Reviews

Under the Skin by Michel Faber

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dmsullivan's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

3.25

This was an odd, but also thought-provoking book. We follow our main character Isserley, who you realize off the bat may be involved with some shady dealings. You don't know what they are off the bat, but as we follow her day to day life, bit by bit, we unravel more about her and her job.

This is a pretty slow moving book that I *think* I liked (I'm not actually sure how I feel about it yet) - however, I can appreciate it for what it is and the overarching themes. I do think it was best to go into this one without knowing anything about it, as you try to figure out what all is happening each time Isserley gives you a bit of a glimpse into her life.

boenguen's review

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adventurous dark funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

caoimhemia's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

reedmorebooks's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

gaby_b's review against another edition

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sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

doomluz's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

nairijan's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

An incredibly beautiful work of sci-fi, Faber really creates a story that does aptly get under your skin. In following the exploited and alien Isserley, the novel wonderfully tackles themes of worker exploitation, misogyny, and the daily struggle of living in an uncanny manner for the human reader.

Content Warnings