Book Review: Skinned by Robin Wasserman

Skinned is the first book in the Cold Awakening series by Robin Wasserman. It is set in a dystopian world where the Nuclear Holocaust has already occurred and while humanity took a beating it kept on ticking just to a lightly different rhythm. Lia Kahn is one of the privileged class where if you have enough credit you can have whatever you want...including a new body should your old one expire.

A new body is exactly what Lia Kahn wakes up to after a horrific and freak car accident (when cars are programmable and drivers are not a necessary accessory, accidents are nearly nonexistent and therefore always freak by nature) proves fatal for her mortal body. A better, nigh indestructible body and a brain that can be downloaded and uploaded at will means Lia and others gifted with the download are never going to age but it does not mean their lives will be as flawless as their new skin...

9781416936343

Disturbing. Chilling. Creepy. Odd. I mean all of those things in a good way. Ms. Wasserman does an excellent job of world building in this first book. Her characters are well developed also but I found I was unable to become invested in any of their personal outcomes. There was not one likable character in the book. Regardless of this lack of empathy for the characters, I found this book held my attention throughout the entire story. While there was not a lot of action, I was very curious to find out where Ms. Wasserman was leading the reader. I guess I just have one last word to describe this book; intriguing.