Reacting

I chose to read Skin because I was assured by my sisters that I would love it. Even after researching and choosing it for my project, I still wasn't necessarily sold on whether or not I would like it. I love reading, but typically my books of choice are more lighthearted. I love love stories, and books that make me laugh. I read books like Harry Potter and Twilight over and over again, because you don't have to think while reading them. My favorite movies are very low key; I don't really watch intense nail-biters. Skin is really none of those things. All of the descriptions that I read about this book talked about how intense it was: not my usual cup of tea. I was very intrigued by it though. I thought it might not hurt to try something new. This desire to try something new combined with the fact that both of my sisters (who don't enjoy reading) loved it was enough to make me decide to try it. I definitely did not regret my decision to go forward with reading this book.

How did your interest develop?

I was intrigued and interested by this story from before I even cracked the book open. After reading the reviews and descriptions on this book, I was pretty confident and somewhat excited about what I was getting myself into. Despite my hesitance to read a book full of suspense, I got just a little bit more intrigued once I saw the front cover. The cover looked so creepy, and I was curious what the sand was all about. My interest and intrigue was only increased the moment I opened the book and began to read.

Skin opens with these paragraphs:

When the rain isn't so much falling- be it in bucket loads or like cats and dogs- but rather slamming into the car like an avalanche of stone, you know it's time to pull over.

When you can't see much more than the slaphappy wipers splashing through rivers on the windshield, when you're suddenly not sure if you're on the road any longer, and your radio emits nothing but static, and you haven't seen another car since the sky turned black, and your fingers are tense on the wheel in an attempt to steady the old Accord in the face of terrifying wind gusts, you know it's so totally time to pull over.
(page 1)

As soon as I read these paragraphs, I knew I was going to like this book. I could already tell that this was going to be one of those books that I wouldn't want to put down. What a perfect setting for a mystery! A dark stormy night with rain so dense that you can barely see in front of you; it just doesn't get any more mysterious than that. As I read, I only got more interested. In the next few pages we are introduced to our main characters and to our killer. Before she has a chance to pull over, Wendy runs into a deserted truck that is sitting on the side of the road. She then gets out to see if anyone is in the car only to find bullet holes in the truck. The book then switches to another main character, Colt, and just takes off from there!

"You're saying three tornadoes have actually been spotted, or the weather service is warning of the possibility that-"
"Spotted, not speculated."
(page 8)

Pouring rain, the possibility of tornadoes, a small desert town... now all that's missing from this mystery is a murder.

"Officer down, officer down!" ... "We got us trouble. There's someone out here with a gun, and he's shot the chief. Request backup." ... "Right now!"
(page 10)

Well, we got that murder; and thirteen others along the way. Within the first few pages, this book managed to completely grab my attention. It made me want to know what was going to happen next. My interest in this book was firmly established in those first few pages. Whatever doubts I had about his book were thrown out the window once I read the first two chapters.

How was your opinion formed?

Despite the fact that my interest was peaked in the first few chapters, my opinion wasn't truly formed until I went to bed the night I started reading Skin. I climbed into my bed, and decided to read just one more more chapter before I went to sleep. After I read that one more chapter, I decided to read just one more. Those chapters turned into many more, and before I knew it, it was one in the morning. My opinion was made right then and there. I love this book. Any book that I don't want to put down automatically goes on my list of favorites. There aren't that many books that make me want to stop everything and read, but Skin was one of those books. Skin reminded me of 24 in some ways. It leaves you hanging, and constantly wanting more.