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Skipped Parts

by Tim Sandlin

Series: GroVont Trilogy (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
414960,385 (4.05)3
"Skipped Partsis somewhere between The Catcher in the Ryeand Even Cowgirls Get the Blues."-Los Angeles Times Book Review The novel that inspired the movie starring Mischa Barton and Drew Barrymore Banished to the hinterlands of Wyoming, rebellious Lydia Callahanand her thirteen-year-oldson Samhave no choice but to cope. But while Lydia drinks and talks to the moose head on the wall, Sam finds a friend in local girl Maurey Pierce. Sam and Maurey set out to discover for themselves what happens in the "skipped parts"of the novels they read Â- between the first kiss and the next morning. With Lydia's support the two teens set out on their sexual exploration, and deal with its consequences. One of the wildest, raunchiest, most heartfelt coming-of-age novelsof the past thirty years, Skipped Parts puts Tim Sandlin in the upper echelon of contemporary comic novelists. This contemporary novel is raunchy, funny, and full of heart, perfect for fans of Nick Hornby, Jack Kerouac, Tom Robbins, Larry McMurtry, Joseph Heller, John Irving, Kurt Vonnegut, Carl Hiaasen. Other books in Tim Sandlin's GroVant Trilogy: Skipped Parts, Book 1 Sorrow Floats, Book 2 Social Blunders, Book 3 Lydia, Book 4 What readers are saying about Skipped Parts: "deals with coming of age in a humorous and often poignantway" "Plot twists that would make J.K. Rowling jealous, humor, beautifully drawn characters, a great sense for the detail of the West" "sometimes heartwarming, often heartbreaking" "poignant, FUNNY, SHOCKING,and even heartbreaking" "the deep humorcomes from the extraordinary characters" "funny, sad, and full of heart" What reviewers are saying about Skipped Parts: "DAZZLING...moving...Sam's carapace is humor...He thinks like Holden Caulfieldand has Joseph Heller's take on despair. His Walter MittyÂ-like fantasies are tiny comic gems... In the end you'll find yourself rooting for Sam." -New York Times Book Review "A lighthearted, amusing, and tender storyof preteen wisdom, adult immaturity, and the fine line between...An offbeat, engaging novel." -Publisher's Weekly "This witty, often touching portrayal of a dirt-street-wise youth's coming-of-age sparkles with intelligence." -Booklist "Thoughtful, surprising, and delightful entertainment." -St. Louis Post-Dispatch What everyone is saying about Tim Sandlin: "Tim Sandlin's stuff is as tight and funny as anyone doing this comedy novel thing." -Christopher Moore "His prose, his characters, all amazing." "A story of grand faux pas and dazzling dysfunction...a wildly satiricallook at the absurdities of modern life." -The New York Times Book Review… (more)
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» See also 3 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)
Read it and thought it was great for the first half, the second half was NOT good. The only reason I was able to finish was Tim Sandlin can write good. Had looked forward to reading the sequels, but NOT now. ( )
  bjkelley | Jun 4, 2022 |
This book isn't going to be for everyone. Teenagers have sex. Young ones. I personally love this author's style and Sam's voice is brilliant. The characters in this are nothing sheer of brilliant. You'll never forget them, that's for sure. Lydia is possibly my favorite supporting character in any novel ever. I would hate to have her for a mother, but I would love to know her. These kids are in way over there heads and clearly, that's kind of the point, but there is a heart to this story. Its not for everyone, but I personally loved it. ( )
  banrions | Dec 7, 2021 |
I knew going in that, based on the reviews, this was a "love it or hate it" novel. Fortunately, I came in firmly on the side of love.

And that's kind of what this book is about - love. At least, love from the point of view of a 13-year old boy being raised by a woman who can't take care of herself. First, though, the title: Skipped Parts refers to... well, it's best explained by this quote:

"In books people often kissed before things were either skipped or talked about so metaphorically no one knew what was going on. It seemed to be a one, two, three ritual—kiss, skip the weird stuff, fall in love."

And the education of Sam's life happens while seeking out the answer to what happens in the parts they skipped over.

Sam's mother is Lydia, and while she'll never be Mother of the Year, she does love him, and he accepts her as she is. Lydia and Sam get sent to GroVont because of another of Lydia's misadventures, of which we never quite find out the details. Lydia's father, Casper Callahan, holds the purse strings and so they do as he says.

It's rough for them there at first, but then life happens, in more way than one. The story is told from Sam's POV, and the reader quickly discovers that Sam is cynical (and frighteningly astute) about the things he's had experience with, and extremely innocent and naive about the things no one has yet told him about. It makes for a charming and slightly scary combination.

The story is sometimes heartwarming, often heartbreaking. I like Sam, and Lydia, and Maurey, Dot, Hank and all the other characters in this book, and I plan to seek out the second book in the series ASAP.
( )
  Mahnogard | Aug 28, 2021 |
Skipped Parts by Tim Sandlin was by far a very interesting read.
Basic Plot:
This is the story of Sam, a 13 year old boy with no father and a very dysfunctional mother. He washes Valiums down with Dr. Pepper and wants to be the next greatest writer. Then he goes and accidently knocks up a 13 year old girl.
What I liked:
It was funny, and it's meant to be funny, it's just more of a satire funny than a comedy funny.
I loved Sam and Lydia (his mother) they had such a weird/great/unconventional relationship
Les the moose head was a great prop
All the characters where pretty fun, the plot moved and the ending was actually pretty touching
What I didn't like:
Reading about 13 year olds having sex was pretty weird
I really enjoyed this book and then when I went to BN.com to check out the other books, I actually had no desire to read them...they all kind of destroy the "Happily Ever After" that actually occurs at the end of this book, and while that probably is the point, I really don't want that destroyed.
Happy Readings! ( )
  artdamnit_reads | Jul 29, 2020 |
I purchased Skipped Parts on December 17, 2011. I know this because Amazon told me so. It also told me that I shipped it to my mom's house, which probably means that I first attempted to read it over winter break. Four years ago.

Then it moved with me twice (from Wisconsin to New Jersey, and then again within the state of New Jersey), and I really forgot about it until I had to find a book I'd started and never finished for my 2015 reading challenge. I don't abandon many books (as you can see by my "abandoned" shelf on Goodreads), so this was a tough one.

I vaguely remembered reading this book. Or trying to, I guess. I didn't even abandon it because I hated it. I don't really recall, but I probably had to go back to school in the middle of the book. And I probably forgot it at my mom's house. I hate leaving books unfinished, so I'm glad it's done now. Almost four years later.

Skipped Parts is the story of Sam Callahan, a thirteen-year-old boy who, along with his mother, is exiled to middle-of-nowhere Wyoming by his wealthy grandfather. Sam and his mother, Lydia, are fully disappointed with their new home. The weather's awful, the people are worse, and they can only get one station on their television. The one shining light for Sam is his classmate Maurey, a beautiful and actually intelligent young woman who suggests that the two of them "practice" for their future by experimenting with sex.

Lydia is not only ok with Sam and Maurey's new relationship, but she actually encourages it, going so far as to give them sex tips. Her one rule: the fun stops when Maurey gets her first period. But who would have imagined that Maurey would get pregnant first?

What follows is a book full of Sam and Maurey's ups and downs, the development of their relationship as they come of age, and a number of (often ridiculous) plot twists. The characters are all interesting, in a love them or hate them kind of way. I think I related the most to Sam and his blind devotion to Maurey, even when she was being absolutely awful to him. I would like to be surprised by Lydia's attitude, but I'm not. I'd also like to be surprised by the idea of thirteen-year-olds experimenting with sex, but I'm not. Although this book is set in the early 1960's, it's relevant to today's society of Teen Mom entertainment and parents who couldn't care less that their babies are having babies.

So here's the verdict: Skipped Parts is neither the best or worst book in recent memory. I have no strong feelings one way or the other. I was compelled to keep reading in hopes of a happy ending that I knew I wasn't going to get. Above all, I'm glad to have finally finished a book I started almost four years ago. ( )
  Sara.Newhouse | Feb 11, 2016 |
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"Skipped Partsis somewhere between The Catcher in the Ryeand Even Cowgirls Get the Blues."-Los Angeles Times Book Review The novel that inspired the movie starring Mischa Barton and Drew Barrymore Banished to the hinterlands of Wyoming, rebellious Lydia Callahanand her thirteen-year-oldson Samhave no choice but to cope. But while Lydia drinks and talks to the moose head on the wall, Sam finds a friend in local girl Maurey Pierce. Sam and Maurey set out to discover for themselves what happens in the "skipped parts"of the novels they read Â- between the first kiss and the next morning. With Lydia's support the two teens set out on their sexual exploration, and deal with its consequences. One of the wildest, raunchiest, most heartfelt coming-of-age novelsof the past thirty years, Skipped Parts puts Tim Sandlin in the upper echelon of contemporary comic novelists. This contemporary novel is raunchy, funny, and full of heart, perfect for fans of Nick Hornby, Jack Kerouac, Tom Robbins, Larry McMurtry, Joseph Heller, John Irving, Kurt Vonnegut, Carl Hiaasen. Other books in Tim Sandlin's GroVant Trilogy: Skipped Parts, Book 1 Sorrow Floats, Book 2 Social Blunders, Book 3 Lydia, Book 4 What readers are saying about Skipped Parts: "deals with coming of age in a humorous and often poignantway" "Plot twists that would make J.K. Rowling jealous, humor, beautifully drawn characters, a great sense for the detail of the West" "sometimes heartwarming, often heartbreaking" "poignant, FUNNY, SHOCKING,and even heartbreaking" "the deep humorcomes from the extraordinary characters" "funny, sad, and full of heart" What reviewers are saying about Skipped Parts: "DAZZLING...moving...Sam's carapace is humor...He thinks like Holden Caulfieldand has Joseph Heller's take on despair. His Walter MittyÂ-like fantasies are tiny comic gems... In the end you'll find yourself rooting for Sam." -New York Times Book Review "A lighthearted, amusing, and tender storyof preteen wisdom, adult immaturity, and the fine line between...An offbeat, engaging novel." -Publisher's Weekly "This witty, often touching portrayal of a dirt-street-wise youth's coming-of-age sparkles with intelligence." -Booklist "Thoughtful, surprising, and delightful entertainment." -St. Louis Post-Dispatch What everyone is saying about Tim Sandlin: "Tim Sandlin's stuff is as tight and funny as anyone doing this comedy novel thing." -Christopher Moore "His prose, his characters, all amazing." "A story of grand faux pas and dazzling dysfunction...a wildly satiricallook at the absurdities of modern life." -The New York Times Book Review

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Banished to the hinterlands of Wyoming, rebellious Lydia Callahan and her thirteen-year-old son Sam have no choice but to cope. But while Lydia drinks and talks to the moose head on the wall, Sam finds a friend in local girl Maurey Pierce.
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