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    The Summer of Naked Swim Parties: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Summer of Naked Swim Parties: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Summer of Naked Swim Parties: A Novel
    Ebook300 pages4 hours

    The Summer of Naked Swim Parties: A Novel

    By Jessica Anya Blau

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    “This book will make you laugh and cry in public.” —Larry Doyle, author of I Love You, Beth Cooper

    Jessica Anya Blau's passionate and poignant debut novel of one girl’s coming of age in 1970s southern California, replete with stoners, hippies, surfers, bitchy girlfriends, first love, first heartbreak, and OPI shorts

    Jamie Green will remember “the summer of naked swim parties” for the rest of her life. It’s the summer in which she has her first serious boyfriend, Flip, who is three years older and comes with friends for Jamie’s friends; it’s the summer in which Jamie’s older sister is away at Outward Bound, leaving Jamie with her parents (and very often the house) to herself; it’s the summer in which Jamie’s parents throw naked swim parties, leaving Jamie cringing with embarrassment. And it’s the summer in which Jamie will be forced to confront love, loss, family, and heartbreak for the very first time.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJul 1, 2008
    ISBN9780061732720
    Unavailable
    The Summer of Naked Swim Parties: A Novel
    Author

    Jessica Anya Blau

    Jessica Anya Blau was born in Boston and raised in Southern California. Her novels have been featured on The Today Show, CNN and NPR, and in Cosmo, Vanity Fair, Bust, Time Out, Oprah Summer Reads and other national publications. Jessica's short stories and essays have been published in numerous magazines, journals and anthologies. Jessica co-wrote the script for Love on the Run starring Frances Fisher and Steve Howey. She sometimes works as a ghost writer and has taught writing at Johns Hopkins University, Goucher College and The Fashion Institute of Technology. Jessica lives in New York. 

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    Reviews for The Summer of Naked Swim Parties

    3.5/5

    68 ratings10 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      I enjoyed the style that this was written in - very evocative of the period. I found the characters interesting but for me it didn't go "far enough". I felt there could have been more surprises/developments and it ended rather abruptly for me. It was however a nice conclusion and the story did tie together with the style throughout
    • 4/5
      Jamie is 14 in the summer of 1976. I am close to her age, but my summer was vastly different than hers!Jamie’s parents head off for a camping trip leaving Jamie home alone. Her two friends come over to keep her company, end up having boys come over, and Jamie nearly has her first sexual encounter.Jamie is nervous about everything, she worries all the time. Her parents are free spirits, having naked swim parties, leaving their children home alone for days, smoking pot, and drinking a lot. All of this makes Jamie very uncomfortable. When Jamie has her first boyfriend, and they progress from kissing to sex, her mother wants to talk to Jamie about Jamie’s sexual awakening. After a tragedy at Jamie’s house, Jamie goes into a deep depression. She struggles with her sexuality, drinking, eating, and friendships. In the end, on whom can she depend?This is a coming-of-age story unlike any other!
    • 5/5
      absolutely fantastic. a brilliant summer read.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely laugh out loud funny. The characters are quirky, true to life, and hilarious. I love the setting and the details that the author throws in to create a fabulous scene in the book. I am so glad those weren't my parents, but I laughed so hard at the memories she had, and could see it all happening. Great read.
    • 4/5
      A coming-of-age novel of a teenager in the 1970s. She has rich but free-spirited parents, finds her first love and faces many changes during the summer of 1976. Written so that the reader can remember their own similar events, even at different periods of time.
    • 2/5
      14-year-old Jamie is not sure what to make of her hippie parents who smoke pot and have naked swim parties at their Santa Barbara house. During a summer in the '70s, she discovers boys and sex and grows up fast. I didn't like any of these people.
    • 3/5
      I loved this book. The only compaint I have is that the end fell very flat.
    • 1/5
      I am afraid that I could not recommend this book to anyone. Usually I can at least force myself to finish a book but not this time. I so totally could not get into the characters, could not find the humor, just plain didn't like it. Sorry
    • 5/5
      It was the title of this book that led me to pick it up while browsing at Borders, I have to admit. But this turned out to be a great book!Jamie's parents are far from traditional, 70s hippies hosting naked swim parties, smoking pot,and letting their 14- and 16-year-old daughters do pretty much anything they want, without curfews or limits. Their daughters are more responsible than they are, and long for a "normal" family.This is the story of Jamie's first boyfriend, her deteroriating relationship with her best friends, and Jamie's changing place in her family. A great coming-of-age story, with lots of teenage angst, sexual awakenings, and parties on the beach.A quick, easy read - not laugh-out-loud funny, but you'll definitely be amused by Jamie's parents and their hippie behavior.And, if you grew up in late 70s Southern California, you'll appreciate the references to local culture. :)
    • 5/5
      It was the title of this book that led me to pick it up while browsing at Borders, I have to admit. But this turned out to be a great book!Jamie's parents are far from traditional, 70s hippies hosting naked swim parties, smoking pot,and letting their 14- and 16-year-old daughters do pretty much anything they want, without curfews or limits. Their daughters are more responsible than they are, and long for a "normal" family.This is the story of Jamie's first boyfriend, her deteroriating relationship with her best friends, and Jamie's changing place in her family. A great coming-of-age story, with lots of teenage angst, sexual awakenings, and parties on the beach.A quick, easy read - not laugh-out-loud funny, but you'll definitely be amused by Jamie's parents and their hippie behavior.And, if you grew up in late 70s Southern California, you'll appreciate the references to local culture. :)