Zoboi, Ibi. (S)Kin. HarperCollins/Versify, 02/2025. 400pp. Fiction. Trade $19.99. 978-0-0628-8887-7. GRADES 9–12. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Narrated by two half-sisters who discover each other in the course of this novel in verse, (S)KIN explores themes of magic, heritage, immigration, and coming of age. Marisol is fifteen, new to Brooklyn but well-versed in the Caribbean magic that rules her life and that of her mother. Soucouyants, shape-shifting witches, shed their skins and seek sustenance preying on the life force of their enemies, and this ancient magic needs new outlets in a new place, which leaves Marisol confused and angry. Her mother is focused on a new job, where a seventeen-year-old girl raised in Brooklyn seems to be going through the same changes as Marisol. Family stories and kinships come to light and both girls need to learn to navigate their birthrights, no matter how difficult. The folklore and poetry in the book are engaging and beautiful, but it suffers from a complex plot that doesn’t resolve in a clear manner.
Lesley Mandros Bell—Independent