4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Versify, and HarperCollins Children's Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up (S)Kin on February 11, 2025.

Ibi Zoboi is an absolute master storyteller. Her author's note at the beginning provided great context on her decision to write this book in verse and how that medium affects the story's reading. I loved seeing this intimate glimpse into Caribbean culture and lore, and Zoboi's depiction of the difference between American-born and Caribbean-born girls was stark and poignant.

Both Genevieve and Marisol leaped off the page, and it was incredible how you could immediately differentiate their voices. You see both girls evolve so much in such a short span, but that didn't make their relationships and character arcs less impactful. If anything, you're struck even more by how much can change in such a short time, and what it means when you finally have answers for the questions plaguing you your entire life.

Safe to say I'll be thinking about this one for a while, and I hope you all take this as a sign to pick it up come February!!

gorgeous and enchanting novel in verse with some awesome character vibes, mythological themes, and generaly interesting motifs. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I generally like work by this author. I especially like his books in verse. However, I feel like this one is a bit more niche than Punching the Air. There were some parts of this that I enjoyed, the language is masterful and vivid. However, I’m not a huge fan of fantasy in general and although there’s some Caribbean myth here, I felt like it was more focused on the trend of teen girl witches here in the US. I also felt the end was a little too pat. I did like cat Micah, that was justice..

Beautifully written in verse through dual-perspectives. I loved learning about the Carribean culture and folklore, and the characters were well-built and real-feeling.

This book was a wild ride. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting going in, but this book was way more intense than anything I’d anticipated. (S)kin is honestly unlike any other book I’ve ever read. This novel in verse teemed with magic, pain, womanhood, identity, power, nightmares, sisterhood, ancestors, flame, fury, and the search for home. At first I was worried that the verse style was going to make it difficult to follow what was happening (especially with the alternating perspectives), but this book immediately sucked me in. No character is a hero in the typical sense, and the reader is left conflicted about which side to take- the characters don’t fall easily into a “good” or evil” category. Even the magic and monsters aren’t tied to a good or evil. It simply is. This is definitely a YA book and not middle grades based on both content and comprehension. I know that many of my students would struggle with following the writing style and the magical elements. There are a few 8th graders I could see enjoying it, and many former students who are now high schoolers that I think this book would resonate with. If I recommended it to middle school students, I would also want it to be in the context of a book club so that they’re be opportunities for making meaning and inferences.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this unique and powerful text. I’m looking forward to adding it to my classroom library.

I am not usually a fan of fantasy or books-in-verse, but I am an Ibi Zoboi fan, and she did not disappoint! I love the Caribbean folklore about the Soucouyant and the beauty of the message.

Ibi Zoboi’s * (S)Kin* is a beautifully crafted, thought-provoking exploration of identity, race, and the bonds that define us. Through vivid storytelling and powerful imagery, Zoboi delves deep into the complexities of family and belonging, making this a compelling and poignant read. The novel’s raw emotional depth and lyrical prose will resonate long after the final page. A must-read for those seeking a reflective and impactful narrative.

I really struggled with this one, because while I love Ibi Zoboi's writing and I really enjoyed like 75-80% of this book, it really felt like the ending went off the rails. It felt like it came from nowhere and didn't feel resolved at all. I didn't feel for Genevieve at all, she was kind of annoying and took every chance she could to be rude to Marisol.

4.5 stars rounded up

(S)Kin is a contemporary YA fantasy novel in verse based on Caribbean folklore and its excellent. Drawing on the myth of the soucouyant - women who shed their skins and consume souls - it weaves together the stories of two young women living in Brooklyn.

One is an undocumented immigrant living with her kind of controlling mother. The other a mixed-race dancer living with her white father, his wife, and their new babies. It's a story about heritage, cultural appropriation, messy family relationships, and coming of age. Because it's written in verse it's very quick and easy to read with a lovely rhythm to the story. It deals with colorism and pushes back on ideas that darker skin is ugly or any less beautiful. And of course, because it is a story that centers women, it's tackling misogyny and misognoir, and the subtle ways that impacts peoples lives. It's a book with layers and I definitely recommend it. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I can ideally say that this book was driven by long lost relatives and finding one's real self.
They were sisters but, the other lived with their dad while still having a two parent household and given the materialistic world, while still being on her high horse of she is pretty, perfect boyfriend, perfect school life and friends type thing. While the other was basically an immigrant and gotten called ugly every change someone had gotten to throw her way. Even though she was different she tried to make it through hr days as long as she had her mother by her side but, even those days she felt that her mother was the reasoning of why she was feeling that way.
I really enjoyed when she found out who her mother was and how the story of how she became to be came out. She was thinking that because her dad was white, her mother had to be magical that's why she was so pretty but, she needed to be taught a lesson, she was ok snooty in the beginning. The other sister was more down to earth and understanding of the changes in her body and she was trying so hard to humble her older sister but, she was not having it. When they switched bodies, it was then she started to be like okay yea, I see where I messed up.
This was beautiful and hope that in their book timeline that got to get to a better standing of understanding each other's bodies and they can be a real family rather than how they acted to one another previously.

I have read nearly all of Ibi Zoboi's work, so I was excited to read this ARC of #SKin. This book is a fantasy story in verse. Zoboi noted that this style helps with the lyrical nature of the tale. SKin is based in Caribbean folklore and follows Marisol, a teen soucouyant living in NYC. She and her mother shed their skin once a month to feed. The other chapters follow Genevieve, a bi-racial student who is navigating high school with activities, a boyfriend, and a painful skin condition. Without spoilers, the two characters cross paths, leading to a climactic ending. The pace is good, and if someone is not familiar with soucouyant and similar stories, there is enough to learn. The story also touches on colorism, racism, and other very important topics. I will definitely be purchasing this book for our library. Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for this ARC.

Like nothing I've ever read! Caribbean folklore comes to life through a variety of characters. Magic, realism, and family dynamics come to life. Brilliant and remarkable! One of Ibi's best works!

This was definitely a fun take on the Caribbean folklore of the Soucouyant that sheds their skin and becomes a fireball in the night sky that feeds on the soul of their enemies. I especially liked it was written in verse because it flowed very well from part 1 to Part 3. Now the main character Marisol was my favorite and because she just wanted to be free and live the dream and I am proud and support all of the choices she made in this book.

This book started off good, but, by the end, I was just - let down and confused.

I've read a lot of good YA in-verse books, and I'd consider Zoboi's verse writing to be near up there in goodness. I haven't yet read her prose books (Though I literally do have American Street in my library pile as I'm writing this. I hope to start it soon), so I don't compare this to her other work. But there are plenty of lines throughout this book where they hit hard, and they get quite lyrical, too. It perfectly balances beautiful writing with the teen protagonists having teen voices. The fact Zoboi struck this so well deserves so much applause. Another element I loved was the tenseness and liveliness the verse got when the girls were transforming. The descriptions, the metaphors becoming literal, the imagery - I just loved it so much.

The main characters are interesting while having a distinguished voice from each other. It helps that Gen's lines were on the left while Marisol's were on the right. It visually showed how opposing they were, especially when POVs got switched back-and-forth during their conversations. Plus, both girls make great foils to each other, of how they want to have the skin the other has. Marisol thinks lighter skin would make her beautiful, and Gen wants to be darker in order to feel more Black / connected to her maternal side's culture. If this concept had lived out to its full potential, I would have liked this so much more. But the ending was such a let down.

Okay, so Gen finally has her big first soucouyant shed, which in turn makes Marisol shed as the same time. They have to prep each other because mom disappeared somewhere (Never explained), but she did manage to show up and send their fiery, consuming selves onto Genevieve's dad and step-mom. When they return, Marisol steals Genevieve's skin, and Genevieve has no choice but to take Marisol's. It's all very messed up, but Marisol promises they can change back the next new moon in a month. Okay, cool, let's see how the girls handle getting what they want, right?

NOPE! It just ends there.

And Mom pulls a disappearing act on them, on top of it.

SHE JUST DIES! There was no buildup to this, or, at least, not any I picked up on. The girls just accept this while in their wrong bodies, still. This baffled me.

So, Marisol is still undocumented. Genevieve's parents are going to come home to find their hired nanny (or former lover, in Genevieve's dad's case) gone, and they will have no reason to keep housing Marisol other than out of the kindness of their hearts. And they won't have any.

There's so many complications here, because step-mom (supposedly) doesn't know about Marisol, Genevieve, or mom being soucouyants, and dad won't know, or likely won't believe, that his daughter swapped bodies with her half-sister. There's a high chance Genevieve in Marisol's body is going to be sent back to the Caribbean, because, from what was said/explored about the dad, I doubt he would be willing to take in his ex's other kid. The girls would still be able to switch back come the next new moon, but they'd still be physically separated by hundreds of miles! All because mom would rather die on them than live with the consequences of her shitty parenting.

Sorry for the long rant. I just really hate this ending and wished the book went on a little longer. The girls needed to explore each other's lives in order to learn to love their own! You can't just ended it at the body-swap and the mom dying without any proper closure for either girl! This just frustrated me so much, and I needed to let it all out.]

All in all, despite the gorgeous writing and the (building) of our main characters, the ending ruins so much of that, leaving me in a limbo state of doubt whether or not if I should properly recommend it. I'll hesitantly say yes, for now. But with caution, just in case.

Lyrical and powerful, this novel-in-verse follows Marisol and Genevive as they discover what it means to be connected to culture, family, and magic. I really enjoyed the way Zoboi played with word placement throughout to display the voice of each of the main characters. The whole thing is a bit of a wild ride and the ending felt a bit inconclusive. It was a very compelling read and I would absolutely recommend for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for this ARC.

(S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi was a book I requested on a whim based on the cover alone and did little to find out the premise for. I love going into a book blind as it sets expectations low and allows me more opportunity to be wowed.

When I first opened this book, I was curious to see that Zoboi decided to write this entirely in verse. I do not often read literature in verse so this for me piqued my interest greatly. Honestly, Zoboi's decision to write in voice gave their prose a more lyrical quality and a weight to the words that were spoken.

I greatly enjoyed seeing how Zoboi employed the use of free verse to play with both sides of the page to inform the reader which character was speaking. When the climax hit, the two sides began to merge and I seriously lamented the fact that I was reading (S)Kin on an ereader as I feel print would be the better way to see the words play on the page.

The story itself is a play on the title as well as the inherent magical quality of our main characters. As I read, I took the time to reflect on how the characters themselves were feeling in their own skins and how they longed to be in a different skin. It led to me reading the rest of the book in a more somber tone that in itself added more weight to the theme of (S)Kin.

This was such a surprising read for me, albeit a bit out of my comfort zone. Zoboi's implementation of verse made this story so much stronger and the lyrical feel of it made the words leap out. I could not put this book down!

This was a great story told from two point of views, Genevieve and Marisol. I love the suspense in this book that kept me intrigue to read more. Also, I like that it was written in poetry form. I will definitely be purchasing this book for my school library.

This one was outside my normal reading range, and I found it super interesting. I look forward to seeing the physical copy because I think it would track better with the page spacing as viewpoints move from character to character. I found that hard on the e-version. Caribbean mystical, magic, fantasy with very strong female characters - very compelling. I would recommend this for strong readers, definitely at least high school level. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's for the eARC!

Marisol and Genevieve's journey is central to the story, as they navigate the challenges of understanding and embracing their unique identity. Throughout the chapters, the girls encounter various individuals who influence their perception of self and community. Zoboi uses these interactions to highlight the intersections of race, culture, and personal history. Zoboi also explores the "mother wound" with Marisol feeling as if her mother is the cause of her problems and Genevieve's longing for her mother. I believe that I may have enjoyed the book more if it wasn't written in prose, but it was a beautiful story nonetheless.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

This was a magical story. Themes includes jealousy, lack of self, secrets and lies. Includes folklore that many may not be aware of but you will be drawn in by the imagery and the characters. My only complaint is that it is not long enough. I needed more.