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Book Review of Skin

Skin
Skin
Author: Donna Jo Napoli
Genre: Teen & Young Adult
Book Type: Hardcover
reviewed on + 380 more book reviews


Summary:
Sep is 16 and wakes up with white lips on the first day of school. She grabs a tube of lipstick to try to cover them up, but soon she begins to notice that more white spots are appearing all over her skin. It seems that she has a rare skin disease called vitiligo. As she is dealing with this disease, she goes through some normal teenage behaviors. She confides in her best friend, pulls away from others views, hides and covers up as much as she can, and pities herself for this rarity.

My thoughts:
I don't want to give away the end, so I'm trying to keep the summary really vague. While Napoli does an excellent job bringing characters to life and I can understand Sep, I just don't like her. Even Sep's friends are more likeable that she is. The three are well written with a lot of character development. The ending is not necessarily surprising, but it doesn't fit with what most people expect in YA literature. Overall, with my dislike of Sep, I was disconnected from the book. Also, I left feeling disappointed that I had read it, regardless of the beautiful writing and skill that went into it.