Beneath The Skin

4.3

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Author(s)

Kyla Stone

Publisher Name

Paper Moon Press

Genre(s)

YA Contemporary

Age Range

16+

Release Date

December 22, 2016

ISBN13

978-1-945410-03-1

ISBN10 or ASIN

For eighteen-year-old Sidney Shaw, life pretty much sucks. Her mom's a drunk. Her dad's worse. At school, she's bullied by her ex-best friend. Cutting no longer brings the relief she craves. Something's got to give. When Sidney is forced into group counseling, she meets perfect, popular Arianna, the type of girl who grieves over a broken nail. But Arianna has secrets of her own. She might prove herself a friend--if Sidney can let her guard down. Then there's Lucas, the sweet and funny new guy who sees straight through her tough, snarky façade. But Sidney's wounds go deeper than anyone knows. When her secrets threaten to unravel her, Sidney must choose. How far is she willing to go to protect her family? And who can she turn to when the unthinkable happens? For fans of Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls, Kathleen Glasglow's Girl in Pieces, and Ellen Hopkin's Identical. Beneath The Skin is a gut-wrenching exploration of trauma and resilience, the redemptive power of friendship, and how we piece our broken selves back together, one shard at a time. *Trigger Warning: Includes mature content, including mild language, self-harm, and non-graphic depictions of abuse. Recommended for ages 16+*

When Sidney is forced into group counseling, she meets perfect, popular Arianna, the type of girl who grieves over a broken nail. But Arianna has secrets of her own. She might prove herself a friend--if Sidney can let her guard down. Then there's Lucas, the sweet and funny new guy who sees straight through her tough, snarky façade.

But Sidney's wounds go deeper than anyone knows. When her secrets threaten to unravel her, Sidney must choose. How far is she willing to go to protect her family? And who can she turn to when the unthinkable happens?

For fans of Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls, Kathleen Glasglow's Girl in Pieces, and Ellen Hopkin's Identical. Beneath The Skin is a gut-wrenching exploration of trauma and resilience, the redemptive power of friendship, and how we piece our broken selves back together, one shard at a time.

*Trigger Warning: Includes mature content, including mild language, self-harm, and non-graphic depictions of abuse. Recommended for ages 16+*

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Important Topic

July 28, 2017 (Updated: July 18, 2026)

Overall rating

4.3

Writing Style

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Sidney Shaw has a terrible home life. Her former best friend now torments her. She covers up the pain by pushing people away. She also cuts herself.
Sidney does everything she can to protect her little brothers. When that means Sidney strikes a boy who was bullying her brother at school, there are consequences. She now has to start group therapy with one of her school's popular girls, Adriana.
First off, this book has some big trigger points. For example self-mutilation, eating disorders, sexual abuse. Each of this things are important topics that affect many teens today.
I thought that the author handled each of those topics well. They were each approach slowly and were woven into the tapestry of the storyline. This took away some of the shock factor that these trigger points could have invoked.
Sidney as a character was very complex and relatable but very human. She did everything she could to fix things for herself and her family but often came up short. My favorite character was Lucas. He pulled Sidney out of her shell and helped her see the light at the end of the tunnel. I did like Adriana but I felt like maybe the insta-friendship between her and Sidney was a little forced. Sidney's dad was the villain of the story. He wasn't totally evil and Sidney did see some positive things in him. Sidney's mother, however, had no redeeming qualities what so ever. I would have liked to see a little more of her when she wasn't totally out of it.
'Beneath the Skin' delved into some important topics but is an important read. I look forward to more of Kyla Stones