Skinny-dipping (Au Pairs) (Hardcover)

by Melissa de la Cruz (Author) "IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE MUCH, BUT THEN THAT WAS PROBABLY because it was three o'clock in the afternoon, and Seventh Circle, the newest, soon-to-be-hottest club..." (more)
Key Phrases: anna perry, perry twins, seventh circle, Palm Beach, New York, Ryan Perry (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up -Eliza, Mara, and Jacqui return for a second season of high fashion, fabulous parties, unlimited alcohol, sex, and celebrities in New York's exclusive Hamptons. Last summer, as au pairs for the wealthy Perry family, the girls partied their way through the season. Now Mara and Jacqui have returned to care for the Perry children while Eliza has chosen to work at the ultra-hip nightclub, The Seventh Circle. Sound perfect? Not quite. Eliza has broken up with the hunky gardener from last year and has hooked up with Ryan Perry, Mara's ex-boyfriend. After all, Mara did break up with him. The catch is that, unbeknownst to Eliza, Mara wants him back. Jacqui, the beautiful Brazilian, has recently sworn off men-until she meets Eliza's replacement, the stunning Philippe. Oh, yeah, it may be worth mentioning that Mrs. Perry also has her eye on him. The story is ultimately about the fleeting nature of popularity and how easy it is to get caught up in the game. There is plenty of underage drinking, some mild drug use, and nonexplicit sex. One thing is for sure, this book will be in high demand. Readers of The Au Pairs (S & S, 2004) will be dying to know what happens to the girls. Teens unfamiliar with these characters will be attracted by the eye-catching cover showing shapely tanned legs and discarded bikinis on a beach. Give this to fans of Cecily von Ziegesar's "Gossip Girl" books and Zoey Dean's "The A-List" series (both Little, Brown).-Michele Capozzella, Chappaqua Public Library, NY
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Review
"Hot Beach Reading!"

-- PW --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (May 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416903828
• ISBN-13: 978-1416903826
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #719,395 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sequel to The Au Pairs, July 1, 2005

A Kid's Review

Well, I was a big fan of the first book, The Au Pairs. This book does indeed develop deeper into Mara and Jaqui's character. Eliza, the ex-It girl, has rented a little cottage for the summer. Her family is doing better and instead of working as an au-pair for the Perry Family, she worked at an upcoming hot club called Seventh Circle. Mara is now the It-girl since dating Ryan Perry. Jaqui is focused on her job because she wants to stay in New York the year and finish school up there and hopefully go to NYU. Her plan worked, up until she met the new au pair, the hot French Phillepe. Read the book to find out more. This book is so totally awesome!!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very Interesting book.............., August 12, 2005

By	C19 ": )" (Venezuela) - See all my reviews

This book is great to entertain yourself in a boring weekend, it really gets a hold on you.
I read the first one also, which I liked better; I think you could see more clearly the way in which three different teenagers, coming from three very different places get together in a place that consists in a material world. Comparing the two books, you could simply say that the first one is a little more realistic.
At the end of the first book, the three au pairs end up being great friends with new plans and expectations for their next meeting, but things will change faster than they think, and when they come back to The Hanptons there will be more conflics, more drama,and much more complications with the girls' characters and the way they react to the never-endless chaos in which the people from The Hamptons live.

by: Carla R.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting and enjoyable continuation to The Au Pairs, June 28, 2005

By	Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

SKINNY-DIPPING brings poor Mara, rich then poor Eliza, and Brazilian Jacqui back to the Hamptons for another summer of adventures. Fans of last year's THE AU PAIRS have been waiting for the hinted-at sequel where Mara, Eliza and Jacqui were supposed to go on a tropical winter break with the Perry family. For some reason, that idea was abandoned, and there is only brief mention of Eliza and Jacqui's winter with the Perrys, where Eliza and Ryan Perry were up to no good while Mara was away. That's just the beginning of the changes for this summer.

Eliza gets a job with a hot club instead of working with the Perry children, and a new au pair, Philippe, moves into the quarters with Mara and Jacqui. Philippe is as handsome as he is mysterious, and Jacqui tries to overcome an attraction to him.

Mara is still recovering from breaking up with Ryan by partying too much and dating Mr. Shallow and Wrong. She loves all the attention her uber-it self is getting from photographers and designers, but Eliza and Jacqui are growing tired of her.

Eliza never sees Jeremy while he is busy at his finance job, and ends up spending too much time with Ryan again. Her job is hard work --- catering to spoiled Hamptonites is not the glamorous status return she was hoping for.

Readers will enjoy the references to the latest designer duds and party trends, but the Hamptons is a small place and it will be interesting to see in future books what changes await these girls after they are college-bound and on breaks.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio