In Her Skin

Gr 9 Up—Jo Chastain is 15, hustling and living in Tent City, Boston, with a boyfriend after the death of her con artist mother. As she is attempting to make a life for herself and hide from her mother's boyfriend (the Last One), Jo struggles to adjust to a northern city and life on the streets. While seeking refuge in the public library, she comes across the story of a missing girl from a prominent Boston family. She has found the perfect solution and her biggest con ever. The Lovecraft family welcomes "Vivienne" back into their lives with virtually no questions asked, after she has supposedly been gone for nine years. What follows becomes a tangled story of danger, obsession, and twisted secrets. The mood of this psychological suspense story is appropriately dark and ominous, with a definite gritty edge, especially as Jo recalls her life with her mother and mother's boyfriend. In a unique style, the narrative is first person, but is addressed to "you," aka the Lovecrafts' other daughter, Temple. This style adds to the obsessive and haunting feel, giving readers an intimate place in the story.