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wilder 's review for:
Mysterious Skin
by Scott Heim
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4 / 5
Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim is a book that inspires such a feeling of dread; powerful, curious, and very disturbing. It's a feeling I've only encountered in titles like Young Mungo and A Little Life - which all deal with similar subject matters. Mysterious Skin, however, touches on these traumas the most graphically of the three.
The trigger warnings should absolutely be taken seriously, as detailed on page CSA occurs in several instances. I do not recommend this book unless you seek out stories that make you deeply uncomfortable. Seriously. Don't pick up this book only to rate it lowly for the subject matter, as you have ample warnings beforehand.
Despite the dark moments, I quite enjoyed this book. The foreboding and discomforting feelings make for a very unique reading experience, and Heim's writing felt austere yet beautiful throughout. The way the author portrays the different manifestations of trauma was tragic and brutally honest. I'd like to watch the movie adaption and possibly update here with how I feel about it once I do.
Update: movie was on par with the book and was pretty much a 1:1 adaption. Movie had less of an open ending than the book though.
Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim is a book that inspires such a feeling of dread; powerful, curious, and very disturbing. It's a feeling I've only encountered in titles like Young Mungo and A Little Life - which all deal with similar subject matters. Mysterious Skin, however, touches on these traumas the most graphically of the three.
The trigger warnings should absolutely be taken seriously, as detailed on page CSA occurs in several instances. I do not recommend this book unless you seek out stories that make you deeply uncomfortable. Seriously. Don't pick up this book only to rate it lowly for the subject matter, as you have ample warnings beforehand.
Despite the dark moments, I quite enjoyed this book. The foreboding and discomforting feelings make for a very unique reading experience, and Heim's writing felt austere yet beautiful throughout. The way the author portrays the different manifestations of trauma was tragic and brutally honest. I'd like to watch the movie adaption and possibly update here with how I feel about it once I do.
Update: movie was on par with the book and was pretty much a 1:1 adaption. Movie had less of an open ending than the book though.