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Rosie and Skate
A wonderful YA debut full of drama for two very different sisters.
It's off-season at the Jersey shore, when the boardwalk belongs to the locals. Rosie is 15 and her sister Skate is 16. Their dad, an amiable drunk, is spending a few weeks in jail while their cousin Angie looks after them in their falling-down Victorian on the beach. Skate and her boyfriend Perry are madly in love, inseparable—until now, when Perry goes off to Rutgers. Rosie is shyer than Skate, but she’s drawn to Nick, a boy in their Alateen group. What happens to Rosie and Skate in a few tumultuous weeks is deftly shaded, complex, and true. Readers will be caught up in each girl’s shifting feelings as the story plays out within the embrace of their warmhearted community.
From the Hardcover edition.
It's off-season at the Jersey shore, when the boardwalk belongs to the locals. Rosie is 15 and her sister Skate is 16. Their dad, an amiable drunk, is spending a few weeks in jail while their cousin Angie looks after them in their falling-down Victorian on the beach. Skate and her boyfriend Perry are madly in love, inseparable—until now, when Perry goes off to Rutgers. Rosie is shyer than Skate, but she’s drawn to Nick, a boy in their Alateen group. What happens to Rosie and Skate in a few tumultuous weeks is deftly shaded, complex, and true. Readers will be caught up in each girl’s shifting feelings as the story plays out within the embrace of their warmhearted community.
From the Hardcover edition.
224 pages, Library Binding
First published August 11, 2009
13 people are currently reading
304 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
November 5, 2012
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Rosie and Skate are sisters. Rosie is a worrier, mostly concerned with holding things together at home and making a good impression. Skate is a free spirit, mostly interested in riding her skateboard down the boardwalk and spending as much time as possible with her boyfriend, Perry. The one thing Rosie and Skate have in common is their alcoholic father.
Rosie finds comfort in attending a support group for teens with alcoholic parents. She thinks it would help Skate come to terms with their father's problem, but Skate thinks the meetings are too full of drama. When their father ends up in jail, Rosie visits him regularly, but again Skate doesn't join her.
Both girls are in high school but live very different lives. Rosie lives at home with an aunt who has come to stay while Dad is incarcerated. Skate lives with Julia, her boyfriend Perry's mom, or with Frank, her boss at the arcade. Perry is away at college, and their long-distance romance is becoming shaky at best.
ROSIE AND SKATE is the story of two sisters finding their way in a not-so-perfect situation. Both care deeply for each other; however, each is dealing with adversity in her own individual style. Despite the sometimes rocky times, the story is filled with concerned and caring people ready to help one another and give each other needed support.
Beth Ann Bauman is the author of a collection of short stories for adults, so this is her first foray into the YA arena. Her writing flows smoothly and evenly and was a pleasure to read. The characters jumped off the page for me and seemed realistic and believable. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
Rosie and Skate are sisters. Rosie is a worrier, mostly concerned with holding things together at home and making a good impression. Skate is a free spirit, mostly interested in riding her skateboard down the boardwalk and spending as much time as possible with her boyfriend, Perry. The one thing Rosie and Skate have in common is their alcoholic father.
Rosie finds comfort in attending a support group for teens with alcoholic parents. She thinks it would help Skate come to terms with their father's problem, but Skate thinks the meetings are too full of drama. When their father ends up in jail, Rosie visits him regularly, but again Skate doesn't join her.
Both girls are in high school but live very different lives. Rosie lives at home with an aunt who has come to stay while Dad is incarcerated. Skate lives with Julia, her boyfriend Perry's mom, or with Frank, her boss at the arcade. Perry is away at college, and their long-distance romance is becoming shaky at best.
ROSIE AND SKATE is the story of two sisters finding their way in a not-so-perfect situation. Both care deeply for each other; however, each is dealing with adversity in her own individual style. Despite the sometimes rocky times, the story is filled with concerned and caring people ready to help one another and give each other needed support.
Beth Ann Bauman is the author of a collection of short stories for adults, so this is her first foray into the YA arena. Her writing flows smoothly and evenly and was a pleasure to read. The characters jumped off the page for me and seemed realistic and believable. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
December 16, 2009
Love, love, love this book. Skate and Frank will make you hungry, Barney and Lorry will make you want puppies, Rosie will make you want to use a lot of exclamation points (!!!) Realistic fiction for which the cataloging description "children of alcoholics" was tailor-made, where love fizzles and blooms again, and Drama Queen dishes advice that sounds like it won't work, but does, if you use it right. This is a keeper. It's going right next to my copy of
... teachers and librarians, this is for older teens (some sex, drugs, and alcohol involved), not middies.
... teachers and librarians, this is for older teens (some sex, drugs, and alcohol involved), not middies.March 31, 2010
Sisters 15 and 16 are raising themselves after losing their mother as toddlers and dealing with their alcoholic dad, Old Crow. Skate suffers when her boyfriend of a year dumps her for a Rutgers girl, so she leaves his mother's house and moves in with her boss. Rosie, the younger, is deeply effected when Old Crow loses prison visiting privileges, turning to a fellow AA member for her first sexual encounter. Both sisters think they are doing OK on their own, so the author apparently thinks that is a positive. I won't be recommending this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2021
Sisters Rosie, 15 and Skate, 16, share the narrative in Beth Ann Bauman’s YA novel Rosie & Skate. They live in a crumbling house on the Jersey Shore. Well, Rosie lives there with her cousin, Angie. Skate lives at her boyfriend’s house with his mother, Julia. The sisters’ father is currently in jail for committing petty crimes while under the influence. although Rosie insists that her father is “a nice drunk.”
Bauman’s novel follows the sisters as they navigate their relationship with their father (Rosie is hopeful and forgiving; Skate has given up on her father and doesn’t believe he will ever get better), and each other. Skate is clearly the more worldly of the two: her older boyfriend, Perry, is in his first year at Rutgers and Rosie hasn’t even been kissed. Over the course of a few weeks, though, each of the girls will encounter unforeseen challenges that will push them along the path to adulthood.
Rosie & Skate is one of those quiet books where not much happens, but it still feels packed. I suppose that’s because when you are a teenager everything feels momentous. Who is guiding these girls? Who can they turn to but each other when things go off the rails – as they so often have in their lives.
There are no bad actors in this novel, even Rosie and Skate’s dad is searching for answers as to why he can’t seem to stop drinking. Rosie and Skate have their own way of coping and they certainly make mistakes, but anyone who was ever a teenager will recognize themselves in some of the questionable decisions the sisters make.
Ultimately, though, Rosie & Skate is a hopeful book about family, particularly found family, and spending time with these sisters is time well-spent.
Bauman’s novel follows the sisters as they navigate their relationship with their father (Rosie is hopeful and forgiving; Skate has given up on her father and doesn’t believe he will ever get better), and each other. Skate is clearly the more worldly of the two: her older boyfriend, Perry, is in his first year at Rutgers and Rosie hasn’t even been kissed. Over the course of a few weeks, though, each of the girls will encounter unforeseen challenges that will push them along the path to adulthood.
Rosie & Skate is one of those quiet books where not much happens, but it still feels packed. I suppose that’s because when you are a teenager everything feels momentous. Who is guiding these girls? Who can they turn to but each other when things go off the rails – as they so often have in their lives.
There are no bad actors in this novel, even Rosie and Skate’s dad is searching for answers as to why he can’t seem to stop drinking. Rosie and Skate have their own way of coping and they certainly make mistakes, but anyone who was ever a teenager will recognize themselves in some of the questionable decisions the sisters make.
Ultimately, though, Rosie & Skate is a hopeful book about family, particularly found family, and spending time with these sisters is time well-spent.
February 28, 2017
This book,"Rosie and Skate", is definitely on the other end of books I have read. Personally, I stick to books that have a lot of action and has crazy events throughout the story. But recently, I have been loving real world situations in books that can relate to others who go through different things. This story takes place in the Jersey shore with two sisters, Rosie and Skate. Their father is an alcoholic who ends up in jail. Rosie loves her dad, but Skate has a different opinion. Throughout the story, Skate and her boyfriend Perry go through a lot and Rosie finds herself a boyfriend and wants to experience her first love. I selected this book because I read the back cover and it slightly reminded me of my favorite show "Shameless", and it got me hooked. Truthfully, I liked how much of an easy read it was and how I was never confused with what the author was saying. If you love books with a slight bit of romance then this book is the perfect book for you!
February 18, 2010
Rosie and Skate are sisters. Their dad is in jail -- he is an alcoholic and does stupid things when he drinks too, too much. The chapters alternate between Rosie's and Skate's voices. The two young women view the world, their father, and their lives very differently. Rosie finds a new guy she likes, while Skate has problems with her great boyfriend being far away at college. Why is it that the only thing that stays the same is their father who can't get it together?
I like how this book flowed -- lots of dialogue and shifting scenes. Like Skate on her deck (skateboard), you can feel the wind rushing past as you follow Rosie and Skate through their lives. The sisters have distinct voices, but not so different that they don't seem from the same family. Not sugary-sweet, but not depressing, the plot does not shy away from telling how hard things can be yet maintains hope.
For older teens (due to sexual situations and mature concepts).
I like how this book flowed -- lots of dialogue and shifting scenes. Like Skate on her deck (skateboard), you can feel the wind rushing past as you follow Rosie and Skate through their lives. The sisters have distinct voices, but not so different that they don't seem from the same family. Not sugary-sweet, but not depressing, the plot does not shy away from telling how hard things can be yet maintains hope.
For older teens (due to sexual situations and mature concepts).
July 11, 2010
This book was simple. There wasn't anything wrong with it, you just knew where the book was going to go once the author gave you a slight clue.
Although the author lets you into the minds of the two sisters, I never really felt like I was completely in Skate's head. Instead, I could tell more about her from the description of the characters' actions and words around her.
I liked the switch in perspectives of their father by the end of the book. I felt like it helped develop Skate's character better, and for Rosie, it felt like she grew up more, instead of being the wiser, younger sister.
All in all, it wasn't a bad book, but it almost felt like the author was trying to make a female Holden, except she added the chick-lit spin which undermined her goal.
Although the author lets you into the minds of the two sisters, I never really felt like I was completely in Skate's head. Instead, I could tell more about her from the description of the characters' actions and words around her.
I liked the switch in perspectives of their father by the end of the book. I felt like it helped develop Skate's character better, and for Rosie, it felt like she grew up more, instead of being the wiser, younger sister.
All in all, it wasn't a bad book, but it almost felt like the author was trying to make a female Holden, except she added the chick-lit spin which undermined her goal.
July 2, 2011
Thing I liked:
The characters, Drama Queen, The ending, FRANK, the puppies, the setting was rich and believable. I liked the strangeness and comfortableness of their whole situation, the way Skate lived in so many houses, and loved so many people and yet was virtually the hard sister compared to Rosie. I liked Nick and Rosie too, that they were lost together and yet completely seperated.
Things i didn't like:
I knew that perry was going to go. not because i didn't like him at first, i totally did, just that if she and he stayed together there would be no story.
Characters: beautiful huh? Skate was a bit stronger and more built up than Rosie but that seemed to fit, because she was a bit stronger as a person.
Cover: I loved it. Seriously. I loved the cover so much.
The characters, Drama Queen, The ending, FRANK, the puppies, the setting was rich and believable. I liked the strangeness and comfortableness of their whole situation, the way Skate lived in so many houses, and loved so many people and yet was virtually the hard sister compared to Rosie. I liked Nick and Rosie too, that they were lost together and yet completely seperated.
Things i didn't like:
I knew that perry was going to go. not because i didn't like him at first, i totally did, just that if she and he stayed together there would be no story.
Characters: beautiful huh? Skate was a bit stronger and more built up than Rosie but that seemed to fit, because she was a bit stronger as a person.
Cover: I loved it. Seriously. I loved the cover so much.
November 21, 2015
Rosie and Skate are sisters. Rosie worries a lot because her father is an alcoholic. He's in jail, too. Skate, on the other hand, does not care about her father. She lives with Perry's (her boyfriend) mom. AND her real name is Olivia.
A meeting is always held for children with alcoholic parents. Rosie goes to these meetings and she meets Nick—her classmate with an alcoholic father. Skate goes to Perry's dorm all the time without telling his Mom and her cousin Angie.
I like this book because it's realistic.
A meeting is always held for children with alcoholic parents. Rosie goes to these meetings and she meets Nick—her classmate with an alcoholic father. Skate goes to Perry's dorm all the time without telling his Mom and her cousin Angie.
I like this book because it's realistic.
November 2, 2009
Two teenage sisters cope without their alcoholic father when he is sent to jail for a few months. The novel portrays the girls extremely well and shows their loneliness and longing. The writing about the sex lives of the two may be the best I've seen in a ya title.
October 7, 2012
No joke Beth Ann Bauman is my favorite YA author right now. She could write about anything and I would probably read it. But I am glad she writes aboutv real girls living on the Jersey Shore.
December 2, 2014
Great juv fic book.
June 26, 2018
While I do believe that the stories of Rosie and Skate would have been the same with or without their drunk father, I still liked how the story turned out. I felt sometimes during the alternating viewpoints like "and what does her drunk father have to do with this? What role does his drunkenness play in this?" because I just felt that that was just thrown in there. This story covered more of their own personal issues that didn't include or was influenced by their father until the very end. It was when their feelings switched on their last visit to him when I finally understood more in that aspect.
Good storyline, good writing, and relatable characters. All in all, it was favorable.
Good storyline, good writing, and relatable characters. All in all, it was favorable.
September 26, 2017
I picked this up because it was short and I was looking for a one sitting read. It was not a typical YA summer contemporary, it had more depth than I anticipated. I enjoyed reading a book that featured slightly quirky, but everyday characters. Rosie and Skate may have experienced a lot of sadness in their lives, but Bauman does not let the story get too melancholy. I appreciated the balance of happiness against the tragedy in their lives.
February 12, 2019
I loved this book! I thought it was a quick read that kept you in awe the entire time. However, this book did lack a plot, as well as detail. I personally loved that because it made the book an easy read with just the right amount of detail.
Cute, short, simple.
Cute, short, simple.
November 13, 2017
This book is about two sisters Rosie and Skate. Their father is a drunk and currently in jail. It follows them through their coping with their dad and their love lifes. It's a really cute story
February 20, 2022
It was ok. Nothing much really happened.
September 13, 2023
I liked this book a lot. It's just so realistic. Very easy read as well (high schooler content but elementary school reading level).
June 8, 2024
A good quick read to get me out of my reading slump!! I found some of the storyline kinda weird but I also liked how everyone grew and changed from the beginning!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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December 17, 2024good overall, but i find it soooooo unsettling that frank is 21 and skate is 16 for almost the entire novel…
March 24, 2016
*Spoiler Alert*
*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*
“Rosie and Skate,” is a novel by Beth Ann Bauman about two young sisters whose dad is an alcoholic in jail. Rosie and Skate's cousin, Angie, is staying with them in New Jersey, but Skate frequently stays with her boyfriend, Perry. Rosie is very sweet and girly, but Skate is very tough and is usually very rude. Rosie meets Nick, who becomes her boyfriend, at one of her support meetings for her dad's problem. Nick comforts Rosie when her dad loses his visiting privileges because he broke into the jail's pharmacy and drank all of the cough syrup for the alcohol. Though Skate is also angry with her dad, she is more focused on Perry. He broke up with Skate because he is going off to college and he doesn’t think it will work out between them. Once it reaches New Years Eve, most of the conflict dies down, and everyone is walking out to watch the fireworks. Rosie is watching with Nick, and Skate is watching with her co-worker, Frank, who she has taken a liking to. Skate ends up becoming Frank's girlfriend. Everyone is riding rides at the amusement park and counting down the seconds until the new year. Rosie and Skate didn’t let their father's problem influence their lives and they pursued happiness.
“Rosie and Skate,” by Beth Ann Bauman is very similar and diverse to “Can't Look Away,” by Donna Cooner. Both novels contain romantic elements between characters. The two are coming-of-age novels, so they are definitely meant for young adult readers. Both have very similar writing styles. They have slight description, but mostly stick to sequence of events. I feel that the novels don't try to relate to the reader which can really help develop the plot and characters. They both contain mild action and small conflicts. The conflicts in the texts seem normal and not something that makes you want to read more. The theme of “Rosie and Skate” is to not dwell in the past and to never regret your choices. The themes are very different,yet the plots are very similar. The theme of Beth Ann Bauman's novel bases on moving forward, looking towards the future, and living in the present. The theme of Donna Cooner's novel tells the reader to fix present problems and past problems before moving on to new ones and to not hide away emotion. The two themes are very different and are the complete opposites.
Personally, I didn’t enjoy “Rosie and Skate,” by Beth Ann Bauman. One of the main reasons why is because the novel doesn’t include a large conflict. The only two conflicts I can pick out are when the girls' father loses his visiting privileges due to his actions and when Perry breaks up with Skate. The book had generalized details that don’t make it stand out. I felt that the plot line was very dry. Beth Ann Bauman opened doors at the beginning of the book and just shuts them to end the story. I like when a story leaves you wondering what would happen next. It gives the reader a personal connection with the book and lets the reader end the story how they portrayed it. I probably would not reach for this book again, yet I might look into some of Beth Ann Bauman's other books. I felt that the novel was a quick read and had fairly easy vocabulary. The description of the characters seemed almost stereotypical about teenagers. It mentioned that the characters skipped school and were getting bad grades. The plot line was also very predictable and common. “Rosie and Skate,” wasn’t a book that I particularly liked.
I would definitely recommend “Rosie and Skate,” by Beth Ann Bauman to readers who have read her books before and are used to her writing style. Her writing style is general. I would also recommend this book to readers who enjoy romance and light action. If you like books that can be read quickly than this book is for you. It only toke me a couple of weeks to read the full book. If you have a reading project coming up in school, this book or one by Beth Ann Bauman may help you. Lastly, if you like books that have perspectives from more than one character than this book fits you.
*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*
“Rosie and Skate,” is a novel by Beth Ann Bauman about two young sisters whose dad is an alcoholic in jail. Rosie and Skate's cousin, Angie, is staying with them in New Jersey, but Skate frequently stays with her boyfriend, Perry. Rosie is very sweet and girly, but Skate is very tough and is usually very rude. Rosie meets Nick, who becomes her boyfriend, at one of her support meetings for her dad's problem. Nick comforts Rosie when her dad loses his visiting privileges because he broke into the jail's pharmacy and drank all of the cough syrup for the alcohol. Though Skate is also angry with her dad, she is more focused on Perry. He broke up with Skate because he is going off to college and he doesn’t think it will work out between them. Once it reaches New Years Eve, most of the conflict dies down, and everyone is walking out to watch the fireworks. Rosie is watching with Nick, and Skate is watching with her co-worker, Frank, who she has taken a liking to. Skate ends up becoming Frank's girlfriend. Everyone is riding rides at the amusement park and counting down the seconds until the new year. Rosie and Skate didn’t let their father's problem influence their lives and they pursued happiness.
“Rosie and Skate,” by Beth Ann Bauman is very similar and diverse to “Can't Look Away,” by Donna Cooner. Both novels contain romantic elements between characters. The two are coming-of-age novels, so they are definitely meant for young adult readers. Both have very similar writing styles. They have slight description, but mostly stick to sequence of events. I feel that the novels don't try to relate to the reader which can really help develop the plot and characters. They both contain mild action and small conflicts. The conflicts in the texts seem normal and not something that makes you want to read more. The theme of “Rosie and Skate” is to not dwell in the past and to never regret your choices. The themes are very different,yet the plots are very similar. The theme of Beth Ann Bauman's novel bases on moving forward, looking towards the future, and living in the present. The theme of Donna Cooner's novel tells the reader to fix present problems and past problems before moving on to new ones and to not hide away emotion. The two themes are very different and are the complete opposites.
Personally, I didn’t enjoy “Rosie and Skate,” by Beth Ann Bauman. One of the main reasons why is because the novel doesn’t include a large conflict. The only two conflicts I can pick out are when the girls' father loses his visiting privileges due to his actions and when Perry breaks up with Skate. The book had generalized details that don’t make it stand out. I felt that the plot line was very dry. Beth Ann Bauman opened doors at the beginning of the book and just shuts them to end the story. I like when a story leaves you wondering what would happen next. It gives the reader a personal connection with the book and lets the reader end the story how they portrayed it. I probably would not reach for this book again, yet I might look into some of Beth Ann Bauman's other books. I felt that the novel was a quick read and had fairly easy vocabulary. The description of the characters seemed almost stereotypical about teenagers. It mentioned that the characters skipped school and were getting bad grades. The plot line was also very predictable and common. “Rosie and Skate,” wasn’t a book that I particularly liked.
I would definitely recommend “Rosie and Skate,” by Beth Ann Bauman to readers who have read her books before and are used to her writing style. Her writing style is general. I would also recommend this book to readers who enjoy romance and light action. If you like books that can be read quickly than this book is for you. It only toke me a couple of weeks to read the full book. If you have a reading project coming up in school, this book or one by Beth Ann Bauman may help you. Lastly, if you like books that have perspectives from more than one character than this book fits you.
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February 1, 2017Review:
The main characters are sisters, Rosie and skate, who are opposites. Rosie the sweet and girly sister while skate the tough, confident type. However they both have an alcoholic father who they refer to as the “Old Crow” and their mother died when they were young. The Old Crow gets sent to jail and the sisters try to manage their personal lives. Skate lives with her boyfriend’s mom while Rosie’s lives at home with Angie (their cousin). Skate goes through a rough patch with her boyfriend, Perry, and Rosie develops one, Nick. They both go through problems with guys and themselves all while dealing with their drunken father who keeps messing up. The sister’s thoughts on their father changes, Rosie becomes cold hearted with him and skate soft hearted in the end. It ends good and realistically.
Personal Response:
I’m surprised on how much I enjoyed reading this book, however it wasn’t like that at first but I kept reading and it became intriguing. I liked how the author gave both of the sister’s perspectives and insight to what happens to them both individually throughout the book. However, I didn’t like how it went by really fast at the end, kind of seemed rushed, but that could’ve just been me not wanting the book to end. At the end I liked how it wasn’t too cliché with Rosie not believing in her father, and it made the book seem more realistic due to it being a realistic scenario. I couldn’t relate to everything but I definitely felt the emotions they experienced, once I got to know the characters more. Overall I loved the book and believe it’s worth reading.
Quotes:
Page 6 “But if you do nothing, then nothing will change.”
In this quote Rosie says this to herself while she’s at a support group (because of her dads drinking). She’s shy so she doesn’t say this out loud, however, this is a very good point. I like this quote because it’s really motivational and inspiring, definitely could apply this to my life.
Page 40 “You’re always waiting for him, to call, to come home. You need to have a life here, Skate, because this is where you are.”
Julia, who is Skates boyfriends’ mom says this to Skate. She loves skate and doesn’t want her throwing her life away for her son who is away in College. Julia’s advice is good and pure, she only wants what’s best for both of them. I love this quote because of its deeper meaning. It’s that you shouldn’t be so invested in someone else’s life that you forget to create one for yourself. It inspires me to focus on my life and is very realistic.
Page 101 “Rosie, I told you. I told you he’s completely hopeless. Just completely hopeless. Now you have to believe it.”
In this quote Skate is talking to her sister about their father, expressing how she feels about him. By the end her opinion on him lightens up. This quote reveals Skates personality and relationship towards their dad. I chose this as one of my favorite quotes from the book because it shows how real she is.
Page 136 “And then I do something I never do. I cry.”
Skate is drunk, phones Frank for help and starts crying. That night was a turning point for her and I noticed how Franks really a good guy by taking care of her after. Just before she called she was almost taken advantage of and with everything in the characters life it felt so real. I genuinely felt sorry for her. The reason I chose this quote is because it’s something I think is important for everyone to do which is crying. Many of us keep our feelings in which isn’t the best, also shows how it’s okay to break down.
Page 198 “It was mine, Dad. And you took it. You screw up time after time…”
Rosie says this while visiting her dad in jail. She finally lets out her feelings and get pissed off at her dad which I think is good because she kept forgiving him, time after time. The reason she’s mostly upset is because he kept taking her money for alcohol. Rosie finally stood up for herself and her forgiveness towards her father fades. I like this quote because her eyes finally open and she becomes more realistic. Sometimes in life we can’t see clearly and forgive people over, thinking they’ll change. Kind of sad but meaningful.
The main characters are sisters, Rosie and skate, who are opposites. Rosie the sweet and girly sister while skate the tough, confident type. However they both have an alcoholic father who they refer to as the “Old Crow” and their mother died when they were young. The Old Crow gets sent to jail and the sisters try to manage their personal lives. Skate lives with her boyfriend’s mom while Rosie’s lives at home with Angie (their cousin). Skate goes through a rough patch with her boyfriend, Perry, and Rosie develops one, Nick. They both go through problems with guys and themselves all while dealing with their drunken father who keeps messing up. The sister’s thoughts on their father changes, Rosie becomes cold hearted with him and skate soft hearted in the end. It ends good and realistically.
Personal Response:
I’m surprised on how much I enjoyed reading this book, however it wasn’t like that at first but I kept reading and it became intriguing. I liked how the author gave both of the sister’s perspectives and insight to what happens to them both individually throughout the book. However, I didn’t like how it went by really fast at the end, kind of seemed rushed, but that could’ve just been me not wanting the book to end. At the end I liked how it wasn’t too cliché with Rosie not believing in her father, and it made the book seem more realistic due to it being a realistic scenario. I couldn’t relate to everything but I definitely felt the emotions they experienced, once I got to know the characters more. Overall I loved the book and believe it’s worth reading.
Quotes:
Page 6 “But if you do nothing, then nothing will change.”
In this quote Rosie says this to herself while she’s at a support group (because of her dads drinking). She’s shy so she doesn’t say this out loud, however, this is a very good point. I like this quote because it’s really motivational and inspiring, definitely could apply this to my life.
Page 40 “You’re always waiting for him, to call, to come home. You need to have a life here, Skate, because this is where you are.”
Julia, who is Skates boyfriends’ mom says this to Skate. She loves skate and doesn’t want her throwing her life away for her son who is away in College. Julia’s advice is good and pure, she only wants what’s best for both of them. I love this quote because of its deeper meaning. It’s that you shouldn’t be so invested in someone else’s life that you forget to create one for yourself. It inspires me to focus on my life and is very realistic.
Page 101 “Rosie, I told you. I told you he’s completely hopeless. Just completely hopeless. Now you have to believe it.”
In this quote Skate is talking to her sister about their father, expressing how she feels about him. By the end her opinion on him lightens up. This quote reveals Skates personality and relationship towards their dad. I chose this as one of my favorite quotes from the book because it shows how real she is.
Page 136 “And then I do something I never do. I cry.”
Skate is drunk, phones Frank for help and starts crying. That night was a turning point for her and I noticed how Franks really a good guy by taking care of her after. Just before she called she was almost taken advantage of and with everything in the characters life it felt so real. I genuinely felt sorry for her. The reason I chose this quote is because it’s something I think is important for everyone to do which is crying. Many of us keep our feelings in which isn’t the best, also shows how it’s okay to break down.
Page 198 “It was mine, Dad. And you took it. You screw up time after time…”
Rosie says this while visiting her dad in jail. She finally lets out her feelings and get pissed off at her dad which I think is good because she kept forgiving him, time after time. The reason she’s mostly upset is because he kept taking her money for alcohol. Rosie finally stood up for herself and her forgiveness towards her father fades. I like this quote because her eyes finally open and she becomes more realistic. Sometimes in life we can’t see clearly and forgive people over, thinking they’ll change. Kind of sad but meaningful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2013
Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading Blog
It wasn’t until Hurricane Sandy hit and I was sitting home watching the devasting pictures of the Jersey Shore I love so much that I remembered I had Rosie and Skate to read. I dug through my bookcase, pulled out my used copy, turned it over and spotted a familar sight: the Ferris Wheel at the center of so many aftermath photos all fine and dandy. It kind of threw me for a loop.
So I started Rosie and Skate in hopes of preserving some of my own memories of Seaside Heights and off-season moments spent at the beach with my family for so many years.
Not only did Bauman succeed with teleporting me back, but she also gave me the complex and flushed out story I was looking for but failed to find in Jersey Angel. Rosie and Skate couldn’t be more different. In fact, it’s hard to believe they are sisters sometimes. Only a year apart, they don’t live in the same house since their father went to jail: Skate lives at her boyfriend’s house with his mom while he is at college and Rosie lives in their home with a cousin who has traveled up from Florida to stay with them.
Rosie takes her dad’s actions to heart, while Skate doesn’t want much to do with him. The tension you would assume to feel between these two because of their beliefs doesn’t divide them; instead it’s the fact that though close in age, they are in two different places in their lives. Skate is dealing with a long distance relationship with her boyfriend, who doubles as her best friend. And Rosie is more of a loner, going to group meetings with other people affected by alcoholism and not really bringing home a ton of friends.
Both girls deal with such raw issues — on top of everything with their dad, there’s the disconnect Skate feels from her college boyfriend and how it feels her world stops spinning because he’s not close by, and Rosie wondering if a boy will ever like her at all. Bauman made these two ladies so real without once overcompensating with language; the cadence of this story is so well-paced and so well-timed.
Somehow the sisters have to meet in the middle to strengthen an unbalanced family unit, and it’s surprising how this happens and how their relationships with others grow and change throughout the process. Skate needs to find some kind of understanding with her father, while Rosie needs to step back and not take responsibility for her father’s failings. Together, without much fanfare and without suffocating each other, the two manage to move forward.
It’s funny. For a book about sisters, Rosie and Skate don’t spend a lot of time together. Their independence from one another was really refreshing. I liked seeing these two sisters interally debate the situation with their father but also have to wade separate issues on their own.
P.S. For you diehard holiday fanatics (me! me!), there’s plenty of merriment to go around as well.
It wasn’t until Hurricane Sandy hit and I was sitting home watching the devasting pictures of the Jersey Shore I love so much that I remembered I had Rosie and Skate to read. I dug through my bookcase, pulled out my used copy, turned it over and spotted a familar sight: the Ferris Wheel at the center of so many aftermath photos all fine and dandy. It kind of threw me for a loop.
So I started Rosie and Skate in hopes of preserving some of my own memories of Seaside Heights and off-season moments spent at the beach with my family for so many years.
Not only did Bauman succeed with teleporting me back, but she also gave me the complex and flushed out story I was looking for but failed to find in Jersey Angel. Rosie and Skate couldn’t be more different. In fact, it’s hard to believe they are sisters sometimes. Only a year apart, they don’t live in the same house since their father went to jail: Skate lives at her boyfriend’s house with his mom while he is at college and Rosie lives in their home with a cousin who has traveled up from Florida to stay with them.
Rosie takes her dad’s actions to heart, while Skate doesn’t want much to do with him. The tension you would assume to feel between these two because of their beliefs doesn’t divide them; instead it’s the fact that though close in age, they are in two different places in their lives. Skate is dealing with a long distance relationship with her boyfriend, who doubles as her best friend. And Rosie is more of a loner, going to group meetings with other people affected by alcoholism and not really bringing home a ton of friends.
Both girls deal with such raw issues — on top of everything with their dad, there’s the disconnect Skate feels from her college boyfriend and how it feels her world stops spinning because he’s not close by, and Rosie wondering if a boy will ever like her at all. Bauman made these two ladies so real without once overcompensating with language; the cadence of this story is so well-paced and so well-timed.
Somehow the sisters have to meet in the middle to strengthen an unbalanced family unit, and it’s surprising how this happens and how their relationships with others grow and change throughout the process. Skate needs to find some kind of understanding with her father, while Rosie needs to step back and not take responsibility for her father’s failings. Together, without much fanfare and without suffocating each other, the two manage to move forward.
It’s funny. For a book about sisters, Rosie and Skate don’t spend a lot of time together. Their independence from one another was really refreshing. I liked seeing these two sisters interally debate the situation with their father but also have to wade separate issues on their own.
P.S. For you diehard holiday fanatics (me! me!), there’s plenty of merriment to go around as well.
October 5, 2013
Let me first say that when I laid my eyes on the cover of this book, I knew I had to read it. The cover is so pretty and unique, I didn't even bother to read the jacket before I checked it out. That's something I hardly ever do, but I did in this case. It's even prettier in person than when you look at it on a screen.
Rosie and Skate are two very different siblings. But despite their differences, they still went well together. I can't imagine them both being wild or them both being peaceful and nice. It wouldn't work with them, and I'm super glad Bauman flip-flopped them in the end instead of only changing one of them. It worked pretty well.
I was a little sad at the ending. It seemed a little abrupt, not really explained as much as I would've liked it to be. I was expecting something offering more of a closure. It semi felt like it was a bit forced, but either way I can't say I'm upset with how it actually ended.
The setting was really nice. I've been on a lookout for a book with a similar small-town beachy setting but in historical, with no luck. This is one of my favorite settings of all time. I think it worked well with the people Bauman wrote about. I loved the boardwalk, especially the scenes of Skate working at the arcade. The fortunes were a nice add on.
The topic is focused around was a very serious one, and I could relate to it a lot. Rosie and Skate's father is an alcoholic. He spends all of his time in the book in jail, but even so the things Rosie describes in the story sometimes got me a little emotional. I would say I'm more of a Rosie in the story, and my sister is more of a Skate. In the beginning of the book of course, not the ending. I wasn't offended by the way their dad was written, because it was honest. If anything, it gave me a new point of view on the things that have went on in my life the past few years. It definitely made me look at my life differently.
Overall, it was a nice read. I don't regret taking it out without looking over it first. I generally don't have any serious complaints about it besides the ending wasn't exactly what I imagined. Rosie and Skate gives a different insight on alcoholism for people who haven't witnessed it close up and first hand.
Rosie and Skate are two very different siblings. But despite their differences, they still went well together. I can't imagine them both being wild or them both being peaceful and nice. It wouldn't work with them, and I'm super glad Bauman flip-flopped them in the end instead of only changing one of them. It worked pretty well.
I was a little sad at the ending. It seemed a little abrupt, not really explained as much as I would've liked it to be. I was expecting something offering more of a closure. It semi felt like it was a bit forced, but either way I can't say I'm upset with how it actually ended.
The setting was really nice. I've been on a lookout for a book with a similar small-town beachy setting but in historical, with no luck. This is one of my favorite settings of all time. I think it worked well with the people Bauman wrote about. I loved the boardwalk, especially the scenes of Skate working at the arcade. The fortunes were a nice add on.
The topic is focused around was a very serious one, and I could relate to it a lot. Rosie and Skate's father is an alcoholic. He spends all of his time in the book in jail, but even so the things Rosie describes in the story sometimes got me a little emotional. I would say I'm more of a Rosie in the story, and my sister is more of a Skate. In the beginning of the book of course, not the ending. I wasn't offended by the way their dad was written, because it was honest. If anything, it gave me a new point of view on the things that have went on in my life the past few years. It definitely made me look at my life differently.
Overall, it was a nice read. I don't regret taking it out without looking over it first. I generally don't have any serious complaints about it besides the ending wasn't exactly what I imagined. Rosie and Skate gives a different insight on alcoholism for people who haven't witnessed it close up and first hand.
December 13, 2016
Rosie and Skate are sister's whose single father has been sent to prison for stealing, while drunk. All of their lives, the two have had to cope with their father's drinking. While, Skate, the older sister (16), is completely done with her father, Rosie (15) still tries to take on the world's problems and keep her family together. The two occasionally attend an Alateen group, where Rosie is making connections and the two are learning better coping strategies. Rosie begins a precarious relationship with Nick, who is dealing with his own alcoholic parent. She is also learning how to demand what she wants/needs and finally begin thinking of herself. Whereas Skate's life has all but imploded. The only person she ever counted on was her boyfriend, Perry. She even lived with him and his mother. However, ever since he went away to college, she doesn't feel as connected to him. She desperately tries to keep her relationship together, while also coping with her own family issues.
These sisters are strong. They both need each other, without being completely dependent on the other. I feel that this novel gets what it is like to have someone dealing with alcoholism and shows a path of hope through those challenges. It isn't a perfect novel, with all loose ends being tied up and everyone living happily ever after. Each character still has work to do, but there does seem to be a sense of hope.
These sisters are strong. They both need each other, without being completely dependent on the other. I feel that this novel gets what it is like to have someone dealing with alcoholism and shows a path of hope through those challenges. It isn't a perfect novel, with all loose ends being tied up and everyone living happily ever after. Each character still has work to do, but there does seem to be a sense of hope.
July 9, 2011
Realistic YA fiction just got another stellar book on its list with Rosie and Skate.
Rosie and Skate's alcoholic dad is in prison again and things are tough. Rosie's holding out hope for Dad to get better. Skate is trying to deal with her boyfriend going to Rutgers and starting a long distance relationship. Skate lives with her boyfriend's mom and Rosie is in their worn home, being looked after by her cousin. As life moves on, the girls' grow up.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. If I had seen it at a bookstore, I may not have picked it up. (So special thanks to Alethea, book guru, who recommended it to me!) But I'm here to tell you that the front flap blurb doesn't do the book justice.
Short, sweet and well written, each girl's journey is sometimes difficult to experience. But I did and that's good writing. There were moments when I cringed, my heart broke, shifting on my couch to find a better position only to realize it wasn't my beat up couch. It was the dialogue, the feeling, the love in this book.
May be not suitable for younger readers; there is sex and drugs. But all topics are dealt with in a delicate and tasteful way.
The characters are full, complicated and Bauman doesn't shy away from uneasy themes. Hope, love, disappointment, it's all there in a bittersweet story that made me wish there was more.
Rosie and Skate's alcoholic dad is in prison again and things are tough. Rosie's holding out hope for Dad to get better. Skate is trying to deal with her boyfriend going to Rutgers and starting a long distance relationship. Skate lives with her boyfriend's mom and Rosie is in their worn home, being looked after by her cousin. As life moves on, the girls' grow up.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. If I had seen it at a bookstore, I may not have picked it up. (So special thanks to Alethea, book guru, who recommended it to me!) But I'm here to tell you that the front flap blurb doesn't do the book justice.
Short, sweet and well written, each girl's journey is sometimes difficult to experience. But I did and that's good writing. There were moments when I cringed, my heart broke, shifting on my couch to find a better position only to realize it wasn't my beat up couch. It was the dialogue, the feeling, the love in this book.
May be not suitable for younger readers; there is sex and drugs. But all topics are dealt with in a delicate and tasteful way.
The characters are full, complicated and Bauman doesn't shy away from uneasy themes. Hope, love, disappointment, it's all there in a bittersweet story that made me wish there was more.
September 24, 2011
Rosie and Skate are two teenager sisters that live in the Jersey Shore area. They have a hard life since their mother died while they were still babies, and their dad is an alcoholic and is now in jail. Rosie lives at her house with her cousin as her guardian, and Skate lives with her boyfriend’s mom. Both Rosie and Skate deal with many problems but they each have their own main conflict that they have to face. Rosie, starts hanging out with Nick, a boy in her support group to help deal with their lives that was affected by their parents. They kiss one day, and Rosie doesn’t know how to deal with it. Skate, has to face that her boyfriend is now in college and they can’t spend as much time together as she wants.
Rosie and Skate is obviously told in Rosie and Skate’s own perspective, and each chapter alternates between the two of them. I think the author, Beth Ann Bauman did a good job with the voices because it sounded like a teenage girl and not an adult trying to be a teenager. Also, I liked the fact that these are real problems that everyone faces. In a few novels that I have read, the story is interesting, but it isn’t something that can actually happen to a person, or it has a very small chance of happening.
Rosie and Skate is obviously told in Rosie and Skate’s own perspective, and each chapter alternates between the two of them. I think the author, Beth Ann Bauman did a good job with the voices because it sounded like a teenage girl and not an adult trying to be a teenager. Also, I liked the fact that these are real problems that everyone faces. In a few novels that I have read, the story is interesting, but it isn’t something that can actually happen to a person, or it has a very small chance of happening.
June 12, 2012
It's autumn at the Jersey Shore, and teenage sisters Rosie and Skate are going through a difficult time.
Their alcoholic father has been arrested for drunken shoplifting and incarcerated for several months. In his absence, the sisters must grapple with strong, complicated feelings. Their mother cannot help them, because she died when they were very young.
Rosie finds solace attending meetings for families of problem drinkers, but Skate doesn't have patience for the "drama." Meanwhile, Rosie charts new emotional terrain in her first relationship, while Skate struggles to maintain a long-distance relationship with the boy she loves. Through it all, the sisters love and support each other.
Warmhearted cousin Angie and several dedicated friends also help look after the girls. Much of their nurturing comes in the form of food. Characters in this book are always cooking up (as Skate would say) "totally yum" dishes. And whether the girls are feasting on lobster in butter sauce or a gooey tray of lasagna, we read about it in tantalizing detail.
Rosie and Skate take turns telling their stories in their own distinct, believable voices. The dialogue is realistic, the imagery poetic.
Heartbreaking at times, Rosie and Skate is ultimately an uplifting, optimistic and beautiful novel.
Their alcoholic father has been arrested for drunken shoplifting and incarcerated for several months. In his absence, the sisters must grapple with strong, complicated feelings. Their mother cannot help them, because she died when they were very young.
Rosie finds solace attending meetings for families of problem drinkers, but Skate doesn't have patience for the "drama." Meanwhile, Rosie charts new emotional terrain in her first relationship, while Skate struggles to maintain a long-distance relationship with the boy she loves. Through it all, the sisters love and support each other.
Warmhearted cousin Angie and several dedicated friends also help look after the girls. Much of their nurturing comes in the form of food. Characters in this book are always cooking up (as Skate would say) "totally yum" dishes. And whether the girls are feasting on lobster in butter sauce or a gooey tray of lasagna, we read about it in tantalizing detail.
Rosie and Skate take turns telling their stories in their own distinct, believable voices. The dialogue is realistic, the imagery poetic.
Heartbreaking at times, Rosie and Skate is ultimately an uplifting, optimistic and beautiful novel.
August 9, 2011
Rosie and Skate deals with two teenagers living in the shadow of their father's substance abuse. The Old Crow, as they call him, is an alcoholic and currently in jail, leaving Rosie and Skate in the care of their cousin. Rosie is the youngest, and at first is consumed with resolving the issues around her father's problems, while Skate, at seventeen is getting her feet wet with her first serious relationship, with a college boy. The girls orbit around the scattered home they've created for themselves with local support from other people, an orbit transcending one location, and existing in a variety of places, including Drama queen, or Al Anon as Skate calls the group.
These girls are there for each other in the end, both expectant of better things, and nothing is handled in an overly simplistic way. For readers who liked Cages, by Peg Kehret, but are ready for a fully dimensional treatment of alcoholism and its wake, this is highly recommended.
These girls are there for each other in the end, both expectant of better things, and nothing is handled in an overly simplistic way. For readers who liked Cages, by Peg Kehret, but are ready for a fully dimensional treatment of alcoholism and its wake, this is highly recommended.
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