Hilarious. Tragic. Sad. Inspiring. I could not even imagine that one could use 4 conflicting words to describe a book. Do yourself a favor, don't die without reading this book.

This is the story of two very young kids who, before they even know the facts of life, get pregnant. Middle school is choatic at best and when you are pregnant it's even more so! Dysfunction, at best, describes the lives of these two preteens. But, and here's the part that makes sense if you know me, I liked these kids and read on because I wanted to read what happened to them .

This is such a disturbing book and yet I loved it. It had great characters, a crazy and interesting plot, plus dark humor that made me chuckle regularly. I wouldn't call this a YA book by any means... Just because it's about teenagers doesn't mean it's for teenagers (which most YA books seem to be aimed at now). But I am officially hooked and look forward to reading the other three books once I figure out what order they go in. :)

Tim Sandlin captures the eager innocence of thirteen-year-olds who'd like to experiment with sex almost as much as they'd like to have a Fudgsicle. He's a goofy writer, and I mean that with affection. The book is funny, sad, and full of heart. The plot is improbable, the characters absurd, and I totally buy it. That's the nature of good comedy.

Be warned that this is not a YA book. It's about thirteen-year-olds, but not FOR thirteen-year-olds. It's for adults who can laugh about the first ignorant gropings at a time in history (1963) when factual information about sex was difficult to find, especially in a small town in Wyoming where horses were the dominant model of reproductive behavior. Maurey, the girl, proposes the idea of sex to Sam, but she doesn't want any "emotionalism," especially no kissing: "I've seen horses do it and horses don't kiss." The next pages had me laughing out loud, and I'm not a laugh-out-loud kind of reader.

She looked down. "I thought you'd be bigger."

"I'm not stiff yet."

She poked at it. "When a horse gets a stiffie, it's about as big as his leg."

"Time to stop comparing us to horses, Maurey. None of it seems to carry over."

A page later:

"Horses do it standing up with the stallion behind the mare," she said.

"I told you to forget horses."

"You've never seen anything do it."

"I saw Soapley's dog Otis doing it last week."

"Bet he did it standing up from behind."

Maurey turned around. Her hair came down almost to the bottom of her neck. Her back was real pretty, prettier than the front. Her little butt cheeks were like molded from a catcher's mitt.

Be warned: it goes on like that. I found it hilarious. If these passages I've quoted seem offensive, then for heaven's sake don't read the book. If like me you remember growing up in the 'Sixties, remember when JFK was shot, remember your youth with both revulsion and fascination, then give the book a try.

Oh, by the way: A movie was made from this book, and it's terrible. You can’t capture this tone on film. You can’t, for example, show butt cheeks “molded from a catcher’s mitt” as a baseball-obsessed boy would see them. You can only show butt cheeks. Some humor works as words. Some as visuals. This book is words, a light touch that doesn’t translate to the screen.

Normally this book would never have crossed my path. But there were reviewers out there comparing it to Vonnegut, Joseph Heller, and John Irving. These people should not be allowed to read books anymore.

That having been said, Skipped Parts isn't bad. It takes a bunch of very serious issues and treats them with a light, mildly humorous, touch. Mom's an alcoholic slut. The definition of white trash. Our thirteen year old protagonist (her son) is basically parenting her. Grandpa is a gentleman southern racist who has banished his slutty daughter and grandson to a small town in the foothills of the Grand Tetons (he controls the purse strings). I kept wondering when Child Protective Services was going to appear. Instead mom gives her son lessons on sex so he can proceed to knock up his thirteen year old girlfriend. I mean "non-girlfriend" who's got her own mental health issues. Everyone seems to be OK with her not getting an abortion. Huh? This girl's own mother gets an abortion and goes insane!

So, two stars for the story and wonky morality. Upped a star for the eminently readable prose.

This is one of my favorite coming of age books. It's a triology - so it follows the main character through his childhood, college years and into adulthood. It was made into a movie. Please do not watch the movie. Sure it has Jennifer Jason Leigh and Drew Barrymore and I think the main character is played by Tom Hanks' kid or something but just don't do it.

The plot of this book looked intriguing when I picked it up, but it was the writing style that ended up holding my attention. I've read one other Sandlin novel, years ago, and didn't remember how casually dry he can be. His style is extremely similar to Joseph Heller; Sandlin is clearly aware of this, having made several Catch 22 references in the book. It made for a dark, funny, satirical look at loss of innocence, people's colored perception of children, the subjugation of women, old-time values, and more. Comedic and deep.

What will stick with me about this book is how many times I exclaimed aloud while reading. The story is told from the perspective of a 13-year-old boy who is mildly curious about sex, his 13-year-old friend with whom he begins to sexually experiment, and what ensues... Seemed like a creepy plot going into it, but I was also curious about how effectively it would unfold. Certainly held my attention, but I found the two main characters to be written too mature for their actual age. Stephen King is the only author of adult books I've read so far who really captures what it's like to be a kid. But Sandlin did well enough, three stars.

Read this if you're interested in dry, witty intrigue about a wild situation unfolding in small-town 1960s.

Funny? No. Amusing? No. Reluctantly enjoyable? Yes very.
Are the Callahans a Wyoming family take on Tortilla Flat? The way Sandlin makes us see the logic of almost unbearable situations of outsiders certainly makes me think of Steinbeck. Who am I to argue with LA Times book review, but I have a hard time seeing many parallels with Tom Robbins, however.

I liked the characters a lot, there is a great warmth in the way they are described regardless of what they do or what situation they are in, and maybe that is what I like best.

I was really disturbed by the, quite long, part when Sam and Maurey starts to experiment with sex. It was so mechanical and the involvement of Sams mom (sorry, Lydia) was really awkward. In a way it was a relief to me, albeit not to Sam, when it came to an end. I also have a bit of a problem with the mix of wise and clueless that is Sam. Maybe that is how some feel when they are that age.
I'm off to get "Sorrow floats"

Hhmmm. I got this book as a Free Fridays selection for Nook, then I find out it's the first novel in a trilogy, and that it's Young Adult fiction. It was a bit raunchy and unbelievable, but entertaining, and quite funny in places. I was slightly appalled by the fact that a 13-year-old is exploring sex with another 13-year-old at the encouragement of his mother, but heck, I suppose in other worlds, far from mine, this is completely normal. I felt like the maturity level of the main character, Sam, went back and forth from adult to child, which made the story unrealistic. I suppose I'll eventually read the second book in the series, just to see what happens with this strange group of characters.

Good but WEIRD & UNCOMFY

First of all...let me say you should NEVER judge a book by its hideous and ridiculous cover. I can only presume this is one of the original covers for the novel [though it is now far more sleek and becoming].

Second of all...I downloaded this on a whim as it was free for the Kindle at the time not realizing that it was technically a YA novel, though I didn't mind as I've been on a bit of a YA stint lately. I came into it with no expectations and had zero idea on what the premise would be. Had I known, I might not have picked it up to begin with. But with an open mind, I was sucked in after only a few pages.

Holy "king-hell" crap. I am equal parts AMUSED and HORRIFIED by this book. Sandlin beautifully captures the crudeness, the mystery, the ridiculousness, the nerves and innocence that comes along with losing one's virginity at a young age. The characters he creates are not only lovable even at their worst, but he leaves you wanting more--which is why this book works so well as the first of a series...which I didn't even know existed until...oh...last night. Balancing between boyish storytelling daydreams and the harsh reality of accepting the consequences of your actions, at the very core of the book it's a one-way love story about kids growing up too fast told from the perspective of a 13 year old boy, who for the record, has zero filter [making the book that much for fun to read]. I found myself laughing hysterically at parts thinking...I have totally been there and have simply been too afraid to admit that this was my train of thought at some point in time.

In many ways, Sandlin's writing style reminds me of Vonnegut [straight to the point, no sugar-coating, blunt...]. So if you want flowery BS writing, this book is not for you. But if you can appreciate refreshing candor, pre-teen humor, rebellion and naivety, then you would probably enjoy Skipped Parts.

I read this book because people compared it to Tom Robbins' books and actually it made me think of Ken Kesey's books. It is a great story, and now I'm going to read more books of Tim Sandlin!