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Skinless
“What did I just do?”
Brothers Roswell and Ruben Vega, separated in age by only eleven months, are struggling to hold on to each other. A lifetime under their sadistic, emotionally abusive father combined with the loss of their mother has left both brothers seared inside.
As the older brother, Roswell knows that emotions mean weakness, and weakness—death. To keep Ruben alive, he must make him grow thicker skin.
Sensitive, awkward Ruben desperately holds onto his friendship with Roswell—the only relationship he has left. A subtle chain of psychological torture forces Ruben to a gruesome breaking point.
Pulling the trigger was supposed to end it all.
The fire, the body—it’s just the beginning.
A slow-burning psychological suspense about teen brothers, trauma, and the tragedy no one sees coming.
Brothers Roswell and Ruben Vega, separated in age by only eleven months, are struggling to hold on to each other. A lifetime under their sadistic, emotionally abusive father combined with the loss of their mother has left both brothers seared inside.
As the older brother, Roswell knows that emotions mean weakness, and weakness—death. To keep Ruben alive, he must make him grow thicker skin.
Sensitive, awkward Ruben desperately holds onto his friendship with Roswell—the only relationship he has left. A subtle chain of psychological torture forces Ruben to a gruesome breaking point.
Pulling the trigger was supposed to end it all.
The fire, the body—it’s just the beginning.
A slow-burning psychological suspense about teen brothers, trauma, and the tragedy no one sees coming.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2025
14 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Anne Social
3 books6 followersAnne Social is the pen name of three sisters who write novels together. They have a deep love for character-based storytelling and all manner of absurdity. Their stories center on themes like mental health and loneliness but include heavy doses of optimism.
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October 13, 2025What you'll find in this book:
-Slow unraveling
-Cryptid-loving MC
-Unreliable narrators
-Small town
-Protective older sibling
-Social anxiety
-2000s aesthetics
-Coming-of-age
-Emotional numbness
-Dual POVs
-Rural gothic
Content warnings:
-Suicide
-Animal death
-Violence/gore
-Strong language
-Emotional abuse
-Drug references
-Depictions of mental illness
-Slow unraveling
-Cryptid-loving MC
-Unreliable narrators
-Small town
-Protective older sibling
-Social anxiety
-2000s aesthetics
-Coming-of-age
-Emotional numbness
-Dual POVs
-Rural gothic
Content warnings:
-Suicide
-Animal death
-Violence/gore
-Strong language
-Emotional abuse
-Drug references
-Depictions of mental illness
October 15, 2025
Skinless is a beautiful, heartbreaking yet hopeful YA book. It is a truly character-driven story that combines suspense, tension, action, reflection, and incredibly powerful moments and exchanges between the characters.
Brothers Roswell and Ruben Vega, separated in age by only eleven months, are struggling to hold onto each other. A lifetime under their sadistic, emotionally abusive father combined with the loss of their mother has left both brothers seared inside. Consumed by a sense of “being weak” for having feelings, each boy tries to “fix” himself, and Roswell, as the older brother, feels he must make Ruben “strong” so he will survive.
However, other kids’ cruelty hits Ruben in ways neither brother expects, and that combined with terrible experiences resulting from their dad’s decisions shatters more than either of them could have imagined.
However, in the darkness, there is hope.
Roswell and Ruben Vega are two of my favorite protagonists from YA fiction.
Both characters are written so well they feel like real people with their own traits, quirks, and interests. I love their music choices, and I love Ruben’s cooking ability, “curse words,” and interest in cryptids (if you don’t know much about cryptids, you will by the time you’ve finished this book).
Both characters are also incredibly relatable and lovable.
Roswell tries to shut off all his emotions except those related to anger, believing his having feelings will eventually drive everyone in his life, including his brother, away. He tries to hide his feelings from other people and protect himself from their prying to the point that, near the beginning, he makes several mistakes, including ones that involve Ruben.
At the same time, however, he cares so much for Ruben that when his decisions almost cost his brother, he jumps in to protect him. And when something happens that he can’t prevent, his response is very satisfying.
I love how Roswell looks after his brother. So many stories I’ve read that include brothers often have older brothers that treat their younger brothers badly, being mean to them for the fun of it or even physically harming them. Roswell isn’t like that. He is such a good older brother, and I wish more stories depicted brothers like him. I love how the horrible loss and abuse he has suffered haven't taken away his ability to love and care for Ruben and others (including animals). I also love how funny he can be.
Ruben believes he is weak for feeling as deeply as he does and even considers his endearing empathy to be weak. A situation near the beginning of the book and several experiences later on convince Ruben that if he can’t change the way he is, his brother will eventually either leave him or hate him, leading to Ruben’s trying to “fix” himself.
I love how deeply Ruben feels, especially when it comes to his love for his brother and others (including a wonderful dog). He is so caring and compassionate. The loss and abuse he has been through have not taken away his ability to love either. Ruben is such a good younger brother, and like with Roswell, I wish more stories included brothers like him. I also love how funny Ruben often is, having amusing thoughts and cracking hilarious jokes and puns.
Roswell and Ruben share so many struggles and fears. Each brother blames himself for what happened to their mother, each brother considers himself “weak,” and each brother fears his “weakness” will eventually drive the other away. More than anything, each is terrified of losing the other.
The brothers’ relationship is sometimes fraught with emotional pain and misunderstanding as each boy does what he believes is necessary for him to be worthy of his brother’s love. It is very realistic, revealing the devastating effects of trauma and emotional abuse, and particularly the way they steal from people, ripping away vital components of their personhood and self-worth and harming them and their relationships.
However, even in Ruben and Roswell’s darkest, most heartbreaking moments, there is light and hope, as each brother truly loves the other. Despite everything life throws at them, and despite the misconceptions each boy has, the brothers’ bond is unbreakable. I wish more stories presented that kind of bond.
There are several special moments between Roswell and Ruben. Two of my favorite moments are the ending scene and a scene involving a brownie and a candle. If you read this book, I think you’ll know why.
One of the things I love most about the brothers is how they stand up for and fight for each other (especially near the end).
I deeply appreciate Anne Social’s ability to portray painful subjects like grief, loss, mental health, trauma, and emotional abuse in a way that is realistic, helping readers who aren’t familiar with these things to understand them, and helping readers who are familiar with them to know that they are not alone––and that they are worthy of being loved.
I also appreciate how this book delves into how victims of trauma and emotional abuse might find themselves engaging in the same thought processes and behavioral patterns of their abusers against themselves or others. I rarely see this result of abuse discussed in fiction.
I am especially grateful for Anne Social’s honest portrayal of suicide and what it does not only to a person committing or trying to commit suicide but also to those who love that person.
And I am grateful for Anne’s ability to bring hope into the darkest of situations. You can be certain that, no matter what happens to her protagonists, they will receive a happy ending. So many YA books lack that important element.
Even though this book is part of a series, the ending does not feel like it leaves you hanging. I wish more series would end individual stories that way!
I will mention one thing––I recommend this book, but there are two scenes involving graphic animal harm that you might need to skip. The first scene is in the chapter with the title beginning “Headless Chickens…” and the second is in the chapter with the title “Who Let the Dog Out?” With “Headless Chickens...” you can skip forward until Ruben is in his room. With “Who Let...” you can skip to the next chapter and get a recap of what happened to the two brothers. (By the way, the dog referred to in the chapter title ends up being okay.)
Skinless is a heavy read full of darkness and light, uplifting in its message of hope even as it breaks your heart. It will make you cry both happy and sad tears. It will make you laugh. It will make you feel.
I have many favorite parts of this book, but I can’t list all of them without giving too much of the story away, so I will say this: the brothers’ love for each other, manifested in so many ways whether they see it or not, is incredibly beautiful, and their scenes near the end, particularly the ones in the snow, are some of the best I’ve ever read.
The book also includes an important afterword that you should not miss.
I highly recommend this book. My review does not do it justice.
Brothers Roswell and Ruben Vega, separated in age by only eleven months, are struggling to hold onto each other. A lifetime under their sadistic, emotionally abusive father combined with the loss of their mother has left both brothers seared inside. Consumed by a sense of “being weak” for having feelings, each boy tries to “fix” himself, and Roswell, as the older brother, feels he must make Ruben “strong” so he will survive.
However, other kids’ cruelty hits Ruben in ways neither brother expects, and that combined with terrible experiences resulting from their dad’s decisions shatters more than either of them could have imagined.
However, in the darkness, there is hope.
Roswell and Ruben Vega are two of my favorite protagonists from YA fiction.
Both characters are written so well they feel like real people with their own traits, quirks, and interests. I love their music choices, and I love Ruben’s cooking ability, “curse words,” and interest in cryptids (if you don’t know much about cryptids, you will by the time you’ve finished this book).
Both characters are also incredibly relatable and lovable.
Roswell tries to shut off all his emotions except those related to anger, believing his having feelings will eventually drive everyone in his life, including his brother, away. He tries to hide his feelings from other people and protect himself from their prying to the point that, near the beginning, he makes several mistakes, including ones that involve Ruben.
At the same time, however, he cares so much for Ruben that when his decisions almost cost his brother, he jumps in to protect him. And when something happens that he can’t prevent, his response is very satisfying.
I love how Roswell looks after his brother. So many stories I’ve read that include brothers often have older brothers that treat their younger brothers badly, being mean to them for the fun of it or even physically harming them. Roswell isn’t like that. He is such a good older brother, and I wish more stories depicted brothers like him. I love how the horrible loss and abuse he has suffered haven't taken away his ability to love and care for Ruben and others (including animals). I also love how funny he can be.
Ruben believes he is weak for feeling as deeply as he does and even considers his endearing empathy to be weak. A situation near the beginning of the book and several experiences later on convince Ruben that if he can’t change the way he is, his brother will eventually either leave him or hate him, leading to Ruben’s trying to “fix” himself.
I love how deeply Ruben feels, especially when it comes to his love for his brother and others (including a wonderful dog). He is so caring and compassionate. The loss and abuse he has been through have not taken away his ability to love either. Ruben is such a good younger brother, and like with Roswell, I wish more stories included brothers like him. I also love how funny Ruben often is, having amusing thoughts and cracking hilarious jokes and puns.
Roswell and Ruben share so many struggles and fears. Each brother blames himself for what happened to their mother, each brother considers himself “weak,” and each brother fears his “weakness” will eventually drive the other away. More than anything, each is terrified of losing the other.
The brothers’ relationship is sometimes fraught with emotional pain and misunderstanding as each boy does what he believes is necessary for him to be worthy of his brother’s love. It is very realistic, revealing the devastating effects of trauma and emotional abuse, and particularly the way they steal from people, ripping away vital components of their personhood and self-worth and harming them and their relationships.
However, even in Ruben and Roswell’s darkest, most heartbreaking moments, there is light and hope, as each brother truly loves the other. Despite everything life throws at them, and despite the misconceptions each boy has, the brothers’ bond is unbreakable. I wish more stories presented that kind of bond.
There are several special moments between Roswell and Ruben. Two of my favorite moments are the ending scene and a scene involving a brownie and a candle. If you read this book, I think you’ll know why.
One of the things I love most about the brothers is how they stand up for and fight for each other (especially near the end).
I deeply appreciate Anne Social’s ability to portray painful subjects like grief, loss, mental health, trauma, and emotional abuse in a way that is realistic, helping readers who aren’t familiar with these things to understand them, and helping readers who are familiar with them to know that they are not alone––and that they are worthy of being loved.
I also appreciate how this book delves into how victims of trauma and emotional abuse might find themselves engaging in the same thought processes and behavioral patterns of their abusers against themselves or others. I rarely see this result of abuse discussed in fiction.
I am especially grateful for Anne Social’s honest portrayal of suicide and what it does not only to a person committing or trying to commit suicide but also to those who love that person.
And I am grateful for Anne’s ability to bring hope into the darkest of situations. You can be certain that, no matter what happens to her protagonists, they will receive a happy ending. So many YA books lack that important element.
Even though this book is part of a series, the ending does not feel like it leaves you hanging. I wish more series would end individual stories that way!
I will mention one thing––I recommend this book, but there are two scenes involving graphic animal harm that you might need to skip. The first scene is in the chapter with the title beginning “Headless Chickens…” and the second is in the chapter with the title “Who Let the Dog Out?” With “Headless Chickens...” you can skip forward until Ruben is in his room. With “Who Let...” you can skip to the next chapter and get a recap of what happened to the two brothers. (By the way, the dog referred to in the chapter title ends up being okay.)
Skinless is a heavy read full of darkness and light, uplifting in its message of hope even as it breaks your heart. It will make you cry both happy and sad tears. It will make you laugh. It will make you feel.
I have many favorite parts of this book, but I can’t list all of them without giving too much of the story away, so I will say this: the brothers’ love for each other, manifested in so many ways whether they see it or not, is incredibly beautiful, and their scenes near the end, particularly the ones in the snow, are some of the best I’ve ever read.
The book also includes an important afterword that you should not miss.
I highly recommend this book. My review does not do it justice.
October 13, 2025
This was a beautiful, heartbreaking character driven story that hooked me from the very beginning. It’s about two brothers and their abusive father. Their mother passed away. The older brother tries to shut off all feelings except anger. He want to help make his brother strong as well. He sees his feelings as weak and that it will destroy him in some way. Neither of the brothers feel adequate and are afraid of losing the other because of their feelings or weaknesses. They both feel guilty and responsible for losing their mother. They are trying to learn to live with their feelings in their own way. This book was very emotional, heartbreaking, and relatable. The relationship between the brothers is relatable, complicated, and beautiful. They truly do love each other. I like that they found hope in their darkness. This story is full of suspense, tension, action, reflection, and love. The characters are well developed and you feel everything they feel. Writing is phenomenal and brings this beautiful story to life. It was a very enjoyable read.
October 13, 2025
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. So here is my honest opinion, I’m 37% into the book and I’m not really sure why the boys are the way they are. I was also confused after the first chapter, when the second chapter went to a different time. It would have been helpful for the second chapter to start out that it was X# of days, weeks or months earlier. I will keep reading to see how this unfolds.
Updated now that I have finished reading. I have now rented it a 4 out of 5. As I got further into the store I saw how it was unfolding. There are many triggers and I believe that they were handed well. I still want to know what Rizos thinks he did to change his life.
Updated now that I have finished reading. I have now rented it a 4 out of 5. As I got further into the store I saw how it was unfolding. There are many triggers and I believe that they were handed well. I still want to know what Rizos thinks he did to change his life.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews