His mother is dying; his father is dead. His face was disfigured in a fire. Not much else can go wrong for Thomas Quicksilver a.k.a. Pucker. Alas, the worst is yet to come. His mother tells him that the only way he can save her is to return to Isaura, the world they were banished from on the day of the fire and his father’s death. When he returns to the world of his birth, his scars are removed, and he becomes the handsome boy he would have been if the fire hadn’t occurred. He falls in love. Things are definitely looking up. Unfortunately, his mother will die without her seer skin, a special second skin that many people in Isaura develop when they reach their teens that allows them to see into the future, and he still has to recover it before time runs out. If Thomas is to save his mother, he must find what he came for and return to her on Earth, losing his new face and breaking his heart in the process. What will he decide?
Pucker is the story of a boy who is judged by his blemished cover. In this brilliantly written novel, readers will discover the pain that people go through when they are ridiculed because of their appearance, and the joy they feel when they finally realize that somebody really does care about them. Melanie Gideon has created a novel that will teach readers to look beyond the skin to the heart beneath. Pucker’s story is truly one that teens and adults can learn from and enjoy.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, PA USA
