Skin

Skin
written by Adrienne Maria Vrettos



I was definitely excited about Skin once I saw that it was a Simon Pulse book--I don't think I've ever disliked one of those. I didn't quite dislike it, but I'm not entirely sure if I liked it either. It was real and raw, that's for certain, but something just seemed off. The main character is an interesting and complex one, but I wish his sister had been the focus. I would have really liked to have seen alternating POVs, because I think both of them had stories to tell, and just focusing on his story and not hers as much, it was all skewed. We never find out much about Karen, because well, Donnie doesn't know much about Karen either. It is a unique perspective, yes, but it also leads to many moments of downtime where not much happens. Donnie's perspective really doesn't hit home until the very end, which, you know, with alternating POVs, would have been entirely do-able. That said, I do like that it's a brother/sister YA book as opposed to your typical teen romance (not that I have anything against those). Skin leaves the reader with much to think about long after the book is done, and it's a bittersweet end when you realize that it had to happen for Donnie to find his place.

Rating: 3/5