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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
Writing these notes a couple years after reading this book. I recall a constant knot in my stomach as I understood that something unknown was going to be made known and I would probably not like the answer. Tough subject matter for a story. I have not seen the movie that was made, and I don't really know how the movie got budget approval. But I think of books like "Kite Runner" that took a tough book and turned it into a fantastic movie - you just need a great screenplay writer/adapter.
I score this 5 for fully achieving the edginess throughout the entire book that kept me both wanting to get to the ending, yet not wanting to get to the ending.
I score this 5 for fully achieving the edginess throughout the entire book that kept me both wanting to get to the ending, yet not wanting to get to the ending.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
‘Mysterious Skin’ by Scott Heim is a book about trauma and its reverberations through one’s life. The story revolves around two boys, Brian and Neil, who both undergo a traumatic experience as young children. As they reach adolescence, they respond and react to their trauma in distinct ways: Brian becomes reclusive and obsessed with conspiracy; Neil instead lives dangerously and starts hustling. But neither of the boys can escape what happened to them.
Personally, the book did not hit the mark for me. I can certainly appreciate what the author was attempting to get at in the story - but I had some trouble with the execution of the concept. The story has alternating first-person POVs between Brian, Neil and a few other secondary characters; whilst this allowed for a varied perspective on the main characters, I felt that the secondary character POVs were nowhere near as interesting. Moreover, even between Brian and Neil, I found Brian’s half of the story just wasn’t as captivating to read compared to Neil’s. For me, the uneven weighting of the perspectives and the vast changes of tone between YA coming-of-age scenes and graphic, disturbing scenes meant that the narrative lacked a consistent pace and sense of cohesiveness.
The book certainly forces readers to grapple with a serious and troubling topic, and one that is unfortunately ubiquitous in all facets of society. Whilst I am not sure if it is a book that can really be ‘enjoyed’ as such, for me I was not able to get into it. I can certainly appreciate what the author was trying to achieve by demonstrating the multiple ways in which trauma can manifest, but as a novel I was quite indifferent to the actual execution. That said, I thought the last third was done really well, but the novel simply took too long to get there.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
This book was AWFUL!I have never been so depressed, upset, and grossed out in my life. After I completed the book I felt like someone had punched me over and over in the stomach. Scenes and images in this book will never leave me (and in this case that is not a good thing.)
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape
Moderate: Homophobia, Blood
Before he even opened his wounded mouth I knew what he would say. I knew it as conclusively as I knew my family, my self, and as he spoke it seemed as though his story had already ended, I was already tucked away in some warm and secure place, I was already remembering his words.