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Skin
This pertinent, timely, intelligent and incredibly compelling exploration of the relationship we have with our own bodies opens in Bali. Natalie, its protagonist, is uncomfortable in her own skin. Her most recent relationship is long since over and she's become disillusioned with her career as a teacher – adopting a tried-and-tested attempt at self-discovery, she packs her bags to go travelling.
Natalie travels to Bali, New Zealand, Australia, Dublin, rural Ireland and the Netherlands to try and find her place, but her isolation abroad only heightens her sense of unease. Her journey is psychological as well as physical – she is obsessed with her shape, believing herself to be awkward and over-large, recoiling from relationships with men and eating compulsively as a self-destructive reaction to her issues with her weight.
As the narrative unfolds, we gradually become aware of a crucial development in Natalie beginning to take place. This novel engages powerfully with issues that are important to women, and also to people in general, via an incredibly beguiling protagonist – she is intelligent and self-aware, sharp and acute, and able to see the comic side of her predicament. An intensely enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
Natalie travels to Bali, New Zealand, Australia, Dublin, rural Ireland and the Netherlands to try and find her place, but her isolation abroad only heightens her sense of unease. Her journey is psychological as well as physical – she is obsessed with her shape, believing herself to be awkward and over-large, recoiling from relationships with men and eating compulsively as a self-destructive reaction to her issues with her weight.
As the narrative unfolds, we gradually become aware of a crucial development in Natalie beginning to take place. This novel engages powerfully with issues that are important to women, and also to people in general, via an incredibly beguiling protagonist – she is intelligent and self-aware, sharp and acute, and able to see the comic side of her predicament. An intensely enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
338 pages, Hardcover
First published August 8, 2019
27 people are currently reading
988 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
August 31, 2019
This is an exceptional read. It falls down only in a few places simply because there are fragments that deserve more time and story elements that are cut way too short. But the overall effect is devastating, deeply personal and shows an acute awareness of this modern panopticon we're all stuck running around in all over the world. Illuminating the endless struggle to love oneself whilst feeling alienated from our imperfect selves, Reapy captures the futile cycle of self hatred, desire and control we're forced to wrestle with in order to gain an accepted place in society. With Skin, Reapy tears at the edges of this myth and almost annihilates it. It could dare to go even further but comes close enough to be both beguiling and totally recognisable. It's also funny and optimistic, with her lead character, Natalie emerging from crippling anxiety into someone who sees enough of the reality of others to know she has to change.
February 3, 2021
“A wave of disappointment crashes into me. I sit on the couch, sit with the disappointment until it passes, and when it passes, I rise again and smile. A thought glints that maybe this is real love, accepting life as it is.”
It was going to be 4 stars until that last little quote. Beautifully subtle pearls of wisdom throughout. Thoroughly enjoyable, touching & relatable.
A seriously great read for anyone who has ever been not-too-keen on themselves, or finds it difficult to be kind to themselves. & a gentle reminder to all of us that we must be kinder to ourselves, to our bodies, & to others.
It was going to be 4 stars until that last little quote. Beautifully subtle pearls of wisdom throughout. Thoroughly enjoyable, touching & relatable.
A seriously great read for anyone who has ever been not-too-keen on themselves, or finds it difficult to be kind to themselves. & a gentle reminder to all of us that we must be kinder to ourselves, to our bodies, & to others.
January 20, 2021
Skin is a novel which explores our relationships with our bodies, at times very uncomfortable and difficult to read. We are taken on a journey of self exploration with our protagonist Natlie, an ex teacher from Ireland. Natlie is obsessed with her body and is overwhelmed with negative thoughts around her appearance and self worth.
I felt great amounts of empathy for Natalie and found myself getting rather upset when she was being so harsh on herself and taking part in destructive behaviours.
I liked how the story didn’t solely focus on the female body but also explored negative relationships that men have with their bodies, a narrative I have never read before.
Overall this was a good book, it was an easy read, quite emotional and uncomfortable in parts but I think a few story lines were a bit irrelevant or could have been expanded on.
I felt great amounts of empathy for Natalie and found myself getting rather upset when she was being so harsh on herself and taking part in destructive behaviours.
I liked how the story didn’t solely focus on the female body but also explored negative relationships that men have with their bodies, a narrative I have never read before.
Overall this was a good book, it was an easy read, quite emotional and uncomfortable in parts but I think a few story lines were a bit irrelevant or could have been expanded on.
March 27, 2024
This was so therapeutic to read.
Natalie is uncomfortable with her body and she struggles with binge-eating disorder. One day, she quits her job and goes to travel the world. The book is very much like watching a butterfly get out of the cocoon - she learns to love herself, find her voice, take care of her body, leave disordered eating behind, drop toxic friendships that keep her negative, and embrace a new passion: fitness.
As I just said before, this was a therapeutic read for me. The story is told in snippets as Natalie is a wreck. Uncomfortable, self-conscious, inactive, carrying shame and hate like a heavy backpack. We see this in very awkward chapters when she's in Bali and then Australia visiting an aunt. It is truly during her work away experience in Wellington, NZ, that we see her become something else - she's taking care of herself, saying no to what she doesn't need, and seeing beyond her own self. And then we move back to the countryside in Ireland and eventually Peru, Amsterdam, and back to Dublin.
It was a beautiful story. I can honestly say this. It was awkward and weird at places, it felt both realistic and very much not so at times, but travelling is like that. I entertain people by telling them crazy hostel stories I've had (men peeing over whoever was in the lower bunk, me throwing a 'do not disturb sign' to a drunk Russian guest, me having to go to a police station in Korea because of a shoe robber that stole an expensive pair of Jordans... etc. Hostels are crazy, and they're great, and this book felt like a love story to these crazy encounters, but also about how travelling shapes you.
Other than travelling, I mean. Yes, yes. If you know me, you know I constantly joke about quitting what I'm doing to either open a gym or work at a gym. Working out made me feel comfortable(ish) with a body that I've never liked. And Natalie's story is one in which we see someone who hates her body, feels shame about it, accepts it and embraces fitness. This is not a weight loss story and Natalie never diets in here, but she starts taking care of her body and she likes it at the end. And she does the most with it. She follows her dream (and my dream) and honestly, the last page had me in tears.
When I talk about body positivity, I mean this. I recently read Lifting Heavy Things: Healing Trauma One Rep at a Time where the author also doesn't have the 'body you'd expect' from a professional powerlifter, and the same can go for the author of Fatty Fatty Boom Boom: A Memoir of Food, Fat, and Family. I find it beautiful that more people are coming out and rejecting toxic fitness culture (which we see in Skin with toxic trainers and toxic gyms) and are moving on to considering a healthy body one that performs.
Anyways, I'll wrap it up. This was a great read. Loved it. 4.5 stars.
Three bits I highlighted for whatever reason:
If I hosted something, who’d come? No one, probably. Paper plates with slices of birthday cake are passed around. I take one, then another, and decide to never throw a party.
---
‘Travel forced me to be my own friend because it was too fucking lonely not to be.’
---
‘But it’s daft.’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know. I’m not in good enough shape to be doing this work.’
‘Who says?’
I’m silent. Who did say?
Natalie is uncomfortable with her body and she struggles with binge-eating disorder. One day, she quits her job and goes to travel the world. The book is very much like watching a butterfly get out of the cocoon - she learns to love herself, find her voice, take care of her body, leave disordered eating behind, drop toxic friendships that keep her negative, and embrace a new passion: fitness.
As I just said before, this was a therapeutic read for me. The story is told in snippets as Natalie is a wreck. Uncomfortable, self-conscious, inactive, carrying shame and hate like a heavy backpack. We see this in very awkward chapters when she's in Bali and then Australia visiting an aunt. It is truly during her work away experience in Wellington, NZ, that we see her become something else - she's taking care of herself, saying no to what she doesn't need, and seeing beyond her own self. And then we move back to the countryside in Ireland and eventually Peru, Amsterdam, and back to Dublin.
It was a beautiful story. I can honestly say this. It was awkward and weird at places, it felt both realistic and very much not so at times, but travelling is like that. I entertain people by telling them crazy hostel stories I've had (men peeing over whoever was in the lower bunk, me throwing a 'do not disturb sign' to a drunk Russian guest, me having to go to a police station in Korea because of a shoe robber that stole an expensive pair of Jordans... etc. Hostels are crazy, and they're great, and this book felt like a love story to these crazy encounters, but also about how travelling shapes you.
Other than travelling, I mean. Yes, yes. If you know me, you know I constantly joke about quitting what I'm doing to either open a gym or work at a gym. Working out made me feel comfortable(ish) with a body that I've never liked. And Natalie's story is one in which we see someone who hates her body, feels shame about it, accepts it and embraces fitness. This is not a weight loss story and Natalie never diets in here, but she starts taking care of her body and she likes it at the end. And she does the most with it. She follows her dream (and my dream) and honestly, the last page had me in tears.
When I talk about body positivity, I mean this. I recently read Lifting Heavy Things: Healing Trauma One Rep at a Time where the author also doesn't have the 'body you'd expect' from a professional powerlifter, and the same can go for the author of Fatty Fatty Boom Boom: A Memoir of Food, Fat, and Family. I find it beautiful that more people are coming out and rejecting toxic fitness culture (which we see in Skin with toxic trainers and toxic gyms) and are moving on to considering a healthy body one that performs.
Anyways, I'll wrap it up. This was a great read. Loved it. 4.5 stars.
Three bits I highlighted for whatever reason:
If I hosted something, who’d come? No one, probably. Paper plates with slices of birthday cake are passed around. I take one, then another, and decide to never throw a party.
---
‘Travel forced me to be my own friend because it was too fucking lonely not to be.’
---
‘But it’s daft.’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know. I’m not in good enough shape to be doing this work.’
‘Who says?’
I’m silent. Who did say?
January 29, 2021
It was alright, I really appreciated what the book was doing, challenging our relationships with our bodies and ourselves and in that sense it was brilliant but in the sense of reading it and enjoyment I didn't find it enjoyable, I found stories with in it irrelevant and I just lost interest, I wanted to love it but I loved the idea of it more than actually reading it
January 23, 2021
Very relatable in an almost therapeutic way
April 15, 2024
I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to. I really appreciated that by the end it felt like she had progressed on her healing journey because at the beginning it really did not seem like it was going that way.
October 22, 2023
The problem with travelling is that wherever you go, there you are.
February 3, 2021
3.5! really good, just wish some parts and characterisations could have been expanded a little more!
April 9, 2025
It was an interesting read and whilst I enjoyed the author's exploration of eating struggles, and acceptance of the body, I feel as if certain plot lines could have been replaced for other aspects. Generally, the almost blips of Natalie's life put together made this an easy and enjoyable read, but it just felt as if the story was left almost incomplete.
As if the author just let go of certain plot lines and that the story in itself was more so a collection of Natalie's memories rather than an actual story. Additionally, the exploration of her binge-eating and body struggles felt less explored, with a strong emphasis on the men she encounters in her story instead. That in itself wouldn't have been a problem if the book was about romance, but it wasn't, making it feel as if I am reading more about someone trying to find validation and fun.
Overall, it was a book I wanted to love, being able to relate to Natalie in a way, however I just couldn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked to, which is quite unfortunate.
As if the author just let go of certain plot lines and that the story in itself was more so a collection of Natalie's memories rather than an actual story. Additionally, the exploration of her binge-eating and body struggles felt less explored, with a strong emphasis on the men she encounters in her story instead. That in itself wouldn't have been a problem if the book was about romance, but it wasn't, making it feel as if I am reading more about someone trying to find validation and fun.
Overall, it was a book I wanted to love, being able to relate to Natalie in a way, however I just couldn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked to, which is quite unfortunate.
April 6, 2020
Skin is the story of Natalie, a twenty something with a complicated relationship with her body image. Told across a series of chapters set in a variety of locations, Australia, Ireland, Peru etc, we follow Natalie as she tries to find her place in the world.
The entire book is told from Natalie's perspective but I still feel at the end I didn't really know her. We know she is a former teacher with a desire to move into the fitness industry. We know that she has had issues with food and self image, an eating disorder possibly. We know she has complicated relationships with men but we never learn why.
Overall Skin is an engaging, enjoyable read even if Natalie herself is depressing but I would have liked to know more about her past and the experiences that have led her to where we meet her.
The entire book is told from Natalie's perspective but I still feel at the end I didn't really know her. We know she is a former teacher with a desire to move into the fitness industry. We know that she has had issues with food and self image, an eating disorder possibly. We know she has complicated relationships with men but we never learn why.
Overall Skin is an engaging, enjoyable read even if Natalie herself is depressing but I would have liked to know more about her past and the experiences that have led her to where we meet her.
March 19, 2021
This book traces the protagonist's relationship with her weight and body across international travel and her 'regular' life in Ireland. It certainly touches on important issues of body image and health, and there are some attempts to grapple with issues, especially those related to inequality and tourism. However, I found all the attempts to address these issues ham-handed and unrealistic (especially the dialogue), and I never really connected with the main character or the settings. The entire book is thinly sketched and short on detail. Although some parts are relatable, overall, I found it mostly forgettable.
June 9, 2022
It’s been around 4 months since I’ve finished this book but I’ve not stopped thinking about it. Books about sad women in Ireland have a special place in my heart. Especially the ones I bought in Ireland when I myself was ✨sad✨.
February 6, 2021
I received Skin by E.M. Reapy in this month’s Books That Matter Subscription box. A feminist book box that wants to bring female-led fiction and empowerment to women worldwide. (not an affiliate, or an AD, just something I genuinely love).
Skin is a thought-provoking and a relatable book which deals with some topics such as an eating disorder (self-destructive eating), low-confidence, anxious thoughts, dementia. Natalie is someone who many can look at and see parts of themselves in. She’s a person who often doesn’t see their own worth, and yet is also strong and capable.
We meet Natalie, an ex-teacher from Ireland, while she is travelling. She is someone who is unsure of flattery, even when abroad, and when flirted with it confuses her. As Natalie doesn’t think highly of herself. She jumps around in countries, and as she gets more stressed, the more she eats, feeding the hatred she already has for herself. The people she interacts with are different but recognisable—often able to find someone in our own lives these people could be related to.
Full review here
Skin is a thought-provoking and a relatable book which deals with some topics such as an eating disorder (self-destructive eating), low-confidence, anxious thoughts, dementia. Natalie is someone who many can look at and see parts of themselves in. She’s a person who often doesn’t see their own worth, and yet is also strong and capable.
We meet Natalie, an ex-teacher from Ireland, while she is travelling. She is someone who is unsure of flattery, even when abroad, and when flirted with it confuses her. As Natalie doesn’t think highly of herself. She jumps around in countries, and as she gets more stressed, the more she eats, feeding the hatred she already has for herself. The people she interacts with are different but recognisable—often able to find someone in our own lives these people could be related to.
Full review here
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February 8, 2025"My wonderful life. Is it better than, equal to, or less than theirs? I delete the photo, put my phone away."
This book was full of insightful sound bites like the one above but still fell a bit flat for me. I am struggling to define exactly why that is but maybe I wanted more physical descriptors of the main character - especially if she is supposed to be so overweight that everyone feels compelled to call out her weight problem. The woman on the cover of the Kindle Edition certainly looks to be on the thinner side. Even the title "Skin" made me feel as though the book would contain more discourse surrounding the main character's body.
All in all - I liked this read but maybe thought I would walk away having experienced something more profound.
This book was full of insightful sound bites like the one above but still fell a bit flat for me. I am struggling to define exactly why that is but maybe I wanted more physical descriptors of the main character - especially if she is supposed to be so overweight that everyone feels compelled to call out her weight problem. The woman on the cover of the Kindle Edition certainly looks to be on the thinner side. Even the title "Skin" made me feel as though the book would contain more discourse surrounding the main character's body.
All in all - I liked this read but maybe thought I would walk away having experienced something more profound.
February 2, 2021
TW for body dysmorphia.
Skin tells the tale of Natalie, a young woman who is incredibly uncomfortable in her own skin, who escapes a teaching career to travel the world: Bali, Australia, Peru and beyond. Over the course of a series of vignettes from her life, we see how Natalie begins to accept the skin she lives in.
I read this book at the PERFECT time for me. It was my January Books That Matter box pick, which I feel was the ideal time for reflection. No new year, new me, more learn to love what you have.
The beginning of this books is very uncomfortable to read: Natalie is incredibly risk-averse and highly self-critical. However, I really enjoyed her journey, as she found a niche for herself and a purpose that wasn’t necessarily glamorous or flamboyant, but which suited her. Natalie is not a perfect or polished character - her flaws are what made this novel so relatable to me.
I also really enjoyed the episodic style of writing. Each chapter feels very self-contained (almost a short story for each) but you do get a clear sense of her character development as she discovers more and more of how she would like to live her life.
One thing I would have loved more of - it is briefly mentioned that she is an ex-teacher. As a teacher myself, I would have enjoyed seeing more of how that career shapes and influences Natalie in her life after teaching. It didn’t feel relevant to the story, but was really played up on the blurb.
This one is probably not for everyone (in many ways it feels very feminine) but I would recommend for an uplifting and inspiring journey - especially if you’re not feeling yourself during these dreary, wintery lockdown times we are living in.
Skin tells the tale of Natalie, a young woman who is incredibly uncomfortable in her own skin, who escapes a teaching career to travel the world: Bali, Australia, Peru and beyond. Over the course of a series of vignettes from her life, we see how Natalie begins to accept the skin she lives in.
I read this book at the PERFECT time for me. It was my January Books That Matter box pick, which I feel was the ideal time for reflection. No new year, new me, more learn to love what you have.
The beginning of this books is very uncomfortable to read: Natalie is incredibly risk-averse and highly self-critical. However, I really enjoyed her journey, as she found a niche for herself and a purpose that wasn’t necessarily glamorous or flamboyant, but which suited her. Natalie is not a perfect or polished character - her flaws are what made this novel so relatable to me.
I also really enjoyed the episodic style of writing. Each chapter feels very self-contained (almost a short story for each) but you do get a clear sense of her character development as she discovers more and more of how she would like to live her life.
One thing I would have loved more of - it is briefly mentioned that she is an ex-teacher. As a teacher myself, I would have enjoyed seeing more of how that career shapes and influences Natalie in her life after teaching. It didn’t feel relevant to the story, but was really played up on the blurb.
This one is probably not for everyone (in many ways it feels very feminine) but I would recommend for an uplifting and inspiring journey - especially if you’re not feeling yourself during these dreary, wintery lockdown times we are living in.
February 21, 2021
Solid book, I've never read anything quite so real feeling, this is a great look at how women look at their own bodies and their internal monologues letting them feel lesser and not worth the work.
It was moving in parts, funny in others and overall I just liked our leading lady.
My only negative is it ended quite abruptly I suppose, no happy ever after just a feeling of you can do whatever you put your mind to if you work at it.
It was moving in parts, funny in others and overall I just liked our leading lady.
My only negative is it ended quite abruptly I suppose, no happy ever after just a feeling of you can do whatever you put your mind to if you work at it.
January 23, 2021
literally couldn't put this one down, such a nice read and kind of perfectly timed for me rn...brb going to find more of this author's work
March 12, 2021
A nice, easy read with a compelling protagonist. However some storylines felt incomplete and the character arc underdeveloped. It makes for a nice holiday read!
August 22, 2025
I feel like this altered my brain, but in the best way possible?!
May 3, 2025
Felt bit flat - there was bit jumps between Natalies travels and would meet other people and connect with them and then boom - skips to the next travel with no inbetween.
The book was mainly Natalies own self development but it didnt state how she healed her body and eating struggles. It wasnt always clear what she actually wanted, just felt like she was drifting.
The book was mainly Natalies own self development but it didnt state how she healed her body and eating struggles. It wasnt always clear what she actually wanted, just felt like she was drifting.
February 6, 2021
“A wave of disappointment crashed into me. I sit on the couch, sit with the disappointment until it passes, and when it passes, I rise and smile. A thought glints that maybe this is real love, accepting life as it is”
February 2, 2021
‘I can calculate your biometrics and create a full fitness and nutrition plan. Want a beach body in six weeks?’
‘I already have a body that can go to the beach’
This simply written book highlights the anxiety and pains of a seemingly average woman. From the need to travel to the furthest points of the earth to ‘find yourself’, to realising that it was there in front of you the entire time. As somebody who continually struggles with an eating disorder, this book really resonates with me. There is something so complicated in the simplicity of this disease, no matter how honest you are with yourself it’s still too difficult to come to terms with when you are living in such a physically perfect obsessed world.
The questions I asked myself when finishing this book were; what is normal? What is a normal body shape? Who decides what is an acceptable weight in society and what isn’t? Where do you draw the line?
The easiest thing in the world is to fixate, I could spend my life fixating on a number, I could lose my life fixating on a number... this book bring that to the surface and lays it bare.
‘I already have a body that can go to the beach’
This simply written book highlights the anxiety and pains of a seemingly average woman. From the need to travel to the furthest points of the earth to ‘find yourself’, to realising that it was there in front of you the entire time. As somebody who continually struggles with an eating disorder, this book really resonates with me. There is something so complicated in the simplicity of this disease, no matter how honest you are with yourself it’s still too difficult to come to terms with when you are living in such a physically perfect obsessed world.
The questions I asked myself when finishing this book were; what is normal? What is a normal body shape? Who decides what is an acceptable weight in society and what isn’t? Where do you draw the line?
The easiest thing in the world is to fixate, I could spend my life fixating on a number, I could lose my life fixating on a number... this book bring that to the surface and lays it bare.
October 20, 2021
Loved the concept re: stuggles with body issues but the theme does not carry into the story. The book is from Natalie's perspective but there is no ongoing story line. We are continually left with unsatisfying snippets of different moments in her life that are not connected to one another. The beginning of the book is mentions continuously her binge eating but that problem is almost forgotten about. It feels like the character is very detached by her feelings and it is not conveyed through the story, i.e. when she loses her friend/grandmother, when she finds love. The biggest missed opportunity is when she meets a gentleman who also has body issues but they don't really talk about it and she doesn't really explain how she feels about her body in this moment. Very disappointed.
September 1, 2021
I loved it. Could really see myself in the character and that nagging self-critical voice in her head. The travel stories were so vivid, and very different to my experiences of solo travel in most part, but as a solo female traveller, I could also relate to a lot of the experiences. The evolution/journey of Natalie was shown beautifully, and I generally found this book to be a balm for the soul. It came to me at the right time too, and I was sad it was over.
Great, accessible and intelligent writing about the human condition.
Great, accessible and intelligent writing about the human condition.
March 16, 2021
This book was so frustrating. So many characters and plot lines, none of which were actually developed and most of which didn’t really seem to have a purpose. Even the main character was incredibly flat and I desperately wanted to learn more about her, understand her and feel for her. But meh, couldn’t care less about the story. (Also, she got high and had a very deep conversation with a cactus...?)
Such a shame because I loved the premise of the book and thought some of the remarks on body confidence, eating disorders and sexism were on point.
Such a shame because I loved the premise of the book and thought some of the remarks on body confidence, eating disorders and sexism were on point.
June 8, 2022
Charming, delightful, devastatingly relatable. This was a deeply personal account of a self-conscious woman trying to find herself, and damn it if I don't wish my middle school, high school, and college self could read it.
January 27, 2021
A great story about the importance of feeling comfortable in the skin you are in.
January 28, 2021
i liked some of the characters but overall wasn’t my kind of book, i found it cliché and cringey in a lot of parts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews