The Secret Under My Skin by Janet McNaughton Date of Publication: 2000 ISBN: 0006485227 Number of Pages: 273

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: High
GENRES: Science Fiction, Mystery, Romance
THEMES: Coming of Age, Appearance versus Reality, Life versus Death, Good versus Evil, Friendship, Loyalty, Family, Isolation

SUMMARY:
Blay Raytee is a young girl with very few early memories. Her earliest, clear recollection is being taken in by Hilary, a young girl who found her on the streets and taught her to read. The only things she has from her earliest years are her “Object” (an obsolete cassette tape) and her name. It is now 2368 and Blay is living in a futuristic version of Earth, where society is just starting to rebound from years of environmental destruction. A generation earlier there had been a global “Technocaust,” where most of the books, scientists, and other highly educated people were systematically rounded up, imprisoned, or worse. This occurred because people believed that science and technology were the reason for the destruction, and the ruling “Commission” encouraged that belief. The Commission is still in power, and Blay is working in one of their government-run work camps when the story begins.

Blay has downplayed her reading ability, although it is no longer considered dangerous, but as a result of her skills, she is chosen to leave the work camp. She is taken to act as companion and tutor to Marrella, a young girl believed to be the next “bio-indicator.” Helping the moody and unappreciative Marrella is not as easy as it seems, but Blay perseveres because she is desperate to stay in the first real home she has ever known. Erica and William, Marrella’s caretakers, have become like surrogate parents to Blay, and their neighbour, Lem, understands her heartbreak because he, too, was a victim of the Dark Times. Another victim who understands is Fraser, a sensitive young villager who sees in Blay a kindred spirit, and teaches her to be herself.

As she slowly allows herself to feel again, Blay reveals the little she can recall about her early life. A microchip hidden under her skin adds to this knowledge, and starts Lem on a hunt for additional information. Blay soon discovers there is much more to her past than even she suspected. As she begins to solve the mystery of her identity, she starts to recognize that she has hidden gifts, and learns how they can be used to defeat the Commission and its lies. With the help of her loved ones, she finally understands the mystery of her past, changes the world of her present, and sets a course for her future…

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...

• loves science fiction blended with fantasy
• likes a feisty, streetwise heroine who is an underdog
• likes mysteries
• is interested in government and social history
• believes that governments are often corrupt
• likes elements of tender young romance
• is familiar with Newfoundland
• has an environmental and ecological awareness
• wants to save the world
• appreciates truly powerful writing and characterization
• is artistic and/or appreciates that culture is woven with the arts
• like The Shadow Children series, and other post-apocalyptic novels
  

WHAT ELSE?
This story is incredibly well done, and its power lies in its subtlety. It has won a number of very prestigious awards, including Mr. Christie’s Book Award and the Ruth Schwartz Award. There are strands of romance woven into the plot, as well as messages about the environment and the value of the arts when all else is destroyed. It does a wonderful job of explaining governments and how social order can become twisted, and in many ways, it would be a great component of a Holocaust unit. It would also be a wonderful complement to Gathering Blue, which has similar themes and messages. The author is working on a sequel as well.

Because the women in the community play a pivotal role, the book should appeal to girl readers especially. It is so well written, however, that anyone who is a keen reader will enjoy it. The shocking revelations about Blay’s actual identity and how she ended up on the street are very satisfying, but the references to death (specifically those of parental figures in violent circumstances) might be too much for children who have lost parents themselves, or are from war-torn countries.

RELATED LINKS:
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