Young Skin: A literary horror novella

by Line Langager

A tattoo artist who writes contracts with his clients so he owns their skin.

A one-eyed man who is there, but isn't.

A world-famous rapper who's gotten the rotten end of a deal.

A bartender, who needs a bit of a nudge to enter a mausoleum full of well—dead people.

...and a manager, whose interests will soon collide with a notorious hitwoman.

Young Skin takes you on a deep dive into the world of immortalising people through the art of tattooing, while the mind of the artist unravels in front of his very own eyes.

142 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 10, 2026

About the author

Danish author of magical realism. Mainly short fiction and novellas.

Reviews

[Morgan Biggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

I’m usually a romance reader and wanted to broaden my horizons

This is a really interesting story and I couldn’t put this short story down.

It’s hard to review something short without spoilers but just know I will be looking at my tattoo artist sideways from now on in case he wants to immortalise me

[Milt Theo · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I had a lot of trouble finishing the book, mostly because of the weird dialogue (everyone sounds the same), the unnaturally sounding English (I understand the author is Danish, but there are editors for this), and the absurd plot (nothing felt convincing; perhaps this would have worked better as a straighforward, introspective, eccentric account of madness, rather than a tale about art, the art world, and creativity - about none of which there's a single insight). I guess this is supposed to be dark fiction, but it's written like romance, without the romance.

[Apothecary of Stories · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mini Review – Young Skin

[I received a copy of this book from the author. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinion]

Quick Vibe
This short story follows a famous Italian tattoo artist, Bart, who has his clients sign a contract stating that when they pass away, he owns their skin for artistic purposes. Dark, disturbing, and completely unsettling in the best way.

What I Liked
I don’t usually read thrillers, but since the author was kind enough to send me her book, I wanted to give the genre a shot. This story is packed with action and moves quickly, but underneath the shock factor there are strong themes about envy, greed, and the desperate urge to be famous. It really makes you think about ambition and what someone is willing to sacrifice. The plot is weird, creepy, and strange in a way that keeps you hooked.

What I Did Not Like
Since it is such a short story, I did wish we had a little more background on the main character. I wanted to better understand where his obsession came from and what shaped him.

Overall Thoughts
For a short story, this was engaging, bold, and very different from what I normally read. It definitely pushed me outside my comfort zone, but in a good way.

⭐️ Overall Rating: 4/5

[Ashley Wyatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copied from my Instagram @justanotherbook10

♦️Finished Reading♦️

Young Skin By Line Langager
Expected Publication ~ July 1, 2025
♦️ARC♦️

▫️▫️As I leave the bar, the night greets me with a gush of chill air. I cross the street haphazardly, manoeuvring the late evening traffic. Someone yells at me to get out of their way. The moon hangs low, glowing in hues of ominous red above. A harbinger of my impending fate.▫️▫️

♦️My thoughts♦️
A contract with the devil: would you sign up for immortality? This short story will make you think about the cost some individuals will make to live forever. It's dark, ominous, and moody. It's rich in detail. I will admit, its a different kind of book than what I normally read. The main character, Bart, is a tattoo artist that has his clients sign a contract for their skin once they pass away. You will see how this will effect everyone involved that makes the deal... including Bart...

“I can make anything happen,” she says, her words lingering the air. “As long as you are willing to pay.”

♦️Tropes♦️
▫️Morally Grey MC
▫️Art as a form of immortality
▫️The corruption influence of fame
▫️Deal made with the devil

[Scott S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have become a big fan of the author’s works so added this book to my list. And I can say Line created quite an interesting thriller with this one.
Young Skin has a storyline that I found both unique and interesting, and her writing style has the story flowing wonderfully.
Another well done story!

[Christina Borgoyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC in return for an honest review. I like the premise. I, myself, am heavily tattooed, so I understand the lifestyle the author so fondly creates for me to read. Once you are able to get past some spelling errors, it is a nice little story. It's creepy enough and ends at just the right point. Well worth the read.

[Draculise A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Book Review: Young Skin by Line Langager @author.line.langager

This book understands that immortality is not a blessing.
It is a business model with teeth.

Set in Milan’s slick, buzzing streets, Young Skin follows Bart, a tattoo artist who offers something darker than ink. A contract. A promise of preservation. Clients sign for “art” and leave with the uneasy sense that their bodies are no longer fully theirs. Bart’s narration is intimate and sharp, equal parts obsession and hunger, and the atmosphere feels like antiseptic, cigarette smoke, and gallery lighting that makes everything look holy while it rots.

What hooked me is how quickly the story turns from provocative to predatory. Bart is already skating the edge with framed skin and public exhibitions, but the arrival of an accomplice with no respect for rules pushes him toward something worse. Then comes the gold. A rapper client. A new technique. And Bart testing it on himself like an alchemist who has forgotten what a soul is supposed to cost.

There is also an aching tenderness threaded through the cruelty. Vera, an older model, wants to be “immortalized” before time takes what is left, and her scenes add a tragic, human weight that makes the rest of the book hit harder.

🕯️ What worked best:
• Dark art-world decadence with real menace
• Body horror that stays elegant, then turns ugly
• Obsession as character arc, not aesthetic
• A steady escalation that feels inevitable

🩶 Overall:
Young Skin is seductive, bleak, and shameless about what people will trade to be remembered. It is about legacy as addiction, beauty as currency, and the kind of ambition that does not stop when it starts hurting others. If you like morally black protagonists, art as horror, and stories that feel like a contract you should not sign but do anyway, read this.

Would I reread it? Yes.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely.

🩸 Some people want to be seen. Bart wants to own what seeing costs.
#BookReview #YoungSkin #DarkFiction #BodyHorror #GothicVibes #ArtHorror #PsychologicalHorror #MorallyGrey #Bookstagram #IndieBooks

[Lish (BookSirens reviewer)]

To get the usuals out of the way, I received and ARC of this book directly from the author. I am writing this review honestly and doing so of my own free will.

Now. . . Let’s talk about Young Skin.
I came across this story from a post Langager made online and the moment I read the premise, I knew it was for me.
An artist, Bart, who offers “immortality” to his clients? Sign. Me. Up.

“Nothing quite beats the first impressions,” Langager herself wrote(and she was correct). This is my first impression of her work and I’m already searching for more. Matter of fact, I’ve even read two more of her books since this and I did it all in the same day.

This story is short, but it did everything I needed it to. I simply only wish it was longer because I loved it so much and I could have spent hours upon hours reading this plot line. The premise is fresh and intriguing. The way we unintentionally fall into disarray and, frankly, madness all took me off guard but was well executed; I tend to love an unreliable narrator.

I’m a fan of the questions that this writing sparked in my brain and I’ve been thinking about them a lot since I finished reading:

1.) Would I be willing to sell myself for the sake of art/immortality?
2.) Is this even, really, TRULY a gift given to the canvas? Or just another thing whose hype will die off and they ultimately cease to exist anyways? Theres already a competing market by the end- so now what?
3.) How far are we willing to go to be “remembered”?
4.) Is this level of vanity truly worth memorializing? Are these the kinds of people we should give platforms to?
5.) Could I possibly convince Langager to write a follow up story to this if I asked kindly and maybe even cried a little?

I could go on and on. . .

But instead, I’ll encourage you to pick up this book and give it a read- then come back here so we can discuss. 🫶🏻

[Caitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
ARC review

Young Skin is a subtle horror novella that will still make you want to crawl out of your skin. A renowned tattoo artist's clients stimulate that after the client passes he owns the skin with his work on it after they die, with the plan to use them in regular exhibitions alongside living models. Young Skin follows the first exhibition featuring the skin of a deceased client which attracts the attention of a new VIP client with a never-been-done-before request. Despite his reservations, the artist rises to the challenge but the consequences will be dire.

I really love this novella! It's totally original and binge-able. I can't even think of any good comps because this is unlike anything I've ever read before, but fans of popular literary horror such as the likes of Agustina Bazterrica, Ling Ling Huang, Monika Kim, etc. will enjoy this. I'd also recommend to non-horror readers as it's not explicitly scary, but more on the unsettling side. Also a great unreliable narrator rec if you want to get in the mind or someone who's losing theirs.

We know enough about the protagonist (his reclusive lifestyle and driving motivations) to understand why he takes the risks he does and how that puts him on the fringe of society. The other characters are very distinct and each play an important role in the progression of the plot, none of them feel like throwaways or a waste of the limited page count. The author relies on using brief impressions to paint a picture in the reader's mind (a seedy man, snobby celebrity, etc.) which I think is clever in short novels/novellas. I didn't predict where the story would go and I was very satisfied when I finished reading.

I am looking forward to reading this author's backlist!

[Dan.reads.horror · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review via NetGalley


Young Skin has a really intriguing premise: a tattoo artist who has his clients sign contracts so he can keep their skin after death for display. Line Langager clearly knows how to create tension and build an unsettling atmosphere. The opening pulled me in right away, and I was hooked.

However, I found myself wanting deeper character development, even though it is under 150 pages. The book has flashes of brilliance, but they’re mixed with stretches that felt a bit underdeveloped; again, since it is so short, it could have been longer.

Overall, it’s an intriguing read with memorable imagery, and it was really well written, but it was one where the journey was more satisfying than the destination.

[Kamiye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Skin was an interesting read. It's quite short and I read it in one sitting. I liked the plot and the way the story was told.

Signing a contract with your tattoo artist to give him your skin after you die could sound like you are making a deal like the devil. What's the cost of immortality? And morality?

If you are looking to broaden your horizons by reading something "different", pick this book. Some parts were a bit too short for me but the story works and unfolds over time.

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review is my own and I'm leaving it voluntarily.

[TheGreatandWonderfulBookWitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well written short story. There is intrigue that creates curiosity about what the story will present to the reader. There is attention to detail in the writing, and the characters are very straightforward as is often needed for short stories.

 

The story does feel a bit 2 dimensional. I feel that more of the story could have been punched up to create more drama. In other words, it falls a bit flat.

 

I do really like the plot though. It opens the door to think about your own life and what you're doing with it. I think it just needed a bit more to make that point really hit hard.

[R.E. Holding · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the idea of this book, and it was definitely a fast read! I do think it would have been a better novel, as there is so much going on that can be explored. There are some scenes that fly by so quick that I had to double-take to make sure I knew where Bart was and where he was going. The idea of creating a tattoo with gold is fascinating, and I was interested in knowing more details about that, and how it might have affected the musician. Solid idea, and with a good dev editing pass, could be something great!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this eARC!

I loved the plot for this story. I think it should have been a full length novel! It was definitely creepy, and I loved the descriptions of the gold ink.

Unfortunately, I think that the length hurt the depth of the story. It was a little hard to follow at times because the scenes jumped pretty quickly, and we didn't get to truly know the characters.

Very creative idea, but I think personally it fell a little short of its potential.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book left me a little confused, I didn't find the ending clear. There were things left unresolved. I did like the story in general. The tattoo artist making art and gets to claim it back after the client dies is cool. The shadows that he sees /hears i am not sure if that is meant to hit at a possible mental health issue. So I think this could use a little more to make some relationship and things clear.

[Brit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading this ARC today, and I knew it was going to be interesting. WOW! I loved it! Twisted, but definitely something humans are capable of. Thank you for allowing me to read your work!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right from the start this creepy ominous vibe started building. Made me unable to put the book down til I finished it. Love the writing style and was so sad it wasn’t at least 200 pages longer!!