Social Skills

By: Sara Alva

Narrated by: Andrew Eiden

Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Music is the only form of communication Connor Owens controls. No matter how badly he wishes to fit in, friendly banter and casual conversations have never been his thing. College is yet another social universe he has no clue how to navigate - until he meets Jared, a football player with chestnut eyes and a cocky grin that holds the power to shatter his self-imposed prison. Jared's attention opens Connor up to a new realm of emotional and physical intimacy. But as Connor's self-confidence grows, so does his fear that everything will fall apart. Because in this socially stratified world, how long can a relationship between an introverted violinist and a closeted football player really last?

©2013 Sara Alva (P)2014 Sara Alva

A heartwarming story. More please!

This book is absolutely spot on in so many ways. The author wove the issues which many American young gay adults face into a very real and heartwarming story. Homophobia in its many forms is presented in a sensitive manner which includes the self-loathing of the young adult as well as the unconditional love of many parents and friends. Kudos to Sara Alva!

The performance of the narrator/voice artist is brilliant and I can't wait to read/listen to more of his work. The narrator of the novel is so very critical to an audiobook. It is sad that so many narrators are so bad that I return the audio version and read the ebook myself. Andrew Eiden has a wonderful and rich media voice. He is spot on in his portrayal of the characters. I hope the author/publishing company realize his contribution.

I wish it was longer 💕💕

I'm not sure what took me so long to get this book! It was amazing! I grabbed me from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. The narration was of course perfect! That's why I picked this book up in the first place, because the narrator is one of my favorites. I can wait to listen to more books by this author!

sweet with enough pathos

"straight" forward decent writing with no annoying writer's tics (like overused trite expressions or repeated clichés) Good, if predictable, story. I enjoyed every minute, and I want to thank the author's husband for encouraging her to write this charming novel.

Really good book.

This book was really e.olLlo

LOOOOLOOPoPlpPP


































This book is very well written in addition to being a fun read. It is an interesting story about a jock and a shy student, both of whom are in the closet, and how they overcome the difficulties this entails. It is never dull or predictable and it is very satisfying story.











L?....
L.l...?.................................
lovely

Love this story.

Great story about learning to accept yourself and be the person you were meant to be.

Sad, Sweet, and a little Saucy!!

This was such a sweet story! I fell in love with Connor right away, I've often felt the pang of watching life from the outside too, and the self hatred and humiliation of shyness is an all too familiar feeling for me. When Jared steps onto the scene, I didn't know how I felt about him, until he started to show Connor his true self. A self that's so hidden from the world it makes Connor seem more like the brave one! I was very happy that Social Skills did not follow the usual formula of most romantic titles, the writing is so good, and the characters so real! I love Andrew Eiden as a narrator and I thought he did a great job with bringing the whole cast of characters to life, but especially Connor and Jared. Great listen!

Wonderful Coming Out Story

I really enjoyed this college age coming out audiobook. It is told from Connor's POV and Connor is painfully shy and socially stunted; sometimes annoyingly so, music student. But this is a book primarily about his journey during his first year of college. He meets Jared, the popular football player, and they begin a love affair in secret. But as we know, nothing stays secret for long and there is fall out and ultimately, growth. The narrator did a wonderful job bringing this book to life. His portrayal of Connor was spot on and he brought a wonderful emotional element. The only negative with this book was the drama with the ex girlfriend; it really seemed out of place for the story. Overall, worth a credit..

Conner finds his voice

I'm a sucker for well considered "coming out" or "coming into your own" tale - even more so when they are skilfully combined. Conner comes out, and finds his voice in a wonderfully written coming of age book. Splash out, buy it, cause you're going to love it.

This Story Rocks!

I never know if I'll get a romantic story with heart or a story in between a lot of romance. It felt awesome to be gripped with this story and never wanting it to stop. It's a rare treat when I can't put a book down or can't wait to continue to listen but the author was so very successful. I cared about Jared and Connor and their travels in life through their freshman year in college. Bravo and well done!

Angsty college romance w/ great narrator

I loved both of the main characters. Shy, socially-challenged Connor was sweet but not a pushover. Jared, the outgoing jock, was very likable.
However, the best part about this audiobook was the narrator. He did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life and read the narrative with a clear voice, pleasant tone, and excellent pacing. I feel like if I'd only read the eBook I would have gotten bored because the story dragged in some parts, but due to the excellent narration, I couldn't stop listening to this till the end.
This was more than worth the price and will definitely be checking out more stuff from both the author and narrator.
If you're in the mood for a coming-out story with two college guys, try this. It's somewhat serious, but the beginning of Connor and Jared's relationship was really sweet.