The Secret Under My Skin

This novel shows an interesting and not entirely unbelievable vision of the future, after the world has been ruined due to pollution. People blaming everyone else, a government struggling to stay in power by fear and tight controls, and everyone, including young children, is put to work in some fashion.

McNaughton weaves an interesting future in her novel, and throws in a lot of little details that sometimes go missing in other YA novels, such as the issue of, well, clothing. In a world where technology is feared and tightly controlled, it's not as though people can just run down to a department store and grab a new sweater. As such, the presence of the Weavers' Guild, and the cultural meanings of things like knitting and other aspects show more of textile creation, are thrown into the forefront as seen as essential skills. Weavers are given high respect, and as such hold more than a small degree of power.

There's more than one story going on here, as it is with most good books. There's the story of Marella and her struggles to become a bio-indicator with Blay's help, and then there's the story of Blay trying to find out more about her past and just who she is. Side-by-side, the tale is a rich one that comes alive with ease, and draws you in.

The biggest shame about this book is that it's so short. I hear there's a sequel, and I suspect I'm going to have to track it down sooner rather than later, as I enjoyed this book so much. Definitely a recommend to fans of YA futuristic stories, and to those who enjoy hints of an interesting dystopia. show less

I really enjoyed this dystopian young adult novel, but I almost didn't read it because the cover design is just so horrible that I assumed the writing must be sub par too. So please don't judge this book by its unfortunate cover!

The political backstory was a little hard to keep up with sometimes, but that could be due to my getting 5-6 hours of sleep a night while taking care of my 7-week-old daughter right now. The author created a painfully plausible world--just imagine what it would be like if we continued damaging our planet beyond repair and there was a backlash against technology because of it.

Finally, a good teen dystopia! It's a little heavy-handed on the environmentalism at the beginning and on the importance of family at the very end, but all those pages in the middle are quite good. Probably not the top of my list for things I'd pass along to teens--I think the sub-par ones I've been reading, sadly, may have more appeal--but I'm including it on my booklist anyway.

The Secret Under My Skin is a well-written and involving work of speculative fiction. Its sympathetic characters and tight pacing make it a great read despite the unsubtle ecological message and earnest tone.

A few centuries in the future, what's left of the population in eastern Canada is mostly civilized, but factions are warring over acceptance of technology. The story is actually a coming of age for a lost girl who has the opportunity to leave a work camp and become embroiled in a hopeful future and find out who she is. Good one.

It took me awhile to get around to reading this post-global-warming novel, but I really enjoyed it once I got there. The cover is awful--looks like a teen summer romance.

Blay Raytee is a slave of a government workcamp, who refuses to give up the name she knows is hers. She refuses to accept that she is like those children who arrived at the camp faceless and nameless. She stubbornly calls herself Blay Raytee, though her future seems as bleak as the barren, post-technocaust landscape that surrounds her.
Winner The Ruth Schwartz Award, Mr. Christie's Book Award, The Nova Scotia Library Association's Ann Connor Brimer Award.