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lisawreading's review against another edition
5.0
I've now read five Robin McKinley books (Beauty, The Blue Sword, The Hero & The Crown, Sunshine, and now Deerskin), and my admiration for her continues to grow. Deerskin is simply magnificent. Many of the familiar elements of McKinley's other works are here: kingdoms and courtiers, magical gifts and magical beings, unbreakable bonds between humans and animals, and even a dragon. But, Deerskin goes beyond the trappings of fantasy to unflinchingly explore the neverending toll of violence and betrayal. The horror at the heart of Deerskin is inflicted by human hands, not by magic or fantastical creatures, and that makes it all the more real. Lissar, later known as Deerskin and Moonwoman, is an unforgettable heroine -- damaged and afraid, yet somehow managing to survive. Her tale of suffering and redemption is moving and believable. I highly recommend Deerskin, certainly for fans of Robin McKinley, but also to anyone interested in a riveting, well-written, and heartwrenching tale. As for me, I can't wait to continue with the rest of her books!
shivary's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shona_lynne's review against another edition
4.0
A heart breaking and eventually heart warming story of a girl and her dog.
I chose to read this book for several reasons:
1. I have loved other of Robin McKinley's works
2. I enjoy retold and reinterpreted fairy tales
3. It has been sitting in my to be read shelf for at least a year.
I am very glad that I read this book. It was very well written, as I expected of the author. The main characters were both fully fleshed out and changed and grew as the story progressed. McKinley also does a very good job of placing you in the thoughts of the heroine (Lissar). That being said, 2/3 of this story were very hard to read and deserve some content warnings for rape and PTSD. If you cannot handle those topics, please stay away. I would suggest Beauty, also by McKinley for a lighter retold fairy tale.
I chose to read this book for several reasons:
1. I have loved other of Robin McKinley's works
2. I enjoy retold and reinterpreted fairy tales
3. It has been sitting in my to be read shelf for at least a year.
I am very glad that I read this book. It was very well written, as I expected of the author. The main characters were both fully fleshed out and changed and grew as the story progressed. McKinley also does a very good job of placing you in the thoughts of the heroine (Lissar). That being said, 2/3 of this story were very hard to read and deserve some content warnings for rape and PTSD. If you cannot handle those topics, please stay away. I would suggest Beauty, also by McKinley for a lighter retold fairy tale.
jcousins's review against another edition
3.0
Robin Mckinley is one of my favorite authors, but younger readers beware--this book deals with some extremely difficult subject matter including a father raping his daughter. The story is based on an old fairy tale, but I don't know how much of the story came from where. The way the daughter triumphs over her challenges makes for a good read.
nazli82's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
devonjones's review against another edition
3.0
Significantly darker than some of McKinley's others. Not a children's book.
corritos's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
elee2013's review against another edition
5.0
5⭐️
An endless reread. There’s so much truth about trauma in this little book. Massive content warning for rape. It’s a painful book but joyful In its way: joy in one’s dog, joy in one’s body, joy in one’s friends.
An endless reread. There’s so much truth about trauma in this little book. Massive content warning for rape. It’s a painful book but joyful In its way: joy in one’s dog, joy in one’s body, joy in one’s friends.
queenrat's review against another edition
3.0
Overly verbose and confusingly written, but it is a book that genuinely attempts to describe a rape survivor's recovery, and it does so well enough to recommend.
hrh_victoria's review against another edition
3.0
Donkeyskin and the other tales of ATU 510B are interesting to me for the heroine's cleverness and the incest taboo. McKinley is the only author I know of who has tackled a full-length book adaptation of the tale.
Unfortunately, the novel just read like a longer, more introspective version of the tale. McKinley filled in details of the story, and I appreciate the world she built around fleethounds, but this book fell short for me.
Edit: After reading Margaret Yocom's essay "'But Who Are You Really?': Ambiguous Bodies and Ambiguous Pronouns in 'Allerleirauh,'" I realize the adaptation of this tale type I really want to see is one that acknowledges and expands on the gender ambiguities across versions of the tale.
Unfortunately, the novel just read like a longer, more introspective version of the tale. McKinley filled in details of the story, and I appreciate the world she built around fleethounds, but this book fell short for me.
Edit: After reading Margaret Yocom's essay "'But Who Are You Really?': Ambiguous Bodies and Ambiguous Pronouns in 'Allerleirauh,'" I realize the adaptation of this tale type I really want to see is one that acknowledges and expands on the gender ambiguities across versions of the tale.