About this title: A young boy awakens, stunned and bruised, in the crawl space under his house, unable to remember what happened to him. The story is told from the points-of-view of several characters.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Acceptable. 1996-Paperback----Used-Acceptable-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Date Published: 5/10/2005
ISBN-13:9780060841690ISBN:0060841699
Description: Fine. 0060841699 Ships next business day. NEW/UNREAD! ! ! Text is Clean and Unmarked! --Be Sure to Compare Seller Feedback and Ratings before Purchasing--Has a small black ink mark on bottom/exterior edge of pages. May have light shelf wear to cover from storage, if any. read more
Description: Used-Good. No Jacket. Corner Wear; Clean Pages; Edge Wear; store stamp inside cover; Shelf Wear; Tight spine uncreased; Good Condition. Reliable customer service and no-hassle return policy. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Date Published: 1996
ISBN-13:9780060926861ISBN:0060926864
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Spine straight w/o creases, binding tight, no reader/remainder/library marks, sm cover creases, pgs flat w/slight corner curl, very slight shelf wear. 292 numbered pgs., Audience: General/trade. Photos or other information available by e-mail. Daily orders/e-mail responses. E-mail confirmation of shipment. Check our feedback. read more
Binding: Soft Back
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Canada, Limited, Scarborough, ON, Canada
Date Published: 1996
ISBN-13:9780060926861ISBN:0060926864
Description: Used Very Good. Writing/highlighting... read more
Description: Very good. Book has appearance of light use with no easily noticeable wear. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780060841690ISBN:0060841699
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Perennial
Date Published: 2005-05-01
ISBN-13:9780060841690ISBN:0060841699
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780060841690. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Black Swan
Date Published: 1996
ISBN-13:9780552996686ISBN:0552996688
Description: Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Edition: FILM TIE-IN ED
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS INC Country = UNITED STATES
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780060841690ISBN:0060841699
Description: BRAND NEW PAPERBACK. 304 pages. (304 pages) edition film tie-in ed (Paperback) read more
Edition: First Edition, First Printing
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 1995
ISBN-13:9780060171759ISBN:0060171758
Description: Very Fine in Very Fine jacket. Dust jacket protected by Brodart cover. NEW COPY. read more
Edition: First edition. 1st printing.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Date Published: 1995
ISBN-13:9780060171759ISBN:0060171758
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. book: VG+ w/a small bump to top edge of front board & a tiny shallow gouge to top edge. dj: NF w/very minor evidence of shelfwear. as new/unread. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harpercollins
Date Published: 1995-03
ISBN-13:9780060171759ISBN:0060171758
Description: New. New Book. The book shows time wear. Otherwise new condition. Free tracking # included! International buyers are welcome. We ship every business day. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harpercollins
Date Published: 1995-03
ISBN-13:9780060171759ISBN:0060171758
Description: New. Book is Brand New, Gift condition. Free tracking # included! International buyers are welcome. We ship every business day. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed! read more
"Gasp. Read this again because I was discussing it with someone and our memories of it were different. And damn if it wasn't just as good the second time.
Maybe the stuff when Neil moves to NYC and is being a hustler there seemed a bit more hackneyed this time - the Kansas parts are way stronger.
"I don't know what to say about this novel that won't make me sound like a gushing advertisement. But to put it in bluntly, I loved it. I'll try to detail what I liked about it sans the gushing.
Well first, let's talk about the characters. I love well-rounded characters; they're the most important things about a book for me. I couldn't have been more happy with the development of the two main characters, Brian and Neil. (Especially Neil. He was that sort of flawed, generally screwed up anti-hero that I love.) It's important for the main character to make me care, and Mysterious Skin went above and beyond: it gave me two protagonists that I could relate to. And not only were the main characters well drawn, but the secondary characters were also given their fair share of depth. (I'm thinking primarily of Eric, Wendy, and Deborah.) The characters developed in a way that was not only subtle but followed that cardinal rule of SHOWING NOT TELLING. I cannot tell you how many times I see a book in which the narrator comes right out and tells you he's shy, or tells you that he's a bad boy, or any number of traits. Mysterious Skin is one of those wonderful books that knows the reader doesn't need their hand held the whole way through.
Another thing that helped connect me to this book--and this is probably one of the few times you'll hear me comment on this--was the setting. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who felt this while reading, but the descriptions of the setting gave the book a desolate feel. That's part of what grabbed me--the overall feel of the book was what separated this from a four star book. I think the author might have been going for a depressing aura to parallel the conflicts of the two protagonists. Whether he was or not, the setting did a lot for me in this book, which isn't something I would normally be saying.
But the biggest part of the book was how the subject matter was handled. Child molestation isn't an easy topic to tackle but I applaud Heim on the fine job he did with his portrayal. What's more impressive, he showed the affects of the abuse in two very different adolescents. It's not an easy conflict to resolve (in fact, it's not something that CAN be resolved--more like accepted and overcome) and the most I can say is that Heim handled the subject excellently. I don't want to go further, not because I don't want to spoil things, but because the book is something that needs to speak for itself.
My one complaint--the ending. The book did a fine job wrapping itself up but I wasn't so sure about the way the author chose to end it. It was a cliffhanger-type ending, which usually puts me off unless I know there's going to be a sequel. I think one more chapter wouldn't have hurt the book. It wasn't a particularly huge deal, just something that irked me.
And before I wrap up this review, I'd like to compliment Heim on his fine prose. Undoubtedly, I'll be picking up more of his novels."
"Definitely not a story for the faint of heart. A story of two boys that both experience sexual molestation from their little league coach, while turning out quite differently.
Neil becomes a male prostitute with some horrible results, and Brian believes he was abducted by aliens.
The character of Brian however does not remember what happened, but instead experiences black outs. As he continues dreaming of his past with murky alien-esque dreams, he pushes to figure out what has truly happened to him.
I really love this story. Yes, it's graphic. But that has never really bothered me. Definitely a novel I can pick up again and again and read within a day or two.
If you are unsure about reading the book, rent the movie version and see if it's too much for you."
"This is a little awkward, because I've met Scott Heim, and have even been on his team for pub trivia a couple times (yes, we did kick ass).
That being said, I did really like the book. The writing is a little choppy and the similes a little too forced through about the first half of the book, but he does do an excellent job of portraying two very different interpretations and ramifications of similar traumatic events. And even though it's fiction, man I feel bad for those kids."
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