Second Skin [Paperback]

Jessica Wollman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 14, 2009

Beauty is only skin deep. Popularity goes much deeper. . . .

Appearances can be deceiving. Sam Klein’s found that out firsthand. All she wanted was to be popular. But sometimes what we want is the absolute worst thing for us.

Sam discovers that Kylie, It-girl of Woodlawn High, owes her popular status not to her expensive clothes, highlighted hair, and spot on the cheerleading squad but to a magical second skin. Nobody can actually see it—but they can feel it. And if you’re wearing the skin, you feel incredible. Invincible. Popularity is yours.

So Sam stole the skin from Kylie. Now she’s the most popular girl at school, while Kylie’s social life takes a serious hit. Sam can barely recognize herself. Her old geek clique is history—but are her new friends really people she can count on? The skin is clinging tighter to her each day . . . can Sam get it off before it’s too late?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

F-list sophomore Samantha (Sam) Klein discovers the secret to popularity in Wollman's (Switched) whimsical novel. All she has to do is slip into a different skin. Literally. Sam discovers the magical "skin" when she spies her new neighbor, "it girl" Kylie, taking it off in her bedroom ("I actually saw something-something flesh-colored-slip down the perfect column of her body"). Unable to resist the temptation of usurping Kylie's social status, Sam steals the bodysuit. The first time she tries it on, it fits perfectly and Sam instantly starts feeling more confident. However, as time passes, the synthetic skin becomes increasingly restrictive, both physically and metaphorically. Sam's social climbing, which coincides with Kylie's fall, is smartly depicted, showing both the benefits of being popular (snagging a cute boy friend) and the pitfalls (being too busy to hang out with old friends). Even though the moral-being the queen bee isn't all fun and games-is predictable, the narrative and escapades depicted here are fresh enough to provide laugh-aloud fun as well as some thought-provoking moments. Ages 12-up.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Jessica Wollman works as a television producer in New York, where she lives with her husband, the writer Daniel Ehrenhaft, and a small menagerie of illbehaved pets. She is the author of Switched.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 258 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (July 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385736010
• ISBN-13: 978-0385736015
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,232,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing but Strange, February 11, 2010

By 

Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf (PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Second Skin (Paperback)

Second Skin was an intriguing read that continually held my attention, but it was a bit.... strange and weird, at times.

Second Skin is based on the idea that every It-girl out there didn't just get that way on her on, instead she has a second skin made of polestar, which gives her the magic to be popular, loved, and envied by all. Yeah, as said above, it was certainly interesting, but strange at the same time. Though the one good thing that came from it's weirdness is that it made me constantly curious about all things evolving the skin, which made this a fast paced read.

I liked Jess in a lot in the beginning, because she was a unique girl who had her friends backs constantly. Though, as the story continued, and she got so obsessed with popularity that she did a complete 180 degree turn; she changed into someone who instead was unoriginal, annoying, and the absolute worst characteristic of all -selfish. This change lead me not to like her for most of the rest of the book because she constantly was a witch to everyone who truly cared about her instead vying for the attention of the elite. Thankfully, she did finally get her head screwed back place by the end allowing me to have a little bit of respect for her.

On the other hand, I liked her two best friends, Alex and Gwen, a lot as well as Kylie. All of them stood on there own, and I always was happy to see scenes that contained them.

Probably the most important thing that came from this book was the message that popularity truly isn't everything; instead it's better if you have a few really fantastic friends who always have your pack, not people who are constantly trying to rip you down and replace you. While I do always think this message is important, it's one that's been talked about so many times, it's become a bit unoriginal over time. I mean a story that contained someone seeing that popularity truly was everything that they could ever want, now that could be original.

In all, Second Skin is a great in between read, but it certainly not something you should rush to buy ASAP. Though, with saying that, I think I may still continue to read more by Ms. Wollman because she does have interesting ideas, even if the execution isn't always up to par.

Grade: C

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, December 4, 2009

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Second Skin (Paperback)

Samantha Klein will do anything it takes to be popular and to be part of the "In" crowd. And when she discovers the secret to just how the current queen of the A-list got her popularity, Sam makes the secret her own.

But once she gets her wish, she might just discover that it's not all that it's cracked up to be.

I thought that this was a cute book. I liked the idea of a second skin - I thought it was a new concept, or at least one that I hadn't read before. And while there was nothing too deep in the book, the message about popularity and being yourself did come across in an intriguing way.

I read SECOND SKIN in one sitting, so it's an easy-to-read story with a great theme.

Reviewed by: Andrea

3.0 out of 5 stars Be Careful What You Wish For..., November 29, 2009

By 

A. Mason (Windermere, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Second Skin (Paperback)

Samantha Klein will do anything it takes to be popular and to be part of the A-list crowd. And when she discovers the secret to just how the current queen of the A-list got her popularity, Sam makes the secret her own. But once she gets her wish, she might just discover that its not all that it's cracked up to be.

I thought that this was a cute book. I liked the idea of a second skin--I thought it was a new concept, or at least one that I hadn't read before. And while there was nothing too deep in the book, the message about popularity and being yourself did come across in an intruiging way. I read this book in one sitting so its an easy-to-read, story with a great theme.