What do you think?
Rate this book
(S)Kin
From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Ibi Zoboi comes her groundbreaking contemporary fantasy debut—a novel in verse based on Caribbean folklore—about the power of inherited magic and the price we must pay to live the life we yearn for.
Fifteen-year-old Marisol is the daughter of a soucouyant. Every new moon, she sheds her skin like the many women before her, shifting into a fireball witch who must fly into the night and slowly sip from the lives of others to sustain her own. But Brooklyn is no place for fireball witches with all its bright lights, shut windows, and bolt-locked doors.… While Marisol hoped they would leave their old traditions behind when they emigrated from the islands, she knows this will never happen while she remains ensnared by the one person who keeps her chained to her magical past—her mother.
Seventeen-year-old Genevieve is the daughter of a college professor and a newly minted older half sister of twins. Her worsening skin condition and the babies’ constant wailing keep her up at night, when she stares at the dark sky with a deep longing to inhale it all. She hopes to quench the hunger that gnaws at her, one that seems to reach for some memory of her estranged mother. When a new nanny arrives to help with the twins, a family secret connecting her to Marisol is revealed, and Gen begins to find answers to questions she hasn’t even thought to ask.
But the girls soon discover that the very skin keeping their flames locked beneath the surface may be more explosive to the relationships around them than any ancient magic.
Fifteen-year-old Marisol is the daughter of a soucouyant. Every new moon, she sheds her skin like the many women before her, shifting into a fireball witch who must fly into the night and slowly sip from the lives of others to sustain her own. But Brooklyn is no place for fireball witches with all its bright lights, shut windows, and bolt-locked doors.… While Marisol hoped they would leave their old traditions behind when they emigrated from the islands, she knows this will never happen while she remains ensnared by the one person who keeps her chained to her magical past—her mother.
Seventeen-year-old Genevieve is the daughter of a college professor and a newly minted older half sister of twins. Her worsening skin condition and the babies’ constant wailing keep her up at night, when she stares at the dark sky with a deep longing to inhale it all. She hopes to quench the hunger that gnaws at her, one that seems to reach for some memory of her estranged mother. When a new nanny arrives to help with the twins, a family secret connecting her to Marisol is revealed, and Gen begins to find answers to questions she hasn’t even thought to ask.
But the girls soon discover that the very skin keeping their flames locked beneath the surface may be more explosive to the relationships around them than any ancient magic.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published February 11, 2025
66 people are currently reading
9557 people want to read
About the author
Ibi Zoboi
28 books2,524 followersIbi Zoboi's debut novel American Street was a National Book Award finalist. She is also the New York Times Bestselling author of Pride, My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich, and Punching the Air with co-author and Exonerated Five member, Yusef Salaam. She is the editor of the anthology Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America. Born in Haiti and raised in New York City, she now lives in New Jersey with her husband and their three children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
November 20, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up
(S)Kin is a contemporary YA fantasy novel in verse based on Caribbean folklore and its excellent. Drawing on the myth of the soucouyant - women who shed their skins and consume souls - it weaves together the stories of two young women living in Brooklyn.
One is an undocumented immigrant living with her kind of controlling mother. The other a mixed-race dancer living with her white father, his wife, and their new babies. It's a story about heritage, cultural appropriation, messy family relationships, and coming of age. Because it's written in verse it's very quick and easy to read with a lovely rhythm to the story. It deals with colorism and pushes back on ideas that darker skin is ugly or any less beautiful. And of course, because it is a story that centers women, it's tackling misogyny and misognoir, and the subtle ways that impacts peoples lives. It's a book with layers and I definitely recommend it. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
(S)Kin is a contemporary YA fantasy novel in verse based on Caribbean folklore and its excellent. Drawing on the myth of the soucouyant - women who shed their skins and consume souls - it weaves together the stories of two young women living in Brooklyn.
One is an undocumented immigrant living with her kind of controlling mother. The other a mixed-race dancer living with her white father, his wife, and their new babies. It's a story about heritage, cultural appropriation, messy family relationships, and coming of age. Because it's written in verse it's very quick and easy to read with a lovely rhythm to the story. It deals with colorism and pushes back on ideas that darker skin is ugly or any less beautiful. And of course, because it is a story that centers women, it's tackling misogyny and misognoir, and the subtle ways that impacts peoples lives. It's a book with layers and I definitely recommend it. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
February 26, 2025
4.5 stars.
Ibi Zoboi's books have been on my TBR since forever, but this verse novel was the first one I've read from her. I wasn't sure what to expect, and I was slightly skeptical that a verse novel could convey everything important that this book wanted to touch on, but I was very surprised that I ended up liking this!
I devoured this in one day because it was a quick and compelling read. There's a ton of teen angst (naturally), dealing with identity issues as a teen and young woman (Marisol is a soucouyant, while Genevieve is mixed race), colorism within the Caribbean diasporic community, living with a debilitating skin condition, being a new immigrant in the US, and family drama that's worthy of a soap opera.
Oh, and the body horror? Perfection. There was enough to whet a lite horror lover's appetite, while also keeping it YA.
While I'm not usually a fan of family dramas, it was hard to say no to drama involving an academic/father being highly unethical. Because of this, Genevieve and her stepfamily, and Marisol and her mother, all have to deal with the fallout. The author wove this in so well with Genevieve and Marisol's (literal) growing pains that it all felt real, like I was either watching a TV show/movie, or listening attentively to a friend's family problems while they gave me the whole rundown. 🐸☕
This was such a great YA read that hit all the right notes for me. I hope to read more of Ibi Zoboi's work soon!
Thank you to Versify and NetGalley for this arc.
Ibi Zoboi's books have been on my TBR since forever, but this verse novel was the first one I've read from her. I wasn't sure what to expect, and I was slightly skeptical that a verse novel could convey everything important that this book wanted to touch on, but I was very surprised that I ended up liking this!
I devoured this in one day because it was a quick and compelling read. There's a ton of teen angst (naturally), dealing with identity issues as a teen and young woman (Marisol is a soucouyant, while Genevieve is mixed race), colorism within the Caribbean diasporic community, living with a debilitating skin condition, being a new immigrant in the US, and family drama that's worthy of a soap opera.
Oh, and the body horror? Perfection. There was enough to whet a lite horror lover's appetite, while also keeping it YA.
While I'm not usually a fan of family dramas, it was hard to say no to drama involving an academic/father being highly unethical. Because of this, Genevieve and her stepfamily, and Marisol and her mother, all have to deal with the fallout. The author wove this in so well with Genevieve and Marisol's (literal) growing pains that it all felt real, like I was either watching a TV show/movie, or listening attentively to a friend's family problems while they gave me the whole rundown. 🐸☕
This was such a great YA read that hit all the right notes for me. I hope to read more of Ibi Zoboi's work soon!
Thank you to Versify and NetGalley for this arc.
February 15, 2025
This got under my skin and delivered a gut punch impact.
This is a contemporary fantasy based on Caribbean folklore story of two girls feeling out of place in their skin.
Marisol is a skin-shedding witch who turns into a fireball at night to find her victims and sip from their life force. She and her mother have moved from the islands to New York.
Genevieve is the daughter of two white parents, her mother a mystery. She struggles with a skin condition and her longing for a culture her parents cannot understand.
"That's how myth is born," he'd said.
"The stories we tell ourselves can be just as powerful as the truth."
This is written in verse which I was not expecting, but I loved it! The formatting, the pacing, the lyrical style just added so much more to this story.
I could picture everything despite the necessary sparser details.
On the islands, they are monsters. In New York, they are refugees, migrants, undocumented, illegal.
They are monsters born, not made.
"Here, you must learn to shed another layer of skin.
The skin that is given to you by them:
Black, girl, poor, and immigrant-
Wear the skin that is given to you by your foremothers: powerful, cosmic, and incomprehensible."
This was powerful, important, poignant.
Physical arc gifted by Harper Collins YA! And look at that gorgeous cover!
Bookstagram
This is a contemporary fantasy based on Caribbean folklore story of two girls feeling out of place in their skin.
Marisol is a skin-shedding witch who turns into a fireball at night to find her victims and sip from their life force. She and her mother have moved from the islands to New York.
Genevieve is the daughter of two white parents, her mother a mystery. She struggles with a skin condition and her longing for a culture her parents cannot understand.
"That's how myth is born," he'd said.
"The stories we tell ourselves can be just as powerful as the truth."
This is written in verse which I was not expecting, but I loved it! The formatting, the pacing, the lyrical style just added so much more to this story.
I could picture everything despite the necessary sparser details.
On the islands, they are monsters. In New York, they are refugees, migrants, undocumented, illegal.
They are monsters born, not made.
"Here, you must learn to shed another layer of skin.
The skin that is given to you by them:
Black, girl, poor, and immigrant-
Wear the skin that is given to you by your foremothers: powerful, cosmic, and incomprehensible."
This was powerful, important, poignant.
Physical arc gifted by Harper Collins YA! And look at that gorgeous cover!
Bookstagram
December 30, 2025
Stylistically this book was fantastic, but I wish it was longer and that there was a little bit more meat to the plot (it's a novel in verse so 400 pages felt more like 200). I liked the prose so I had a great time anyways.
March 14, 2025
Initial reaction:I'll have to get back to y'all on a rating for this book, but it was terrible. Ohhh, rant review incoming. The colorism, petty hate/motivations, haphazard representation of lore. Whew.
Also think it being in verse didn't help it. The cadence was uneven and didn't help it for flow. If I had to give one from my gut: 1.5 stars. And mostly because of Jaden. But even how the author represents Jab in here was...a choice.
Full review:
I feel like we need to sit down and have a conversation because I don't know how so many people didn't find Ibi Zoboi's "(S)Kin" to be a hot toxic, inaccurate mess and a half. What in the world? Like it's so honestly deliberately offensive in how bad this book was.
Let me backtrack a little bit. I think it would be easy to say that this book had me incandescent (no puns intended) with rage at the utterly disgusting colorism and inaccurate lore portrayed in the story of these two girls. I'm not upset in the way that one would think about this book. It's more I'm in a state of shock like "Did the author really pull all of this in a story and think no one would notice how NOT COOL this is? Are we being punked? Like, what's going on?" (From the high ratings this book has as of the time I'm writing this review on Goodreads, people did not pick up on how gross and offensive this was. I'm hoping more folks who actually come from the culture might speak to it as well. I know some things based on folks I've known/met IRL and discussions, but am not an expert. But on the things I did pick up, including the rampant colorism and trauma in this book, I can speak to.)
Please look up the lore for soucouyant and lougarou for yourselves to start with, if you wish. Basic Google search - ten seconds at most - will debunk most of what the author chooses to do in this novel, which I'll dig a little deeper into later on in this review. I'm going to describe the difference between this and the representation that's - for example - contained in the well known gaming series "Shin Megami Tensei." A Japanese game actually took more care to represent this lore more respectfully than...whatever the heck Zoboi does here. And I think this story is assuming you won't know much about the citations of Caribbean lore here or even what the soucouyant or lougarou are, or even what Jab are, because otherwise it'd have more holes than cheese. To be serious about it, (S)Kin takes a lot of inexplicable liberties that really were to the detriment of the story. It cedes to stereotypes, lore that is plucked from multiple groups, but doesn't develop beyond pale, cursory representation, petty jealousies, and lacking character development.
Basic premise of (S)Kin is the story of two girls told in verse format - alternating perspectives. The first POV you're introduced to is Marisol, 15-year old girl who is living with her mother in Brooklyn. Both of them hide their secret identities as monsters, self-described, soucouyant/lougarou. The description is that at night, both Marisol and her mother separate from their skin, become one with the sky (fire, sun) and have targets they prey upon to sustain them. They have their rituals to offset this.
The other POV is Genevieve, a 17-year old living as a biracial teen who has never known her mother. Lives with her father (who is white), her stepmother and stepsiblings who are twins. She has a chronic skin condition which makes her skin feel like its burning. Various creams only provide temporary relief. For those who are chronic sufferers of skin related issues, Genevieve's representation at least on that is accurate. It's something I think people will relate to, picking up this story. That might be one of the moments in this book where I felt for the character the most on how she struggles with it. But it becomes gradually clear that Genevieve's issues aren't what they seem and might be indicative of something more.
How Marisol and Genevieve meet delves into spoiler territory that reveal quite a bit of the family related, and racial trauma that's held in this book. I won't dig too much into it apart with making it known that Marisol and Genevieve are "kin" for the abilities they have. Marisol knows the ritual and the rules, Genevieve does not. Marisol is deeply envious and has a streak of revenge that lends towards her own mother and Genevieve's boyfriend, Micah, who not only doesn't treat Genevieve well but also pushes her to the ground and insults her without much thought.
Genevieve understands very little about what her magic means, but as the book's events march up to the climax and ending, both Marisol and Genevieve both have reckonings they have to face.
Add to this a Jab Jab named Jaden who seems keen on Marisol, but she can't be with him because Jab Jab are "evil" and she can't get involved with him.
Let me break this down a bit more succinctly in terms of the issues I had with (S)Kin, starting with noting that Caribbean culture is not a monolith. Haiti has its own lore, naming for things separate from other islands. I'll admit I'm not privy to it from first hand experiences because it is not my culture. Full disclosure. But, I noticed there were some things that caught my attention that didn't seem right, and this is noted from people I know who are from or know the culture more than me.
First, Jab Jab are not "evil". It does mean "devil," derived from the French term (literally diable diable), but not for the reasons many people think. The Carnival reference is mentioned in text, and Zoboi makes reference to Jaden as an actual devil/demon, but if you know the reasons why folks paint their bodies with motor oil or a paint and wear helmets with horns, wear chains and the like, it's rooted in the cultural nods to the resistance against ancestral oppression. Different islands in the Caribbean have different terms by which this celebration is noted. I know about it from the Grenada side, but it's also celebrated in Trinidad, Haiti, and other islands. I ask why Zoboi didn't dig into this history more in (S)Kin. The construction of even this one character and why he is the way he is is very threadbare. Because it's actually fascinating if you bother looking into it beyond a cursory glance. There's a richness in that history/lore that's not communicated in this novel at all. So if a teen picks up this novel and looks at the Jab Jab character with no knowledge of the root of that history, they're gonna think "Oh Jab Jab's evil." And that does a great disservice to how much more there is to that. And folks who actually celebrate/know the history are going to think "What the heck are you talking about?" and be offended by that. (For good reason!)
(Also in Haiti specifically, the practice is called "lansèt kòd" which I actually did not know prior to reading this book. Likewise with Trinidad, I didn't realize the practice was called "Jouvert". Those would have been cool things to know here, especially knowing they have differences across the islands! Even made readers look into that more if they had been mentioned and elevated! But I mean, considering this book is full of self-hate, I'm guessing varied cultural elevation, distinction, and celebration - even pushes against the colonialist history in the Caribbean - wasn't what was intended here. Just throwing together different plot things in a blender and assuming its the same. *fumes with rage*)
I'll only mention Jaden in this part of the review, because he's the "Jab Jab" in question. He was the most interesting character/part of this book to me. (Apart from licking off the blood from Marisol's chin after she fell. That was...ick.) You can tell he's kind of a semi-love interest/person of intrigue when he meets Marisol. But when you learn what he can do, especially towards the end, I felt like I wanted to know way more about him. We never really do, except that he's evil, supposedly. (Though I felt bad for the cat, at least that effect was temporary.)
There's also the terms soucouyant and lougarou as cited in this book. The synonymous usage of these terms in this book are confusing. The way that soucouyant and lougarou are used in this book makes it seem like they're the same. They are not. Like the description of soucouyant checks out with cursory searches on the internet, but "lougarou" is a different representation altogether. The term "logawrou" - specific to Haiti - is also known as a "loup-garou" which comes from the French, legit means "werewolf". (Very different from a fire bird!). From what I understand, collectively speaking, this creature is a shapeshifter that can take on various forms, and does so at night. That's a big deal to point out. Zoboi does not explain anything about the distinctions of this in text. You wouldn't know the meaning in the name, the cultural specific distinctions or even how this creature is supposed to be terrifying to those who know it. The darkness is there, but not the fear. Something I could probably say about most of the novel, apart from a few moments. I would say that (S)Kin has an ominous tone that could lend itself to horror, but the horror here isn't done very well. It's eerie, it's tonally dark and the characters are all massively flawed. But I don't think it translates well compared to other titles, especially with the boom we're seeing in interest/reading YA Horror. I could tell this was YA Fantasy, but it really did such little worldbuilding to even qualify for that, beyond threadbare representation.
I'm not saying that Zoboi should have given us a dissertation in text about the lore, but the way that this was done in (S)Kin was very lacking, even and especially for a novel written in verse. Teens (heck, even adults) picking up this novel would have questions, particularly those not familiar to the culture. And the base assumptions you get from in text aren't a good thing, because you're not getting the full picture, especially if you're someone from the culture trying to show this to people not only from that culture, but also outside of it.
Compared this to the lore of this same creature as depicted in the game Shin Megami Tensei V and Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (there are reasons why these games are different I won't get into, but namely the routes you can play are expanded in the latter). The Loup-garou in SMT V/Vengeance has way more context in even the brief scene he's in after he kidnaps a bunch of students that attend the same high school as the protagonist. From the French he speaks (ode to his name), to his motivations for kidnapping the students, to his insecurities about his appearance that actually tie in with the lore, you get so much in the dialogue and the scenes he's in for the story. And even when you're trying to recruit him into your party for the game, he has a ton of personality from his dialogue that make him stand out.
Zoboi's work doesn't give that kind of depth through this ENTIRE verse novel. Which...says a lot. Instead, we get a pretty lazy, threadbare story of trauma that isn't resolved and lingers in self-hate for the girls by the end. We start off with a Black girl with dark skin (Marisol) who is basically running around with her mama from job to job picking off people for sustenance because of the creatures they are. Marisol's mama is not a great character, her relationship with her daughter is quite toxic and comes across as her (Lourdes) using her daughter as a means to an end, but you don't know what that end point is at the beginning.
Marisol wants to kill her mama in her resentment and do her own thing, but when they come across Genevieve's family, Marisol realizes the true connection between her and Genevieve. And even knowing the context, you would expect there would be some resentment (it's not Genevieve's fault, she didn't know either), but Marisol turns her jealousy in another branch onto Genevieve because Genevieve's MIXED with "pretty" features (which, HELLO TOXIC COLORISM BATMAN). There are even multiple references in this book to Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" that make it very obvious this is a toxic thing happening. (You would know if you have ever read that book, but considering it's on many banned lists, there may be teens who won't know the message of that book because they can't read it.) So this book is NOT subtle on the colorism, which is played up in text in a toxic way. (More on that later, when we talk about how this ends without spoilers.)
And if you think Genevieve is any better - ohhh heck no. She is not. Lourdes showing up in Genevieve's household as a "babysitter" for her and her twin siblings have more meaning than meets the eye. Especially when she finds out the relationship she has to both Lourdes and Marisol that shifts her world. (It includes learning about the creature she is). But Genevieve already had some identity issues in tow with living as the only biracial member of the household. So of course she feels isolated at home, but gets some relief going to school and having her boyfriend. Genevieve's stepmother, Kate, has moments of being understanding of her stepdaughter and showing ignorance about understanding where her daughter is emotionally (still better than Genevieve's father, *grumble*). Genevieve has a fair deal of critique against Marisol - basically talking about making Marisol over, critiquing her hair and having mental notes that make her observation of Marisol as "needing a "makeover" to make her "pretty."
The obsession with pretty in this book is gross, especially in context with the colorism and the way the girls see each other, long story short. It gets worse as the book marches to the ending.
For both Marisol and Genevieve, you learn about how the creatures they are end up becoming more inseparable as the narrative goes on, for spoiler reasons. And honestly, that part I think could have lent into more interesting territory had it been in the hands of a more developed narrative. Possibly come to a conclusion that ended on something more satisfying to a degree.
But nah, we end up with a hollow story that virtually says, from the lips of both of these girls, that lighter skin, loose curls is pretty, darker skin, tight curls, boyish cut is bad. Change up from the "bad" to fit in the society that props this vision of "pretty" up, and away from the island culture. And eliminate the people who stand in the way of the petty grievances the girls have for threadbare reasons. And somehow, still maintain a sisterhood?
Nah. Screw that nonsense.
Someone might argue with me that the whole point of this YA fantasy novel was to showcase the horror of racial trauma and what it does to a person/people/relationships, even in girls who are creatures/beings from another place/space. It may have even tried to emulate what Toni Morrison did in "The Bluest Eye" with the young girl who wanted blue eyes. (I reviewed that book a while back, actually, so it's still fresh in mind.) But (S)Kin, regardless of its intentions, was not so deep or serious to be able to handle with the care and sensitivity that would have deserved. Didn't even come close. And citing the narrative did not make that comparison any closer to what (S)Kin may have been trying to imitate. Even the verse format felt clunky for its cadence and felt like it had inconsistent presentation, making it read longer than it should have been. And again, the worldbuilding, very threadbare.
Here's a question to leave you with, should you decide to pick up this book that felt too long in its off-cadence verse that didn't aid in the cumbersome presentation: If this book was supposed to be horrifying in the sense of showing very real racial trauma and cultural erasure, why does it play up those colonialist stereotypes, blend the rich cultural histories of the Caribbean into one vague blob, and actually work against what folks are trying to do in propping up the unique representations that come from those places in a thrilling way? Even if one could answer this question with tangible dialogues about this book, I would still say (S)Kin did not work as intended because the text did not do it on its own. It's hard to know who this book was intended for, or what that intention behind it was other than causing more harm while also not giving a teen audience (or any audience really) a rich story to remember and sit with them after the final page is turned.
Beyonce's song "Pretty Hurts" is cited in this, but it had none of the pretty, and way too much hurt. And it hurt to read, in more ways than one.
It could have been so much more.
Overall score: 1.5/5 stars.
Note: I received this as a galley from NetGalley, from the publisher.
Also think it being in verse didn't help it. The cadence was uneven and didn't help it for flow. If I had to give one from my gut: 1.5 stars. And mostly because of Jaden. But even how the author represents Jab in here was...a choice.
Full review:
I feel like we need to sit down and have a conversation because I don't know how so many people didn't find Ibi Zoboi's "(S)Kin" to be a hot toxic, inaccurate mess and a half. What in the world? Like it's so honestly deliberately offensive in how bad this book was.
Let me backtrack a little bit. I think it would be easy to say that this book had me incandescent (no puns intended) with rage at the utterly disgusting colorism and inaccurate lore portrayed in the story of these two girls. I'm not upset in the way that one would think about this book. It's more I'm in a state of shock like "Did the author really pull all of this in a story and think no one would notice how NOT COOL this is? Are we being punked? Like, what's going on?" (From the high ratings this book has as of the time I'm writing this review on Goodreads, people did not pick up on how gross and offensive this was. I'm hoping more folks who actually come from the culture might speak to it as well. I know some things based on folks I've known/met IRL and discussions, but am not an expert. But on the things I did pick up, including the rampant colorism and trauma in this book, I can speak to.)
Please look up the lore for soucouyant and lougarou for yourselves to start with, if you wish. Basic Google search - ten seconds at most - will debunk most of what the author chooses to do in this novel, which I'll dig a little deeper into later on in this review. I'm going to describe the difference between this and the representation that's - for example - contained in the well known gaming series "Shin Megami Tensei." A Japanese game actually took more care to represent this lore more respectfully than...whatever the heck Zoboi does here. And I think this story is assuming you won't know much about the citations of Caribbean lore here or even what the soucouyant or lougarou are, or even what Jab are, because otherwise it'd have more holes than cheese. To be serious about it, (S)Kin takes a lot of inexplicable liberties that really were to the detriment of the story. It cedes to stereotypes, lore that is plucked from multiple groups, but doesn't develop beyond pale, cursory representation, petty jealousies, and lacking character development.
Basic premise of (S)Kin is the story of two girls told in verse format - alternating perspectives. The first POV you're introduced to is Marisol, 15-year old girl who is living with her mother in Brooklyn. Both of them hide their secret identities as monsters, self-described, soucouyant/lougarou. The description is that at night, both Marisol and her mother separate from their skin, become one with the sky (fire, sun) and have targets they prey upon to sustain them. They have their rituals to offset this.
The other POV is Genevieve, a 17-year old living as a biracial teen who has never known her mother. Lives with her father (who is white), her stepmother and stepsiblings who are twins. She has a chronic skin condition which makes her skin feel like its burning. Various creams only provide temporary relief. For those who are chronic sufferers of skin related issues, Genevieve's representation at least on that is accurate. It's something I think people will relate to, picking up this story. That might be one of the moments in this book where I felt for the character the most on how she struggles with it. But it becomes gradually clear that Genevieve's issues aren't what they seem and might be indicative of something more.
How Marisol and Genevieve meet delves into spoiler territory that reveal quite a bit of the family related, and racial trauma that's held in this book. I won't dig too much into it apart with making it known that Marisol and Genevieve are "kin" for the abilities they have. Marisol knows the ritual and the rules, Genevieve does not. Marisol is deeply envious and has a streak of revenge that lends towards her own mother and Genevieve's boyfriend, Micah, who not only doesn't treat Genevieve well but also pushes her to the ground and insults her without much thought.
Genevieve understands very little about what her magic means, but as the book's events march up to the climax and ending, both Marisol and Genevieve both have reckonings they have to face.
Add to this a Jab Jab named Jaden who seems keen on Marisol, but she can't be with him because Jab Jab are "evil" and she can't get involved with him.
Let me break this down a bit more succinctly in terms of the issues I had with (S)Kin, starting with noting that Caribbean culture is not a monolith. Haiti has its own lore, naming for things separate from other islands. I'll admit I'm not privy to it from first hand experiences because it is not my culture. Full disclosure. But, I noticed there were some things that caught my attention that didn't seem right, and this is noted from people I know who are from or know the culture more than me.
First, Jab Jab are not "evil". It does mean "devil," derived from the French term (literally diable diable), but not for the reasons many people think. The Carnival reference is mentioned in text, and Zoboi makes reference to Jaden as an actual devil/demon, but if you know the reasons why folks paint their bodies with motor oil or a paint and wear helmets with horns, wear chains and the like, it's rooted in the cultural nods to the resistance against ancestral oppression. Different islands in the Caribbean have different terms by which this celebration is noted. I know about it from the Grenada side, but it's also celebrated in Trinidad, Haiti, and other islands. I ask why Zoboi didn't dig into this history more in (S)Kin. The construction of even this one character and why he is the way he is is very threadbare. Because it's actually fascinating if you bother looking into it beyond a cursory glance. There's a richness in that history/lore that's not communicated in this novel at all. So if a teen picks up this novel and looks at the Jab Jab character with no knowledge of the root of that history, they're gonna think "Oh Jab Jab's evil." And that does a great disservice to how much more there is to that. And folks who actually celebrate/know the history are going to think "What the heck are you talking about?" and be offended by that. (For good reason!)
(Also in Haiti specifically, the practice is called "lansèt kòd" which I actually did not know prior to reading this book. Likewise with Trinidad, I didn't realize the practice was called "Jouvert". Those would have been cool things to know here, especially knowing they have differences across the islands! Even made readers look into that more if they had been mentioned and elevated! But I mean, considering this book is full of self-hate, I'm guessing varied cultural elevation, distinction, and celebration - even pushes against the colonialist history in the Caribbean - wasn't what was intended here. Just throwing together different plot things in a blender and assuming its the same. *fumes with rage*)
I'll only mention Jaden in this part of the review, because he's the "Jab Jab" in question. He was the most interesting character/part of this book to me. (Apart from licking off the blood from Marisol's chin after she fell. That was...ick.) You can tell he's kind of a semi-love interest/person of intrigue when he meets Marisol. But when you learn what he can do, especially towards the end, I felt like I wanted to know way more about him. We never really do, except that he's evil, supposedly. (Though I felt bad for the cat, at least that effect was temporary.)
There's also the terms soucouyant and lougarou as cited in this book. The synonymous usage of these terms in this book are confusing. The way that soucouyant and lougarou are used in this book makes it seem like they're the same. They are not. Like the description of soucouyant checks out with cursory searches on the internet, but "lougarou" is a different representation altogether. The term "logawrou" - specific to Haiti - is also known as a "loup-garou" which comes from the French, legit means "werewolf". (Very different from a fire bird!). From what I understand, collectively speaking, this creature is a shapeshifter that can take on various forms, and does so at night. That's a big deal to point out. Zoboi does not explain anything about the distinctions of this in text. You wouldn't know the meaning in the name, the cultural specific distinctions or even how this creature is supposed to be terrifying to those who know it. The darkness is there, but not the fear. Something I could probably say about most of the novel, apart from a few moments. I would say that (S)Kin has an ominous tone that could lend itself to horror, but the horror here isn't done very well. It's eerie, it's tonally dark and the characters are all massively flawed. But I don't think it translates well compared to other titles, especially with the boom we're seeing in interest/reading YA Horror. I could tell this was YA Fantasy, but it really did such little worldbuilding to even qualify for that, beyond threadbare representation.
I'm not saying that Zoboi should have given us a dissertation in text about the lore, but the way that this was done in (S)Kin was very lacking, even and especially for a novel written in verse. Teens (heck, even adults) picking up this novel would have questions, particularly those not familiar to the culture. And the base assumptions you get from in text aren't a good thing, because you're not getting the full picture, especially if you're someone from the culture trying to show this to people not only from that culture, but also outside of it.
Compared this to the lore of this same creature as depicted in the game Shin Megami Tensei V and Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (there are reasons why these games are different I won't get into, but namely the routes you can play are expanded in the latter). The Loup-garou in SMT V/Vengeance has way more context in even the brief scene he's in after he kidnaps a bunch of students that attend the same high school as the protagonist. From the French he speaks (ode to his name), to his motivations for kidnapping the students, to his insecurities about his appearance that actually tie in with the lore, you get so much in the dialogue and the scenes he's in for the story. And even when you're trying to recruit him into your party for the game, he has a ton of personality from his dialogue that make him stand out.
Zoboi's work doesn't give that kind of depth through this ENTIRE verse novel. Which...says a lot. Instead, we get a pretty lazy, threadbare story of trauma that isn't resolved and lingers in self-hate for the girls by the end. We start off with a Black girl with dark skin (Marisol) who is basically running around with her mama from job to job picking off people for sustenance because of the creatures they are. Marisol's mama is not a great character, her relationship with her daughter is quite toxic and comes across as her (Lourdes) using her daughter as a means to an end, but you don't know what that end point is at the beginning.
Marisol wants to kill her mama in her resentment and do her own thing, but when they come across Genevieve's family, Marisol realizes the true connection between her and Genevieve. And even knowing the context, you would expect there would be some resentment (it's not Genevieve's fault, she didn't know either), but Marisol turns her jealousy in another branch onto Genevieve because Genevieve's MIXED with "pretty" features (which, HELLO TOXIC COLORISM BATMAN). There are even multiple references in this book to Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" that make it very obvious this is a toxic thing happening. (You would know if you have ever read that book, but considering it's on many banned lists, there may be teens who won't know the message of that book because they can't read it.) So this book is NOT subtle on the colorism, which is played up in text in a toxic way. (More on that later, when we talk about how this ends without spoilers.)
And if you think Genevieve is any better - ohhh heck no. She is not. Lourdes showing up in Genevieve's household as a "babysitter" for her and her twin siblings have more meaning than meets the eye. Especially when she finds out the relationship she has to both Lourdes and Marisol that shifts her world. (It includes learning about the creature she is). But Genevieve already had some identity issues in tow with living as the only biracial member of the household. So of course she feels isolated at home, but gets some relief going to school and having her boyfriend. Genevieve's stepmother, Kate, has moments of being understanding of her stepdaughter and showing ignorance about understanding where her daughter is emotionally (still better than Genevieve's father, *grumble*). Genevieve has a fair deal of critique against Marisol - basically talking about making Marisol over, critiquing her hair and having mental notes that make her observation of Marisol as "needing a "makeover" to make her "pretty."
The obsession with pretty in this book is gross, especially in context with the colorism and the way the girls see each other, long story short. It gets worse as the book marches to the ending.
For both Marisol and Genevieve, you learn about how the creatures they are end up becoming more inseparable as the narrative goes on, for spoiler reasons. And honestly, that part I think could have lent into more interesting territory had it been in the hands of a more developed narrative. Possibly come to a conclusion that ended on something more satisfying to a degree.
But nah, we end up with a hollow story that virtually says, from the lips of both of these girls, that lighter skin, loose curls is pretty, darker skin, tight curls, boyish cut is bad. Change up from the "bad" to fit in the society that props this vision of "pretty" up, and away from the island culture. And eliminate the people who stand in the way of the petty grievances the girls have for threadbare reasons. And somehow, still maintain a sisterhood?
Nah. Screw that nonsense.
Someone might argue with me that the whole point of this YA fantasy novel was to showcase the horror of racial trauma and what it does to a person/people/relationships, even in girls who are creatures/beings from another place/space. It may have even tried to emulate what Toni Morrison did in "The Bluest Eye" with the young girl who wanted blue eyes. (I reviewed that book a while back, actually, so it's still fresh in mind.) But (S)Kin, regardless of its intentions, was not so deep or serious to be able to handle with the care and sensitivity that would have deserved. Didn't even come close. And citing the narrative did not make that comparison any closer to what (S)Kin may have been trying to imitate. Even the verse format felt clunky for its cadence and felt like it had inconsistent presentation, making it read longer than it should have been. And again, the worldbuilding, very threadbare.
Here's a question to leave you with, should you decide to pick up this book that felt too long in its off-cadence verse that didn't aid in the cumbersome presentation: If this book was supposed to be horrifying in the sense of showing very real racial trauma and cultural erasure, why does it play up those colonialist stereotypes, blend the rich cultural histories of the Caribbean into one vague blob, and actually work against what folks are trying to do in propping up the unique representations that come from those places in a thrilling way? Even if one could answer this question with tangible dialogues about this book, I would still say (S)Kin did not work as intended because the text did not do it on its own. It's hard to know who this book was intended for, or what that intention behind it was other than causing more harm while also not giving a teen audience (or any audience really) a rich story to remember and sit with them after the final page is turned.
Beyonce's song "Pretty Hurts" is cited in this, but it had none of the pretty, and way too much hurt. And it hurt to read, in more ways than one.
It could have been so much more.
Overall score: 1.5/5 stars.
Note: I received this as a galley from NetGalley, from the publisher.
February 12, 2025
I didn't have to work until 4pm yesterday.
What did I spend my day doing?
Devouring this book😍
I started it this morning hoping to get a few chapters in and post about the vibes on release day.
I did not expect to be totally obsessed with this story.
The characters and tale were more than I could have hoped for and Marisol is EVERYTHING!!!
I don't want to say much because I think going in blind was the absolute right choice.
I will say it gives modern day horror vibes of Caribbean witch lore and leave the rest to your imagination.
This YA tale is out in the world today and I implore you to get a copy and let it consume you!
Much love to Harper Collins Canada & Epic Reads for my ARC😘
What did I spend my day doing?
Devouring this book😍
I started it this morning hoping to get a few chapters in and post about the vibes on release day.
I did not expect to be totally obsessed with this story.
The characters and tale were more than I could have hoped for and Marisol is EVERYTHING!!!
I don't want to say much because I think going in blind was the absolute right choice.
I will say it gives modern day horror vibes of Caribbean witch lore and leave the rest to your imagination.
This YA tale is out in the world today and I implore you to get a copy and let it consume you!
Much love to Harper Collins Canada & Epic Reads for my ARC😘
March 13, 2025
To me, novels in verse always just hit different, but I still wasn't prepared for how (S)Kin would creep under my skin. Filled with Carribean folklore and hard-hitting themes of racism, colorism, immigration, and family, this was everything I didn't know I needed from a YA magical realism.
Now, I knew absolutely nothing about the myth of the soucouyant that this story is based on, but I absolutely loved how beautifully Zoboi spun her own tale from it. I'll admit that the first couple of chapters took me a bit to find my footing, but once I got into the flow of the soulful writing, I was utterly entranced. I absolutely loved both Marisol and Genevieve as protagonists, and the way that their lives and fates started to weave together was beyond powerful.
What's more, I really appreciated that Zoboi didn't pull any punches, even though this is a YA novel. Yes, there's teenage angst and romantic drama and silly coming-of-age struggles, but it's also full of gruesome body horror, (generational) trauma, debilitating skin disease representation, and the most painfully complicated family dynamics.
For me, this story just got better and better with each turn of the page, and by the end I was left speechless. Even if you think you don't enjoy YA, I would urge to you try out (S)Kin (especially with the audiobook for extra immersion); this is a bold and important story with sharp teeth and a tender soul that deserves to be heard.
Now, I knew absolutely nothing about the myth of the soucouyant that this story is based on, but I absolutely loved how beautifully Zoboi spun her own tale from it. I'll admit that the first couple of chapters took me a bit to find my footing, but once I got into the flow of the soulful writing, I was utterly entranced. I absolutely loved both Marisol and Genevieve as protagonists, and the way that their lives and fates started to weave together was beyond powerful.
What's more, I really appreciated that Zoboi didn't pull any punches, even though this is a YA novel. Yes, there's teenage angst and romantic drama and silly coming-of-age struggles, but it's also full of gruesome body horror, (generational) trauma, debilitating skin disease representation, and the most painfully complicated family dynamics.
For me, this story just got better and better with each turn of the page, and by the end I was left speechless. Even if you think you don't enjoy YA, I would urge to you try out (S)Kin (especially with the audiobook for extra immersion); this is a bold and important story with sharp teeth and a tender soul that deserves to be heard.
February 16, 2025
A beautifully and uniquely told story, (S)Kin expertly explores topics such as sisterhood, complex family dynamics, class, identity, colourism, self value and immigration.
I absolutely adored the way Ibi Zoboi told Marisol's and Genevieve's story. I thought the way their narrations intertwined and paralleled towards the end was especially poignant. The was a story I found incredibly difficult to pull myself away from and ended up spending an evening finising it from start to finish.
There were moments I found a little confusing and I wasn't a huge fan of the way the story closed, hence not giving it the full five stars but this has undoubtedly become one of my favourite novels in verse and I've already caught myself talking about it to anyone who will listen. Overall, (S)Kin was a powerful, thought provoking, emotional and quietly magical read and one I'd happily both recommend and reread.
I absolutely adored the way Ibi Zoboi told Marisol's and Genevieve's story. I thought the way their narrations intertwined and paralleled towards the end was especially poignant. The was a story I found incredibly difficult to pull myself away from and ended up spending an evening finising it from start to finish.
There were moments I found a little confusing and I wasn't a huge fan of the way the story closed, hence not giving it the full five stars but this has undoubtedly become one of my favourite novels in verse and I've already caught myself talking about it to anyone who will listen. Overall, (S)Kin was a powerful, thought provoking, emotional and quietly magical read and one I'd happily both recommend and reread.
June 20, 2025
I really enjoyed this one. It pulled me in with rich Caribbean folklore and I absolutely devoured it. The fact that it was written in verse made the story even more captivating. It’s such a unique way to experience fantasy and mythology.
May 7, 2025
Book Review 🔥✨
Thank you so much partner @epicreads for the gifted copy!!
(S)Kin
by Ibi Zoboi
About the book 👇🏽
Fifteen-year-old Marisol is the daughter of a soucouyant. Every new moon, she sheds her skin like the many women before her, shifting into a fireball witch who must fly into the night and slowly sip from the lives of others to sustain her own. But Brooklyn is no place for fireball witches with all its bright lights, shut windows, and bolt-locked doors.… hoping they would leave their old traditions behind when they emigrated from the islands, she remains ensnared by the one person who keeps her chained to her magical past—her mother.
Seventeen-year-old Genevieve is the daughter of a college professor and a newly minted older half sister of twins. Her worsening skin condition and the babies’ constant wailing keep her up at night, when she stares at the dark sky with a deep longing to inhale it all. She hopes to quench the hunger that gnaws at her, one that seems to reach for some memory of her estranged mother. When a new nanny arrives to help with the twins, a family secret connecting her to Marisol is revealed, and Gen begins to find answers to questions she hasn’t even thought to ask.
But the girls soon discover that the very skin keeping their flames locked beneath the surface may be more explosive to the relationships around them than any ancient magic.
🔥 My thoughts:
“Our new home with its
thick walls and locked doors
wants me to stay trapped in my skin—
but I am fury and flame.”
Wow! What a read! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book written in verse but once I got the hang of it, I was all in. A lyrical and powerful story that is bound to get under your skin and consume you in the best of ways. The narrative, dual POV, and imagery make this such a strong read and overall a force of a book. I really enjoyed the Caribbean folklore and would love to read more books like this. I look forward to reading Ibi Zoboi’s books in the future! If you enjoy unique storytelling, witchy books, and throat punch reads, you need to get your hands on (S)Kin and lucky for you… it’s out now!
Happy reading 🔥📖✨
Thank you so much partner @epicreads for the gifted copy!!
(S)Kin
by Ibi Zoboi
About the book 👇🏽
Fifteen-year-old Marisol is the daughter of a soucouyant. Every new moon, she sheds her skin like the many women before her, shifting into a fireball witch who must fly into the night and slowly sip from the lives of others to sustain her own. But Brooklyn is no place for fireball witches with all its bright lights, shut windows, and bolt-locked doors.… hoping they would leave their old traditions behind when they emigrated from the islands, she remains ensnared by the one person who keeps her chained to her magical past—her mother.
Seventeen-year-old Genevieve is the daughter of a college professor and a newly minted older half sister of twins. Her worsening skin condition and the babies’ constant wailing keep her up at night, when she stares at the dark sky with a deep longing to inhale it all. She hopes to quench the hunger that gnaws at her, one that seems to reach for some memory of her estranged mother. When a new nanny arrives to help with the twins, a family secret connecting her to Marisol is revealed, and Gen begins to find answers to questions she hasn’t even thought to ask.
But the girls soon discover that the very skin keeping their flames locked beneath the surface may be more explosive to the relationships around them than any ancient magic.
🔥 My thoughts:
“Our new home with its
thick walls and locked doors
wants me to stay trapped in my skin—
but I am fury and flame.”
Wow! What a read! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book written in verse but once I got the hang of it, I was all in. A lyrical and powerful story that is bound to get under your skin and consume you in the best of ways. The narrative, dual POV, and imagery make this such a strong read and overall a force of a book. I really enjoyed the Caribbean folklore and would love to read more books like this. I look forward to reading Ibi Zoboi’s books in the future! If you enjoy unique storytelling, witchy books, and throat punch reads, you need to get your hands on (S)Kin and lucky for you… it’s out now!
Happy reading 🔥📖✨
June 7, 2025
4.5 - Hardcover and audio vid Libby.
“They will not hunt us if they don’t believe we exist.”
“I am hoping for my own freedom, my own salvation, because God answers my prayers too.”
“Hope is the possibility of bring something more than human—“
I love a novel in verse book. The authors just know how to get to the point while developing a story and straight up deliver. From the magic, folklore, culture, colorism, feeling used and so much more this story was created beautifully. The twist had my mouth drop a little. Each girl you feel their pain like it ripping them a part. Both needing to be seen, love, and understood. In the book as the names start to merge and chapter behind each merge was breathtaking.
The talk about immigration was really good. How they feel like hiding and blending in so people in America won’t place as monsters is sad. Everyone deserves to stand in their true loving form. People don’t like what they can’t explain or can’t have. Then the colorism when both people have the same face but the world treats them different. Wow! That ending just took me. Love this book.
“They will not hunt us if they don’t believe we exist.”
“I am hoping for my own freedom, my own salvation, because God answers my prayers too.”
“Hope is the possibility of bring something more than human—“
I love a novel in verse book. The authors just know how to get to the point while developing a story and straight up deliver. From the magic, folklore, culture, colorism, feeling used and so much more this story was created beautifully. The twist had my mouth drop a little. Each girl you feel their pain like it ripping them a part. Both needing to be seen, love, and understood. In the book as the names start to merge and chapter behind each merge was breathtaking.
The talk about immigration was really good. How they feel like hiding and blending in so people in America won’t place as monsters is sad. Everyone deserves to stand in their true loving form. People don’t like what they can’t explain or can’t have. Then the colorism when both people have the same face but the world treats them different. Wow! That ending just took me. Love this book.
October 28, 2024
~~Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!~~
This book started off good, but, by the end, I was just - let down and confused.
I've read a lot of good YA in-verse books, and I'd consider Zoboi's verse writing to be near up there in goodness. I haven't yet read her prose books (Though I literally do have American Street in my library pile as I'm writing this. I hope to start it soon), so I don't compare this to her other work. But there are plenty of lines throughout this book where they hit hard, and they get quite lyrical, too. It perfectly balances beautiful writing with the teen protagonists having teen voices. The fact Zoboi struck this so well deserves so much applause. Another element I loved was the tenseness and liveliness the verse got when the girls were transforming. The descriptions, the metaphors becoming literal, the imagery - I just loved it so much.
The main characters are interesting while having a distinguished voice from each other. It helps that Gen's lines were on the left while Marisol's were on the right. It visually showed how opposing they were, especially when POVs got switched back-and-forth during their conversations. Plus, both girls make great foils to each other, of how they want to have the skin the other has. Marisol thinks lighter skin would make her beautiful, and Gen wants to be darker in order to feel more Black / connected to her maternal side's culture. If this concept had lived out to its full potential, I would have liked this so much more. But the ending was such a let down.
MASSIVE ENDING SPOILERS:
All in all, despite the gorgeous writing and the (building) of our main characters, the ending ruins so much of that, leaving me in a limbo state of doubt whether or not if I should properly recommend it. I'll hesitantly say yes, for now. But with caution, just in case.
This book started off good, but, by the end, I was just - let down and confused.
I've read a lot of good YA in-verse books, and I'd consider Zoboi's verse writing to be near up there in goodness. I haven't yet read her prose books (Though I literally do have American Street in my library pile as I'm writing this. I hope to start it soon), so I don't compare this to her other work. But there are plenty of lines throughout this book where they hit hard, and they get quite lyrical, too. It perfectly balances beautiful writing with the teen protagonists having teen voices. The fact Zoboi struck this so well deserves so much applause. Another element I loved was the tenseness and liveliness the verse got when the girls were transforming. The descriptions, the metaphors becoming literal, the imagery - I just loved it so much.
The main characters are interesting while having a distinguished voice from each other. It helps that Gen's lines were on the left while Marisol's were on the right. It visually showed how opposing they were, especially when POVs got switched back-and-forth during their conversations. Plus, both girls make great foils to each other, of how they want to have the skin the other has. Marisol thinks lighter skin would make her beautiful, and Gen wants to be darker in order to feel more Black / connected to her maternal side's culture. If this concept had lived out to its full potential, I would have liked this so much more. But the ending was such a let down.
MASSIVE ENDING SPOILERS:
All in all, despite the gorgeous writing and the (building) of our main characters, the ending ruins so much of that, leaving me in a limbo state of doubt whether or not if I should properly recommend it. I'll hesitantly say yes, for now. But with caution, just in case.
January 20, 2025
4.5!
Thank you HarperCollins Canada for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this contemporary YA fantasy book written in verse. I really loved reading about the issues and themes confronted here (colonization, hair, skin, beauty), and I really loved learning about the Caribbean folklore side of the novel. If you’re someone who doesn’t really read a lot of fantasy but want to try it out with a book that uses a unique way of storytelling, this is for you, and the poetry is accessible. You will love this!
Thank you HarperCollins Canada for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this contemporary YA fantasy book written in verse. I really loved reading about the issues and themes confronted here (colonization, hair, skin, beauty), and I really loved learning about the Caribbean folklore side of the novel. If you’re someone who doesn’t really read a lot of fantasy but want to try it out with a book that uses a unique way of storytelling, this is for you, and the poetry is accessible. You will love this!
January 1, 2025
3.5 Stars, rounded up
My usual critique of a novel-in-verse like this is that I think it could be done exponentially better in prose. But that is absolutely not the case here. Ibi Zoboi embraces all the potential that poetry as a medium offers and does in this book so much that can't be done in simple prose. And I love that. I do think it does have the other failing of novels-in-verse, though: it doesn't contain as much of a story as I would like. Don't get me wrong. I loved what i got--the commentary on heritage, on colorism, on not-so-blended families and imperialism. But I also wanted more of it, if that makes sense.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this book, and it will definitely stick with me for a while. And I'll dig into why in my full review, publishing at Gateway Reviews on February 14, 2025. Stop by if you have the time!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
My usual critique of a novel-in-verse like this is that I think it could be done exponentially better in prose. But that is absolutely not the case here. Ibi Zoboi embraces all the potential that poetry as a medium offers and does in this book so much that can't be done in simple prose. And I love that. I do think it does have the other failing of novels-in-verse, though: it doesn't contain as much of a story as I would like. Don't get me wrong. I loved what i got--the commentary on heritage, on colorism, on not-so-blended families and imperialism. But I also wanted more of it, if that makes sense.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this book, and it will definitely stick with me for a while. And I'll dig into why in my full review, publishing at Gateway Reviews on February 14, 2025. Stop by if you have the time!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
December 17, 2024
This book was a wild ride. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting going in, but this book was way more intense than anything I’d anticipated. (S)kin is honestly unlike any other book I’ve ever read. This novel in verse teemed with magic, pain, womanhood, identity, power, nightmares, sisterhood, ancestors, flame, fury, and the search for home. At first I was worried that the verse style was going to make it difficult to follow what was happening (especially with the alternating perspectives), but this book immediately sucked me in. No character is a hero in the typical sense, and the reader is left conflicted about which side to take- the characters don’t fall easily into a “good” or evil” category. Even the magic and monsters aren’t tied to a good or evil. It simply is. This is definitely a YA book and not middle grades based on both content and comprehension. I know that many of my students would struggle with following the writing style and the magical elements. There are a few 8th graders I could see enjoying it, and many former students who are now high schoolers that I think this book would resonate with. If I recommended it to middle school students, I would also want it to be in the context of a book club so that they’re be opportunities for making meaning and inferences.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this unique and powerful text. I’m looking forward to adding it to my classroom library.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this unique and powerful text. I’m looking forward to adding it to my classroom library.
March 31, 2025
This is an absolutely beautiful read, based on Carribbean folklore. It is written in a beautiful poetic style which is really important to the storytelling of the Carribbean culture and adds a beautiful lyrical aspect to this.
Two girls, polar opposite worlds which combust into one. With so many differences yet so many similarities, can Marisol save Genevieve from her anginising unknown fate. And can Genevieve really pay the price Marisol exacts from her.
This is stunning. So many twists and turns and the writing style adds so much depth to the story and helps keep the authenticity of the folklore tale.
Contemporary fiction/folklore/fantasy. What are you waiting for?
Two girls, polar opposite worlds which combust into one. With so many differences yet so many similarities, can Marisol save Genevieve from her anginising unknown fate. And can Genevieve really pay the price Marisol exacts from her.
This is stunning. So many twists and turns and the writing style adds so much depth to the story and helps keep the authenticity of the folklore tale.
Contemporary fiction/folklore/fantasy. What are you waiting for?
February 7, 2025
This was an interesting YA contemporary fantasy about family secrets, magic and Afro-Caribbean mythology that featured two half sisters and their devious mother. A unique story told in verse that might not be for everyone but was excellent on audio narrated by Bahni Turpin and Robin Miles. Recommended for fans of authors like Liselle Sambury. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
October 23, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for this ARC.
(S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi was a book I requested on a whim based on the cover alone and did little to find out the premise for. I love going into a book blind as it sets expectations low and allows me more opportunity to be wowed.
When I first opened this book, I was curious to see that Zoboi decided to write this entirely in verse. I do not often read literature in verse so this for me piqued my interest greatly. Honestly, Zoboi's decision to write in voice gave their prose a more lyrical quality and a weight to the words that were spoken.
I greatly enjoyed seeing how Zoboi employed the use of free verse to play with both sides of the page to inform the reader which character was speaking. When the climax hit, the two sides began to merge and I seriously lamented the fact that I was reading (S)Kin on an ereader as I feel print would be the better way to see the words play on the page.
The story itself is a play on the title as well as the inherent magical quality of our main characters. As I read, I took the time to reflect on how the characters themselves were feeling in their own skins and how they longed to be in a different skin. It led to me reading the rest of the book in a more somber tone that in itself added more weight to the theme of (S)Kin.
This was such a surprising read for me, albeit a bit out of my comfort zone. Zoboi's implementation of verse made this story so much stronger and the lyrical feel of it made the words leap out. I could not put this book down!
(S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi was a book I requested on a whim based on the cover alone and did little to find out the premise for. I love going into a book blind as it sets expectations low and allows me more opportunity to be wowed.
When I first opened this book, I was curious to see that Zoboi decided to write this entirely in verse. I do not often read literature in verse so this for me piqued my interest greatly. Honestly, Zoboi's decision to write in voice gave their prose a more lyrical quality and a weight to the words that were spoken.
I greatly enjoyed seeing how Zoboi employed the use of free verse to play with both sides of the page to inform the reader which character was speaking. When the climax hit, the two sides began to merge and I seriously lamented the fact that I was reading (S)Kin on an ereader as I feel print would be the better way to see the words play on the page.
The story itself is a play on the title as well as the inherent magical quality of our main characters. As I read, I took the time to reflect on how the characters themselves were feeling in their own skins and how they longed to be in a different skin. It led to me reading the rest of the book in a more somber tone that in itself added more weight to the theme of (S)Kin.
This was such a surprising read for me, albeit a bit out of my comfort zone. Zoboi's implementation of verse made this story so much stronger and the lyrical feel of it made the words leap out. I could not put this book down!
November 19, 2024
I have read nearly all of Ibi Zoboi's work, so I was excited to read this ARC of #SKin. This book is a fantasy story in verse. Zoboi noted that this style helps with the lyrical nature of the tale. SKin is based in Caribbean folklore and follows Marisol, a teen soucouyant living in NYC. She and her mother shed their skin once a month to feed. The other chapters follow Genevieve, a bi-racial student who is navigating high school with activities, a boyfriend, and a painful skin condition. Without spoilers, the two characters cross paths, leading to a climactic ending. The pace is good, and if someone is not familiar with soucouyant and similar stories, there is enough to learn. The story also touches on colorism, racism, and other very important topics. I will definitely be purchasing this book for our library. Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for this ARC.
February 8, 2025
Hmm, not what I was expecting but still rather enjoyable. Review to come! ☄️
(FINAL REVIEW:)
This was a prose novel that focuses on two girls and their journey accepting the roles in society they’ve been given by American standards. I found this novel especially prolific for the political atmosphere the US is in since a certain deranged oompaloompa and fellow minions took office. 🫢
Marisol is trying to find her way in a new world as a soucouyant while under the strain of her rather controlling mother. I found her the most down to earth of the two POVs because her struggle as both a young black woman and undocumented immigrant something that felt more poignant than that of Genevieve. Speaking of her, I found her to be spoiled and rather quick to judge even though she herself doesn’t want to be judged. When her paths cross with Marisol, I found their connection rather predicable but I still liked Genevieve’s growth by the end of the book, even though I think she needed to go through way more. ☄️
The ending felt rather rushed and also rather predictable in my opinion, but I do wish we could’ve gotten a little more information into Lourdes and why she was the way she is in the book. Along with this, the way in which Genevieve narrated her POV made the book feel suited for a younger YA audience instead of an older YA crowd. 😕
All in all, while I had some problems with the plotting and narration style for one POV, I still had a rather good time reading this. Thank you goes out to Versify Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review. And to the author, Zoboi, for writing a relevant young black woman’s immigrant story inspired by Caribbean folklore!
Publication date: February 11!
Overall: 3.75/5 ⭐️
(FINAL REVIEW:)
This was a prose novel that focuses on two girls and their journey accepting the roles in society they’ve been given by American standards. I found this novel especially prolific for the political atmosphere the US is in since a certain deranged oompaloompa and fellow minions took office. 🫢
Marisol is trying to find her way in a new world as a soucouyant while under the strain of her rather controlling mother. I found her the most down to earth of the two POVs because her struggle as both a young black woman and undocumented immigrant something that felt more poignant than that of Genevieve. Speaking of her, I found her to be spoiled and rather quick to judge even though she herself doesn’t want to be judged. When her paths cross with Marisol, I found their connection rather predicable but I still liked Genevieve’s growth by the end of the book, even though I think she needed to go through way more. ☄️
The ending felt rather rushed and also rather predictable in my opinion, but I do wish we could’ve gotten a little more information into Lourdes and why she was the way she is in the book. Along with this, the way in which Genevieve narrated her POV made the book feel suited for a younger YA audience instead of an older YA crowd. 😕
All in all, while I had some problems with the plotting and narration style for one POV, I still had a rather good time reading this. Thank you goes out to Versify Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review. And to the author, Zoboi, for writing a relevant young black woman’s immigrant story inspired by Caribbean folklore!
Publication date: February 11!
Overall: 3.75/5 ⭐️
May 30, 2025
Karibialaista kansanperinnettä hyödyntävä fantasiasäeromaani, jossa tavallisten ihmisten seassa kulkee maagisia olentoja, kuten muotoa muuttavia ja toisten elinvoimaa imeviä naisia. Kirjan päähenkilöinä on kaksi erilaista ja toisilleen vierasta teinityttöä, jotka löytävät yllättävän yhteyden välillään.
Tämä oli ihan mielenkiintoinen lukukokemus, vaikka jäinkin kaipaamaan vähän enemmän. Kirjan kiehtovin puoli on sen mytologia, josta ei kuitenkaan kerrota minusta ollenkaan tarpeeksi. Kirja on kirjoitettu sujuvasti, ja säeromaanimuotokin toimii ihan hyvin. Pidin myös siitä, miten kirjassa kommentoidaan rasismia, eksotisointia ja kulttuurista omimista. Mielestäni kirjan heikoin puoli on sen tarina, ja teiniangsti vie vähän turhan paljon sivutilaa (mikä toki kuuluu genreen, joten sinänsä pitää olla armollinen). Kokonaisuus jää kuitenkin positiivisen puolelle.
Tämä oli ihan mielenkiintoinen lukukokemus, vaikka jäinkin kaipaamaan vähän enemmän. Kirjan kiehtovin puoli on sen mytologia, josta ei kuitenkaan kerrota minusta ollenkaan tarpeeksi. Kirja on kirjoitettu sujuvasti, ja säeromaanimuotokin toimii ihan hyvin. Pidin myös siitä, miten kirjassa kommentoidaan rasismia, eksotisointia ja kulttuurista omimista. Mielestäni kirjan heikoin puoli on sen tarina, ja teiniangsti vie vähän turhan paljon sivutilaa (mikä toki kuuluu genreen, joten sinänsä pitää olla armollinen). Kokonaisuus jää kuitenkin positiivisen puolelle.
October 17, 2025
This was so good!
Ibu Zoboi does an amazing job at bringing to life the Caribbean folklore of Soucouyant.
The form of poetry syncs perfectly into the multi perspective that this novel has. Taking two sisters who grew up completely different and morphing their story into one another.
This book talks about heritage connected to the Caribbean, messy family relationships and what it means to immigrate to a country in which your own skin is viewed as "Ugly"
READ THIS.
Ibu Zoboi does an amazing job at bringing to life the Caribbean folklore of Soucouyant.
The form of poetry syncs perfectly into the multi perspective that this novel has. Taking two sisters who grew up completely different and morphing their story into one another.
This book talks about heritage connected to the Caribbean, messy family relationships and what it means to immigrate to a country in which your own skin is viewed as "Ugly"
READ THIS.
Read
March 9, 2025Probably my favorite of Zoboi's books!
March 31, 2025
Overall: 3/5
Narration: 4.5/5
Narration: 4.5/5
November 9, 2025
There’s a lot to process about this book. I may come back and write a longer review later.
What they did/were able to do with the narration at the end was cool.
I didn’t see that ending coming, honestly.
I also didn’t love either of the girls or their relationship, which is the biggest reason I struggled, I think. I had no one I was rooting for.
This is such a unique story, for sure. That makes it stand out.
What they did/were able to do with the narration at the end was cool.
I didn’t see that ending coming, honestly.
I also didn’t love either of the girls or their relationship, which is the biggest reason I struggled, I think. I had no one I was rooting for.
This is such a unique story, for sure. That makes it stand out.
March 4, 2025
Lyrical, strange, and full of rage. I'm here for it.
October 8, 2025
"And this magic is a part of me, is this why my skin is my skin."
(S)kin by Ibi Zoboi is an YA contemporary fantasy novel-in-verse about two sisters living different lives. a mixed-race dancer living with her white father, his wife, and their new babies. The other is an undocumented immigrant living with a controlling mother. Marisol is from the Dominican Republic and has dark skin like her mother. Marisol is a soucouyant (fire witch) who has to take the life from others to continue her life. Genevieve has lighter skin and has started having horrible rashes that can’t be controlled. I enjoyed the writing, it was fascinating reading from each girl's perspective.
Dual POV
Caribbean Folklore
Themes of identity, colorism, heritage and belonging
Vivid storytelling
Complex characters
Character growth
(S)kin by Ibi Zoboi is an YA contemporary fantasy novel-in-verse about two sisters living different lives. a mixed-race dancer living with her white father, his wife, and their new babies. The other is an undocumented immigrant living with a controlling mother. Marisol is from the Dominican Republic and has dark skin like her mother. Marisol is a soucouyant (fire witch) who has to take the life from others to continue her life. Genevieve has lighter skin and has started having horrible rashes that can’t be controlled. I enjoyed the writing, it was fascinating reading from each girl's perspective.
Dual POV
Caribbean Folklore
Themes of identity, colorism, heritage and belonging
Vivid storytelling
Complex characters
Character growth
September 18, 2025
Full review, here: https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2025...
I’ve had Zoboi on my TBR for a while, her other stuff but being able to read this one and get her on my read list was a huge personal win for me. This book is about two sisters from two different worlds. Genevieve has never known her mother, if she is alive or not, she only knows she must look more like her because there’s less resemblance between her and her white father. She’s been raised in his household with his wife, her stepmom since the beginning but she still yearns for stories and origins and yet…she’s young, and those answers may not have been what she thought.
I loved how in depth this was in the story and character building yet still strong with the beautiful verse format.
There’s so many emotions, so much gray and complications and I loved it all.
We have some body horror, we have monsters of all shapes and sizes, family, it pretty much has everything.
5/5 cups of coffee, I adored this.
I’ve had Zoboi on my TBR for a while, her other stuff but being able to read this one and get her on my read list was a huge personal win for me. This book is about two sisters from two different worlds. Genevieve has never known her mother, if she is alive or not, she only knows she must look more like her because there’s less resemblance between her and her white father. She’s been raised in his household with his wife, her stepmom since the beginning but she still yearns for stories and origins and yet…she’s young, and those answers may not have been what she thought.
I loved how in depth this was in the story and character building yet still strong with the beautiful verse format.
There’s so many emotions, so much gray and complications and I loved it all.
We have some body horror, we have monsters of all shapes and sizes, family, it pretty much has everything.
5/5 cups of coffee, I adored this.
Want to read
February 26, 2025Zana rec
Read
January 18, 2025(S)Kin, a novel-in-verse inspired by Caribbean folklore that weaves together the stories of Marisol and Genevieve—two teenagers living in Brooklyn who unexpectedly learn of their connection.
Marisol and her mother are soucouyants. During the new moon, they leave their skins behind, transform, and sip on the unsuspecting souls of their enemies in order to sustain themselves. After moving from the Caribbean to Brooklyn Marisol struggles to honor her magic while also trying to fit in. Genevieve on the other hand lives with her white dad, his white wife, and their new twin babies. Genevieve struggles to learn about her absent Black mother and desperately needs help with an itching, burning skin condition.
After crossing paths, unearthed secrets change their lives and provide answers to some of their most burning questions. Their journey together is filled with jealousy, understanding, sisterhood, questions of identity, and revenge. Most prevalent is the discussion of colorism and beauty ideals. Marisol is dark skinned with short, tight curls while Genevieve is light with long, loose curls. The social commentary on this topic is nothing new, but my heart still hurt for Marisol as she struggled to see the beauty of her skin color. In one way or another, they both preferred certain aspects of the other’s life and by meeting each other, they got a glimpse into what could’ve been.
I think it’s clever how Ibi had Marisol’s pov on the right hand side and Genevieve’s on the left. Then as their stories blend, they shift more to the middle. I don’t think the story ends the way most will probably expect. I admit that I thought the story would come full circle, and I didn’t like how it ended at first. Now, I think the ending is powerful and poetic.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Marisol and her mother are soucouyants. During the new moon, they leave their skins behind, transform, and sip on the unsuspecting souls of their enemies in order to sustain themselves. After moving from the Caribbean to Brooklyn Marisol struggles to honor her magic while also trying to fit in. Genevieve on the other hand lives with her white dad, his white wife, and their new twin babies. Genevieve struggles to learn about her absent Black mother and desperately needs help with an itching, burning skin condition.
After crossing paths, unearthed secrets change their lives and provide answers to some of their most burning questions. Their journey together is filled with jealousy, understanding, sisterhood, questions of identity, and revenge. Most prevalent is the discussion of colorism and beauty ideals. Marisol is dark skinned with short, tight curls while Genevieve is light with long, loose curls. The social commentary on this topic is nothing new, but my heart still hurt for Marisol as she struggled to see the beauty of her skin color. In one way or another, they both preferred certain aspects of the other’s life and by meeting each other, they got a glimpse into what could’ve been.
I think it’s clever how Ibi had Marisol’s pov on the right hand side and Genevieve’s on the left. Then as their stories blend, they shift more to the middle. I don’t think the story ends the way most will probably expect. I admit that I thought the story would come full circle, and I didn’t like how it ended at first. Now, I think the ending is powerful and poetic.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews