McNaughton, Janet. The secret under my skin

Kliatt, March, 2005 by Claire Rosser

McNAUGHTON, Janet. The secret under my skin. HarperCollins. 264p. 2005. 0-06008989-X. $15.99. JS *

The events in this dystopia take place in a slightly recognizable world several hundred years in the future. (McNaughton says in an Author's Note that "the actual setting is very real." Gros Morne National Park is the largest national park in Atlantic Canada, located on the west coast of Newfoundland.) It's a suspenseful story featuring an intelligent, fierce heroine, Blake. Ecological disaster has ruined whatever societies we would recognize from today, and the world in which Blake lives is tightly controlled, with no individual freedom: fear and punishment are the methods of control by the government.

Blake is plucked out of an institution much like a prison camp to become the assistant to a young woman in training to be a bioindicator, almost a high-priestess role in the society. The intellectuals training the girl take a great interest in Blake, because of her intelligence, and one major plot in this complex novel is the discovery of Blake's identity. She has a vague memory of being cuddled and then snatched away from warmth and love. From the time she was a toddler, she was raised on the streets by an older girl, Hilary, until Hilary's death. Eventually, Blake realizes Hilary was the person who kidnapped her, and this just brings further confusion.

Another major plot involves Blake's relationship with a boy, Fraser, estranged from his biological father and also angry about his past. He has been raised in a special weaving community, with its own mores. Eventually Fraser is reconciled with his father, a person Blake has grown close to. As the story ends, the dictatorship has fallen, and Blake, Fraser, and the adults closest to them try to establish a better society. Intriguing, with challenging themes; the intense emotion will hold YA readers. Claire Rosser, KLIATT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescent and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.