Skinned by Robin Wasserman

Lia had the perfect life, beautiful, popular and rich, she and her friends ruled the school, dictating fashion and status.  When Lia is in a horrible accident, she awakens to find that her memory has been downloaded to a new body, a robotic one.  Lia still looks completely human, but she has to relearn how to do everything.  When she re-enters society, she discovers that her boyfriend is distant and unable to even force himself to do more than touch her, her little sister has taken her place in Lia’s group of friends, and society as a whole is questioning whether she is human or not.  Lia has to learn to live in her new body and new life which is entirely different than the one she lost. 

Wasserman’s writing is enticing and a great deal of fun to read.  She perfectly captures the angst of being a teen and couples it beautifully with the dystopian science fiction setting.  Lia is a great protagonist: complex, often self-absorbed, and completely "human."  It is a treat to find such a complicated character at the center of a teen novel.

Highly recommended for fans of Scott Westerfeld, this book has a fabulous cover that will get it flying off library shelves.  The book is obviously the start to a series, and I look forward to reading more about Lia.  Appropriate for ages 14-16.