October 17, 2012

Review: SKID by Doug Solter


Title: SKID

Author: Doug Solter

Source: paperback from author for review


goodreads...
Can a small-town girl with a big attitude balance a boy and a demanding racing career in Formula 1, the biggest racing circus in the world?

Samantha Sutton drove the car that killed her dad. Now the seventeen-year-old can’t rest until she becomes the racing champion her dad molded her to be. Samantha exploits the system and earns a spot on a German racing team struggling to be relevant against the elite teams of Formula 1.

Samantha pushes herself, pushes her car, pushes her luck at 200 miles per hour. She battles Emilio Ronaldo, seven time world champion and Ferrari racing god. A hero to young girl, but now a rival to a young woman.

To keep herself sane, Samantha relies on her best friend Manny. But she doesn’t know quite what to do about his deep feelings for her. She would love to ask her sisters for advice, but they won’t talk to her. Not since Samantha told them the truth about Dad’s accident. The truth about that dark and rainy night.

My take...
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. 

No comments:

Post a Comment