If all the world’s a stage, Andrea Anderson is sitting in the audience. High school has its predictable heroes, heroines, villains, and plotl...
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reviews
May 27, 2011
Sarah
rated it: 
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book. The cover is beautiful, but gives nothing away. The back cover reads only "Do you know what's underneath if you scratch the surface?" Which also gives nothing away, though it does hint at the depth of the novel. Even once you read the inside flap, you don't really know if this is some sort of fantasy story or just straight fiction. In a way it is fantasy, but not in such a way that the book should be shelved anyplace other than reg
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Jan 28, 2012
Nick
rated it: 
It’s not every day that you read a book as good as the one I just read. It’s called Skin Deep, by. She’s an amazing new found author of mine, and when I say new found I literally mean I found her on a metal shelf in the library and figured I’d give her a try just because her book doesn’t even break 300 pages, which meant an quick easy read and a simple description. But the book became so much more than that within the first few chapters.
To start, the writing style is unique, but it More...
To start, the writing style is unique, but it More...
Mar 30, 2010
Nadia
rated it:
This book is about a sophomore girl, Andrea Anderson. Andrea is the quiet girl that doesn't hang out much with no friends. Soon Andrea is helping this lady that lives close to her that is battling cancer, Honora. When Andrea starts to help Honora out she starts to get close to her and her dog, Zena. Andrea also befriends a popular girl, Ashley who is really friendly to Andrea and doesn't judge her like a popular person would do. Andrea's life seems to change for the better with a new best friend
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Apr 06, 2009
Emily
rated it:
I had never heard of this book, but reading the insert made me want to give it a try. I'm glad I did. This was a beautiful story, and the type of book that I thought about even when I was not reading it because of the sound wisdom it contained. The message was so truthful, that one really has to scratch the surface of things and people to see the true beauty in them, and that it's better to face everything life has to offer, good or bad, than to miss out. There were a few parts of the book t
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Feb 13, 2010
Paula
rated it:
This is a really good book. I fear that it will not get its due in the young adult circuit because it is a quiet book. It is a quiet book with a lot of power.
This book takes place in Pennsylvania near where I grew up. Crane captures what it is like to grow up there perfectly. It was like I was transported back in time.
There are many young people who feel the way the main character in this book does. Andrea is not a tragic character, she is simply ordinary (in her min More...
This book takes place in Pennsylvania near where I grew up. Crane captures what it is like to grow up there perfectly. It was like I was transported back in time.
There are many young people who feel the way the main character in this book does. Andrea is not a tragic character, she is simply ordinary (in her min More...
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Sep 11, 2009
Marisa
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Jul 09, 2009
Mik
rated it:
Taken from my blog post.
Andrea Anderson is an observer amongst her chaotic high school peers. She watches, not participates, uninterested in the predictable schoolyard drama. Her house isn’t much of a comfort either, with an overbearing single mother and frozen meals as dinner, so she finds relief by walking through the woods and longing for a dog.
Her life alters when a neighbor Andrea doesn’t know goes to the hospital, leaving behind one of the few things Andrea loves, a More...
Andrea Anderson is an observer amongst her chaotic high school peers. She watches, not participates, uninterested in the predictable schoolyard drama. Her house isn’t much of a comfort either, with an overbearing single mother and frozen meals as dinner, so she finds relief by walking through the woods and longing for a dog.
Her life alters when a neighbor Andrea doesn’t know goes to the hospital, leaving behind one of the few things Andrea loves, a More...
Nov 24, 2008
Abby
rated it:
Everyone in her high school seems to have a role to play - cheerleaders, geeks, jocks... Everyone except Andrea Anderson. She's so uninteresting that she's invisible to her classmates and teachers. But when she gets a job as an assistant to a local hermit artist, Honora will help Andrea see that she's beautiful and vibrant on the inside.
This one started a little slowly for me, but about 60 or 70 pages I really got into it. It's a beautiful story of Andrea's quest to find herself and h More...
This one started a little slowly for me, but about 60 or 70 pages I really got into it. It's a beautiful story of Andrea's quest to find herself and h More...
Mar 23, 2010
Nancy
rated it:
A strong 3.5 stars, rounded up. This is a very quiet book. There's a couple of big, life-changing events, and they do change the main character's life, but in a very real way. In a quiet way, ripples on a pond. Andrea, the main character, was almost frustrating in her lack of confidence, but then, it was also so true. 16-year-old girls can knock themselves down fast, if they ever even get built up in the first place--and Andrea hasn't been.
A few clichéd moments here, but overa More...
A few clichéd moments here, but overa More...
Jun 08, 2010
Lisa
rated it:
I never really know what to say in a review. I liked the characters. The main character Andrea was one that I could sort of relate to because I like to be invisible but not because I'm afraid of other people. I just prefer my own company to the company of others. When I get sick of myself, I don't worry about hurting my own feelings.
The writing was excellent although I noticed the use or overuse of certain words like "bustle." Thinking about it now, that may have been More...
The writing was excellent although I noticed the use or overuse of certain words like "bustle." Thinking about it now, that may have been More...
Nov 09, 2008
Sara
rated it: 
3.5 stars. This is another book I randomly checked out at the library and read. It's about a girl named Andrea Anderson, who's more of a spectator than an actual player in life, and how she truly comes into her own when she starts caring for a sick neighbor's dog.
The writing in here is simple and a little slow at the beginning. I wasn't fully drawn into the story for a while because of that, and while I liked Andrea overall, I also got frustrated with her for her inability to find More...
The writing in here is simple and a little slow at the beginning. I wasn't fully drawn into the story for a while because of that, and while I liked Andrea overall, I also got frustrated with her for her inability to find More...
Jul 08, 2008
Becky
rated it:
Crane, E.M. 2008. Skin Deep.
First sentence: My name is Andrea.
Last sentence: Then it goes dark again.
Andrea Anderson is a nothing, a nobody, but she's fortunate to be an unnoticed nobody. "That's one thing about high school I've learned--even when you're unnoticed, there's usually someone else with a more painful role than loneliness. Girls who get their bras snapped in gym class, boys who endure a fist squashing their brown-bag lunches in the cafeteria. Both n More...
First sentence: My name is Andrea.
Last sentence: Then it goes dark again.
Andrea Anderson is a nothing, a nobody, but she's fortunate to be an unnoticed nobody. "That's one thing about high school I've learned--even when you're unnoticed, there's usually someone else with a more painful role than loneliness. Girls who get their bras snapped in gym class, boys who endure a fist squashing their brown-bag lunches in the cafeteria. Both n More...
May 11, 2008
Jennifer
rated it:
Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com
I can't stop thinking about this story. It is deep and completely satisfying.
Andrea Anderson is a loner in high school. She plays on the sidelines of life. She has a single mom who is very demanding and her life is very dull and ordinary. She thinks of school as a theater, and as she travels the hallways she sees different soap opera scenes.
The one thing that Andrea loves are dogs and long walks in the countrysi More...
I can't stop thinking about this story. It is deep and completely satisfying.
Andrea Anderson is a loner in high school. She plays on the sidelines of life. She has a single mom who is very demanding and her life is very dull and ordinary. She thinks of school as a theater, and as she travels the hallways she sees different soap opera scenes.
The one thing that Andrea loves are dogs and long walks in the countrysi More...
May 16, 2009
evelyn
rated it:
this was a really great book! most of the books i find in the young adult section are just chick flicks waiting to be filmed, but not this one. it was a wonderful story about a girl really coming to know herself and develop a healthy sense of self-worth. while certain plot points were fairly predictable, most of the storyline was able to avoid teen fiction cliches, which i was grateful for. there was no obvious love interest, stereotypes were both strengthened and obliterated (depending on the c
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Aug 22, 2009
Fanny
rated it:
The book is divided into five acts. Andrea Anderson, sophmore, is nothing and does nothing interesting, unti her mom gives her a job offer, walking Mrs. Menapace's dog. Slowly Andrea Anderson revises her view on her life as an indifferent being by becoming her assistant, Honora is an artist who paints, makes pottery, and knows herbs and tea. Andrea gains a friend in Ashley, fallen popular girl and Roger Dupris. She also meets Honora's friends Curtis, Daria, Hughie, and James on a road trip.
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Oct 04, 2008
Words
rated it:
Andrea Anderson is a self-proclaimed “Nothing” in life. She is ignored at school, disconnected from her mother, and has a completely absent inner life. She floats through life and watches, nothing sticks to her. Until she enters the lives of Honora, the crazy lady who lives in a crumbling house on the hill, and her 200 pound Saint Bernard, Zena. Initially helping to walk Zena while Honora is in the hospital, when Honora begins a quick decline from cancer Andrea stays on to help as her “assistant
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Aug 21, 2010
Victoria
rated it:
Just breath taking. Andrea changes so subtly that you feel as if you missed it until you get to the end and then you realize that it happened right in front of your face but was handled so realistically that it was like it was actually happening. It's just like when you or a friend or family member changes, you don't notice until it's over. HIGHLY recommended.
Jan 05, 2009
Janeen
rated it:
Mmmm it was fine. The descriptions I read made it sound like this book was going to take a really weird turn. But it didn't. And I guess that was fine with me.
I don't love dogs, so that probably detracted from my enjoyment.But I did like the MC's developing awareness of other people and herself as a person of interest.
I don't love dogs, so that probably detracted from my enjoyment.But I did like the MC's developing awareness of other people and herself as a person of interest.
Sep 30, 2009
Jerjonji
rated it:
Delacorte prize winner and one I actually liked. A coming-of-age story that's not predictable in places. She is an average kid with nothing going for her except her love of animals. It is that love that turns her life around and allows her to see the world through different lens.
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Dec 22, 2009
Freya
rated it:
This was a powerful read. I would highly recommend for the more mature YA set--I'm hoping some of my honors 8th graders will pick it up. Andrea Anderson's transformation from a girl on the fringes to a young woman involved with the world was a compelling read.
Mar 14, 2009
Judy
rated it: 
I wanted to like this book more, because the setting descriptions are quite evocative. However, the main character just did not feel true to me. I'll have to think about this some more and figure out what the problem is for me.
Nov 28, 2011
Navi
rated it:
Just beautiful. The slow start unfortunately had me doubting this book, but I'm glad I stuck with it. This is definitely one of the best examples of self-discovery fiction I've read in a while.
Give it a shot, if you find it.
Give it a shot, if you find it.
Apr 05, 2008
Linda
rated it:
Andrea is a spectator of life, certainly something I (and maybe many) can relate to. I liked how she doesn't wallow in self pity or pine to be different. She just kind of accepts things, which is what leads her into some truly significant and life-changing relationships with people in unexpected places, including an artist down the street who hires Andrea to take care of her dog. Reminds me a little of Joan Bauer's books (like Rules of the Road, minus the humor) because of the connections we mak
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Feb 01, 2011
Christine
rated it:
Standard coming of age story about a young girl who feels invisible in her own life. It wasn't a bad story-- and it was very well written, but I feel like I've read it before. Nice but predictable.
Mar 28, 2008
Megan
rated it:
Andrea Anderson has been hurt so much, she doesn't involve herself in anything. She has no friends. She is not in any clubs. In fact, she goes most days speaking maybe a sentence total. Andrea only sees her mom when they eat frozen dinners silently in front of the TV, so her mother can catch up on the day's soaps. And yeah, her mother is a bitch with no redeeming qualities. Andrea's life slowly starts to change when her neighbor goes into the hospital and needs a dogsitter. Read this to
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Jan 08, 2012
Juli
rated it:
The author did a fabulous job creating characters that I could believe in. I actually cared about what happened to the people and was moved by the story.
Feb 09, 2012
Hannah
rated it:
it has an amazing story, although it does have its language and some of the minor things that happen, but overlooking that, its one of my favorites.
Jul 22, 2010
Sheralyn
rated it:
A wonderful book, but was so disappointed in the language. I wish authors would quit ruining their stories with such unnecessary vocabulary.
Jun 16, 2011
Moriah
rated it:
One of the best books I've ever read. I've taken a lot from it to add into my life. One to read over and over to unlock all it's secrets.
May 05, 2010
Stacey
rated it:
A beautiful, quiet book about a young girl finding confidence in herself. I would highly recommend this to YA readers.
