Skin Deep

“I wanted to say this morning, only you ran off … sorry if I was rude.' The boy from the boat grineed, looking straight at me. 'You surprised me, that's all. The scar' — he touched his face — 'took me by surprise. I didn't mean to be rude.' I gaped at him. Nobody ever, ever mentioned the scars.”

An against-the-odds teen love story shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize.

Ugly people don’t have feelings. They’re not like everyone else. They don’t notice if you stare at them and turn away. And if they did notice, it wouldn’t hurt them. They’re not like real people. Or that’s what I used to think. Before I learned … After the car crash that leaves her best friend dead, Jenna is permanently scarred. She struggles to rebuild her life, but every stare in the street, every time she looks in the mirror, makes her want to retreat further from the world. Until she meets Ryan. Ryan's a traveller. When he and his mother moor their narrow boat on the outskirts of a village, she tells him this time it will be different. He doesn't believe her; he can't imagine why this place shouldn't be as unwelcoming as the rest. Until he meets Jenna. But as Jenna and Ryan grow closer, repercussions from the crash continue to reverberate through the community. And then a body is found . . .

A story of prejudice and courage, brimming with mystery. Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Valentine and Jenny Downham.

Look out for Laura's other books: Louder than Words, By Any Other Name, and In Another Life.

Laura Jarratt was born in Salford and has lived all over the UK. Although her favourite subject was English, she accidentally studied Science at university. She finally settled in rural Cheshire, where she lives with her family and is owned by a ginger cat with no tail.

By day, she works in education because it’s never boring and by night, she writes for young adults because they’re the most interesting people in the world.

Skin Deep, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Prize and the the YA category of the Romantic Novelists Association.