Skin Deep

February 18, 2008
Winner of Delacorte's 2006 first YA novel contest, this thoughtful, evenly paced tale focuses on one high schooler's world and all that's frustratingly wrong in it. Sixteen-year-old Andrea Anderson begins her sophomore year feeling hopelessly average and plain, struggling to survive each school day unnoticed and to avoid her single mother's wrath. But when her homeroom teacher commits suicide in the teachers' lounge, Andrea begins to reevaluate her cautious existence. She doesn't shy away when a reclusive neighbor, diagnosed with cancer, needs help caring for her Saint Bernard and sprawling gardens. Instead, she befriends the herb-growing, pottery-making stranger and her enormous dog. Although her plot has plenty of death and abandonment, Crane shows readers about self-discovery and the importance of passion and strength. Some events seem abrupt or unlikely (popular cheerleader Ashley chooses Andrea to be her new best friend for no clear reason), and there may be some easy stereotypes, like the jocks who goose a nerdy student in assembly. But for the most part, the characters seem real and relatable, and when Andrea finally stands up to her mother, readers will empathize. Ages 12-up.

May 1, 2008
Gr 9 Up-Friendless, bullied by her mother, and insecure, 15-year-old Andrea Anderson considers herself a "Nothing" until she starts dog-sitting for Honora, an eccentric life-loving artist who is battling cancer. Their friendship grows organically and realistically through the novel, slowly causing Andrea to learn to value herself. Honora (and her St. Bernard, Zena) is the true star of the book, a powerful character almost too full of wisdom and kindness in a uniquely independent feminist way. The story is well placed in the naturalistic beauty of small-town Pennsylvania. The smoothly written narrative is imbued with a sense of faith in humanity and respect for the arts. Primarily a book about adults as seen through a young woman's eyes, and the effect this relationship has on her own growth, this languid read for introspective girls is an auspicious winner of the 2006 Delacorte Press First Novel Contest."Rhona Campbell, Washington, DC Public Library"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2008
Sophomore year is a time of change for 16-year-old Andrea. With her social life practically nonexistent and her family life strained, she begins to find rewarding friendships where she least expects them: with a popular girl, who suddenly looks outside the confines of the cheerleading squad for a friend; with Zena, the Saint Bernard that Andrea agrees to feed and walk; and with Zenas owner Honora, an artist who is dying of cancer but intensely full of life. Crane sensitively depicts the isolation and insecurity that Andrea initially faces and allows the story to develop slowly and credibly as she finds her way to a new sense of herself. Scenes in which Andrea helps Honora fire raku pottery and, later, believes the blackened pots to be ruined by rain offer some memorable images and ideas. The nicely drawn cast of minor characters, many of them adults, adds dimension to this involving first novel depicting a pivotal year of loss, change, and awakening.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2008
Andrea Anderson just tries to get by, both at school where she considers herself a "Nothing" and at home with her overbearing single mother. After a tragedy at school, Andrea begins to participate more actively in life. A nuanced, thoughtful protagonist helps make up for some two-dimensional depictions of minor characters.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)