Skin Deep – E.M.Crane
Marirosa Mia: Andrea Anderson considers herself a nothing and is OK with that. She has no support from her mother and is pretty much ignored in high school. But things start to change when Andrea starts to dogsit for her neighbor Honora, an eccentric woman prone to odd tea combinations. Through her growing relationship with Honora and Zena (the giant yet gentle St. Bernard Andrea dogsits), Andrea learns a thing or two about herself. This all sounds like a run of the mill coming of age story, doesn't it? Well, it really isn't. There isn't any huge glamorous transformation from ugly duckling to beautiful swan or any revelation that the boy next door is secretly the guy for her. No fashion/shopping montage here. Instead I found myself intrigued by the quietness of the story. Though part of me was cautious, certain that at any moment this would turn into an overly melodramatic story about dresses and boyfriends. But it never did. Thank you so much for that. Julie?
Julie: I love the tone of this book. Somehow, through sentence structure and a short chapter framework and Andrea's even-keeled, thoughtful voice, the author (E.M. Crane) made me feel immersed in the solitude that defines Andrea for much of the book. I haven't yet figured out exactly how Crane accomplished it. But it's impressive.
I also admire how appealing Crane made virtually all of her characters. Andrea's homeroom teacher "forgets to trim his ear hair" and commits one appallingly selfish act (which I won't reveal). And yet I feel much sympathy for him. Andrea's mom's boyfriend, Dennis, seems to Andrea like the kind of man who would "blow his nose in the fake dinner napkin. Or ... lean his chair back and undo the top button of his polyester slacks." "His eyes are buggish and he's the lumpy kind of overweight." He "belche[s] like a foghorn." How many authors would have used those kinds of details as building blocks for an unpleasant character? Not Crane. By the end of the book, Dennis was hands-down my favorite character other than Andrea. And you, Mia? What did you think of the characters?
M: I also loved how Crane created her characters. As you said, I didn't think that Dennis would turn out to be such an awesome ally for Andrea - it was a lovely surprise. I liked how he was believably weaved into the changes in her mother's personality. And even her mother was very well crafted and everything that came out of her mouth - though mostly discouraging and careless - was pitch perfect for her character. And although I loved Honora, I must say that it was Zena that won my heart. Every time she appeared I wanted to reach into the book and hug her. (Can you tell I've been thinking about getting a dog? It's getting worse by the day.)
There was one character I thought a little suspect: Ashley, the popular girl turned friend. I wasn't sure if it was her sudden social change or my teenage years playing into my reading of her, but I was always cautious of the story when I was around her.
Was there anyone you didn't find believable?
J: The sad truth is, I was skeptical of the characters whom Crane painted as purely kind to Andrea. These included Ashley and Roger Dupris, the strangely nice boy next door. Neither seemed real to me. I didn't understand their motivations. Then again, why do I assume that teenagers need a particular motivation to be nice? Surely some of them just *are*. I need to open my mind to this radical concept. My older daughter is already in middle school; I must hold out hope!
M: I can't wait till your kid is in high school, Julie. I can just picture you interrogating her friends/potential boyfriends and using the phrase "Just what are your intentions?" constantly. Can I be there when that happens? I have a very good poker face.
J: No, you cannot. I need to at least appear authoritative. I can't have you and your so-called poker face giggling in a corner.
M: … that’s probably for the best.
Comments