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Reviews: Peeling the Onion
Review by Barbara Hiron (Education Week on the Web, 1997)
Anna is flying high. She is 17, attractive and bright, and driving home with her new boyfriend, Hayden, after winning a karate championship. But in the next moment, Anna's life changes forever when another car slams into theirs, leaving her with multiple injuries. To friends and family, she seems to be coping with the trauma of her cut face and badly damaged body. Inwardly, though, she seethes and rages--at God for allowing the accident to happen, at a friend for deserting her, and at Hayden, who is afraid to touch her. Most of all, she is devastated by the pain. "Nobody tells you that real pain is more than something in your body, it's a black vortex that engulfs your mind, leaving you wondering if there's a border between life and death and what side you're on." Peeling the Onion can be compared to the popular Izzy, Willy Nilly , by Cynthia Voigt. The central characters in both are similar in age and deal with severe injuries caused by car accidents. But there is an important difference. Izzy, though bitter about the drunk driver who hit her and the loss of her leg, eventually comes to terms with her injury and leads an active, almost normal, life. But for Anna, months of therapy fail to ease her pain, and she finds she cannot concentrate. Worst of all, a specialist has misdiagnosed her neck injury, and she learns she will be permanently impaired. Anna is a better-developed character than Izzy, fiercely rejecting pity and meeting every setback head-on. Her inner thoughts reveal her agonizing struggle to determine who she is and what she will become. She is strong and determined and manages flashes of humor at the most unexpected moments. And she is surrounded by a supportive and loving family and a funny and fiercely loyal best friend. Her boyfriend, however, is unable to come to terms with the accident. All Orr's characters, with their frailties and well-meaning attempts to help Anna in her struggle to survive, are beautifully drawn. The Australian setting and expressions add an interesting touch to an exceptional novel.
Other Reviews:
For a review in German of the German edition, go to Jugendnetz Frankfurt.
For a review in Dutch of the Dutch edition, go to Reformatorisch Dagblad.
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