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Skin
Her lips are white. Sixteen-year-old Sep stares into the bathroom mirror on the first day of school. It's not some weird lipstick (she never wears lipstick), she didn't bump her lips or chew on ice. Her lips are just white. In a panic, she digs up an old lipstick and smears it on her colorless lips. But soon, more and more white spots begin to bloom, spreading their chalky tendrils across her olive brown skin. Does she have a disease? Is she turning into some kind of freak? Sep is usually the one who knows all the answers. With a quicksilver mind and a supple body, she's happiest when she's delving into the mysteries of animal biology or giving herself over to sweet, hot moves in Jazz Dance Club. Unlike her best friend, Devon, she's never been in a rush to get a boyfriend. But as the white blotches spread, her dating days, like the endangered species she studies, seem numbered. So when Josh, a boy she's always liked, makes a flirty advance, she wonders: why not grab pleasure while she can? Frank, funny, and full of passion, this compelling novel tells the empowering story of a strong, gifted teen who, as her life spins out of control, desperately tries to prove to the world, and herself, that she is deeper than skin.
352 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2013
21 people are currently reading
1079 people want to read
About the author
Donna Jo Napoli
138 books1,112 followersDonna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction. She loves to garden and bake bread, and even dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to make the neighbors wonder. But dear dear Taxi died in 2009.
She has five children, seven grandchildren, and currently lives outside Philadelphia. She received her BA in mathematics in 1970 and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures in 1973, both from Harvard University, then did a postdoctoral year in Linguistics at MIT. She has since taught linguistics at Smith College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore College. It was at UM that she earned tenure (in 1981) and became a full professor (in 1984). She has held visiting positions at the University of Queensland (Australia), the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Capital Normal University of Beijing (China), the University of Newcastle (UK), the University of Venice at Ca' Foscari (Italy), and the Siena School for the Liberal Arts (Italy) as well as lectured at the University of Sydney (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and held a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin. In the area of linguistics she has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 17 books, ranging from theoretical linguistics to practical matters in language structure and use, including matters of interest to d/Deaf people. She has held grants and fellowships from numerous sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to make the neighbors wonder. But dear dear Taxi died in 2009.
She has five children, seven grandchildren, and currently lives outside Philadelphia. She received her BA in mathematics in 1970 and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures in 1973, both from Harvard University, then did a postdoctoral year in Linguistics at MIT. She has since taught linguistics at Smith College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore College. It was at UM that she earned tenure (in 1981) and became a full professor (in 1984). She has held visiting positions at the University of Queensland (Australia), the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Capital Normal University of Beijing (China), the University of Newcastle (UK), the University of Venice at Ca' Foscari (Italy), and the Siena School for the Liberal Arts (Italy) as well as lectured at the University of Sydney (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and held a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin. In the area of linguistics she has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 17 books, ranging from theoretical linguistics to practical matters in language structure and use, including matters of interest to d/Deaf people. She has held grants and fellowships from numerous sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
August 15, 2013
2.5 stars. This book was weird and awkward and I don't know how to go about reviewing the darn thing.
Sep was a girl who faced all of the same problems in life which any other teen girl would face - only with the added problem of having random parts of her skin turning white in patches, from out of nowhere. Being a teenager is hard enough on its own, without having to add something like this on top of it.
However, the book's awkwardness had nothing to do with Sep's condition. Something about the characters' reactions to life in general felt strange. Between the boy who was carrying handkerchiefs (for masturbating on the go, apparently?), the brother who constantly called his sister slut, the friendship that was compromised from a lack of communication, and the random mentions of burping, farting and tampons...there was something about the main focus of the story which got lost in translation.
We go through an entire book about a girl living her life in transition, leading up to the point in the story where she learns to love herself. There were a few laughs along the way, and a few moments of relationship discoveries (plus a few un-sexy sexual encounters). And then it all sort of just wrapped up.
I finished the book and took a minute to think about what I felt. When I realized that I didn't care enough about the story to want to ponder much about it, it seemed like a let down. In all honesty, I felt nothing. There was no joy, no sadness, or even a sense of realization that I'd learned anything new.
This was an okay story with a good message, but I'll forget about it by tomorrow.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Sep was a girl who faced all of the same problems in life which any other teen girl would face - only with the added problem of having random parts of her skin turning white in patches, from out of nowhere. Being a teenager is hard enough on its own, without having to add something like this on top of it.
However, the book's awkwardness had nothing to do with Sep's condition. Something about the characters' reactions to life in general felt strange. Between the boy who was carrying handkerchiefs (for masturbating on the go, apparently?), the brother who constantly called his sister slut, the friendship that was compromised from a lack of communication, and the random mentions of burping, farting and tampons...there was something about the main focus of the story which got lost in translation.
We go through an entire book about a girl living her life in transition, leading up to the point in the story where she learns to love herself. There were a few laughs along the way, and a few moments of relationship discoveries (plus a few un-sexy sexual encounters). And then it all sort of just wrapped up.
I finished the book and took a minute to think about what I felt. When I realized that I didn't care enough about the story to want to ponder much about it, it seemed like a let down. In all honesty, I felt nothing. There was no joy, no sadness, or even a sense of realization that I'd learned anything new.
This was an okay story with a good message, but I'll forget about it by tomorrow.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2013
I put off writing this review for as long as I could. Because to write it would mean getting personal and I don’t know if I want do that.
Okay fine.
Here’s a story.
Of sorts.
When I was in grade five, I got diagnosed with a skin disorder and have suffered from it since. Over the years, I have felt like a monster, a freak, and anything along those lines. I stopped looking at people in the eyes in Grade 10 because I would always see pity lurking there and I didn’t want that. I was seriously depressed for a long time because I couldn’t dress the way I wanted, because I had to disguise myself and with all the other insecurities adolescence pours on you, I just couldn’t cope with the added stress of a skin disorder. I felt like I was the world’s ugliest person. Still, I had good parents, a super supportive extended family and a place where people knew me and accepted me. Things linger though and that mindset, that whole feeling like a monster thing? Still there. So you deal with it. At least I deal with it. By being unapologetically myself. Because that’s the only way I know how to survive.
Reading Skin was like reverting back to that girl I was. When your world comes crashing down on you through no fault of your own. And there’s nothing you can do about it. Nothing. You don’t know the importance of skin until you don’t have it anymore. It may not have gotten you anything before but God, when you don’t have it, it sets you apart.
Napoli’s Skin is an exploration of adolescent sexuality (I like how bold and unapologetic it is) and image issues. When Sep wakes up one morning to find that her lips have gone white, she has no idea that that is just the tip of the iceberg. As things start getting worse, she seizes the bull by its horns and lives truly, fully, before the disease progresses too far. And you know what? People will say that “no one will be disgusted by you” and “you’re still beautiful” and they will be lying. So yes, I was completely on Sep’s side as she seduces and is seduced by Joshua and I completely understood why she acts as she does.
The book is not meant to be pretty or perfect but hopeful. And Napoli is fantastic at creating real characters without reverting to stereotypes. Sep may feel melodramatic to you if you haven’t been in her shoes but if you have, you will know that it is exactly as she says. The ending is beautiful. It speaks of a future and while that future is complicated, it is there. And it is palatable. The writing is crisp and the rapid fire exchange of dialogue adds an extra punch to the novel. This is an important book for so many reasons. For kids who are suffering from skin disorders and for kids who are struggling with image issues, this book ought to help them gain perspective. I strongly recommend it.
Okay fine.
Here’s a story.
Of sorts.
When I was in grade five, I got diagnosed with a skin disorder and have suffered from it since. Over the years, I have felt like a monster, a freak, and anything along those lines. I stopped looking at people in the eyes in Grade 10 because I would always see pity lurking there and I didn’t want that. I was seriously depressed for a long time because I couldn’t dress the way I wanted, because I had to disguise myself and with all the other insecurities adolescence pours on you, I just couldn’t cope with the added stress of a skin disorder. I felt like I was the world’s ugliest person. Still, I had good parents, a super supportive extended family and a place where people knew me and accepted me. Things linger though and that mindset, that whole feeling like a monster thing? Still there. So you deal with it. At least I deal with it. By being unapologetically myself. Because that’s the only way I know how to survive.
Reading Skin was like reverting back to that girl I was. When your world comes crashing down on you through no fault of your own. And there’s nothing you can do about it. Nothing. You don’t know the importance of skin until you don’t have it anymore. It may not have gotten you anything before but God, when you don’t have it, it sets you apart.
Napoli’s Skin is an exploration of adolescent sexuality (I like how bold and unapologetic it is) and image issues. When Sep wakes up one morning to find that her lips have gone white, she has no idea that that is just the tip of the iceberg. As things start getting worse, she seizes the bull by its horns and lives truly, fully, before the disease progresses too far. And you know what? People will say that “no one will be disgusted by you” and “you’re still beautiful” and they will be lying. So yes, I was completely on Sep’s side as she seduces and is seduced by Joshua and I completely understood why she acts as she does.
The book is not meant to be pretty or perfect but hopeful. And Napoli is fantastic at creating real characters without reverting to stereotypes. Sep may feel melodramatic to you if you haven’t been in her shoes but if you have, you will know that it is exactly as she says. The ending is beautiful. It speaks of a future and while that future is complicated, it is there. And it is palatable. The writing is crisp and the rapid fire exchange of dialogue adds an extra punch to the novel. This is an important book for so many reasons. For kids who are suffering from skin disorders and for kids who are struggling with image issues, this book ought to help them gain perspective. I strongly recommend it.
August 28, 2013
Read the review on my blog:
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/5...
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/5...
August 30, 2019
This book was overall enjoyable. I like the story about how she gets vitiligo. She shouldn't have hid all of her white spots. But I understand why she did. I feel like if she was just honest with Joshua from the beginning they would still be together. He seemed like a nice guy who would understand. It's sad that he ended up with someone else. But at least he was happy. I feel sad for her that that happened. If that happened to me I know I would feel the same way.
February 27, 2014
Typically, I've liked Donna Jo Napoli's books, but she really missed the boat on this one. As far as physical conditions to write about that one could typically freak out over go, vitiglio is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. It's laughable. Vitiglio is gradual, it's completely painless, it's not life-threatening, and as long as you use sunscreen on the "white spots" (which are actually more of a pale pink), you'll be fine. I would also like to point out that these patches don't stay neatly confined to specific body parts (like with the character's lips), but are asymmetrical and blotchy, spilling over the skin. Vitiglio is not even so much a "disease" as it is a genetic skin condition--like being more or less prone to acne or freckles.
How do I know this? Because I have it. Came straight down the line from my mom's side of the family. And we're not just talking a minor case either. My hands, feet, lower stomach, one ear, and patches on my arms, legs, and neck are now devoid of pigment. They began very small and have been growing yearly since I hit puberty in my early teens. Considering my Irish heritage, which comes with lots of freckles, the patches are quite visible. But I never once freaked out over them. Not even in my most dramafied teenage period. And--surprise surprise--I was never once teased for it. Not even while struggling through the shark-infested waters of middle school. And the condition never once gave me even the slightest ounce of trouble. Most days I forget I even have it. I just have to remember the SPF 50+ (but I'd use that regardless). Vitiglio? Seriously? It's really not a big deal at all.
I'll give two stars for effort and because I've enjoyed this author's other books, but this particular book was a complete miss. Sep's character was a whiny brat, and the author's take on the condition was downright insulting!
But I guess we really don't need another teens-with-cancer book, do we?
How do I know this? Because I have it. Came straight down the line from my mom's side of the family. And we're not just talking a minor case either. My hands, feet, lower stomach, one ear, and patches on my arms, legs, and neck are now devoid of pigment. They began very small and have been growing yearly since I hit puberty in my early teens. Considering my Irish heritage, which comes with lots of freckles, the patches are quite visible. But I never once freaked out over them. Not even in my most dramafied teenage period. And--surprise surprise--I was never once teased for it. Not even while struggling through the shark-infested waters of middle school. And the condition never once gave me even the slightest ounce of trouble. Most days I forget I even have it. I just have to remember the SPF 50+ (but I'd use that regardless). Vitiglio? Seriously? It's really not a big deal at all.
I'll give two stars for effort and because I've enjoyed this author's other books, but this particular book was a complete miss. Sep's character was a whiny brat, and the author's take on the condition was downright insulting!
But I guess we really don't need another teens-with-cancer book, do we?
July 6, 2013
Two things were working against my expectations for this book: my knowledge of previous books Donna Jo Napoli has written, and the jacket copy leading me on.
First, while I know Donna Jo Napoli has written a huge variety of books, I first encountered her (and love her best for) her fairy/folk tale retellings. So I kept expecting something like that to show up here. Especially when coupled with the mysterious jacket copy.
The jacket copy makes it seem like the point of the book is going to be figuring out what is going on with Sep. "Does she have a disease? Is she turning into some kind of freak?" That ties in nicely with my supernatural expectations of a Napoli novel as well. Nope. It's figured out pretty early on exactly what Sep has: vitiglio (even though it presents really oddly, another thing that had me expecting a supernatural twist).
So that's two major blows against my enjoyment of the book. One of which is totally out of anyone else's control. And I've overcome misplaced expectations before for a book, so what kept this one down? The story simply didn't go anywhere. Sep's emotions and behavior end up all over the place without consistent justification (not even "stress about WTF is happening to my skin is turning me crazy"). Secondary characters drop in and out of the narrative only when they can conveniently serve as a target for Sep.
One thing I do have to say in contrast to a few other reviews on here: what graphic sex, people? There are two sexual scenes in this book, that are written so non-explicitly I had trouble figuring out what exactly was supposed to have happened. Body parts are referred to with pronouns like "it" to make the scene as vague as possible without outright fading to black. This isn't a book that is likely to be passed from reader to reader with the "naughty" pages dog-eared.
First, while I know Donna Jo Napoli has written a huge variety of books, I first encountered her (and love her best for) her fairy/folk tale retellings. So I kept expecting something like that to show up here. Especially when coupled with the mysterious jacket copy.
The jacket copy makes it seem like the point of the book is going to be figuring out what is going on with Sep. "Does she have a disease? Is she turning into some kind of freak?" That ties in nicely with my supernatural expectations of a Napoli novel as well. Nope. It's figured out pretty early on exactly what Sep has: vitiglio (even though it presents really oddly, another thing that had me expecting a supernatural twist).
So that's two major blows against my enjoyment of the book. One of which is totally out of anyone else's control. And I've overcome misplaced expectations before for a book, so what kept this one down? The story simply didn't go anywhere. Sep's emotions and behavior end up all over the place without consistent justification (not even "stress about WTF is happening to my skin is turning me crazy"). Secondary characters drop in and out of the narrative only when they can conveniently serve as a target for Sep.
One thing I do have to say in contrast to a few other reviews on here: what graphic sex, people? There are two sexual scenes in this book, that are written so non-explicitly I had trouble figuring out what exactly was supposed to have happened. Body parts are referred to with pronouns like "it" to make the scene as vague as possible without outright fading to black. This isn't a book that is likely to be passed from reader to reader with the "naughty" pages dog-eared.
July 31, 2013
Originally posted at Novel Reveries
“I’m reading about skin because my skin in my enemy right now. And what’s the old saying: Know thy enemy.” (loc. 2300)
Sep wakes to find she has white lips. Her world, and her outlook of it is forever changed. This is a coming-of-age story and a finding-your-worth tale. Sep must not only learn to deal with her troubles, even as they seem to get worse, but to learn to trust people and their perception of her.
This book was so difficult for me. There’s so many contradictory feelings (both for me as the reader, and with what happens in the book,) that it was a little difficult on how to rate this book. In the end, after thinking about everything, it was an okay book, and thus I give it two stars. I found the book difficult to read through because I just kept getting madder and madder at Sep’s character, and with the plot not really progressing towards anything promising, I felt it drag.
First off, I really liked that the author took on a real-life challenge and, I guess, real-life situations. This is no fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal book, it’s real and it could happen (well, I guess the disease could happen, I don’t know about the rest of the sequence of events.) I absolutely did not like the way the character handles her situation, and her attitude (especially when she failed to compare with other people with terminal illnesses) felt disgusting. I still call insta-love on the whole Joshua situation, even if they did know each other when they were little. They haven’t talked to each other in six years, and then suddenly, SUDDENLY, he takes an interest in her and she steers her life to have sex with him, a lot, after only two weeks. Her actions feel so insincere, deplorable, and unrealistic (unless that’s just the type of person she was... which earlier in the book she wasn’t because she’s always complained about how weird she is, and how she’s never had boys even look at her, and how she’ll never have a love-life.) Also, back on the contradictory note, she just tells her friend Devin on their first day of school, “We’re sixteen. There’s time.” and “You’ve got time to fall in love.” and yet two weeks later she’s in an instant physical relationship just because she doesn’t feel beautiful. I don’t see this as a good message at all.
I suppose it’s not surprising that I cannot find anything about Sep that I like. She complains constantly, mostly about being liked and people not knowing her, even though she’s constantly around people/friends, and even on her first day of school as she’s whining about not having people noticing her, she says “nine hundred people say hit to me, so I have to at least nod.” (loc. 4164) After that contradictory instant, her character and personality, for me, only declines. Her moodiness is understandable, of course because of her skin condition, but I just don’t like how narcissistic and self-centered she becomes. On an unrelated-maybe-related note, the repetition of the phrase “nine hundred” became extremely tiring. But maybe that’s just me.
I believe the author’s writing style is good, readable and has a great rhythm to how she tells the story. She seems to want to take on life situations, which is a good change, so I would have no problem with picking up any of her other works. I guess it’s just how this particular story was overall executed that put me off.
There was a point in the book where I seriously considered to stop reading, both because I was angry and because I was bored. I kept reading, and in a sense I’m glad because of how things turned out, and how her character turned around. I didn’t like how it transitioned to this phase, because it felt like she did a complete 180 in one day, like we the readers are suppose to just forgive and forget in the span of a paragraph. In the end, I liked the concept of the book and where it landed, but how it got there proved really off for me.
--------------------------
First Line: “My lips are white.” (loc. 88)
Last Line: “‘It’ll be ready by the time you get here.” (loc. 4149)
--------------------------
Galley provided by NetGalley via Skyscape, Amazon Children’s Publishing
*Quotes are from uncorrected advanced galleys and may change before going to press. Please refer to the final printed book for official quotes.
“I’m reading about skin because my skin in my enemy right now. And what’s the old saying: Know thy enemy.” (loc. 2300)
Sep wakes to find she has white lips. Her world, and her outlook of it is forever changed. This is a coming-of-age story and a finding-your-worth tale. Sep must not only learn to deal with her troubles, even as they seem to get worse, but to learn to trust people and their perception of her.
“‘Hair and nails are dead. But your skin is alive. Live things have a dignity. They demand respect.’” (loc. 2169)
This book was so difficult for me. There’s so many contradictory feelings (both for me as the reader, and with what happens in the book,) that it was a little difficult on how to rate this book. In the end, after thinking about everything, it was an okay book, and thus I give it two stars. I found the book difficult to read through because I just kept getting madder and madder at Sep’s character, and with the plot not really progressing towards anything promising, I felt it drag.
First off, I really liked that the author took on a real-life challenge and, I guess, real-life situations. This is no fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal book, it’s real and it could happen (well, I guess the disease could happen, I don’t know about the rest of the sequence of events.) I absolutely did not like the way the character handles her situation, and her attitude (especially when she failed to compare with other people with terminal illnesses) felt disgusting. I still call insta-love on the whole Joshua situation, even if they did know each other when they were little. They haven’t talked to each other in six years, and then suddenly, SUDDENLY, he takes an interest in her and she steers her life to have sex with him, a lot, after only two weeks. Her actions feel so insincere, deplorable, and unrealistic (unless that’s just the type of person she was... which earlier in the book she wasn’t because she’s always complained about how weird she is, and how she’s never had boys even look at her, and how she’ll never have a love-life.) Also, back on the contradictory note, she just tells her friend Devin on their first day of school, “We’re sixteen. There’s time.” and “You’ve got time to fall in love.” and yet two weeks later she’s in an instant physical relationship just because she doesn’t feel beautiful. I don’t see this as a good message at all.
“I’m an egotistical pig. And I can’t blame that on vitiligo.” (loc. 2289)
I suppose it’s not surprising that I cannot find anything about Sep that I like. She complains constantly, mostly about being liked and people not knowing her, even though she’s constantly around people/friends, and even on her first day of school as she’s whining about not having people noticing her, she says “nine hundred people say hit to me, so I have to at least nod.” (loc. 4164) After that contradictory instant, her character and personality, for me, only declines. Her moodiness is understandable, of course because of her skin condition, but I just don’t like how narcissistic and self-centered she becomes. On an unrelated-maybe-related note, the repetition of the phrase “nine hundred” became extremely tiring. But maybe that’s just me.
I believe the author’s writing style is good, readable and has a great rhythm to how she tells the story. She seems to want to take on life situations, which is a good change, so I would have no problem with picking up any of her other works. I guess it’s just how this particular story was overall executed that put me off.
“Vitiligo waits for no man. Or woman. Forget biology. Time’s up.” (loc. 2676)
There was a point in the book where I seriously considered to stop reading, both because I was angry and because I was bored. I kept reading, and in a sense I’m glad because of how things turned out, and how her character turned around. I didn’t like how it transitioned to this phase, because it felt like she did a complete 180 in one day, like we the readers are suppose to just forgive and forget in the span of a paragraph. In the end, I liked the concept of the book and where it landed, but how it got there proved really off for me.
--------------------------
First Line: “My lips are white.” (loc. 88)
Last Line: “‘It’ll be ready by the time you get here.” (loc. 4149)
--------------------------
Galley provided by NetGalley via Skyscape, Amazon Children’s Publishing
*Quotes are from uncorrected advanced galleys and may change before going to press. Please refer to the final printed book for official quotes.
September 21, 2013
I wasn't sold on this book for a while. The writing was good, but I wasn't drawn in by the premise -- the main character gets vitiligo, and has to deal with the changes to her appearance. It didn't seem like enough of a challenge, and at times it seemed like Sep was being really over-dramatic and whiny about it. I became a little more interested when Sep's romance with Joshua began, but it seemed like an obvious ending was coming: Joshua would accept her as she was, and Sep would learn to love herself again. Not anything really special to look forward to.
But I was wrong. About halfway through, the book set off on a wild detour that I never expected. Despite her hatred and fear of her skin condition, Sep starts to find joy in her body. She starts a sexual relationship with Joshua, and she exults in her dance class. That discovery of her sexuality, the joy and pride she finds in the things her body can do, reminded me forcefully and viscerally of the experience of being a teenage girl. The other thing I didn't expect is that after Sep dumps Joshua, because she's sure he will be disgusted when he finds out about her vitiligo, they never get back together. Most YA books would have a neat ending where the boy tells the girl she's beautiful to him no matter what, and he loves her. Instead of finding self-worth and validation from the love of a boy, Sep finds it in herself. She finds it in her body, her strength, her bravery, and in her pain. There is a reconciliation between Sep and Joshua, but the damage is done. I found that to be a much more satisfying ending than the one I imagined.
Ultimately, I found this to be a really empowering story. The skill with which author Donna Jo Napoli brings out the rawness of being a teenage girl reminded me at times of Laurie Halse Anderson's work. I would absolutely recommend this book for teens or readers of YA.
(I would also like to point out that I appreciated the way the sex scenes were written: in all of them, Sep is the one who initiates, and the scenes are focused on her pleasure, something which I've found rare in YA novels. Often, the girl in such scenes is hesitant and scared, but Napoli puts Sep in control. Her sex scenes are not wrapped up in euphemisms, they are instead frank and real, and I found that refreshing.)
But I was wrong. About halfway through, the book set off on a wild detour that I never expected. Despite her hatred and fear of her skin condition, Sep starts to find joy in her body. She starts a sexual relationship with Joshua, and she exults in her dance class. That discovery of her sexuality, the joy and pride she finds in the things her body can do, reminded me forcefully and viscerally of the experience of being a teenage girl. The other thing I didn't expect is that after Sep dumps Joshua, because she's sure he will be disgusted when he finds out about her vitiligo, they never get back together. Most YA books would have a neat ending where the boy tells the girl she's beautiful to him no matter what, and he loves her. Instead of finding self-worth and validation from the love of a boy, Sep finds it in herself. She finds it in her body, her strength, her bravery, and in her pain. There is a reconciliation between Sep and Joshua, but the damage is done. I found that to be a much more satisfying ending than the one I imagined.
Ultimately, I found this to be a really empowering story. The skill with which author Donna Jo Napoli brings out the rawness of being a teenage girl reminded me at times of Laurie Halse Anderson's work. I would absolutely recommend this book for teens or readers of YA.
(I would also like to point out that I appreciated the way the sex scenes were written: in all of them, Sep is the one who initiates, and the scenes are focused on her pleasure, something which I've found rare in YA novels. Often, the girl in such scenes is hesitant and scared, but Napoli puts Sep in control. Her sex scenes are not wrapped up in euphemisms, they are instead frank and real, and I found that refreshing.)
June 2, 2013
This book is really hard for me to gather all my thoughts on, and I can't even really decide whether I like it or not. It had an interesting premise, and it wasn't what I expected it to be at all. When I say that it defied my expectations, there were some aspects I liked and some I really didn't.
Sep is a very average teenager at an average high school. Then one day she wakes up and her lips are white. She has no idea why, and decides to cover it up with lipstick. But how long can she hide when the white begins to spread?
The first part of the book made me think there was something supernatural or inexplicable going on with the white patches, and I was relieved that there was a perfectly good explanation for it. There were a lot of moments where Sep felt helpless and wretched because people would judge her for the white patches on her skin. At one point she asks her mother how she will ever get a job if people are repulsed by her during her interview. That one little moment was a startling because of the truth in what Sep says; although we like to pride ourselves on being appreciative of all people and giving everyone equal opportunity and respect, there are often unconscious prejudices and disgust against people who look different or act differently from the norm. I liked how the author subtly prompted a discussion about how much our physical appearances matter in our success both professionally and socially.
As Sep learns to deal with her white patches and their repercussions, she meets many new mentors. There are the pink tattoo girls, the lesbians who have tattooed their ankles in an act of pride and solidarity in who they are. There is Slinky, a woman at a makeup store who knows a lot about wanting to be beautiful and wanting to hide. There's also Sep's yoga/dance teacher, who teaches her to learn to love her body and be proud of who she is.
I didn't like the other aspects of the novel so much. Basically Sep feels insecure that no one will love her if she has white patches on her skin and decides she needs to get a guy ASAP. She finds Jason Wining, her childhood friend whom she hasn't talked to in years, more than willing. The book was more explicit than I thought it would be, and it really didn't need to be. I thought Sep's behavior and her desperation for physical love was disgusting; having recently been educated about slut shaming, I will do my best to keep this as neutral as possible. My major problem wasn't so much that Sep wanted to sleep with a guy, but that she felt like she had to use someone to feel better about herself. It was a very selfish and irresponsible thing to do, and in the end Jason calls her out on it, but she doesn't seem to have much shame.
One other thing that bothered me (and this will probably only bother me) is the treatment of Hinduism in the book. The yoga teacher brings up Hinduism a lot, and there were a lot of references to mythology. I don't mind when authors take artistic license and add their own spin to my mythology and religion, but I demand respect. At one point Sep makes a comment along the lines of "I'd like to punch Vishnu [a Hindu god] awake and yell that in his big flabby ear." I understood that Sep was angry, but I was offended by how much she belittled a culture (my culture).
Again, this is a hard book to review because it makes some good points but it also has its low points. I am settling for a two star rating.
*An ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review*
Sep is a very average teenager at an average high school. Then one day she wakes up and her lips are white. She has no idea why, and decides to cover it up with lipstick. But how long can she hide when the white begins to spread?
The first part of the book made me think there was something supernatural or inexplicable going on with the white patches, and I was relieved that there was a perfectly good explanation for it. There were a lot of moments where Sep felt helpless and wretched because people would judge her for the white patches on her skin. At one point she asks her mother how she will ever get a job if people are repulsed by her during her interview. That one little moment was a startling because of the truth in what Sep says; although we like to pride ourselves on being appreciative of all people and giving everyone equal opportunity and respect, there are often unconscious prejudices and disgust against people who look different or act differently from the norm. I liked how the author subtly prompted a discussion about how much our physical appearances matter in our success both professionally and socially.
As Sep learns to deal with her white patches and their repercussions, she meets many new mentors. There are the pink tattoo girls, the lesbians who have tattooed their ankles in an act of pride and solidarity in who they are. There is Slinky, a woman at a makeup store who knows a lot about wanting to be beautiful and wanting to hide. There's also Sep's yoga/dance teacher, who teaches her to learn to love her body and be proud of who she is.
I didn't like the other aspects of the novel so much. Basically Sep feels insecure that no one will love her if she has white patches on her skin and decides she needs to get a guy ASAP. She finds Jason Wining, her childhood friend whom she hasn't talked to in years, more than willing. The book was more explicit than I thought it would be, and it really didn't need to be. I thought Sep's behavior and her desperation for physical love was disgusting; having recently been educated about slut shaming, I will do my best to keep this as neutral as possible. My major problem wasn't so much that Sep wanted to sleep with a guy, but that she felt like she had to use someone to feel better about herself. It was a very selfish and irresponsible thing to do, and in the end Jason calls her out on it, but she doesn't seem to have much shame.
One other thing that bothered me (and this will probably only bother me) is the treatment of Hinduism in the book. The yoga teacher brings up Hinduism a lot, and there were a lot of references to mythology. I don't mind when authors take artistic license and add their own spin to my mythology and religion, but I demand respect. At one point Sep makes a comment along the lines of "I'd like to punch Vishnu [a Hindu god] awake and yell that in his big flabby ear." I understood that Sep was angry, but I was offended by how much she belittled a culture (my culture).
Again, this is a hard book to review because it makes some good points but it also has its low points. I am settling for a two star rating.
*An ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review*
July 24, 2013
I enjoyed this story of a girl coping with a disfiguring condition just as she enters her junior year of high school, but it is a difficult book to review because I have conflicting thoughts about several aspects of the book. I love that Giuseppina (Sep) is such a strong character, and I felt deeply invested in finding out how the condition would progress, how she would deal with it, and how it would affect her relationships with Joshua, Devin, her family, and her classmates. Sep is an odd mix of immature (her explanation of her feelings about her name and nicknames weren't what I'd expect of a 16-year-old), and self-aware, self-conscious (about her appearance) and totally unself-conscious (about dancing and sex), well-intentioned (not wanting to hurt others)and self-centered (doing what she wants, not doing what she doesn't while knowing it may hurt others). She is one of the frankest, most honest characters in her communication with others, but only about some things. I suppose these contradictions are part of what makes her realistic as a teen and especially one in this kind of situation. I love how her interest is caught by a variety of things causing her to research more information, and how she uses this information as a source of strength. Similarly, it seems completely believable that she seeks out advice from Slinky (Carey), a near-stranger at the department store makeup counter rather than friends and family. I appreciate the strength of the family relationships in this book, though there is a realistic amount of tension. I *do* wish her brother's taunting nickname for her was something other than "slut," or that their parents had something to say about it. The sexual content of the book likely makes it more suitable for mature readers. It is handled with a combination of admirable honesty and understanding of privacy and also significant dishonesty on the part of the characters (and possibly a certain amount of optimism on the part of the author). It would be misleading to describe this book as a romance, but Laurie Halse Anderson is right when she says it is "sexy." Two books that might be interesting for comparison/contrast with Skin are Wendelin Van Draanen's The Running Dream and Jenny Downham's Before I Die.
January 3, 2014
When Sep wakes up with white lips, she doesn't know what to think. What could be causing this strange and sudden appearance change? After several tests, she's finally diagnosed with vitiligo, a skin condition in which skin pigmentation disappears. (Side note: Singer Michael Jackson said he had vitiligo.)
Sep is your typical teen girl - concerned about parties, boys and her friends. When she realizes her skin is going to get splotchy and white, she freaks out. She begins wearing lipstick to cover her white lips, and when spots begin to show on her hands, she colors over them. She buys cover-up and does her best to hide her body from others.
Things I loved: I like that this book exists. I'm not aware of another YA book about vitiligo (although it could be out there, somewhere), and it's great to have something for teens who might be experiencing this themselves. Napoli includes a lot of information about vitiligo, including info about attempted treatments (that usually don't work well). Vitiligo manifests at different rates, and in the main character it moves rapidly.
Things I disliked: Sep doesn't seem to have a lot of faith in her friends. At one point she thinks she might be falling in love with her boyfriend, yet she still refuses to tell him about her condition because she's afraid he'll reject her. She waits an insanely long time to tell her BFF about it, and she gives another good friend the silent treatment while she comes to terms with her vitiligo. Additionally, Sep must be irresistible, because the aforementioned good friend, Owen, is in love with her, as is a lesbian and, of course, her insanely hot boyfriend. (Owen really is fluff and isn't necessary to the story.) Ultimately, because of the way she treats those around her, Sep isn't very likeable.
Things I hated: Sep's brother calls her Slut. And her parents don't bother trying to stop him, other than mild rebukes. It's horrible.
Final verdict: Skin isn't a bad book, but it isn't great. I definitely think it's a great book to have on YA shelves, and although I don't foresee it winning any awards, I also wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to teen readers. It's engaging and well written, and even if I didn't like Sep's personality, I enjoyed the story in spite of it.
Thanks to Amazon Children's Publishing via Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Sep is your typical teen girl - concerned about parties, boys and her friends. When she realizes her skin is going to get splotchy and white, she freaks out. She begins wearing lipstick to cover her white lips, and when spots begin to show on her hands, she colors over them. She buys cover-up and does her best to hide her body from others.
Things I loved: I like that this book exists. I'm not aware of another YA book about vitiligo (although it could be out there, somewhere), and it's great to have something for teens who might be experiencing this themselves. Napoli includes a lot of information about vitiligo, including info about attempted treatments (that usually don't work well). Vitiligo manifests at different rates, and in the main character it moves rapidly.
Things I disliked: Sep doesn't seem to have a lot of faith in her friends. At one point she thinks she might be falling in love with her boyfriend, yet she still refuses to tell him about her condition because she's afraid he'll reject her. She waits an insanely long time to tell her BFF about it, and she gives another good friend the silent treatment while she comes to terms with her vitiligo. Additionally, Sep must be irresistible, because the aforementioned good friend, Owen, is in love with her, as is a lesbian and, of course, her insanely hot boyfriend. (Owen really is fluff and isn't necessary to the story.) Ultimately, because of the way she treats those around her, Sep isn't very likeable.
Things I hated: Sep's brother calls her Slut. And her parents don't bother trying to stop him, other than mild rebukes. It's horrible.
Final verdict: Skin isn't a bad book, but it isn't great. I definitely think it's a great book to have on YA shelves, and although I don't foresee it winning any awards, I also wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to teen readers. It's engaging and well written, and even if I didn't like Sep's personality, I enjoyed the story in spite of it.
Thanks to Amazon Children's Publishing via Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
November 14, 2013
This book was very disappointing. The story progressed slowly, and I had to start skimming a little after the halfway point to stay focused.
Sep wakes up with white lips in the first chapter because she has vitiligo. Now, they're described as being white, not pale. White. Which is annoying because lips don't have any pigment. Of course, she's very insecure about it. The vitiligo progresses and her relationships with her family, her friends, and her boyfriend are strained by her insecurity.
Now, that's an interesting set up, but it fails because she just complains and cries and is rude and manipulative toward her mother, she breaks up with her boyfriend (her boyfriend with whom she was having sex with at the house of the four-year-old she was babysitting--ewwwww!) because she thinks that when he finds out about her skin disorder he'll be like, "Ew, gross," and dump her. This is a plot device that I've always found to be utterly stupid. Plus, Mr. Boyfriend is also utterly perfect: sensitive, flattering, intelligent, athletic, a friend from childhood.
I started just glancing over the pages by the time I was 3/4 of the way through the book, so I did get to read the conclusion and entire point of the story spelled out plainly in the dialogue between the two characters: Josh says to Sep, "You came to school without makeup, and I saw what happened, and I understood. That's when I got furious.... You had no right, Sep. You treated me like a jerk. Like some superficial asshole.... You decided who I was. And I hated the person you decided who I was."
Sep says, "I couldn't stand the idea of seeing pity in your eyes." (ugh) "I... wanted you to dump me.... I was so mad at myslef for getting vitiligo--for not being able to do anything to fix it. It's me I couldn't love."
And that's about it. It's a really, really good idea to write a story around, right? But it shouldn't have been spelled out in hasty dialogue at the very end if the book! It should be woven throughout. There's something about a fox that I didn't really pay attention to, because it came soo late in the story, and if it had been important it should have been there from the beginning.
Ugh, so that's Skin.
Sep wakes up with white lips in the first chapter because she has vitiligo. Now, they're described as being white, not pale. White. Which is annoying because lips don't have any pigment. Of course, she's very insecure about it. The vitiligo progresses and her relationships with her family, her friends, and her boyfriend are strained by her insecurity.
Now, that's an interesting set up, but it fails because she just complains and cries and is rude and manipulative toward her mother, she breaks up with her boyfriend (her boyfriend with whom she was having sex with at the house of the four-year-old she was babysitting--ewwwww!) because she thinks that when he finds out about her skin disorder he'll be like, "Ew, gross," and dump her. This is a plot device that I've always found to be utterly stupid. Plus, Mr. Boyfriend is also utterly perfect: sensitive, flattering, intelligent, athletic, a friend from childhood.
I started just glancing over the pages by the time I was 3/4 of the way through the book, so I did get to read the conclusion and entire point of the story spelled out plainly in the dialogue between the two characters: Josh says to Sep, "You came to school without makeup, and I saw what happened, and I understood. That's when I got furious.... You had no right, Sep. You treated me like a jerk. Like some superficial asshole.... You decided who I was. And I hated the person you decided who I was."
Sep says, "I couldn't stand the idea of seeing pity in your eyes." (ugh) "I... wanted you to dump me.... I was so mad at myslef for getting vitiligo--for not being able to do anything to fix it. It's me I couldn't love."
And that's about it. It's a really, really good idea to write a story around, right? But it shouldn't have been spelled out in hasty dialogue at the very end if the book! It should be woven throughout. There's something about a fox that I didn't really pay attention to, because it came soo late in the story, and if it had been important it should have been there from the beginning.
Ugh, so that's Skin.
May 25, 2013
I am kind of confused about how I feel about this book. It was really good in its treatment of the main character, Sep, who develops vitiligo and has to deal with her extreme reaction to the changes it causes in her appearance. Her anger and frustration seem very real: she is a teenager who realizes that she will forever be marked by the light patches on her skin. Throughout the book, Napoli weaves information about vitiligo, as well as information about different animals and yoga. That is pretty cool.
But...there is seemingly gratuitous sex descriptions that have so little to do with the book or the character. I get that she wants to experience her body before her skin changes and I get that she enjoys sex. I am fine with that...and I like that there are no negative repercussions that she is sexually active. She does not get pregnant, get an STD or even a bad reputation. I just don't think the descriptions are necessary.
There are also other disconcerting pieces of story lines. There is a lot about her dog on the beginning, and then he is never mentioned again. She talks about her grandfather dying and how no one sits in his chair. That's brought up more than once. And then it just never is mentioned again.
When Sep uses profanities her friends act like it's something they have never heard or used. That does not seem very realistic.
But I did like her eventual discussion with her boyfriend, the boy she broke up with because she hated her skin and decided to "save him." Although he may be a little too articulate for a teenage boy, what he says does seem real.
In the end, it comes down to this: the book could have been great for kids in middle grades to step inside the shoes of someone who has a non-contagious, pain free, but very visible skin condition. They may have learned some compassion or empathy. Because of the sex, it will be something that will be handed to a few select YA readers. That's a shame, because it could have been so much more.
But...there is seemingly gratuitous sex descriptions that have so little to do with the book or the character. I get that she wants to experience her body before her skin changes and I get that she enjoys sex. I am fine with that...and I like that there are no negative repercussions that she is sexually active. She does not get pregnant, get an STD or even a bad reputation. I just don't think the descriptions are necessary.
There are also other disconcerting pieces of story lines. There is a lot about her dog on the beginning, and then he is never mentioned again. She talks about her grandfather dying and how no one sits in his chair. That's brought up more than once. And then it just never is mentioned again.
When Sep uses profanities her friends act like it's something they have never heard or used. That does not seem very realistic.
But I did like her eventual discussion with her boyfriend, the boy she broke up with because she hated her skin and decided to "save him." Although he may be a little too articulate for a teenage boy, what he says does seem real.
In the end, it comes down to this: the book could have been great for kids in middle grades to step inside the shoes of someone who has a non-contagious, pain free, but very visible skin condition. They may have learned some compassion or empathy. Because of the sex, it will be something that will be handed to a few select YA readers. That's a shame, because it could have been so much more.
August 7, 2013
Donna Jo Napoli was one of my favorite authors in middle school and high school. She's probably one of the authors who gave me a taste for fairytale retellings. But SKIN is a departure from her normal fare. It's a contemporary, and a sexy one at that.
Because I was familiar with Napoli's work and picked it up based on her reputation, I wasn't sure if SKIN was a paranormal or not when I began it. When it starts, heroine Sep wakes up to find that her lips have turned pure white. She covers it up with lipstick, but soon other spots start showing up. She doesn't know whether she's dying or not, and then she doesn't know whether she can keep hiding.
I really enjoyed SKIN. Sep's fear is understandable, and consuming. It pushes her to live life fast. At the same time, she starts to become less fearful as she risks new experiences and finds things that make her happy. She makes new friends, gets a boyfriend, and finds an unlikely mentor at a makeup counter in the mall.
SKIN is definitely for older teens. It has messages that are good for young readers, and just as relevant for them, but it is four-alarm fire hot. She wants to do everything she can with Josh before her secret gets out. At the same time, I like that the book is clear that she has the maturity to use protection. At the same time, she's pretty immature about how she treats Josh. It's nicely realistic.
I think SKIN is a terrific contemporary read. Sep has a great, relateable voice. There are no real villains, but there's still plenty of conflict. Everything ends slightly messy, but Sep completes a moving emotional journey.
Because I was familiar with Napoli's work and picked it up based on her reputation, I wasn't sure if SKIN was a paranormal or not when I began it. When it starts, heroine Sep wakes up to find that her lips have turned pure white. She covers it up with lipstick, but soon other spots start showing up. She doesn't know whether she's dying or not, and then she doesn't know whether she can keep hiding.
I really enjoyed SKIN. Sep's fear is understandable, and consuming. It pushes her to live life fast. At the same time, she starts to become less fearful as she risks new experiences and finds things that make her happy. She makes new friends, gets a boyfriend, and finds an unlikely mentor at a makeup counter in the mall.
SKIN is definitely for older teens. It has messages that are good for young readers, and just as relevant for them, but it is four-alarm fire hot. She wants to do everything she can with Josh before her secret gets out. At the same time, I like that the book is clear that she has the maturity to use protection. At the same time, she's pretty immature about how she treats Josh. It's nicely realistic.
I think SKIN is a terrific contemporary read. Sep has a great, relateable voice. There are no real villains, but there's still plenty of conflict. Everything ends slightly messy, but Sep completes a moving emotional journey.
July 3, 2013
When it started off, the voice of Sep came off as really young. She's meant to be a junior in high school and it was very odd to me that the author made the students think wearing lipstick was such a major thing. Teens wear make-up. I don't think people really would have noticed or cared that Sep was suddenly wearing lipstick.
I also found it odd the author made such a big deal about the color of her skin, calling herself not white. I suppose she had to do it so when the disease kicked in, the reader would know that the spots really showed up, but I think it could have been handled better.
As the story continued, I came to like Sep more and thought the actions and emotions of a teen finding out she has a disease that everyone will see, was realistic. It did get a bit graphic in parts, which I don't mind but seemed a bit surprising when it started out so tame. The speech her boyfriend gives at the end of the story was especially powerful.
All in all, an emotional and realistic read.
I also found it odd the author made such a big deal about the color of her skin, calling herself not white. I suppose she had to do it so when the disease kicked in, the reader would know that the spots really showed up, but I think it could have been handled better.
As the story continued, I came to like Sep more and thought the actions and emotions of a teen finding out she has a disease that everyone will see, was realistic. It did get a bit graphic in parts, which I don't mind but seemed a bit surprising when it started out so tame. The speech her boyfriend gives at the end of the story was especially powerful.
All in all, an emotional and realistic read.
July 20, 2016
Actual rating - 3.5
A decent read.
A decent read.
February 8, 2017
2017 Reading Challenge: a book about a difficult topic (vitiligo).
This was wholly different than any Napoli books I've read before. I've read almost all of her retold fairy tales and a couple of historical fiction....but this was just a regular contemporary angst filled book about a teen in high school. Weird. The teen girl in question, Sep, starts developing vitiligo, which is where patches on your skin lose their pigment. For a teenage girl, this could feel disasterous. Being an adolescent is bad enough, what with dealing with new found hormones and guys and school....then toss is a condition that can seem disfiguring, yikes.
Other reviewers have complained that the main character sometimes acts selfish, or doesn't always confide in her friends, or says ignorant things about looks/race, or has sex for stupid reasons or in stupid places, or is too concerned with her appearance........which I find to be strange complaints. You know who else sometimes acts selfish, doesn't always confide in their friends, says stupid stuff about looks/race, has sex for stupid reasons and in stupid places, and is too concerned with their appearance? Teenage girls. Good grief. People only want characters that think and act in a mature, enlightened, and likable way, unlike real humans.
Overall, I liked this book. It dealt with some difficult topics and I thought the main character went through a lot of growth. The ending wasn't cookie cutter predictable either.
This was wholly different than any Napoli books I've read before. I've read almost all of her retold fairy tales and a couple of historical fiction....but this was just a regular contemporary angst filled book about a teen in high school. Weird. The teen girl in question, Sep, starts developing vitiligo, which is where patches on your skin lose their pigment. For a teenage girl, this could feel disasterous. Being an adolescent is bad enough, what with dealing with new found hormones and guys and school....then toss is a condition that can seem disfiguring, yikes.
Other reviewers have complained that the main character sometimes acts selfish, or doesn't always confide in her friends, or says ignorant things about looks/race, or has sex for stupid reasons or in stupid places, or is too concerned with her appearance........which I find to be strange complaints. You know who else sometimes acts selfish, doesn't always confide in their friends, says stupid stuff about looks/race, has sex for stupid reasons and in stupid places, and is too concerned with their appearance? Teenage girls. Good grief. People only want characters that think and act in a mature, enlightened, and likable way, unlike real humans.
Overall, I liked this book. It dealt with some difficult topics and I thought the main character went through a lot of growth. The ending wasn't cookie cutter predictable either.
August 7, 2013
I should know better than to read a Donna Jo Napoli ARC. I really should, and now I am kicking myself in the shin with my other foot for requesting it. What possessed me? Because now I am left to write a negative review for a book that sounded interesting but disappointed me as a reader—and I knew it would. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I knew. It goes back to Napoli’s 2006 novel, Bound. I must have read this book when I was nine or ten years old, and Xing Xing’s story only had me half-absorbed. I wasn’t engrossed, but it is a light book that I did enjoy. Fast-forward to a couple of years later, however, and I found myself disappointed upon revisiting the same book. Bound, I discovered, is a book that tells a simple yet unoriginal story that lacks in profoundness. It was no longer this fanciful Cinderella re-telling I had cooked up in my head, and I wished to never pick up another book by Donna Jo Napoli.
But is it fair to base the entirety of an author’s work on one book? A book from seven years ago, no less? It’s safe to assume that Napoli’s craft in storytelling has matured since—that is what I told myself. I’d seen a few bloggers talking excitedly about Napoli’s books, and their excitement did a bad thing: it infected me. I was eager to read Napoli’s books. Me. Little old me—with a sad habit of scrutinizing literature—felt excited, and I ignored that twinkling sensation that said, “Warning: Approach with caution.”
This was bad. But not as bad as the situation Sep finds herself in.
On the first day back to school, high schooler Giuseppina, or simply “Sep,” awakens to white lips. No amount of scrubbing, waiting, and hoping will make the whiteness go away, as Sep soon discovers that vitiligo is taking over. What she does learn, however, is the lengths she will go to hide it. Her condition is nothing a little lipstick and clothing can’t cover, until it begins mapping her skin is places she can’t conceal: the palm of her hand, her neck, her face… Shaken with fear and embarrassment, Sep feels desperate to make her skin’s white patches revert to normal—and angry that they won’t. In Sep’s eyes, vitiligo has won, for once it becomes too wide-spread to mask, it will have doomed to her a loveless, lonely life.
As the saying goes, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. It’s skin-deep. But isn’t it easier to believe this when addressing other people’s flaws and not your own? I’m like Sep: a person who can sympathize and empathize. I’m not a shallow jerk who stares at and makes fun of someone for the way she or he looks, and I certainly don’t think any less of that person. Yet, if I were in Sep’s shoes, I’d feel horrified, angry, terribly unlucky, and self-conscious, because my appearance matters to me. I relate to Sep in this way, yet worrying about her looks and trying to keep vitilgo hidden is the novel, and this is not the story I had hoped to read.
Skin is difficult for me to review, as I am torn between the story I had imagined versus the story Donna Jo Napoli has written. Not only does Sep waste too much time trying to cover up her condition, she spends it rushing to experience love and romance before it’s too late—before vitiligo conquers her body, because no one will want love her then. If she can’t love herself, who else will? The novel, overall, carries a noble message within its pages—that beauty and love go deeper than surface appearances—yet it’s a cliché sitting on top of a weak story. While Napoli’s message is an important one to learn, I don’t buy it. Not here, not for Sep.
But for Sep, it does seem simple.
Through most of the novel, Sep focuses on covering up vitiligo with lipstick, cream, clothing, and lies, and within four chapters I am to believe that she reaches an overnight understanding of what it means to love oneself? Sep stops battling her skin and finds inner-peace in return. No doubt some people in this world, like Sep, quickly discover equanimity—however temporary—or a deeper-than-skin acceptance of who they are. I am not one of those people, and I know that feeling comfortable in my own body is easier said than felt. What I think of Skin doesn’t amount to very much, as the shallow storyline limits its own power and ability to move readers, but I am disappointed. I’m disappointed that it took over 300 pages for Sep to accept herself. I’m disappointed by how suddenly, and so simply, she overcomes this nightmare she fights against for months. I wish Sep came to this realization sooner in the story, as quarreling against the public perception of beauty—and still learning to accept oneself—beats a story about trying (and failing) to blend with the herd.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Children’s Publishing for providing a free copy of Skin in exchange for my honest review. This review and more can be read at midnight coffee monster.
But is it fair to base the entirety of an author’s work on one book? A book from seven years ago, no less? It’s safe to assume that Napoli’s craft in storytelling has matured since—that is what I told myself. I’d seen a few bloggers talking excitedly about Napoli’s books, and their excitement did a bad thing: it infected me. I was eager to read Napoli’s books. Me. Little old me—with a sad habit of scrutinizing literature—felt excited, and I ignored that twinkling sensation that said, “Warning: Approach with caution.”
This was bad. But not as bad as the situation Sep finds herself in.
I’ve been telling myself vitiligo is just a lack of coloring, so no matter how far it goes, it can’t look that bad. But it does. I can’t understand how—but it does. It’s revolting. A little shiver hums inside me, elusive and eerie.
Normally, I would be ashamed of myself for thinking this way, for being such a shallow jerk. In fact, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t think this at all. Normally, I would have empathy. If it weren’t me, I could look and be kind, charitable. But it is me.
On the first day back to school, high schooler Giuseppina, or simply “Sep,” awakens to white lips. No amount of scrubbing, waiting, and hoping will make the whiteness go away, as Sep soon discovers that vitiligo is taking over. What she does learn, however, is the lengths she will go to hide it. Her condition is nothing a little lipstick and clothing can’t cover, until it begins mapping her skin is places she can’t conceal: the palm of her hand, her neck, her face… Shaken with fear and embarrassment, Sep feels desperate to make her skin’s white patches revert to normal—and angry that they won’t. In Sep’s eyes, vitiligo has won, for once it becomes too wide-spread to mask, it will have doomed to her a loveless, lonely life.
As the saying goes, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. It’s skin-deep. But isn’t it easier to believe this when addressing other people’s flaws and not your own? I’m like Sep: a person who can sympathize and empathize. I’m not a shallow jerk who stares at and makes fun of someone for the way she or he looks, and I certainly don’t think any less of that person. Yet, if I were in Sep’s shoes, I’d feel horrified, angry, terribly unlucky, and self-conscious, because my appearance matters to me. I relate to Sep in this way, yet worrying about her looks and trying to keep vitilgo hidden is the novel, and this is not the story I had hoped to read.
Skin is difficult for me to review, as I am torn between the story I had imagined versus the story Donna Jo Napoli has written. Not only does Sep waste too much time trying to cover up her condition, she spends it rushing to experience love and romance before it’s too late—before vitiligo conquers her body, because no one will want love her then. If she can’t love herself, who else will? The novel, overall, carries a noble message within its pages—that beauty and love go deeper than surface appearances—yet it’s a cliché sitting on top of a weak story. While Napoli’s message is an important one to learn, I don’t buy it. Not here, not for Sep.
I can't just look to others to be kind to me. I can't control that. I have to learn how to be kind to myself. To the animal that is me. To this body. This skin. This me.
The rational part of me knows that this is the job ahead.
It sounds so simple.
The world is a giant deception. Hardly anything is simple.
But for Sep, it does seem simple.
Through most of the novel, Sep focuses on covering up vitiligo with lipstick, cream, clothing, and lies, and within four chapters I am to believe that she reaches an overnight understanding of what it means to love oneself? Sep stops battling her skin and finds inner-peace in return. No doubt some people in this world, like Sep, quickly discover equanimity—however temporary—or a deeper-than-skin acceptance of who they are. I am not one of those people, and I know that feeling comfortable in my own body is easier said than felt. What I think of Skin doesn’t amount to very much, as the shallow storyline limits its own power and ability to move readers, but I am disappointed. I’m disappointed that it took over 300 pages for Sep to accept herself. I’m disappointed by how suddenly, and so simply, she overcomes this nightmare she fights against for months. I wish Sep came to this realization sooner in the story, as quarreling against the public perception of beauty—and still learning to accept oneself—beats a story about trying (and failing) to blend with the herd.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Children’s Publishing for providing a free copy of Skin in exchange for my honest review. This review and more can be read at midnight coffee monster.
June 23, 2014
Skin was an interesting novel. I liked the premise and I couldn’t put the book down once I started. In some ways, I felt like Sep’s narration was childish and simple, but I also felt like it was so honest and revealing. Sep woke up one morning and her lips were white. Her normal skin color was tan, so the white was certainly noticeable. She tried to figure out what was going on, but more importantly, she tried to figure out how to hide it.
Let me start by saying that Sep’s problem resonated with me. A lot of reviews talk about how her issues were stupid, the bottom of the barrel problems, not to be compared to “real” diseases, and so on. Those comments outrage me. Skin disorders aren’t to be compared to terminal diseases because they aren’t the same at all, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t problems. Life with a disease that isn’t life threatening is completely different, but that isn’t to say that it doesn’t come with its own set of problems. I didn’t realize you had to be dying in order to have real problems. And Sep is 16. Of course she compared it to something terminal because when you are 16, your problems ARE the end of the world. Teenagers are at the center of their own worlds. But people who don’t grasp what having a skin disorder might be like don’t get it because they don’t have any visible problems. They must have forgotten about how shallow our society is. We know how we are supposed to act, but you guys all know that you stare at strangeness, even if it’s just a physical disorder or problem. Children have no tact and will likely say something. Having a skin problem is like wearing a giant flashing sign on yourself that screams abnormality and it really does take years to accept what you have and move on. If you don’t think skin problems are real problems, then you’ve likely never had someone stare at your strangeness and silently judge you in public and have no idea what that feels like, especially during adolescence, when accepting yourself is one of the hardest things you can do. When you are young, you just want to be normal. It isn’t really until you are an adult that you learn to think normal is overrated.
I have a skin disorder that started when I just a kid. It wasn’t the same as Sep’s, but it resulted in white spots, too. Once I became a teenager, I stopped getting new spots and the ones I had faded into scars. But I still have those scars and they will never go away. I’m fortunate that I have nothing on my face. It’s all concentrated on my legs and a few spots on my arms. It took me literally at least a decade to feel comfortable wearing shorts (as the worst spots are on my thighs). I still feel self conscious in public and I know my spots are not very noticeable. But I know they are there and that I’m not normal. And I still, even as adult, would think that it is the worst thing ever if I had them on my face. I totally understood what Sep was worried about and why she hid behind lipstick and hoped no more noticeable white spots appeared. She was worried about her future, how she would be seen, how bad it would get. The obsessive worrying is so normal for someone with a problem. Think about how often you get weird symptoms and obsessively Google them until you decide you must be dying. We do that.
So, in many ways, I loved Skin. It reminded me of my own obsessive thinking, when we had class field trips to the bay or the beach and I’d wear jeans and everyone would ask me why I was wearing pants when it was so hot. And if I wore shorts, they’d ask me what are all those spots, that’s so weird, what happened?… blah blah blah.. Sep worried about how she would cover her lips, if her lipstick was coming off, if anyone would notice.
Sep was a flawed character. She was selfish and her obsession with her appearance took her over and she wasn’t able to focus on her friends or family. She jumped into a relationship with Joshua immediately, mostly due to her worry that it would never happen again once her disease progressed. A lot of readers seemed to put off by the entire book because it didn’t really contain a good message. Sep was selfish, she was obsessed with her appearance, she jumped rapidly into a sexual relationship, and wasn’t a good friend. But I think I loved it because Sep was so… 16. We are all obsessed with ourselves at the age, trying to fit in, trying to decide what we are ready for. And the book did contain a good message because Sep realized her mistakes, accepted herself, and grew from her relationship with Joshua.
Sep was a mess, but I loved her story. I enjoyed Skin. As a book about problems, it didn’t really contain the best acceptance and solutions to them, as most readers probably expected. As a book about adolescence, it was more chaotic and real than wholesome. I don’t know who I’d recommend to read it because most adults probably thought Sep was unrealistic and selfish (because they forget that teens ARE selfish and do notice when people who NEVER wear makeup suddenly wear makeup!) and most adults probably won’t want their teens to read a book that is so flippant about sex, (although the characters did use protection). I am not the kind of reader who minds either of those things and I kind of love that the characters had sex and it wasn’t some cautionary tale. Sex is sometimes a part of growing up for many people and I don’t think all YA should be virginal about it or that every sexual encounter needs a lesson attached. Some people have sex and it doesn’t hurt or help them in the long run and that’s okay.
I wish I would have read Skin when I was 15 or 16 and refused to wear shorts. It might have helped.
Let me start by saying that Sep’s problem resonated with me. A lot of reviews talk about how her issues were stupid, the bottom of the barrel problems, not to be compared to “real” diseases, and so on. Those comments outrage me. Skin disorders aren’t to be compared to terminal diseases because they aren’t the same at all, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t problems. Life with a disease that isn’t life threatening is completely different, but that isn’t to say that it doesn’t come with its own set of problems. I didn’t realize you had to be dying in order to have real problems. And Sep is 16. Of course she compared it to something terminal because when you are 16, your problems ARE the end of the world. Teenagers are at the center of their own worlds. But people who don’t grasp what having a skin disorder might be like don’t get it because they don’t have any visible problems. They must have forgotten about how shallow our society is. We know how we are supposed to act, but you guys all know that you stare at strangeness, even if it’s just a physical disorder or problem. Children have no tact and will likely say something. Having a skin problem is like wearing a giant flashing sign on yourself that screams abnormality and it really does take years to accept what you have and move on. If you don’t think skin problems are real problems, then you’ve likely never had someone stare at your strangeness and silently judge you in public and have no idea what that feels like, especially during adolescence, when accepting yourself is one of the hardest things you can do. When you are young, you just want to be normal. It isn’t really until you are an adult that you learn to think normal is overrated.
I have a skin disorder that started when I just a kid. It wasn’t the same as Sep’s, but it resulted in white spots, too. Once I became a teenager, I stopped getting new spots and the ones I had faded into scars. But I still have those scars and they will never go away. I’m fortunate that I have nothing on my face. It’s all concentrated on my legs and a few spots on my arms. It took me literally at least a decade to feel comfortable wearing shorts (as the worst spots are on my thighs). I still feel self conscious in public and I know my spots are not very noticeable. But I know they are there and that I’m not normal. And I still, even as adult, would think that it is the worst thing ever if I had them on my face. I totally understood what Sep was worried about and why she hid behind lipstick and hoped no more noticeable white spots appeared. She was worried about her future, how she would be seen, how bad it would get. The obsessive worrying is so normal for someone with a problem. Think about how often you get weird symptoms and obsessively Google them until you decide you must be dying. We do that.
So, in many ways, I loved Skin. It reminded me of my own obsessive thinking, when we had class field trips to the bay or the beach and I’d wear jeans and everyone would ask me why I was wearing pants when it was so hot. And if I wore shorts, they’d ask me what are all those spots, that’s so weird, what happened?… blah blah blah.. Sep worried about how she would cover her lips, if her lipstick was coming off, if anyone would notice.
Sep was a flawed character. She was selfish and her obsession with her appearance took her over and she wasn’t able to focus on her friends or family. She jumped into a relationship with Joshua immediately, mostly due to her worry that it would never happen again once her disease progressed. A lot of readers seemed to put off by the entire book because it didn’t really contain a good message. Sep was selfish, she was obsessed with her appearance, she jumped rapidly into a sexual relationship, and wasn’t a good friend. But I think I loved it because Sep was so… 16. We are all obsessed with ourselves at the age, trying to fit in, trying to decide what we are ready for. And the book did contain a good message because Sep realized her mistakes, accepted herself, and grew from her relationship with Joshua.
Sep was a mess, but I loved her story. I enjoyed Skin. As a book about problems, it didn’t really contain the best acceptance and solutions to them, as most readers probably expected. As a book about adolescence, it was more chaotic and real than wholesome. I don’t know who I’d recommend to read it because most adults probably thought Sep was unrealistic and selfish (because they forget that teens ARE selfish and do notice when people who NEVER wear makeup suddenly wear makeup!) and most adults probably won’t want their teens to read a book that is so flippant about sex, (although the characters did use protection). I am not the kind of reader who minds either of those things and I kind of love that the characters had sex and it wasn’t some cautionary tale. Sex is sometimes a part of growing up for many people and I don’t think all YA should be virginal about it or that every sexual encounter needs a lesson attached. Some people have sex and it doesn’t hurt or help them in the long run and that’s okay.
I wish I would have read Skin when I was 15 or 16 and refused to wear shorts. It might have helped.
October 25, 2021
A beautiful and very memorable story of a teen girl who one day wakes up to find that her lips, and then more spots on her body, have turned white. She has vitiligo, and she just has to learn to live with her new skin condition, among everything else going on in her life.
Check out my full review here!
https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpr...
Check out my full review here!
https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpr...
June 17, 2017
I was expecting another retelling of a faerie tale. If that's what you're wanting, don't go for this book. If you're not expecting a faerie tale, this book is great! The main character's struggles are real. This is a much more adult novel than many of her pieces, and that made me somewhat uncomfortable.
December 17, 2018
If you like Napoli, you will likely like this one. However, she leaves her comfort zone and goes with a contemporary storyline. And it's more explicit. I guess I'm too old to be invested in this teen's problem for this to be a great read.
January 7, 2020
I really liked this book
I loved this book so much. I loved how the main character acts like a teenager. I liked how even though she fell in love she still was a afraid to be loved.
I loved this book so much. I loved how the main character acts like a teenager. I liked how even though she fell in love she still was a afraid to be loved.
January 16, 2020
"People battle time in a thousand ways. Women turning forty rush to get pregnant before they dry up forever. New parents take nine hundred photos of each stage of their baby's life before it's gone for eternity.
I rushed. And I made it in time."
I rushed. And I made it in time."
September 16, 2017
I loved this book. It reminded me a bit of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. It was funny and moving and just beautiful.
April 15, 2020
DIDN'T READ
November 25, 2013
WHY I WANTED TO READ SKIN BY DONNA JO NAPOLI: I wanted to read something out of my comfort zone and Skin, by Donna Jo Napoli, was definitely not my normal go to book. Considered a realistic YA contemporary, I was intrigued by the books description, and how unlike it was from the normal young adult fiction that I'm use to reading. The books I'm familiar with by Donna Jo Napoli, usually revolve around the exploration of a fairy tale, and this was a true exit from that style. I was curious to see what Skin was really all about.
SETTING AND SUMMARY: The story of Skin revolves around sixteen-year-old Sep and two coinciding events that will dramatically change her life forever. One morning Sept wakes up before high school to realize her lips have turned completely white. In turn, she tries to hide them with lipstick, something she has never worn before and causes her unwanted attention. Just as unexpectedly, Sep gains the attention of Joshua, the school’s popular football captain, and her former childhood friend. Soon Sep learns she has Vitiligo, a skin disorder that will turn patches of her skin, now olive, white. As Sept’s Vitiligo rapidly advances, so does her relationship with Joshua, but soon she is filled with inner turmoil as it becomes increasingly more difficult for her to hide her condition from him. As Sept becomes desperate to hide her changing skin from Joshua, she makes a decision that will change her forever. In fear of losing Joshua, she decides to become intimate with him. Sep soon realizes she can longer hide her secret from Joshua, and others. What follows is a personal journey of a young teen who makes a lot of mistakes on the way to learning how to be true to herself. That in order to be loved, you must first love yourself.
MY THOUGHT AFTER READING THIS BOOK: How in the world am I going to convey the ups and downs this story put me through. The amazing depth of "feels" this book brought for me, and my conflicting emotions about the some of the subject matter in Skin. Why I felt some moments were brilliant and others not so hot.
CHARACTERS: As a character Sep took me on a emotional roller coaster of a ride. There were moments of pure idioticalness and then compelling moments of wonder and brilliance. The range of conflicting emotions was easy to feel through Sep, and ones I will not easily forget soon.
Sep’s family and friends also played an important role in the story skin, and for me I was able to easily identify with her mother.
I’m conflicted about Joshua. There were moments in the beginning of Skin that I really liked him, especially when Sep and Joshua were first getting to know one another. Later, I was disappointed in his character when he agreed to let the relationship progress so far so fast. In the end, I felt sorry for him, as he was kept in the dark so long about Sep’s condition. She literally took his choice away from him, assuming he would just let her go. I completely understood his anger and disappointment with Sep.
THE ROMANCE: There is definitely a romance between Joshua and Sep.
SWOON LEVEL: Amore. Although rated Young Adult, Skin contains sexual content and mature themes.
WHAT I LIKED: Donna Jo Napoli did a amazing job of getting me to “feel” connected not just to Sept, but her family as well, especially her mother. The turmoil Sep was going through in the story was evident throughout. I felt right along with Sep the emotional high she has when she gains the attention of the school’s football captain, and the emotional lows as she discovers she has Vitiligo, and it is rapidly spreading. My heart just about broke when I was reading a scene where the mother and Sep visit the doctors for the first time and discover she has Vitiligo. I felt for her when she made mistakes, and in the end, I admired her bravery. So I applaud the author’s ability to not only convey these emotions, but to carry me along Sep’s roller coaster of a journey.
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: Unfortunately, I was not happy how the situation was handled regarding Sep's physical relationship with Joshua took form in the book. I totally “get” where Sep’s character was coming from, but I would have liked it handled with more finesse. It was pretty blatant, and too explicit in my opinion for a YA book. It almost seemed like it was for shock value, and for me it took away some of the depth and beauty of the story.
THE ENDING: Skin was a hard book for me to review. I had so many highs and lows with this book, that it was hard for me to rate it. Part of my mind set was YA, and although I enjoyed the actual story, it's mature content threw me off.
MY RATING: 3 stars. I liked it.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Although it is considered a realistic YA contemporary, I feel it would be more appropriate for a older reading age due to some of it’s mature content.
PLEASE NOTE: This was an ARC I received from NetGalley and the publisher.
SETTING AND SUMMARY: The story of Skin revolves around sixteen-year-old Sep and two coinciding events that will dramatically change her life forever. One morning Sept wakes up before high school to realize her lips have turned completely white. In turn, she tries to hide them with lipstick, something she has never worn before and causes her unwanted attention. Just as unexpectedly, Sep gains the attention of Joshua, the school’s popular football captain, and her former childhood friend. Soon Sep learns she has Vitiligo, a skin disorder that will turn patches of her skin, now olive, white. As Sept’s Vitiligo rapidly advances, so does her relationship with Joshua, but soon she is filled with inner turmoil as it becomes increasingly more difficult for her to hide her condition from him. As Sept becomes desperate to hide her changing skin from Joshua, she makes a decision that will change her forever. In fear of losing Joshua, she decides to become intimate with him. Sep soon realizes she can longer hide her secret from Joshua, and others. What follows is a personal journey of a young teen who makes a lot of mistakes on the way to learning how to be true to herself. That in order to be loved, you must first love yourself.
MY THOUGHT AFTER READING THIS BOOK: How in the world am I going to convey the ups and downs this story put me through. The amazing depth of "feels" this book brought for me, and my conflicting emotions about the some of the subject matter in Skin. Why I felt some moments were brilliant and others not so hot.
CHARACTERS: As a character Sep took me on a emotional roller coaster of a ride. There were moments of pure idioticalness and then compelling moments of wonder and brilliance. The range of conflicting emotions was easy to feel through Sep, and ones I will not easily forget soon.
Sep’s family and friends also played an important role in the story skin, and for me I was able to easily identify with her mother.
I’m conflicted about Joshua. There were moments in the beginning of Skin that I really liked him, especially when Sep and Joshua were first getting to know one another. Later, I was disappointed in his character when he agreed to let the relationship progress so far so fast. In the end, I felt sorry for him, as he was kept in the dark so long about Sep’s condition. She literally took his choice away from him, assuming he would just let her go. I completely understood his anger and disappointment with Sep.
THE ROMANCE: There is definitely a romance between Joshua and Sep.
SWOON LEVEL: Amore. Although rated Young Adult, Skin contains sexual content and mature themes.
WHAT I LIKED: Donna Jo Napoli did a amazing job of getting me to “feel” connected not just to Sept, but her family as well, especially her mother. The turmoil Sep was going through in the story was evident throughout. I felt right along with Sep the emotional high she has when she gains the attention of the school’s football captain, and the emotional lows as she discovers she has Vitiligo, and it is rapidly spreading. My heart just about broke when I was reading a scene where the mother and Sep visit the doctors for the first time and discover she has Vitiligo. I felt for her when she made mistakes, and in the end, I admired her bravery. So I applaud the author’s ability to not only convey these emotions, but to carry me along Sep’s roller coaster of a journey.
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: Unfortunately, I was not happy how the situation was handled regarding Sep's physical relationship with Joshua took form in the book. I totally “get” where Sep’s character was coming from, but I would have liked it handled with more finesse. It was pretty blatant, and too explicit in my opinion for a YA book. It almost seemed like it was for shock value, and for me it took away some of the depth and beauty of the story.
THE ENDING: Skin was a hard book for me to review. I had so many highs and lows with this book, that it was hard for me to rate it. Part of my mind set was YA, and although I enjoyed the actual story, it's mature content threw me off.
MY RATING: 3 stars. I liked it.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Although it is considered a realistic YA contemporary, I feel it would be more appropriate for a older reading age due to some of it’s mature content.
PLEASE NOTE: This was an ARC I received from NetGalley and the publisher.
September 29, 2013
Arc Received Via NetGalley
Rev Title Thinking Pink
When I first encountered the premise of Skin, I must admit that I had supernatural expectations. Because of the genres I frequent, I thought that the disease would be demonic in origin, or that the white lips would signify the beginning of powers, brought on by the onset of puberty or something. Although I am immensely glad that I was wrong on all counts, I still find myself conflicted on Skin as a whole. It was good, but it left me empty inside, as opposed to empowered as the author likely intended. Allow me to elaborate.
To begin on a positive note, I loved the writing. Donna Jo Napoli did a great job expressing teenage confusion and angst. I felt that she portrayed Sep's fears of waking up with white lips on the first day of school rather well, and that her words allowed the reader to empathize with Sep on many levels. A lot of the feelings she wrote, from the rage, worry, to the self-imposed seclusion were believable and relatable. I am a fan of scientific and or literary comparisons to moan about life's unfortunate circumstances, and I thoroughly enjoyed Sep comparing herself to a swift to express the unfairness of life. "Swifts eat and mate and sleep in the air." "Life on the wing." It sounds hard. And dangerous. If you're asleep, you could fly right into a cat or an owl, mouths open wide. You could fly into the trunk of a tree and brain yourself and fall dead on the ground. And with all the windmills that are going up now, ugh, you could be sliced to smithereens". "If I were a swift, I'd probably become an insomniac." "Life shouldn't be like that. Everyone should have a chance to act smart and avoid dangers--so then if you don't, well; it's your own fault. "But maybe that's the point. Maybe Mr. Dupris is telling us life is like that--it isn't a matter of should or shouldn't. We can't count on fair. Some of us wind up with white lips, after all." There's something about that pity-party statement that touched me.
The side characters were also well written. Owen and Devon were great best friends, which is why it sort of flummoxed me that Sep wouldn't confide in both of them about her condition. The author picked Devon to be the confidant, but I felt that Owen would have been a better choice. Miss Martin and the dance club girls were also well done. I gathered that the author enjoys both yoga and dance, as the scenes involving both activities were detailed and written in such a manner that one can almost imagine performing the routines and doing the poses.
Despite its smart heroine, and amazing side characters, something about Sep still fell short with me. I don't think I really liked her. I admired her thought processes sure, but I felt that she was self-absorbed and a little too quick to spread her legs. I get that she wanted to do the deed, before the patches of white enveloped her whole body, but I don't think that rushed sex should be written in young adult books. Are we not supposed to be teaching our teens better? I enjoyed Slinky a lot more than Sep, and it's sad because Slinky was just the girl at the cosmetic counter, and a single teenage mother. I suppose that I appreciated her sage wisdom more...Four-year old Sarah was also darling. Such a bundle of cuteness to lighten a woeful tale.
Am I glad I read Skin, absolutely. Still, it made me deeply sad because there was literally no hope to be found in the book. Not only did it end unhappily, but I felt that Sep unnecessarily ruined a perfectly good thing due to what she saw as insurmountable imperfections. It happens to a lot of people really, we make life altering mistakes because we imagine the worse, but I guess I didn't expect an unhappy ending? Maybe Sep not getting a second chance was used to teach us all about unwisely jumping to conclusions, and to think things through instead of reacting in the moment? And though Sep does eventually come to terms with her disease, and stops applying makeup to cover up, I have to say that something about it all just fell flat. It's that ending...It felt like a forced lesson or something. Sep messed up and she's left alone? Where's the justice in that? Aren't we supposed to be "thinking pink?"
July 31, 2013
***May Contain Spoilers***
Thank you Amazon Children’s Publishing ARC for my advanced Copy to review
I am reviewing Skin by Donna Jo Napoli the publisher Amazon Children’s Publishing advanced me a copy for my honest review.
This book is about sixteen year old Giuseppina, her friends call her Sep, who wakes up one morning with white lips. Sep nor her family or Dr know what’s causing this at first. Sep is a very smart and realistic teenager, but even though she is dealing with some hard issues in her life that very emotional, she still finds and brings humor and sarcasm out of the situation.
Sep is starting her junior year in high school so having white lips will not go over well if she went to school like that. Though she is still worried about what is causing this, she must move forward. She decides to hide the strange discoloring with lipstick and goes to school, hoping her natural color will return the following day. She soon discovered that it’s not going away, going to the doctor running tests they come to the conclusion she has Vitiligo. Vitiligo is a skin condition which causes a loss of pigmentation in patches of skin over the body. It's harmless to her health, but here is no cure for it. The doctor tells her it will inevitably spread over her body, and she won't be able to hide it with lipstick forever. Her doctor does tell her that it will most likely spread throughout her body and will most likely not be able to hide it. Sep so far struggles to come to terms with this change, I can only imagine what she feels high school is such a hard stage in life where it’s like competition of looking good, dressing up to date and having a hot boyfriend. Sep has a very realistic relationship with her family and best friends. She tries to hide that there is anything wrong with her from everyone except her family at first, and that causes problems with her and her best friend.
During this battle in life she has with vitiligo her old friend Joshua Winer from middle school stars noticing her and talking to again. While reading this part about Sep and Josh I felt that she was rushing to do everything she could with this boy before what she is trying so hard to hide comes to light. I understood why she did them she wanted Josh to see her as her before and not judge her about what was happening to her, but she never took into consideration Josh and that he might help her and go thru this with her. I know saying “I Love you” to someone at that age comes easy because at that age we do not know what it means in reality. I felt sorry for her in the end when he brought her the Christmas present and she told him how she felt and did not get the response she wanted. Sep wanting to “save him” may have not been the best idea.
Sep learns to deal with her white patches that are reproducing all over her body. She finds ways to deal with it like dancing in the Jazz Club she enjoys the yoga tips she gets from her teacher it teachers her to love her body and be proud of it. She finds Slinky the women in the drug store where she bought her lipstick she mentors her and listens to her. Her mom taking the time to take her to library and do research and accompanying her to the doctor’s appointments.
This book brought new light to me in the whole area of Vitiligo. I had heard about it but reading this book let me see a different side of it especially since Sep was a teenager struggling with this. Again I mention that this age teenagers can be very cruel when it comes to not have a normal body, nose, mouth, hair, weight, height and skin. I am glad the author choose not to have the “normal” happy ending in a book it showed the struggles of a person. Sep was dealing with life and adapting to not having to hide it anymore, I was very happy with that.
Thank you Amazon Children’s Publishing ARC for my advanced Copy to review
I am reviewing Skin by Donna Jo Napoli the publisher Amazon Children’s Publishing advanced me a copy for my honest review.
This book is about sixteen year old Giuseppina, her friends call her Sep, who wakes up one morning with white lips. Sep nor her family or Dr know what’s causing this at first. Sep is a very smart and realistic teenager, but even though she is dealing with some hard issues in her life that very emotional, she still finds and brings humor and sarcasm out of the situation.
Sep is starting her junior year in high school so having white lips will not go over well if she went to school like that. Though she is still worried about what is causing this, she must move forward. She decides to hide the strange discoloring with lipstick and goes to school, hoping her natural color will return the following day. She soon discovered that it’s not going away, going to the doctor running tests they come to the conclusion she has Vitiligo. Vitiligo is a skin condition which causes a loss of pigmentation in patches of skin over the body. It's harmless to her health, but here is no cure for it. The doctor tells her it will inevitably spread over her body, and she won't be able to hide it with lipstick forever. Her doctor does tell her that it will most likely spread throughout her body and will most likely not be able to hide it. Sep so far struggles to come to terms with this change, I can only imagine what she feels high school is such a hard stage in life where it’s like competition of looking good, dressing up to date and having a hot boyfriend. Sep has a very realistic relationship with her family and best friends. She tries to hide that there is anything wrong with her from everyone except her family at first, and that causes problems with her and her best friend.
During this battle in life she has with vitiligo her old friend Joshua Winer from middle school stars noticing her and talking to again. While reading this part about Sep and Josh I felt that she was rushing to do everything she could with this boy before what she is trying so hard to hide comes to light. I understood why she did them she wanted Josh to see her as her before and not judge her about what was happening to her, but she never took into consideration Josh and that he might help her and go thru this with her. I know saying “I Love you” to someone at that age comes easy because at that age we do not know what it means in reality. I felt sorry for her in the end when he brought her the Christmas present and she told him how she felt and did not get the response she wanted. Sep wanting to “save him” may have not been the best idea.
Sep learns to deal with her white patches that are reproducing all over her body. She finds ways to deal with it like dancing in the Jazz Club she enjoys the yoga tips she gets from her teacher it teachers her to love her body and be proud of it. She finds Slinky the women in the drug store where she bought her lipstick she mentors her and listens to her. Her mom taking the time to take her to library and do research and accompanying her to the doctor’s appointments.
This book brought new light to me in the whole area of Vitiligo. I had heard about it but reading this book let me see a different side of it especially since Sep was a teenager struggling with this. Again I mention that this age teenagers can be very cruel when it comes to not have a normal body, nose, mouth, hair, weight, height and skin. I am glad the author choose not to have the “normal” happy ending in a book it showed the struggles of a person. Sep was dealing with life and adapting to not having to hide it anymore, I was very happy with that.
September 3, 2016
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Diversity Ratings: | POC Chars - 0+ | Queer Chars - 1 |
Skin is one of those books that is difficult to like, but is telling an important story. It’s about vitiligo - a rare skin condition where miscolored blotches appear over all over your body. The protagonist’s personality is hard to pin down because she’s young, (she acts even younger than her numerical age, in my opinion) and she is trying on personalities throughout the novel, trying to understand herself by sort of casting in the dark for something that fits. For a few chapters she takes on swearing aggressively before deciding that isn’t her. She contemplates getting a tattoo, experiments with religious ideas… it’s all very natural and normal, but it’s not all that interesting to read about.
Much of the book is actually very boring. In the early chapters we follow the protagonist to school. Most authors skip the actual lessons and schoolwork and focus on relationships. This book, however, describes all of it. It’s tedious. In another chapter she gives her entire medical history to a doctor - again, not necessary. It’s all very mundane, routine stuff that almost fills like filler. The core heart of the story only peeks in every now and then, with much of the book describing stuff that doesn’t really matter. The protagonist has a habit of reciting entire school lessons at us, telling us facts about animals and other things. I can see how that’s essential to her sort of geeky character, but I really don’t need to know most of this, and would rather read about her interacting with her friends and family.
The protagonist is difficult to like, and her decisions (while fitting to her character) were frustrating and hard for me to sympathize with. I can appreciate that her struggle with her physical appearance was difficult, but she acts like she’s going to die and every single person she knows will suddenly leave her. She doesn’t act rationally about anything, or show any faith in her friends, family, or boyfriend. It feels a little overdamatic, almost like an excuse to put off having those confrontations. So instead of dealing with the pressing issues (both to the protagonist and the reader), we get long descriptions of dance class and hearing the other students gripe about the instructor, or about how she and her dad are watching a fox that lives in the backyard.
The story at the heart of this - the struggle with her skin condition - is great and very powerful. I’m glad this story exists for people struggling with similar issues. This book also had one of the best sex scenes/discussions of sex/portrayal of a normal teenage sexual relationship that I have ever seen. I just wish that a lot of the superfluous stuff had been removed, and that the writing of the story had been done in a much more interesting way.
Diversity Ratings: | POC Chars - 0+ | Queer Chars - 1 |
Skin is one of those books that is difficult to like, but is telling an important story. It’s about vitiligo - a rare skin condition where miscolored blotches appear over all over your body. The protagonist’s personality is hard to pin down because she’s young, (she acts even younger than her numerical age, in my opinion) and she is trying on personalities throughout the novel, trying to understand herself by sort of casting in the dark for something that fits. For a few chapters she takes on swearing aggressively before deciding that isn’t her. She contemplates getting a tattoo, experiments with religious ideas… it’s all very natural and normal, but it’s not all that interesting to read about.
"I can’t just look to others to be kind to me. I can’t control that. I have to learn how to be kind to myself. To the animal that is me. To this body. This skin. This me."
Much of the book is actually very boring. In the early chapters we follow the protagonist to school. Most authors skip the actual lessons and schoolwork and focus on relationships. This book, however, describes all of it. It’s tedious. In another chapter she gives her entire medical history to a doctor - again, not necessary. It’s all very mundane, routine stuff that almost fills like filler. The core heart of the story only peeks in every now and then, with much of the book describing stuff that doesn’t really matter. The protagonist has a habit of reciting entire school lessons at us, telling us facts about animals and other things. I can see how that’s essential to her sort of geeky character, but I really don’t need to know most of this, and would rather read about her interacting with her friends and family.
"I don’t want to know other people with vitiligo. Not until I’m strong enough to be able to help someone else, and not so weak I could be dragged down by someone else."
The protagonist is difficult to like, and her decisions (while fitting to her character) were frustrating and hard for me to sympathize with. I can appreciate that her struggle with her physical appearance was difficult, but she acts like she’s going to die and every single person she knows will suddenly leave her. She doesn’t act rationally about anything, or show any faith in her friends, family, or boyfriend. It feels a little overdamatic, almost like an excuse to put off having those confrontations. So instead of dealing with the pressing issues (both to the protagonist and the reader), we get long descriptions of dance class and hearing the other students gripe about the instructor, or about how she and her dad are watching a fox that lives in the backyard.
"I’m not normal. So what? This is my life. It’s taking a shape I never would have planned - but it’s mine. It’s all I have."
The story at the heart of this - the struggle with her skin condition - is great and very powerful. I’m glad this story exists for people struggling with similar issues. This book also had one of the best sex scenes/discussions of sex/portrayal of a normal teenage sexual relationship that I have ever seen. I just wish that a lot of the superfluous stuff had been removed, and that the writing of the story had been done in a much more interesting way.
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