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187th out of 1,014 books
—
691 voters
Skin Deep
by
E.M. Crane
If all the world’s a stage, Andrea Anderson is sitting in the audience. High school has its predictable heroes, heroines, villains, and plotlines, and Andrea has no problem guessing how each drama will turn out. She is, after all, a professional spectator. In the social hierarchy she is a Nothing, and at home her mother runs the show. All Andrea has to do is show up every...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
March 11th 2008
by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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Andrea has always been an observer in life. At school she sees all the populars run the show and at home her mother makes sure that Andrea has no say in anything. Everything changes for this wallflower when she accepts a job feeding a dog for the sick neighbor Ms. Menapace. At first, it is a job that starts a bond with a dog. After Andrea meets Ms. Honora Menapace, she forms bonds with people who finally get her out of her comfort zone and show her that everyone is not definitely who they seem....more
Mar 13, 2013
Cain Freeman
added it
The story starts with Andrea, a fifteen year old girl who makes it her mission in life to stay unnoticed. Just another girl with just another face going through the routines of life. To accomplish this, she has honed the skill of not engaging people. If you don’t talk to someone, don’t look them in the eye, then they won’t notice you. She is one craving for brains away from being a zombie.
Away from the public eye, Andrea has her Lean Cuisine meals with her mother and the soaps. Her father left y...more
Away from the public eye, Andrea has her Lean Cuisine meals with her mother and the soaps. Her father left y...more
I recently finished reading this and I loved it. I think that it is not only a young adults' book as it is also very philosophical. I have not read that many philosophical books before and picked it up expecting it to be very different. The blurb makes it quite hard to understand what the book is really about, which actually added a sense of mystery to me.
It's about a teenage girl, Andrea Anderson, who sees things from the surface. Apparently, all the girls who cheerlead and get popular are sha...more
It's about a teenage girl, Andrea Anderson, who sees things from the surface. Apparently, all the girls who cheerlead and get popular are sha...more
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 reflects th...more
To start, the writing style is unique, but it reflects th...more
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...more
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 that...more
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 mind). Being ordinary is difficu...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 mind). Being ordinary is difficu...more
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Rating: 4.5 stars
This story was very moving and reached depths of understanding that I had not expected. Death is a component of the book; the story opens with the suicidal death of a teacher and closes with the cancerous death of someone that the main character, Andrea Anderson,comes to care very much for. She learns along the way that friendship can be found in unlikely places/people, and often you have to look deeper, beneath the surface as people/things can be different than they first appea...more
This story was very moving and reached depths of understanding that I had not expected. Death is a component of the book; the story opens with the suicidal death of a teacher and closes with the cancerous death of someone that the main character, Andrea Anderson,comes to care very much for. She learns along the way that friendship can be found in unlikely places/people, and often you have to look deeper, beneath the surface as people/things can be different than they first appea...more
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 dog. She slowly forms 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 dog. She slowly forms a...more
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 her place....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 her place....more
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 overall worth reading a...more
A few clichéd moments here, but overall worth reading a...more
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 purposeful because it demo...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 purposeful because it demo...more
This book has just become one of my all time favorites. I picked it up thinking, why not? It was such a deep and powerful book, and extremely different from what I expected. The characters are so complex and that's what makes it a great book. It shows that people are not always how they seem and cliche or not it's the truth. This book is the story of a high school girl who has just started to realize that people are complex and different. She starts to realize that she herself is no exception to...more
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 confidence in...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 confidence in...more
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 noticed and hated. Sometimes that's...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 noticed and hated. Sometimes that's...more
Nov 08, 2012
Jennifer Wardrip
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
trt-posted-reviews,
trt-gold-star-award-winner
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 countryside. Andrea's mom works at the local...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 countryside. Andrea's mom works at the local...more
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...more
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.
I didn't expect this book to be as good as it was. The summary sounded like a cliched young adult book, but what I found was something much deeper. This book is "Stargirl" meets a classic cancer sob story. Andrea Anderson, is this book's main character and is an "average" nobody that is the perfect vehicle in this novel to show that not everything in this life is as it seems. It's full of heart, and philosophical goodness. It's one I definitely recommend.
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...more
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...more
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.
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 find out...more
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| I love Emily Crane | 1 | 16 | Aug 31, 2008 06:38pm |
E. M. Crane is the winner of the 2006 Delacorte Press Contest for a First Young Adult Novel. She lives in Sackets Harbor, New York, where she is a fulltime writer. Skin Deep is her first book for young readers.
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“ One of the most extraordinary things about about dogs is their total lack of self-consciousness.
A dog never questions its own beauty, its own worth. A dog just accepts itself and lives for the moment.”
—
9 people liked it
A dog never questions its own beauty, its own worth. A dog just accepts itself and lives for the moment.”
“Live like you are extraordinary.
Love like you admire someone’s most painful burden.
Breathe like the air is scented with lavender and fire.
See like the droplets of rain are each exquisite.
Laugh like the events of existence are to be cherished.
Imagine like there is magic in you fingertips.
Give freedom to your instincts, to your spirit, to your longing.”
—
8 people liked it
More quotes…
Love like you admire someone’s most painful burden.
Breathe like the air is scented with lavender and fire.
See like the droplets of rain are each exquisite.
Laugh like the events of existence are to be cherished.
Imagine like there is magic in you fingertips.
Give freedom to your instincts, to your spirit, to your longing.”
Sep 14, 2012 07:06pm