronzat în culoarea nucilor (rezultatul excesului de loţiuni antisolare?), ţipetele şi suferinţa nu s-ar mai sfârşi, la fel acuzaţiile geloase şi, ulterior, rugăminţile ei de iertare.
Mai târziu, aşezată în scaunul rezervat salvamarilor, sus, deasupra vastului cadran albastru al piscinei, de unde are de supravegheat doar o femeie în vârstă întinsă pe o saltea pneumatică şi două cupluri care stau în picioare la capătul puţin adânc al bazinului şi savurează nişte băuturi roz, simte încă o pereche de mâini atingându-i umerii.
De această dată este Miles, şeful salvamarilor, în vârstă de douăzeci şi ceva de ani, pe care l-a cunoscut la angajare.
— E timpul să te mai dăm cu loţiune, nu crezi? întreabă el.
— Cred că loţiunea mă ajută să mă ard, spune ea privind peste umăr figura bronzată, plăcută a salvamarului, apoi îşi întoarce din nou privirea spre bazinul de dedesubt.
— O săptămână de stat la soare şi te obişnuieşti, zice el ca şi când ar rosti un adevăr solemn.
Fetei nu-i displace atingerea mâinilor lui pe spate, cum a fost în cazul lui Gerard, ci dimpotrivă, este chiar uşor flatată. Cu toate acestea, se simte cam stânjenită de acest tratament în scaunul de salvamar, o mângâiere în văzul tuturor. Deşi nimeni nu pare a băga de seamă. Să fie ea exagerat de pudică? Dincolo de zidurile împrejmuitoare se văd doar vârfurile reclamelor uriaşe de neon, plutind în aerul deşertic ca nişte nave spaţiale.
— Hm, începe ea, cu intenţia de a înviora conversaţia.
Cum i te adresezi unei persoane trecute de douăzeci de ani?
— Aşadar, cu ce te ocupi cât ţine iarna?
— Urmez clasele pregătitoare pentru şcoala de medicină, la Reno, spune el plimbându-şi pentru ultima oară mâinile pe gâtul ei, apoi pe sub părul umed şi în jos, de-a lungul şirei spinării. Eşti foarte slabă, continuă şi apoi adaugă: cum ai reuşit să iei examenul de salvamar?
— Înot foarte bine, îi răspunde ea. N-a fost mare scofală.
May 14, 2023
I don't remember picking up this book, but it was in my library a few years before I got around to reading it. I chose The Perfect Age because it was set in Las Vegas, our home for the past five years. While Vegas didn't play a starring role in the book, its ethos - an oasis alluring tourists to escape "real" life - adds to the imagery. The characters in the book are equally undaunted by real life and inhabit their solitary worlds which overlap with each other in small areas but never fully connect. The characters are great examples of life untethered from a larger purpose or goal. There's no sense of urgency, obligation, or need for growth. They simply react to stimuli and move on. But again, that mindset exemplifies the reason Las Vegas became the live entertainment capital of the USA and why the saying "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" became the rallying cry of revelers from far and wide.
The most interesting aspect of the novel for me was the writing style. Each chapter is told solely from one character's point of view. I'm sure it was a challenge for Skyler to maintain, but the chapters never feel forced or constrained by the decision. There are a few places where events are reviewed from a different perspective, but for the most part the story moves well. The choice to limit the time to summer allowed the plot to progress without compromising the roving-protagonist motif.
I understand the criticisms from other reviewers. If you're looking for a tome with a purpose or a tale of daring adventure for personal actualization you'll be highly disappointed. If you're looking for a first-person point of view of the unexamined life in Vegas give The Perfect Age a chance.
The most interesting aspect of the novel for me was the writing style. Each chapter is told solely from one character's point of view. I'm sure it was a challenge for Skyler to maintain, but the chapters never feel forced or constrained by the decision. There are a few places where events are reviewed from a different perspective, but for the most part the story moves well. The choice to limit the time to summer allowed the plot to progress without compromising the roving-protagonist motif.
I understand the criticisms from other reviewers. If you're looking for a tome with a purpose or a tale of daring adventure for personal actualization you'll be highly disappointed. If you're looking for a first-person point of view of the unexamined life in Vegas give The Perfect Age a chance.
March 16, 2018
3.5 stars
This was an interesting read. I say that because the writing style reminded me a bit of Anne Tyler in that it was a languid unspooling, very character driven, yet you also felt removed from the characters as you were reading. The book just moseyed along with absolutely no sense of rush or urgency, it just unfolded as you watched.
I think this is the sort of book that is best read in one or two sittings. I found when I had time to devote, I felt more invested in the characters but due to its slow nature, I felt detached when I would pick it and put it down. I had to be able to allow myself to unwind and sink slowly into the story.
This was an interesting read. I say that because the writing style reminded me a bit of Anne Tyler in that it was a languid unspooling, very character driven, yet you also felt removed from the characters as you were reading. The book just moseyed along with absolutely no sense of rush or urgency, it just unfolded as you watched.
I think this is the sort of book that is best read in one or two sittings. I found when I had time to devote, I felt more invested in the characters but due to its slow nature, I felt detached when I would pick it and put it down. I had to be able to allow myself to unwind and sink slowly into the story.
July 30, 2018
Brief Summary
This book follows a family through three summers. The mother is having an affair with the daughter's boss and the daughter is experiencing romance for her first time.
Review
So bad. So, so bad.
First, the characters.
-They are completely indecisive about what they want but they are all still so selfish.
-None of them have real conversations.
-They don't change at all over the course of three years.
Second, the writing.
-Quite overly descriptive and repetitive. There are cicadas in Nevada, we get it. No need to describe them every other paragraph.
This book follows a family through three summers. The mother is having an affair with the daughter's boss and the daughter is experiencing romance for her first time.
Review
So bad. So, so bad.
First, the characters.
-They are completely indecisive about what they want but they are all still so selfish.
-None of them have real conversations.
-They don't change at all over the course of three years.
Second, the writing.
-Quite overly descriptive and repetitive. There are cicadas in Nevada, we get it. No need to describe them every other paragraph.
April 1, 2020
This one disappointed me. I so badly wanted to love it. But it just did nothing for me. It had no real drive or plot. You were just thrown into the middle of a really average family, living a fairly sad life. You were left with lots of weird loose ends and wondering what was the point. It was basically a book about nothing.
September 21, 2024
This book covers three summers in the lives of a family and several other characters. We have Kathy, a wife and mother, who begins a relationship outside her marriage. We have her eldest daughter, Helen, who is just discovering her sexuality, and the choices the family make threaten to tear the family apart. Well-written, interesting enough to keep going.
May 13, 2019
Beautiful imagery and tangled emotions from three family members points of view over three summers.
March 23, 2016
A girl spends her summers working as a lifeguard at a hotel pool in Las Vegas and realizes that life isn't perfect. Set in the late 80s and told over three summers, The Perfect Age is a novel about Helen and her mother Kathy who both have secrets to keep.
Helen has a boyfriend who is older and possessive. His jealousy becomes worse once she starts sleeping with him and working at the pool at the Dunes Hotel where people can see her in nothing but a bathing suit. As if that wasn't bad enough, sparks begin to fly between her mother and her boss. As each summer comes around and Helen begins her job at the Dunes again her life changes a little more soon spiraling out of her control. Everyone is keeping secrets from everyone else and it takes its toll on Helen leaving her depressed for the majority of her last working summer. This novel can be a bit trying at times, making the reader want to reach into the book to shake the characters and ask, “What is wrong with you?” Helen is annoying, not saying what she means and trying so hard to avoid the topic that needs to be discussed the most. Her mother, Kathy, is self-absorbed and oblivious to what is upsetting Helen even though Helen's attitude and depression directly correspond to Kathy’s feelings of happiness and love. Helen's father notices something is wrong but is too afraid to say anything at first and by the time he starts trying to change things, the problems he and his wife are having are more troublesome than he thought. Lastly, Helen's younger sister is growing up and gets lost in the shuffle when she can really use a big sister and mother to guide her. The novel begins well but ends up frustrating the reader in the middle only to tidy everything up in the end. The only real thing I liked was the setting. Growing up in Las Vegas, it was nice to read about areas of town where the book was set.
Helen has a boyfriend who is older and possessive. His jealousy becomes worse once she starts sleeping with him and working at the pool at the Dunes Hotel where people can see her in nothing but a bathing suit. As if that wasn't bad enough, sparks begin to fly between her mother and her boss. As each summer comes around and Helen begins her job at the Dunes again her life changes a little more soon spiraling out of her control. Everyone is keeping secrets from everyone else and it takes its toll on Helen leaving her depressed for the majority of her last working summer. This novel can be a bit trying at times, making the reader want to reach into the book to shake the characters and ask, “What is wrong with you?” Helen is annoying, not saying what she means and trying so hard to avoid the topic that needs to be discussed the most. Her mother, Kathy, is self-absorbed and oblivious to what is upsetting Helen even though Helen's attitude and depression directly correspond to Kathy’s feelings of happiness and love. Helen's father notices something is wrong but is too afraid to say anything at first and by the time he starts trying to change things, the problems he and his wife are having are more troublesome than he thought. Lastly, Helen's younger sister is growing up and gets lost in the shuffle when she can really use a big sister and mother to guide her. The novel begins well but ends up frustrating the reader in the middle only to tidy everything up in the end. The only real thing I liked was the setting. Growing up in Las Vegas, it was nice to read about areas of town where the book was set.
May 31, 2021
This story follows the life of Helen, a 15 year old girl living in Las Vegas, over the course of three summers she works as a life guard at a hotel. Her mom, Kathy, ends-up in an affair with Helen's boss, Gerard, and must choose whether to stay with her husband, Edward (the stable professor). Helen, who is in a long-term relationship with Leo, must decide whether to stay with him and finally, how to let him go. In the end, Gerald dies of a heart attack with Helen on duty, the hotel is knocked-down and the daily re-starts, sans Leo in Helen's life.
I liked the way that this book was organized into th 3 different summers. Rather than waste time with the rest of the year, I was happy to treat the show like a TV series that skips the break. Helen was believable and all the sub-plots made sense and were interesting. Even Gerard was a sympathetic character - bravo! I'm glad Edward never truly confronted Helen with Leo's issues, or Kathy with what he knew. I'm glad Kathy picked him before Gerard died and was a good mother to Helen in the instant when Helen could have blamed herself forever.
I liked the way that this book was organized into th 3 different summers. Rather than waste time with the rest of the year, I was happy to treat the show like a TV series that skips the break. Helen was believable and all the sub-plots made sense and were interesting. Even Gerard was a sympathetic character - bravo! I'm glad Edward never truly confronted Helen with Leo's issues, or Kathy with what he knew. I'm glad Kathy picked him before Gerard died and was a good mother to Helen in the instant when Helen could have blamed herself forever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2009
Helen is a teenager living in Las Vegas in this odd, but good book by Heather Skyler. Helen gets a job as a lifeguard at a hotel pool on the Strip - and her (and her mother's) life changes from there.
The book is billed as a story of "3 summers of sexual awakenings" - but it's more like 3 summers of sex (but note: it's not graphic, which is nice!) The sex is between Helen and her boyfriend and Helen's mother and Helen's boss! Why Helen's mother has an affair with the boss is a question not fully addressed in the book -- and a question I kept thinking. WHY IS SHE DOING THIS? I think Helen's mother was bored, disengaged from her husband and Gerard (the boss, from an undisclosed foreign country) added a bit of spice to her mundane life.
It was a decent read. I don't read many books set in Vegas - and I don't often think of people actually living there! So it was a nice treat to get a brief inside glimpse of the city. I'd recommend this book to young women who like stories about other women - and to people who don't mind a bit of "where is this story going"!
The book is billed as a story of "3 summers of sexual awakenings" - but it's more like 3 summers of sex (but note: it's not graphic, which is nice!) The sex is between Helen and her boyfriend and Helen's mother and Helen's boss! Why Helen's mother has an affair with the boss is a question not fully addressed in the book -- and a question I kept thinking. WHY IS SHE DOING THIS? I think Helen's mother was bored, disengaged from her husband and Gerard (the boss, from an undisclosed foreign country) added a bit of spice to her mundane life.
It was a decent read. I don't read many books set in Vegas - and I don't often think of people actually living there! So it was a nice treat to get a brief inside glimpse of the city. I'd recommend this book to young women who like stories about other women - and to people who don't mind a bit of "where is this story going"!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2015
This book was okay. It started off slow and awkward, got better, got awkward again, got okay, and so on for the entire book. The prose was beautiful, melancholy and lyrical, but the plot dragged. It was a book that attempted to be character-driven but I found myself not particularly caring about anyone. It was full of cliches about sexuality and relationships and everyone ends up just how you think they will in the end.
For all that, the setting was interesting, and as previously stated, the writing itself was fantastic, but the story didn't measure up. Might have to let this one sit for a while and give it a reread before deciding if I want to keep it.
For all that, the setting was interesting, and as previously stated, the writing itself was fantastic, but the story didn't measure up. Might have to let this one sit for a while and give it a reread before deciding if I want to keep it.
March 6, 2009
The Time Traveler's Wife-like cover is what drew me to the book. It was enjoyable but seemed to drag a bit in a few places. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn't trying to read it quickly and finish it before my wedding.
September 14, 2013
Mothers, daughters, sisters, fathers, wives, husbands, lovers, boyfriends, girlfriends all explore what sex and love mean to us through the multi-generational characters in The Perfect Age. This book is written in a casual, easy to read style but is seriously contemplative about the role love plays in our lives and how we, along with it, change with the passage of time.
June 2, 2011
Great coming of age story that reminds you age is a state of mind, not number - and it is never too late for love! Also explores marriage through the long haul and the delicate balances we maintain in life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2013
I loved this book and couldn't put it down! Set in Las Vegas. Helen works at a pool and has a boyfriend. Her mother Kathy has an affair with Helen's boss - all about living in the shadows of Las Vegas.
November 28, 2016
I really enjoyed this book this book had a lot of meaning to it Kathy had to go through some things to realize that she needs to be closer to her family I would definitely recommend this book to a friend
August 19, 2007
A very good coming-of-age story - set over three summers, it outlines a young girl falling in love for the first time - and watching everyone in her life get changed by the choices they make.
May 11, 2008
It is so good I want to read it again. Crystal clear and crisp sensory descriptions...an enjoyment to read and feel.
Read
July 27, 2008liked it.. a little slow at times but i like how she writes.. she gets inside each character's head..
December 30, 2008
I liked the book. It's not super enthralling or anything...but wanted to keep reading. Decent read.
January 13, 2010
i really liked this book. Once i picked it up i really could not put it down it was interesting the WHOLE way through!
April 4, 2012
Favorite Quotes:
"There are so many years of this life, he decides now, lost to yearning, lost to wanting what we don't yet have, or to what has been left behind with time." -p. 59
"There are so many years of this life, he decides now, lost to yearning, lost to wanting what we don't yet have, or to what has been left behind with time." -p. 59
December 27, 2012
Cute story of growing up in Las Vegas...even the most normal family has tons of dysfunction! I found myself wondering what the true plot was...it just went on too long!
September 6, 2015
E geniala cartea! O recomand!
November 20, 2016
Couldn't finish it. The characters were so vapid, I couldn't have cared less for them. I kept on reading for a while in hopes of finding something more to the already clicheic plot. Frustrating book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews