Skinned

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Skinned is a youth and science fiction novel by Robin Wasserman . It is the first volume in the Gripped trilogy and was published in 2008. Skinned was published by Script 5 . A translation from the American was done in 2010 by Claudia Max.

content

worldview

The novel is set 200 years after our time. Water and nuclear wars have destroyed the world. People live in the country, if they only have enough “bonus”, this is a new kind of money that apparently goes through the network . The cities are radioactively contaminated. Nobody wears glasses anymore, they have an operation. There is no longer any theater, no books, no unsightly people. Life runs exclusively through the network and bonus.

action

Lia Kahn was 16 years old when she was involved in a near-fatal car accident. She wakes up in an artificial body. She is told that the doctors have made a "download" on her, which is scanning and transferring the brain into a mechanical body. Lia's new body is unable to age, feel, or breathe. All senses are simulated. In the rehab at the BioMax Clinic, Lia slowly learns to control her body. One night, a girl appears at her house who introduces herself as Quinn. Quinn is also a Skinner , a MechHead . The two sneak out of the BioMax clinic for a while and chat. Lia notices that Quinn thinks very differently from her. While Lia wants to undo the download at all costs, Quinn is excited about her new life as a machine. Even after Lia learns that Quinn has been bedridden since childhood, she can barely understand her and her views.

After Lia leaves the BioMax Clinic and returns home, she suddenly feels uncomfortable. Right in front of the house where the family lives, believers demonstrate against them and their artificial bodies. Even a little later at school it becomes clear how long Lia was gone. During her absence, many of her friends have turned away from her. When Lia notices that her boyfriend has to force himself to touch and kiss, she breaks up with him. For all of this, as Lia later learns, her sister Zo is to blame.

The situation only changes when a strange boy with glasses intervenes for them. His name is Auden and he is labeled a freak by his classmates . Lia refuses his help for the time being, but he does not give up and they soon become friends. Auden is a lonely person and fully understands her. He helps and supports you in every difficult situation.

Soon he asks her to accept Quinn's invitation to a secret MechHead meeting. The group is concerned with pushing boundaries and leaving their old, organic life behind. She is led by Jude, an indifferent and convinced MechHead. Before long, Auden thinks what these MechHeads are doing is pathological. But Lia is already infected by the spirit of the group. When she falls down a waterfall, Auden tries to save her. He himself is in danger and has to be saved by Lia. In the hospital, Lia learns that Auden is paraplegic from the neck down as a result of the accident . The feelings he developed for her are gone and he sends her away. At home, Lia learns that her sister thinks she is dead and that her father falls into depression because of her. Lia feels left alone and tries to talk to the only one she can think of: Jude, the MechHead. But it is untouched and seems to have foreseen everything. Lia decides to go away forever, without anyone stopping her.

The book begins and ends with the same sentences:

“Lia Kahn is dead.

I'm Lia Kahn. "

people

Lia Kahn

Lia was an intelligent, pretty, and popular girl in her old life. Ever since she's a Skinner , she's been wondering whether she's really still Lia Kahn or a computer that was told it was human. She also worries about where life ends and death begins, and whether she is a what or a who .

Auden Heller

Auden is “natural”, which means that when his mother was pregnant, only the standard examinations and no additional interventions were carried out. He wears glasses and a watch, which is pretty old-fashioned. Some time ago his mother died. His father remarried and had twins with Auden's stepmother, naturally unnatural children. Auden was never wanted anywhere. She ignored him like everyone else before Lia's download, but later they become best friends because she's just as lonely as MechHead. Auden is fascinated by her artificial body. In contrast, however, he is very interested in old things like psychiatrists or books. He'd have enough bonus surgery to stop wearing glasses, but he doesn't want to forget the will of his mother, who was a believer, disliked the new and loved old-fashioned things.

Zo Kahn

Zo is Lia's little sister. She loves the retro look, puts on make-up and wears clothes from the past, which nobody else does. She loved her sister. After downloading Lia, she firmly believes that her sister is dead and that there is a computer in front of her. During Lia's absence, she took her place in school, friends and the runners team.

Jew

He is one of the first volunteer MechHeads. Jude was a "city dweller" and completely crippled before it was downloaded. He leads a group of MechHeads whose goal is not to cling to organic life, but to openly show that they are machines and leave the past behind. He always says that the past is not important and only this new life counts. He calls the group of MechHeads "a family". He is very uninvolved in other people's problems, especially those of the "orgs", the people. Jude separates the MechHeads and Orgs very precisely and in his speeches you can tell that he is convinced that MechHeads are a kind of "supercomputer that nothing can happen to".

Reviews

  • Ulf Cronenberg wrote in 2010 at Jugendbuchtipps : “The book is designed as a kind of mind game that continues current developments in (bio) medicine and asks the question of what defines people. One is skilfully drawn into the story when Lia appears as the narrator in the novel, because it suggests that she can think and feel like a person made of flesh and blood. "
  • A review on Literaturschock says, among other things: “'Skinned' is a rather calm youthful novel that sheds light on the social pressures that marginalized groups are exposed to. In addition, the question of the humanity of a 'machine' is raised again and again .... It is positive to note that the basic mood is a bit melancholic and sad and the end was not unnecessarily trimmed to a happy ending. "
  • Seraina Forster writes for SBD Library Service : “The author has written a provocative, socially critical science fiction novel in the tradition of Huxley's 'Brave New World'. The most terrifying features of this future society are already there today, so the book is also ideal as a basis for discussion in school for older teenagers and young adults. "

literature

Text output

Sequels

Individual evidence

  1. ^ [1] Readers World
  2. ↑ Ulf Cronenberg: Book review: Robin Wasserman "Skinned". In: Jugensbuchtipps.de. August 10, 2010, accessed March 3, 2011 .
  3. ^ Susanne K: Robin Wasserman - Skinned. In: literature shock. January 19, 2010, accessed March 3, 2011 .
  4. ↑ Wasserman, Robin. (PDF; 340 kB) In: Young adults aged 16 and over. Swiss Library Service, p. 5 , accessed on March 3, 2011 .