Second Skin

Second Skin

Jessica Wollman

$8.99, Paperback

Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2009

978-0385736015

January 9^th, 2012

Genre: School Story, Humor, Science Fiction

Age: 12+

Description: Sam Klein wishes she were popular instead of “invisible vapor” everyone looks through. She envies Kylie Frank, the über girl at her school and now her brand new next door neighbor. After offering some help to Kylie after a party gone bad, Sam accidentally walks in on Kylie while she’s removing her “second skin.” Rightfully so, Kylie freaks out and reluctantly tells Sam that one girl in every high school gets possession of a “second skin”—a skin tight “suit” that grants ultimate popularity to its wearer. Unfortunately temptation is too great for Sam who one day steals the second skin from Kylie’s room. As Sam’s social status starts to climb, Kylie’s falls. Soon Sam has it all—tons of friends, a spot on the pep squad, chair of the dance committee, a hot boyfriend, and all she ever dreamed she wanted. However, her two old best friends want nothing to do with her anymore. As her life in the fast lane spirals out of control, she realizes that she doesn’t like the “popular” Sam and wants to give Kylie the second skin back—there’s just one problem. It’s literally becoming harder and harder to take the second skin off.

Opinion: Asides from the horrible choice in font for the book (bold and blocky), Second Skin was a fast read and a fun one. It has a great theme of staying true to oneself. Even when Sam finally gets the second skin off, Kylie decides she too prefers the original Kylie before the skin than the super popular one so they agree to hide the skin so no one else can use it. Sam is a great character. Many readers will be able to relate to her desire to be popular and in getting what she wished for the realization that all the attention isn’t real and is turning her into someone she doesn’t want to be. It was also refreshing to see a stereotypical “chick lit” book actually with a sci-fi bent to it.