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theladydoor 's review for:
Mysterious Skin
by Scott Heim
This book was... troubling for me. I think I liked it, but I can't be really sure. Let's put it this way. I enjoyed elements of the book, and felt confused on other fronts.
First, a summary. Scott Heim tells the harsh and tragic story of two boys bound together by a traumatizing event, but go on to remember it in completely different ways. Brian spends his entire adolescence dreaming about and obsessing over alien abductions. Neil realizes he's gay and becomes a teen hustler. Throughout the novel, their lives become intertwined through common acquaintances and that initial, horrible act, though they only meet at the end.
I respect Heim a lot for his sensitive portrayal of some really horrific events. He never demeans his characters, and passes no judgment upon them. The story plays out naturally in a very fluid, relaxed prose. However, I found it difficult to fully enjoy my reading experience because of the events that occured in the book. Maybe that's the point, though. Maybe I was supposed to feel uncomfortable and outraged.
First, a summary. Scott Heim tells the harsh and tragic story of two boys bound together by a traumatizing event, but go on to remember it in completely different ways. Brian spends his entire adolescence dreaming about and obsessing over alien abductions. Neil realizes he's gay and becomes a teen hustler. Throughout the novel, their lives become intertwined through common acquaintances and that initial, horrible act, though they only meet at the end.
I respect Heim a lot for his sensitive portrayal of some really horrific events. He never demeans his characters, and passes no judgment upon them. The story plays out naturally in a very fluid, relaxed prose. However, I found it difficult to fully enjoy my reading experience because of the events that occured in the book. Maybe that's the point, though. Maybe I was supposed to feel uncomfortable and outraged.