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kmc3050's review against another edition
5.0
Robin Wasserman's Skinned is a great introduction for her series. Taking place in a severely post-apocalypse future, readers find a world with superior technology that even stops death- allowing one to be downloaded into a mechanical body. Despite it's advances, this world is not perfect and is battling to come to terms with the new download procedure. Furthermore, most of the population lives in decrepit cities or in corp-towns, where they sacrifice freedom and rights for food and shelter. Only the super rich have catered lives in the country, full of food, energy, and anything technology can create. It is there that Wasserman's main character, Lia, is created, killed, and re-born into her new, machine body. While Lia does interact with others a great bit, the story really is about what is going on inside her. This first book serves it's purpose of setting up with who Lia was, what she has become, and what it all means. It is an exciting read that begs readers to consider what makes us human and would we know if we were not.
spope1527's review against another edition
1.0
If you like an angry, angsty teenage narrative - or just generally like feeling depressed, this book is for you. It had an interesting premise but absolutely no relief from misery.
issamshahid's review against another edition
3.0
There are many things I felt this book did right (the death and rebirth of Lia's life, her inability to reconnect with herself as a person and in society, etc), but I felt that the book failed in providing interesting supporting characters to read about. I love Lia as the main character though. Her no BS attitude on generally everything is a fresh thing to read, and I found that aspect both humorous and easy to connect with.
Zo is probably the most annoying character in the book, and will ultimately test you on whether or not you even want to finish the story. If it weren't for that bit of focus on bringing some depth to her character near the end, she would've ended up being as one-dimensional as the rest of the characters in this book (Lia's easily forgettable friends, her boyfriend, etc).
The only other characters that really stood out were Auden, Quinn, and Jude, who provided some interesting character interactions with Lia from time to time in order to break up Lia's thoughts throughout most of the book, but even they didn't seem to give a big enough push this book needed in order to be as good as it should have been.
By the end, 'Skinned' really felt kind of 'blah' (couldn't find a better term to express myself), leaving an uncomfortable, depressing, and unconnected feeling towards Lia and her world,.. but maybe that was also the point.
Either way, this isn't a book that I would go back to re-read again now that I'm done, as it provides little to go back to. However, I will still read the next book in the trilogy regardless, to see how it all plays out.
Zo is probably the most annoying character in the book, and will ultimately test you on whether or not you even want to finish the story. If it weren't for that bit of focus on bringing some depth to her character near the end, she would've ended up being as one-dimensional as the rest of the characters in this book (Lia's easily forgettable friends, her boyfriend, etc).
The only other characters that really stood out were Auden, Quinn, and Jude, who provided some interesting character interactions with Lia from time to time in order to break up Lia's thoughts throughout most of the book, but even they didn't seem to give a big enough push this book needed in order to be as good as it should have been.
By the end, 'Skinned' really felt kind of 'blah' (couldn't find a better term to express myself), leaving an uncomfortable, depressing, and unconnected feeling towards Lia and her world,.. but maybe that was also the point.
Either way, this isn't a book that I would go back to re-read again now that I'm done, as it provides little to go back to. However, I will still read the next book in the trilogy regardless, to see how it all plays out.
becxreadz's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting story. Girl dies and her brain is scanned and all her memories put into a machine like body. A lot of the book is simply Lia finding out how to deal with a body, a voice, a life that isn't hers. Her family certainly wasn't any help to her. For parents who chose this route for her they weren't willing to accept their new daughter as a person and her sister was a total bitch. I definitely want to keep reading though to see how Lia's new found life works out for her. While I like the covers I'm not sure what they have to do with he story.
celiaedf12's review
4.0
Lia, one of the rich and popular kids at her school, wakes up after a car accident to find her world has changed. Due to the terrible injuries caused to her body, her mind has been "downloaded" into a robotic simulacrum of her old body. She is now feared and disliked by her peers and society at large, a "thing", rather than the girl she used to be. Her sister no longer considers her part of the family, her boyfriend doesn't look at her the same way, and she's no longer allowed to be a part of the school's running team. Lia spends a lot of Skinned wishing she had died.
I really liked this take on the "downloading the mind" concept - the fear that the "skinned" version is merely a sophisticated computer, not the real person at all. After all, they're only a copy - what rights should they have? Skinned doesn't really come to any conclusions, nor does Lia really come to terms with her new body. It's the first book in a series, but it's quite a intriguing beginning.
I really liked this take on the "downloading the mind" concept - the fear that the "skinned" version is merely a sophisticated computer, not the real person at all. After all, they're only a copy - what rights should they have? Skinned doesn't really come to any conclusions, nor does Lia really come to terms with her new body. It's the first book in a series, but it's quite a intriguing beginning.
mdoering's review
5.0
I absolutely love this book. First off, I love the concept and the plot. Second, I love that Lia is a stone cold bitch. For some reason I find myself drawn to protagonists that are flawed in some way. It makes them more relatable. Lia was just so hateful and raw. She didn't truly care about anyone until it was too late and that had nothing to do with her basically becoming a robot; it was just her being a horrible person to begin with. She has so many things swirling around in her head and they all just kind of make you cringe, but she is not the least bit apologetic. The book is very very deep and is definitely not light reading, but I loved it so much. It just struck me as being a very powerful social commentary. If you like sci-fi I would definitely recommend it.
adubrow's review
5.0
Lia Kahn is dead, but that ends up just being the beginning when she gets downloaded into an artifical body/mech and returned to her "normal" life.
And if that sounds like an awesome idea for a novel? That's because it is an absolutely awesome idea. I literally could not put this book down.
It's really amazing how Wasserman turns Lia being made into a mech version of her former self into a sort of story any teenager can relate to about the bullying, isolation, and struggles one faces for being different. Of course Lia also struggles with being able to feel, having a place in her own life, and finding someone to understand her.
But this isn't a book where the future technology and makeovers are there for show. Wasserman never takes the easy way out and there is nothing comfortable or simple about Lia's situation or the world she lives in. I'm glad about that too because that was always my issue with Uglies and a lot of YA fiction. And because of that Lia is a very strong female character and intensely enjoyable to follow around.
Basically if you like anything relating to robots, Battlestar Galactica, or any of the crazy future tech-filled dystopia fiction that's been coming out, this book will be perfect for you. And you will be so pleased by how well it's written and the level of thought, care, and work put into this novel which is the first of a trilogy. (And the last book recently came out so now's a good time to start it.)
My only criticism with this book is the insane typos in one section where a female character and male character end up with the same name for roughly two pages. Totally not the author's fault or doing, however.
And if that sounds like an awesome idea for a novel? That's because it is an absolutely awesome idea. I literally could not put this book down.
It's really amazing how Wasserman turns Lia being made into a mech version of her former self into a sort of story any teenager can relate to about the bullying, isolation, and struggles one faces for being different. Of course Lia also struggles with being able to feel, having a place in her own life, and finding someone to understand her.
But this isn't a book where the future technology and makeovers are there for show. Wasserman never takes the easy way out and there is nothing comfortable or simple about Lia's situation or the world she lives in. I'm glad about that too because that was always my issue with Uglies and a lot of YA fiction. And because of that Lia is a very strong female character and intensely enjoyable to follow around.
Basically if you like anything relating to robots, Battlestar Galactica, or any of the crazy future tech-filled dystopia fiction that's been coming out, this book will be perfect for you. And you will be so pleased by how well it's written and the level of thought, care, and work put into this novel which is the first of a trilogy. (And the last book recently came out so now's a good time to start it.)
My only criticism with this book is the insane typos in one section where a female character and male character end up with the same name for roughly two pages. Totally not the author's fault or doing, however.
madde's review against another edition
2.0
The concept is good but the characters weren't developed enough.
thebreakfastbooks's review
3.0
Ich weiß, ehrlich gesagt, nicht so recht, was ich von diesem Buch halten soll. Es geht um ein Mädchen namens Lia Kahn, die nach einem Autounfall durch eine plastische Chirurgie seltsamster Art geht. In einem neuen Körper, der nicht ihrer ist, erwacht sie und muss sich irgendwie durchs Leben kämpfen - nicht ganz Mensch, aber auch nicht ganz Maschine. Akzeptiert wird das von ihrer Familie und ihren Freunden kaum, sodass sie langsam von ihrer Position als beliebtestes Mädchen und Schulqueen in den Keller der sozialen Rangordnung rutscht. Gleichzeitig muss sie akzeptieren lernen, dass sie ist, was sie ist - was auch nicht leicht fällt, wenn man vom Rest der Gesellschaft skeptisch beäugt wird.
An sich fand ich die Idee zu dieser Geschichte recht interessant. Etwas in der Art hatte ich zuvor schon gelesen ("ZweiundDieselbe" von Mary E. Pearson), doch diese Geschichte ist hier noch mal ein bisschen anders. Man erfährt einiges mehr über die Welt drumherum - eine gruselige Zukunft unserer Realität, in der die Kluft zwischen arm und reich gewachsen ist, in der Technologie das Leben diktiert und Konzerne die Politik im Schwitzkasten haben. Hin und wieder liest man etwas über diese seltsame Welt, was mir sehr gefallen hat. Das waren positive Aspekte dieser Geschichte, ebenso wie die Diskussionen, ob Lia und die anderen ihrer Art nun noch als Menschen gesehen werden können oder doch vielmehr Maschinen sind. Doch auf der anderen Seite war da eben auch Lia, die von ihren Freunden und ihrer Familie verstoßen wird. Was ... na ja, schon erschreckend zu lesen war, aber irgendwie so furchtbar klischeebeladen und typisch, dass es nicht mehr richtig Spaß gemacht hat. Ich will dazu nicht zu viel sagen, denn das würde nur bestimmte Geschehnisse vorwegnehmen - gefallen hat mir das aber nicht besonders.
Passend dazu waren auch die Charaktere recht einfach gestrickt. Auf mich wirkten sie eben doch mehr wie Personen in einem Buch als wie wirkliche Persönlichkeiten. Es war einigermaßen interessant über sie zu lesen, aber ich kann nicht sagen, dass ich von ihrem Schicksal übermäßig mitgerissen war.
Der Schreibstil hingegen war recht angenehm, sodass ich zumindest nicht abgeneigt war, weiterzulesen. Aber eben auch nicht übermäßig gespannt.
Weiterempfehlen würde ich das Buch nur bedingt. Wer sich mal etwas mit Bioethik auseinander setzen will aber dabei keine wahnsinnig tiefgründige, schwermütige Geschichte lesen will, macht mit diesem Buch nichts falsch.
An sich fand ich die Idee zu dieser Geschichte recht interessant. Etwas in der Art hatte ich zuvor schon gelesen ("ZweiundDieselbe" von Mary E. Pearson), doch diese Geschichte ist hier noch mal ein bisschen anders. Man erfährt einiges mehr über die Welt drumherum - eine gruselige Zukunft unserer Realität, in der die Kluft zwischen arm und reich gewachsen ist, in der Technologie das Leben diktiert und Konzerne die Politik im Schwitzkasten haben. Hin und wieder liest man etwas über diese seltsame Welt, was mir sehr gefallen hat. Das waren positive Aspekte dieser Geschichte, ebenso wie die Diskussionen, ob Lia und die anderen ihrer Art nun noch als Menschen gesehen werden können oder doch vielmehr Maschinen sind. Doch auf der anderen Seite war da eben auch Lia, die von ihren Freunden und ihrer Familie verstoßen wird. Was ... na ja, schon erschreckend zu lesen war, aber irgendwie so furchtbar klischeebeladen und typisch, dass es nicht mehr richtig Spaß gemacht hat. Ich will dazu nicht zu viel sagen, denn das würde nur bestimmte Geschehnisse vorwegnehmen - gefallen hat mir das aber nicht besonders.
Passend dazu waren auch die Charaktere recht einfach gestrickt. Auf mich wirkten sie eben doch mehr wie Personen in einem Buch als wie wirkliche Persönlichkeiten. Es war einigermaßen interessant über sie zu lesen, aber ich kann nicht sagen, dass ich von ihrem Schicksal übermäßig mitgerissen war.
Der Schreibstil hingegen war recht angenehm, sodass ich zumindest nicht abgeneigt war, weiterzulesen. Aber eben auch nicht übermäßig gespannt.
Weiterempfehlen würde ich das Buch nur bedingt. Wer sich mal etwas mit Bioethik auseinander setzen will aber dabei keine wahnsinnig tiefgründige, schwermütige Geschichte lesen will, macht mit diesem Buch nichts falsch.