Skins (Skins, #1)

Following the eight protagonists of series 3 and the forthcoming series 4 over the course of the college summer break, this novel features brand new storylines that do not and will not feature in the series or the upcoming film in 2010. Effy, Freddie, JJ, Cook, Naomi, Pandora, Thomas and Katie are all dealing with the aftermath of the events at the end of series 3. Effy has fled to Italy with her mum, where she tries to put her feelings for Freddie, and the guilt she feels for stealing him from Katie, out of her mind. The perfect distraction come in the form of sophisticated older man, Aldo... Naomi and Emily are struggling with spending time apart when Em goes to France with her parents and battles with her stubborn twin sister, Katie. Back in Bristol, Naomi pines for Emily while wondering about her future education, and Thomas and Pandora are sweetly in love, and finding it difficult to consummate their feelings for each other. Freddy and Cook are engaged in a vigorous game of sexual one-upmanship with a frustrated JJ as referee.

By the end of the summer, the gang will have resolved some issues and brought up some more, but always in the raw, uncompromising, contradictory and authentic narrative style that makes the series so popular and compelling.