Peeling the Onion: How Many Layers Hide the Person You Really Are?

by Wendy Orr

Jenny rushes in; stops and turns pale at the sight of my scaffolded neck. This isn't what she expected to see - and for a moment Jenny, sunny, effervescent, ever-optimistic Jenny, stares at me and can't speak.

'They made a mistake - I broke my neck after all.'

Jenny begins to cry. And I think that maybe this is what best friends are for, not to be brave for you, but to tell you this is real, and it stinks.

Anna is athletic, popular - and 'normal'. But when a car crash changes her life, she has to pick up the pieces of her life and re-assess who she really is.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, School, Contemporary, Teen, Disability

166 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

I’m an author, but I could never have started writing books if I hadn’t loved reading them first. Reading isn’t just one of my favourite things to do; it’s one of the most important things in my life. I can’t imagine a world in which I couldn’t read, every day. That’s why I always read to my children every day, just as my parents used to read to me. Stories can be exciting, sad, funny, scary or comforting, but the most amazing thing about them is that they take us into new worlds and teach us something more about ourselves, all at the same time.

Reviews

[Pachelbel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book about twelve or thirteen times since I first read it in 1998. This book influenced my view of strength, character, depression, recovery, and disability. Basically, it changed my life, first by inspiring me to go into physical therapy as a profession and then, after my own spinal injury, by giving me a story I could relate to.

The writing is deeply personal, the sort of wide-open honesty you would find in a diary, and the stages of Anna's recovery are wholly believable and subtly explored. It's my favorite book for all those reasons, but also--especially--for having a female protagonist who embodies so many different types of strength.

[Cheryl Rainfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peeling the Onion is a powerful book that shows pain from the inside out, and hope and healing, too. It feels real and deep. It swept me up and took me along for the ride. I've read it a few times, and I know I'll be reading it again.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many years before the rise of contemporary YA, Wendy Orr wrote this visceral and raw story, drawn in part from her own real life experiences. Anna bears the brunt of a terrible car accident, breaking her neck and suffering other injuries, which take some time to reveal themselves. Her anger permeates the story, often in the form of sarcastic asides (some of my favourite lines), as Anna rapidly casts aside any illusions of a happy ever after ending. Seventeen-year-old Anna's whole life has been derailed and she doesn't know who she even is anymore. A powerful, relevant read about the shattering of hopes and dreams and the remaking of them, cracks included.

[Tawny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Wendy Orr
Title: Peeling the Onion
Genre: search for self novel
Publication Info: Bantam Doubleday. New York. 1996.
Recommended Age: 13 and up

Plot Summary: Anna, a 17-year-old karate-lover has her world turned upside down when she gets hit in a car accident and is seriously injured. She has broken her neck and really messed up her legs, thumb, and cognitive abilities. She will never be able to do karate again. Hayden, the driver of the car she was in, feels guilty and responsible for her pain, even though the accident was not his fault. He consistently visits her in the hospital, along with Anna’s best friend. At first, Anna believes she will get better quickly and everything will go back to normal. On the contrary, she must wear a frame and a neck brace for months after the accident. Then, she has to use a cane just to get around safely. She finds that she cannot concentrate and can’t even stand up for very long. She ends up having to complete her senior year of high school over two years, with the help of tutors and all kinds of therapists. She experiences a roller-coaster ride of emotion. Finally she is able to remember what happened right after the accident. She had a near-death experience. She felt herself going up a long, dark, skinny tube, about to reach the light when she realized she wanted to be outside the car with Hayden. Anna then realizes that she is not in love with him; it is merely the trauma of the accident that has kept them together. With that figured out, she is able to explore her feelings for Luke, the boy her mom has hired to help out with her business while she takes care of Anna. By the end of the book, Anna realizes that things will never be like they used to, but she has found happiness despite that sobering fact.

Personal Notes: The three poems in this novel would be great for comparison in a poetry unit. Each talks about peeling layers off, but the tone and message of each is different. They tell the story of Anna’s experiences and process of coping. Aside from that idea, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone going through a hard time in life, being forced to adjust because of the things that have uncontrollably changed around them.

Evaluation: The only book I can associate with this one is When Bad Things Happen to Good People. So many people suggested I read that book, but I did not find it comforting at all. In fact, some of the arguments in that book were presented as philosophies that angered Anna the most.

Other Comments: I wish I had known about this book back when I was in high school. It would have helped me when I was dealing with arthritis. I faced the same problem: take away my sports and my physical abilities and what is left? I really felt empty, just like Anna. The worst part is feeling that you have no control over the pain or over what your body does. The difference is, in addition to finding the man I would one day marry, I also found that the gospel really is true. I’m so glad I was able to read this novel. It helped refresh some of those old, unbearable times I had to go through to get where I am now. What an excellent book!

[Aleema Arastu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn't enjoy this book at all. We had a disability unit in our English class at school with lots of books to choose where we'd have to read one, do a couple of journal entries on it, and then pick out a new one. I had just finished a really good book when I picked this one out. I had high hopes for it considering my experience with the book I'd read just before it. I was very disappointed though.

When I read the first chapter, it seemed really slow. I assumed this was just because it was the very beginning and it needed time to pick up. I was clearly mistaken. The entire book just drags along and by the end of it, I really didn't see any character development. Anna just complained about her life the whole time and insulted people who tried to help her. I understand that a car crash can really change someone's life and that it's extremely painful recovering, but whining about everything isn't going to solve anything. The fact that she tries to act "tough" when the doctors ask her how she's doing is positively irritating.

You read her thoughts and see how every word she says is dripping with sarcasm, and it's easy to tell she's in pain, but she never just comes out and says it. If she's really in that much pain, she should tell the doctors. She can't get better (which she apparently wants to do) if she doesn't tell them what's wrong.

Even aside from her complaining, she's so quick to judge. Sometime in the first 50 pages, she's in the hospital and finds herself in one of the open-back gowns and immediately thinks "This must have been designed by a pervert." She thinks she knows everything. Her main doctor only comes to check up on her in the hospital once a day and she thinks "Apparently I'm not as important as his other patients."

Hey, did you ever think that maybe, you're not? Did you think maybe someone's having heart surgery or something and needs more attention than you? There are more immediate emergencies to take care of. A car crash is horrible; I get it. But there are always worse things. It's a hospital, for crying out loud. There could be someone on the verge of death. You've been in bed for a couple of days and have already begun your treatment, so take a breather and stop whining about how no one's paying attention to you. Honestly, it's like listening to a child!

The writing of the book was kind of confusing. I'd never seen that sort of format before where there's a few spaces between paragraphs and suddenly the scene has switched to another day or a different setting.

Also, I know this is a book for teens, but the romance was extremely cheesy. Not to mention, I knew exactly where things were going the moment that guy who worked at her mother's nursery was introduced. (Forgot his name.) I can't even count the number of times Anna annoyingly used the word "sexy" in this book. Ugh.

Maybe this story just wasn't my cup of tea, but I really was relieved when I finished it. I was so glad to just be done.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read a better book on accidents, pain, and disability. The first half of the book was an incredibly hard read. The feelings were real & raw. The second half of the book covering the journey to recovery and acceptance was amazing. I could certainly recommend this book to any teen or adult.

[libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

such a beautifully written book- I'm so glad I got this for my English elective class! (even though it wasn't my first choice :/ )

[Isha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peeling the Onion - Book Review

"Peeling the Onion" by Wendy Orr is a novel about a seventeen year old girl named Anna. The story begins with Anna driving home with her boyfriend, Hayden after winning a karate championship.

On that fateful night, Anna's life changes dramatically when another car crashes into theirs, leaving her with multiple injuries.

1. I decided to read Wendy Orr’s novel ‘Peeling the Onion’ after arbitrarily picking the book out of a library shelf. Reading the blurb, helped me judge that the novel would be worthwhile reading.

2. Anna Duncan is the chief protagonist in ‘Peeling The Onion’. I liked reading about this character because of how the author created the story so that the main protagonist was a female who embodied so many different types of strength. This is ironic because even in today’s stereotypical society it is seen that woman are weaker than men. You usually find ‘heroes’, but I reckon we need more ‘heroines’!

3. My favourite quote in the book would, without doubt, be when Anna says that “‪Nobody tells you that real pain is more than something in your body, it's a black vortex that engulfs your mind, leaving you wondering if there's a border between life and death and which side you're on”. - This quote is one of my favourites because I like how the author adds these quotes to make the book sound similar to a diary entry. She uses quotes to express Anna’s feelings and ‘thought-tracking’ to reveal Anna’s innermost thoughts when she is unable to speak and has multiple injuries including a broken neck. To everybody Anna seems to be coping with the trauma of her suddenly-ruined life pretty well. However, on the inside, she tells a different story. Anna accuses and blames many people for her accident. It’s so true. Often when we are going through a time of trial and tribulation we look around and find reasons to blame people, but the real problem is in our attitude - when we believe that time will change for the better, we have already done 50% of the work!‬‬‬
4. This story holds many morals that can easily be decoded after understanding each and every phrase. Including the fact that what we are like on the outside doesn’t determine how we feel on the inside. This novel has reiterated the fact that beauty isn’t about having a pretty face. It’s about having a pretty mind, a pretty heart and most importantly, a beautiful soul! The title is also apt, referring to a poem Anna writes and rewrites throughout the story, but it could easily refer to the story itself. In a way we are all like onions, so-to-speak and as the book progresses, you peel off layer after layer, revealing more of Anna’s life, her feelings about the accident and her resulting injuries and her relationships with the people around her. This is an amazing book and one that deserves to be better known than it is. Young people may not go through the horrific event Anna goes through (hopefully), but it would be easy to relate to her changing world and her growing acceptance that things are not going to work out the way she once planned them.

[Chloe Innes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read this book because it is about a girl who plays sport, I will read pretty much any book that is about a girl who plays sport.
I really liked this book because whenever the main character is having a nightmare or a day terror it is told in detail, and the way the story is told changes. The main character tells the nightmares like she is explaining something that happened to someone else. All her problems seem real and entirely relatable.
Something new I learnt from this book is that after a neck injury, you might never fully recover. You may be able to walk, talk and think, just not as well as before.
A setting I found interesting was the main characters backyard. Her backyard is really big and has a track through some bush. There is a fallen tree that the main character likes to walk to and sit on. I find it interesting because the main character measures how fast she is getting better by walking to the fallen tree. At the start of the book she could run to it, then she couldn't even get out of bed and at the end she could walk with her walking stick to it.

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my Year 9 English text, and yet it is a book that I have returned to again and again and again. I fear my words won't do it justice, but I'm going to try anyway.

The blend of prose and poetry in Peeling the Onion is magical, the structure refreshing. And the sarcasm…oh the sarcasm!

I suspect that those who gave this text a low rating didn’t understand its sophistication. And for those criticising Anna’s complaints…I am curious to know whether a) they have been involved in a traumatic event on a similar scale to the one in the novel or b) how long it’s been since they were in their teens.

In my opinion, Wendy Orr paints an authentic, realistic coming-of-age picture of a teenager coping with a new reality. This is unique in itself as teenagers are only just building and making sense of their worlds. To have to begin again, from the foundation up, would be as confusing, frustrating and traumatic as the experience that Orr gives us.

I so desperately wish that there were more authors like Wendy Orr writing Australian YA fiction, and that she would dabble again in this area of writing.

For a complex, witty and satisfying read, I highly recommend Peeling the Onion. It's worthy of its accolades.

[Alicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Anna's boyfriend is only with her out of guilt from an accident that he couldn't save her from. Finally she decides to move on, but not after you spend too much time trying to find out why you're reading it in the first place.

[Abdul · Rating 1 out of 5]

starts of slow, develops even slower and the ending is very unsatisfying. no climax, no twists, no triumph.

[eRin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anna has just won her karate competition and her sort-of boyfriend just kissed her. Things are going great--and then she gets into a car accident that changes her life forever. She is badly injured and the doctors are predicting a grim future for Anna. Her friends are reacting strangely to her and Hayden hovers, but won't ever touch her. Anna has plans for her future and makes a timeline in her head for when she can return to normal--but the time comes and she still hasn't improved. Anna must take a good, long look at her life and make some changes that may require her to give up her dreams...which is the hardest thing to do.

I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. I was never really involved with the characters and it just kind of dragged for my. This is disappointing because the premise was so promising. I'm sure that it could aid any teenager facing a really tough and life-altering challenge, but for me, it just wasn't there.

[V. Jolene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wendy Orr author of Peeling the Onion writes a compelling novel about Anna and a car accident that changes everything for her. For a short book, 166 pages, Peeling the Onion examines the layers of the main character Anna -who she was, who she is and who she will become. Her life is that of a bright and bubbly 17 year old until she is in a car accident that leaves her questioning everything.

Peeling the Onion is a book about self, relationships, and healing that comes from the inside out. Anna goes through the grieving process as she goes through the changes this accident causes in her life. The question is what will her life look like in the end? The author writes from Anna’s POV and gives readers an incredible view of what this character has experienced.

**If you have recently experienced the trauma of a loved one being in an auto accident, take heed–Anna’s situation may be troubling to read.**

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peeling the Onion a very realistic narrative of someone who is recovering from an accident and knows that things will never be the same again. Anna’s struggle to figure out and acceptance of who she is after the accident is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. It’s written almost like a collection of vignettes which makes for an interesting (but not jarring or distracting; more like stream of consciousness) flow. There are three poems in the book which mark the three points of Anna’s journey; I thought they were quite good (though I’m no expert) and very telling of her state of mind at the time.

But that title. It made me half-laugh and half-roll my eyes when I first saw it.

Overall, if you enjoy recovery novels then you’ll enjoy this one. It’s solid and a very good read. People who have been in life-changing accidents themselves can probably really connect with Anna and what she’s going through.

[♡ kitty *:･ﾟ✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

2014 review:
well written and beautiful. A little depressing but still beautiful!

2021 reread review:
i loved this book and i definitely think i was able to appreciate it more as someone who is chronically ill !! when i originally read it i loved it and the insight it gave me into a life i couldn’t imagine, but now almost 7 years later i was able to relate more to Anna and her situation and i definitely understood the way she was feeling.
this book was written 25 years ago so there are a few elements and word choices that are a bit dated but overall i still loved this. i felt it was very realistic and gave an accurate depiction of some of the emotions that come with going from able bodied to disabled !!

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a reread. I first read this book in 1997 when it was a recommended text for a hospital chaplaincy course I was doing at the time. Recent circumstances and finding my copy in a box converged, so I decided to read it again. It is a great way to get into the experience of a person who has experienced a traumatic event. Using narrative, poetry and a savvy for the hormone jungle of the late teenage years, this book puts us there. Anna Duncan reminds us of others we know and is therefore credible. Readers may also wish to peruse Wendy Orr's website link on the background to this book http://wendyorr.com/main/page_books_y... .

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read 'Peeling the Onion' in 1997 and then I studied it at secondary school in 1998.
Even now 15 years later It is still a go to book when I feel like reading but don't know what.
Wendy Orr is a beautiful writer. You can't help wondering if a terrible accident was to happen to one of your friends would you act more like Jenny and Caroline??? And who would you choose, Hayden or Luke?
Beautiful story of friendship, families, love, courage and defiance. A must read :)

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that Wendy Orr did an excellent job conveying the effect an accident can have on someone, particularly an adolescent with their entire life in front of them.

It was a bit creepy for me to read this book. My daughter is very athletic and her main sport is karate. She had surgery in February to address a hip injury. I found myself wondering how I would react if my daughter had been in a car accident like this instead.

[Kerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read it because my daughter is reading it as a class novel in Year 9 next year. Not very impressed. Found it a little melodramatic and wallowing. Not sure what they will do with it in class, other than the onion symbolism. Pretty superficial I thought. Lots of better books around for girls that age in my opinion.

[Mender · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book about a girl who gets injured in a car crash then her life falls apart. She has pain a lot and bad diagnosis upon bad diagnosis and her life is ruined, and that's really it. She falls in love though so it's ok.

Didn't really get it.

[Lisa Grice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly insightful into the mind of someone facing struggles and change. I found this book to be refreshingly realistic, rather than just a 'you can do it' look at getting through a tragedy. One of my favourite textbooks from highschool English that I still have in my collection 15 years later.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an intriguing book about love, suffering and hope. Anna is thrown into a world of confusion and sadness when she and Hayden crash after Anna wins a karate tournament into Trevor Jones, and her world is turned upside down. Anna learns a little bit more about herself every day.

[Jolan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't the best, while it was short, it took FOREVER to get through. The ending was pretty good (or okay) though.

[Tam Krab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book. Great book. Give it the Newberry award. Beautiful. Sublime. Read it. Read it all the way through. Read it twice. Read it to your uncle. Eat it.

[Miriam Morgans · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧 ℙ𝕖𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕆𝕟𝕚𝕠𝕟 🌰
By Wendy Orr

Blurb
An inspirational novel about a teenage girl re-making her life after a car accident. A deeply moving, unsentimental story of pain and love and self-discovery. Jenny rushes in; stops and turns pale at the sight of my scaffolded neck. This isn't what she expected to see - and for a moment, Jenny, sunny, effervescent, ever-optimistic Jenny, stares at me and can't speak. 'They made a mistake - I broke my neck after all'. Jenny begins to cry. And I think that maybe this is what best friends are for, not to be brave for you, but to tell you this is real, and it stinks. Anna is used to being athletic, popular, 'normal'. Now, she feels the layers of her familiar self being peeled away; nothing is normal or easy. Can she pick up the pieces of her life? What part will Hayden and Luke play? And who, now, is Anna Duncan?

This is a story of finding the strength to move on physically and emotionally after a tragic accident.
To see the effect it has on Anna personally and her immediate family and friends.
It is very difficult to act normal when things are obviously not.
A thought-provoking book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me! 🤓

[Bonni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book back in 2008 for yr8 English. I didn't realise how much of the story I had forgotten, and so it was so nice to relearn the adventure.
I often think about how I would handle a trauma like Anna's, but there is never any knowing. The descriptions in this book, however, gave me some miniscule amount of an idea; I was dizzy when she felt dizzy, I felt pain when she felt pain, I felt confusion, I felt sorrow. Obviously not on the scale of someone going through thos, but it was definitely someyhing that kept me connected to this book.
Another beautiful story of overcoming disaster.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can see how this book could be relevant for young people dealing with disability themselves or within their circle of family and friends. However, it is a real downer. The main character has a dry, sarcastic sense of humor (or attitude), which is understandable given her injuries. Probably a lot of this is very realistic. The author makes no attempt to minimize the character's situation or to gloss over the difficulty a disabled person faces. I do not consider the ending "happy", not that it should be. She basically moves on with her life and learns to accept her disability.
The story takes place in Australia, which I found interesting, having never been there.

[Renata · Rating 1 out of 5]

I. couldn't. stand. this. book. Maybe it was because we were studying it in class, but I just found the main character whined non stop. Like yes, she had been through a lot, but it got to the point where her whining was overtaking the actual plot of the book. The boyfriend at the end was one of the few redeeming factors. the next year didn't end up having to suffer through this one, they got to read a new book. Needless to say my grade wasn't happy.

[Sarah K Reece · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful book gives a honest, raw, authentic account of trauma and the aftermath. I read it in my teens following my diagnosis with PTSD and it gave me great comfort and hope. I still re read it from time to time, because the characters and the insightful precision with which they've been written is a joy.