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Puppet Skin
Hannah graduates from middle school on Friday. That's the day she transforms into a living puppet, like her parents and teachers before her. No longer a human girl made of flesh and feelings, but a perfect wooden new self, whose strings lead up from her limbs into an endless black void above. With no pain. No sorrow. No sickness. No fear.
But Hannah has begun to suspect that something is very, very wrong. And in a world where emotion is treated like a disease, and unknown terrors lurk inside everyone, just keeping your soul alive past childhood might be the greatest challenge of all.
"PUPPET SKIN is a dark, grotesquely-beautiful Bizarro nightmare fable for alienated teens of all ages. If you've ever felt lost in this deranged universe, Danger's book knows exactly what you mean." - John Skipp , author of THE LIGHT AT THE END and THE ART OF HORRIBLE PEOPLE
But Hannah has begun to suspect that something is very, very wrong. And in a world where emotion is treated like a disease, and unknown terrors lurk inside everyone, just keeping your soul alive past childhood might be the greatest challenge of all.
"PUPPET SKIN is a dark, grotesquely-beautiful Bizarro nightmare fable for alienated teens of all ages. If you've ever felt lost in this deranged universe, Danger's book knows exactly what you mean." - John Skipp , author of THE LIGHT AT THE END and THE ART OF HORRIBLE PEOPLE
126 pages, Paperback
Published July 18, 2016
7 people are currently reading
619 people want to read
About the author
Danger Slater
37 books732 followersWonderland Award winning author Danger Slater is the world’s most flammable writer! He likes to use a lot of exclamation points!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
September 19, 2018
sometimes i really feel bad for the people who are following my reviews on here. cuz one day i'll write a review for some literary fiction or popular genre book and the next day i'll review monsterporn or a children's book or a book with pictures of animals in silly hats and it must be so confusing: the people who started following me after they read one of my YA reviews will be horrified when the next book i read is The Trillionaire Tater Tots Caused Me Gay, and the people who started following me after i reviewed some pulitzer-winning author will be horrified when i review some bizarro book where sharks attack the white house or something.
welcome to me, followers - it's a roller coaster up in here!
as far as bizarro goes, this one is pretty inoffensive. there are some icky scenes, but mostly it's a fairytale of adolescence; a reverse pinocchio, if you will (YOU WILL!), in which girls and boys are real the way we are real until they graduate from middle school, after which they are inducted into the world of adulthood by being turned into puppets, manipulated by strings extending upwards to an unknown source, no longer requiring food or experiencing emotions or worst of all - dancing. but this is no footloose reboot- it is way grosser.
despite knowing this is going to happen to her, as it happened to her parents and teachers before her, hannah is not cool with the whole impending puppet-thing. she begins to question the necessity of this transformation, exploring the borders of her existence, rocking the complacent puppet-boat until cracks appear and unusual and creepy things emerge. "unusual and creepy" is relative in a world where people become marionettes on a regular basis, but you get me.
hannah's mother (or "mompet") sees her restlessness and rebellion as a normal part of adolescence and some last gasp of independence before becoming tethered to her strings, and spouts motherly advice that makes total sense, until you remember it's coming from a freaking puppet.
"There's a naïve sort of certainty that comes with being a teenager," her mother said. "You discover the world and try to claim it as your own." Hannah's mother then pointed to her daughter's empty dinner plate. "You have not the perspective to see yourself as you truly are. Just an acorn amongst the oaks."
which is horrifying to someone who is eating acorn mash, but then, so is talking to a puppet.
and if you think it's jejune to have adulthood represented by the string'ed tethers of responsibility and the resulting loss of freedom, there's a bit more to it here, and the ending delivers a pretty clever shift.
also, it has one of the few exchanges between teenage girls that actually sounds like how teenage girls talk which m. slater probably
"Inside of you, right now, there are 10 times more bacterial cells than there are human cells. I read about it on the internet. They outnumber us. That means that even with all the thoughts and desires and needs and feelings crowding you up like the air in an overinflated balloon, 90% of what you consider "you" is actually not you at all. It's them."
Jordan looked horrified.
"It could be argued that the whole reason you even exist in the first place is to give the bacteria a vessel in which to thrive."
"That's so gross, Hannah," said Jordan. "Why do you know that? Why are you even thinking about that?"
Hannah shrugged.
"Whatever," said Jordan. "I'm certainly more than just a vessel for some nasty germs."
"You are," said Hannah. Then she added. "But only 10% more."
that's how i remember it was to be a girl. before i became this old-ass puppet.
anyway, it's fun and it's gross and i approve of danger slater all over again this fourth (and a half) time out.
much puppet applause!
come to my blog!
July 17, 2017
I interviewed Slater about this book and more, here!
I’d heard Slater was a quality writer, and I knew bizarro was an interesting genre, but I didn’t expect to have so many reflections, especially not from a book of this size, and certainly not one pitched to young adults.
I’ll say it again: you’ll find that most genres are betrayed by their most popular books, because “most popular” is more often than not synonymous with “shit.” Some genres in general do better justice to certain topics: horror is the natural home, but not the necessary home, of fear; likewise, I’ve found that bizarro is the natural home of alienation. Its capacity for surrealism and hyperbole allows the writer to really demonstrate what it means to exist in a world you understand so little of and feel so disconnected from—or just to entertain highly of course :D
Still, I believe any genre can do anything, and you can choose based on your taste, not based on the natural home of your subject. For example, did it ever occur to anyone why someone might write a YA novel? The most common answers, looking at the market, are either “I’ve reached middle age but am still a whiny teenage girl in my head”, “MONEYYYYY!” or some combination thereof. However, there’s only one valid reason to write YA, and that’s if you have a message to deliver to the YA demographic, and this is true of the best YA novels: I’m not so familiar, so I’ll only namecheck Two Boys Kissing (seriously worth a read) and Puppet Skin.
From a YA perspective, the routines of adult life can appear driven by motivations or signals that reach adults as if from some other horrific universe, which denies its knowledge and reasoning from YAs. But the scary process of growing up will reveal all. Or not. YAs look at adults and see a wealth of possibilities, whereas adults are often weighed down by practicalities, status anxieties and the disillusionment of experience.
This is a clever central metaphor—but how has Slater managed to relate and to evoke these feelings for YAs? I would extend the metaphor and say that lucid adults are just as mystified by the actions of their puppet counterparts as YAs are. When I meet someone new in Oslo, I get most frequently asked how my Norwegian is and what the size of my flat is. I cannot think of two less impressive qualities that I possess or two that I am less interested in enhancing, but it doesn’t matter: to those receiving instructions from the puppety void, these questions come first in establishing who I am. And I deny that this constitutes, in the majority of cases (there are many outliers, I don’t deny that) an “opening pitch”—I promise you: it’s the be-all and end-all, the entirety of the thing. When I go to lunch in the cafeteria, I sit there with a book, but all the tables are designed for upwards of eight people. A coworker will sit beside me all smug-like, thinking they’ve rescued me from the book I’ve escaped into. They may well then ask me to remind them how big my flat was. Recently I asked a guy if he wanted to go for a beer after work, to which he replied that he was unavailable: he had promised one of his friends that they would meet at his flat and watch the livestream launch of the iPhone 7. Don DeLillo couldn’t make this shit up. What I mean to say is the great thing I’ve noticed bizarro doing is leaving off its definite meaning and inviting the reader’s participation through its symbolism, and because of this, the story can relate to a wider audience than its core demographic. (I’m saying you should read this.)
I was anxious for a happy ending, but I got something even better: the realistically happy ending, which you only get from the best: I’ve seen Woody Allen, Lionel Shriver, Michel Gondry, Alain de Botton and few others achieve it. Rather than cop out and let their characters escape from the ongoing struggle put forth, at the end, the writer holds true to every dark truth they’ve put forward but attests that survival is possible in the difficult world they’ve created anyhow.
The message as I see it is this: ultimately, no matter how deprived your world looks compared to that of others, it’ll look and feel and mean infinitely more than anyone else’s world, no matter how luxurious, equipped with amenities, no matter how sensible another person’s world looks to them or to a majority of others. If you have to find your space by carving it out the bare earth with your hands, then start digging.
Becoming an adult is scary. It’s so scary that most people don’t recover from it, never face the fear, run to comfort: time and again literature has demonstrated that this doesn’t work (think Revolutionary Road. For Puppet Skin, think Revolutionary Road meets The Lobster!) Adults, so unsure of themselves and wanting the best for their kids, may end up demonstrating heavy bias regarding the path they took in life, because they know it works: they want to shelter their kids—these weird formerly helpless things they brought forth into the world that are suddenly singing and dancing and forming their own opinions— from all the pain and uncertainty they’ve gone through to date. But sometimes puppets give birth to people. And people don’t see with puppet eyes.
People still join me at lunch, but they no longer think they’re rescuing me from my book; they do it because they enjoy my company. It took three years of refusing to engage in chat and activity, no matter how ubiquitous, that didn’t interest me, in order for people to see me, more or less, as a separate entity. In my little space in the world, you’re free to talk about anything at all (bar, let’s say, two particular exclusions!) We don’t have to be puppets and nothing eats us up inside because we let it spill out our mouths, unafraid of what it looks like.
Bizarro has much to offer weird kids as they grow up: here’s hoping they find Puppet Skin and never look back.
I’d heard Slater was a quality writer, and I knew bizarro was an interesting genre, but I didn’t expect to have so many reflections, especially not from a book of this size, and certainly not one pitched to young adults.
I’ll say it again: you’ll find that most genres are betrayed by their most popular books, because “most popular” is more often than not synonymous with “shit.” Some genres in general do better justice to certain topics: horror is the natural home, but not the necessary home, of fear; likewise, I’ve found that bizarro is the natural home of alienation. Its capacity for surrealism and hyperbole allows the writer to really demonstrate what it means to exist in a world you understand so little of and feel so disconnected from—or just to entertain highly of course :D
Still, I believe any genre can do anything, and you can choose based on your taste, not based on the natural home of your subject. For example, did it ever occur to anyone why someone might write a YA novel? The most common answers, looking at the market, are either “I’ve reached middle age but am still a whiny teenage girl in my head”, “MONEYYYYY!” or some combination thereof. However, there’s only one valid reason to write YA, and that’s if you have a message to deliver to the YA demographic, and this is true of the best YA novels: I’m not so familiar, so I’ll only namecheck Two Boys Kissing (seriously worth a read) and Puppet Skin.
From a YA perspective, the routines of adult life can appear driven by motivations or signals that reach adults as if from some other horrific universe, which denies its knowledge and reasoning from YAs. But the scary process of growing up will reveal all. Or not. YAs look at adults and see a wealth of possibilities, whereas adults are often weighed down by practicalities, status anxieties and the disillusionment of experience.
This is a clever central metaphor—but how has Slater managed to relate and to evoke these feelings for YAs? I would extend the metaphor and say that lucid adults are just as mystified by the actions of their puppet counterparts as YAs are. When I meet someone new in Oslo, I get most frequently asked how my Norwegian is and what the size of my flat is. I cannot think of two less impressive qualities that I possess or two that I am less interested in enhancing, but it doesn’t matter: to those receiving instructions from the puppety void, these questions come first in establishing who I am. And I deny that this constitutes, in the majority of cases (there are many outliers, I don’t deny that) an “opening pitch”—I promise you: it’s the be-all and end-all, the entirety of the thing. When I go to lunch in the cafeteria, I sit there with a book, but all the tables are designed for upwards of eight people. A coworker will sit beside me all smug-like, thinking they’ve rescued me from the book I’ve escaped into. They may well then ask me to remind them how big my flat was. Recently I asked a guy if he wanted to go for a beer after work, to which he replied that he was unavailable: he had promised one of his friends that they would meet at his flat and watch the livestream launch of the iPhone 7. Don DeLillo couldn’t make this shit up. What I mean to say is the great thing I’ve noticed bizarro doing is leaving off its definite meaning and inviting the reader’s participation through its symbolism, and because of this, the story can relate to a wider audience than its core demographic. (I’m saying you should read this.)
I was anxious for a happy ending, but I got something even better: the realistically happy ending, which you only get from the best: I’ve seen Woody Allen, Lionel Shriver, Michel Gondry, Alain de Botton and few others achieve it. Rather than cop out and let their characters escape from the ongoing struggle put forth, at the end, the writer holds true to every dark truth they’ve put forward but attests that survival is possible in the difficult world they’ve created anyhow.
The message as I see it is this: ultimately, no matter how deprived your world looks compared to that of others, it’ll look and feel and mean infinitely more than anyone else’s world, no matter how luxurious, equipped with amenities, no matter how sensible another person’s world looks to them or to a majority of others. If you have to find your space by carving it out the bare earth with your hands, then start digging.
Becoming an adult is scary. It’s so scary that most people don’t recover from it, never face the fear, run to comfort: time and again literature has demonstrated that this doesn’t work (think Revolutionary Road. For Puppet Skin, think Revolutionary Road meets The Lobster!) Adults, so unsure of themselves and wanting the best for their kids, may end up demonstrating heavy bias regarding the path they took in life, because they know it works: they want to shelter their kids—these weird formerly helpless things they brought forth into the world that are suddenly singing and dancing and forming their own opinions— from all the pain and uncertainty they’ve gone through to date. But sometimes puppets give birth to people. And people don’t see with puppet eyes.
People still join me at lunch, but they no longer think they’re rescuing me from my book; they do it because they enjoy my company. It took three years of refusing to engage in chat and activity, no matter how ubiquitous, that didn’t interest me, in order for people to see me, more or less, as a separate entity. In my little space in the world, you’re free to talk about anything at all (bar, let’s say, two particular exclusions!) We don’t have to be puppets and nothing eats us up inside because we let it spill out our mouths, unafraid of what it looks like.
Bizarro has much to offer weird kids as they grow up: here’s hoping they find Puppet Skin and never look back.
November 18, 2023
Update 23:
"Puppet Skin" is by all means a masterpiece. It's a shame it hasn't met the public it deserves but I hope it will one day.
On the surface, it reads a bit like a dark YA book, with a big coming-of-age theme. The writing is smooth and you get along with Hannah immediately.
But the philosophical meanings of this story are endless and books upon books could be written about it. I know I would love to have someone to talk to about what "Puppet Skin" want to express and share. Sadly no French translation are available so none of my IRL friends are able to read this one. Maybe one day ...
Until then, I'll cherish this nugget and keep my signed copy in a well-placed spot in my library 🙃
----------------------------------------------------
"Puppet Skin" is clearly one of the most interesting books I've read this year!
Albeit the main story is self-sufficient to ensure a pleasant reading all along, the entire metaphore of the transition to adulthood is worth loads of comments and analysis. I was stunned by the intrigue development and didn't expect so much of this book when I picked it up.
It was a complete surprise, and a great one by all means, to see the story moving to a philosogical questioning of the notions of growing up, of identity searching, of uniqueness in a standardized world, etc. utterly, the search of the self!
I'll remember "Puppet Skin" as a book wonderfuly mixing surrealism, horror, philosophy and absurde. The complete package of what I like in books :-)
"Puppet Skin" is by all means a masterpiece. It's a shame it hasn't met the public it deserves but I hope it will one day.
On the surface, it reads a bit like a dark YA book, with a big coming-of-age theme. The writing is smooth and you get along with Hannah immediately.
But the philosophical meanings of this story are endless and books upon books could be written about it. I know I would love to have someone to talk to about what "Puppet Skin" want to express and share. Sadly no French translation are available so none of my IRL friends are able to read this one. Maybe one day ...
Until then, I'll cherish this nugget and keep my signed copy in a well-placed spot in my library 🙃
----------------------------------------------------
"Puppet Skin" is clearly one of the most interesting books I've read this year!
Albeit the main story is self-sufficient to ensure a pleasant reading all along, the entire metaphore of the transition to adulthood is worth loads of comments and analysis. I was stunned by the intrigue development and didn't expect so much of this book when I picked it up.
It was a complete surprise, and a great one by all means, to see the story moving to a philosogical questioning of the notions of growing up, of identity searching, of uniqueness in a standardized world, etc. utterly, the search of the self!
I'll remember "Puppet Skin" as a book wonderfuly mixing surrealism, horror, philosophy and absurde. The complete package of what I like in books :-)
July 26, 2016
This book puts the lotion on its skin and does what its told or it gets the hose.
August 24, 2016
I look forward to and enjoy anything from Danger Slater. Are you wondering how he pulled off this bizarro YA book? With loads of creepy world building, prose that creates stunning visuals, a strong protagonist and scenes vivid enough to stay with you for some time.
Hannah does not want to simply fall in line and give up her human form to become a puppet at the end of junior high, per the norm. As the day nears, she learns that world she thought she lived may not really exist. There is so much going on under the surface that Hannah is about to discover, through it all showing strength and character of one by far her elder. All of the twists and oddity in the book come off as both tangible and immersive. Slater also knows how to be emotionally affective, with the reader feeling all of her anxiety, frustration and uncertainty. I highly recommend Puppet Skin.
Hannah does not want to simply fall in line and give up her human form to become a puppet at the end of junior high, per the norm. As the day nears, she learns that world she thought she lived may not really exist. There is so much going on under the surface that Hannah is about to discover, through it all showing strength and character of one by far her elder. All of the twists and oddity in the book come off as both tangible and immersive. Slater also knows how to be emotionally affective, with the reader feeling all of her anxiety, frustration and uncertainty. I highly recommend Puppet Skin.
July 18, 2021
Really enjoyed this book. While managing to maintain a fairly creepy and weird vibe throughout, Puppet Skin manages to retain a sense of believability that can be quite scarce in a lot of Bizarro…despite the fact the majority of the population are living puppets.
I found myself immersed in the world so wholly that I read it in one sitting. The ending even hit me in the feels, which I don’t get often. Will be reading more from this author.
I found myself immersed in the world so wholly that I read it in one sitting. The ending even hit me in the feels, which I don’t get often. Will be reading more from this author.
April 1, 2017
Beware all ye who, like me, have an irrational fear of marionettes. Forget Pinocchio. Danger Slater has created a world where real boys and girls are turned into wooden puppets as part of their graduation process. This is the story of one girl who bucks the system and says fuck all ya'll!
Creepy as all get out, Danger has outdone himself with this one.
review to come.
Creepy as all get out, Danger has outdone himself with this one.
review to come.
September 9, 2016
I received a copy of this novella in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this story.
Puppet Skin is about finding out who you are as opposed to who you're supposed to be. Becoming an adult can be a difficult and sometimes horrifying time. Your body changes, your relationships with your parents changes, you start questioning the world around you. Danger Slater has added a whole new dimension of fear to this process as he introduces us to Hannah in this allegorical tale. Hannah doesn't want to grow up to be a puppet like her Mompet and the rest of the adults. Her frustration as she fights to be herself is palpable in every sentence as is the terror she feels when she discovers that not everything she's been told about the world is true. This is a dark and somewhat bleak coming of age story for anybody who ever felt like they didn't quite fit in. A fast paced and fun 4 star read.
Puppet Skin is about finding out who you are as opposed to who you're supposed to be. Becoming an adult can be a difficult and sometimes horrifying time. Your body changes, your relationships with your parents changes, you start questioning the world around you. Danger Slater has added a whole new dimension of fear to this process as he introduces us to Hannah in this allegorical tale. Hannah doesn't want to grow up to be a puppet like her Mompet and the rest of the adults. Her frustration as she fights to be herself is palpable in every sentence as is the terror she feels when she discovers that not everything she's been told about the world is true. This is a dark and somewhat bleak coming of age story for anybody who ever felt like they didn't quite fit in. A fast paced and fun 4 star read.
March 6, 2017
A young girl comes of age in a world where that means turning into an emotionless puppet. I was enjoying this book even BEFORE it got dark and twisted, because Danger Slater's prose is a pleasure to read. Fully fleshed out bizarro world with themes of creation and independence. Lots of fun.
August 10, 2025
It's hard to grow up. How hard it is to be free and stay free.
October 13, 2016
If I were searching for one book that best described the genre of 'Bizarro fiction', I would, without a doubt, choose Danger Slater's 'Puppet Skin'.
This book is an exciting, interesting, and suspenseful read from page one. Firstly, the concept is entirely original. I wonder at how many times I have heard the phrase "there are no new ideas anymore". 'Puppet Skin' is a supreme example of how far from the truth that notion is. The metaphor that Danger Slater uses for transitioning into adulthood is brilliant and a sentiment that I believe we all can relate to. This book, as delightfully disturbing as it is, would be appealing to many age groups and interests. Okay, definitely NOT small children and people that faint easily, but besides them...
Puppet Skin has great pacing. Most chapters are short, but they don't move by so quickly that the reader cannot grasp the plot/details or feels either drowned by them or apathetic towards them. They are slowed by the very distinct, descriptive, and intentional language that Slater uses.
The language was what really made this book fantastic, in my opinion. Many books that focus on a gaggle of teen girls do not have the literary angle that this book does. The world created is unique, the clever play on words is unforgettable, and the humor peppered throughout is perfectly placed and much appreciated. He even created words like 'mompet' and who knew that acorn mash is actually a thing?
Other aspects of the language that stood out were the dialogue and imagery. Having once been a teen girl myself, I can honestly say that Danger Slater captures the mind and speech of one quite accurately. In fact, frighteningly so. I found myself reading much of the dialogue aloud, which read very much like a play or film script (by the way, this book would make a GREAT film). I believed the words that the main character Hannah was saying. I believed the words of her friends and family. And this made me care about what happened to her and added to the suspense when things got weird and fucked up. When a writer has dialogue in a book, I feel that it is beyond essential for them to remember that language was, first and foremost, an oral tradition. And with that tradition of storytelling, the dialogue must sound genuine, not forced. I find, at times, in my reading, that some authors struggle to find the balance between the spoken and written word when it comes to dialogue (looks great on the page, sounds completely contrived aloud), but Danger does this with ease. He also does an excellent job delving into Hannah's internal world, which makes us care even more deeply about her and the obstacles she faces.
The imagery within Puppet Skin is imaginative, unusual, grotesque. and very much like the ocean. There are some pages that flow gently like the lapping of water on a calm day, lulling the reader, and others that bite and sting like the crashing of waves. The balance that Slater creates is organic and thrilling. He has a way of manipulating language to shift between waking dream and nightmare, which seems to drive the pace of this book. Sometimes it is subtle and sometimes it is jarring, but it is always necessary.
I'm not going to bother trying to compare this book to anything else, because it is unlike everything else, and that is a wonderful thing.
This book is meant to be read aloud in mostly dark rooms or at the park in the dirt next to insects and trees. It is an experience. And truly, that is what many of us need.
This book is an exciting, interesting, and suspenseful read from page one. Firstly, the concept is entirely original. I wonder at how many times I have heard the phrase "there are no new ideas anymore". 'Puppet Skin' is a supreme example of how far from the truth that notion is. The metaphor that Danger Slater uses for transitioning into adulthood is brilliant and a sentiment that I believe we all can relate to. This book, as delightfully disturbing as it is, would be appealing to many age groups and interests. Okay, definitely NOT small children and people that faint easily, but besides them...
Puppet Skin has great pacing. Most chapters are short, but they don't move by so quickly that the reader cannot grasp the plot/details or feels either drowned by them or apathetic towards them. They are slowed by the very distinct, descriptive, and intentional language that Slater uses.
The language was what really made this book fantastic, in my opinion. Many books that focus on a gaggle of teen girls do not have the literary angle that this book does. The world created is unique, the clever play on words is unforgettable, and the humor peppered throughout is perfectly placed and much appreciated. He even created words like 'mompet' and who knew that acorn mash is actually a thing?
Other aspects of the language that stood out were the dialogue and imagery. Having once been a teen girl myself, I can honestly say that Danger Slater captures the mind and speech of one quite accurately. In fact, frighteningly so. I found myself reading much of the dialogue aloud, which read very much like a play or film script (by the way, this book would make a GREAT film). I believed the words that the main character Hannah was saying. I believed the words of her friends and family. And this made me care about what happened to her and added to the suspense when things got weird and fucked up. When a writer has dialogue in a book, I feel that it is beyond essential for them to remember that language was, first and foremost, an oral tradition. And with that tradition of storytelling, the dialogue must sound genuine, not forced. I find, at times, in my reading, that some authors struggle to find the balance between the spoken and written word when it comes to dialogue (looks great on the page, sounds completely contrived aloud), but Danger does this with ease. He also does an excellent job delving into Hannah's internal world, which makes us care even more deeply about her and the obstacles she faces.
The imagery within Puppet Skin is imaginative, unusual, grotesque. and very much like the ocean. There are some pages that flow gently like the lapping of water on a calm day, lulling the reader, and others that bite and sting like the crashing of waves. The balance that Slater creates is organic and thrilling. He has a way of manipulating language to shift between waking dream and nightmare, which seems to drive the pace of this book. Sometimes it is subtle and sometimes it is jarring, but it is always necessary.
I'm not going to bother trying to compare this book to anything else, because it is unlike everything else, and that is a wonderful thing.
This book is meant to be read aloud in mostly dark rooms or at the park in the dirt next to insects and trees. It is an experience. And truly, that is what many of us need.
February 6, 2017
Very interesting story about transformation and the act of creation. The primary storyline follows a very gnostic narrative as Hannah awakens to the strangeness beneath the surface of her already weird world, where children are made into wooden marionette-like puppets the day they graduate school. It continues, in its final act, in examining, through a bizarro lens, the thoughts and motivations of demiurges, and the interplay between creator and creation. Very imaginative and ultimately far more meaningful than I thought a book about puppet-people would be, impressive.
July 30, 2016
Piss off Catcher in the Rye, here's a real coming of age story. Loved it.
October 15, 2018
Clever. That’s the first word that comes to mind after I finished this book. Review to come.
July 8, 2021
Pᴜᴘᴘᴇᴛ Sᴋɪɴ, by Danger Slater, is a bowl of hot pho.
A bowl of hot pho is just what you need on a day like today. The beef bone broth steams open your pores, sloughs off that extra layer of skin like a snake. But there will be no shedding. Where you’re going, what you’re becoming, is a transformation limited to one species only. A hardened face for the same world.
The mushrooms are soft, earthy pulp that remind you of the place you’re going. They’ve got that woody taste, if tree bark had soaked in a warm bath. And then there’s the tangles and strangles of rice noodles— like the strings that tether us to the ground, connect us to the earth, determine our every move.
The raw beef cooks in the boiling broth in front of you, meat not that different from yours, pink like a skinned knee. Pink like the flush of your cheeks after a long run. But the meat’s not alive any longer, the flesh that was once connected to a brain and a heart and millions of bacteria now rests in the soup. Idle.
The handful of bean sprouts are speckled with dirt, as if they had just been plucked from the earth not moments before. No time to grow into the bean stalks and vines they were meant to become. And you wonder how different you and the bean sprout are— no, scratch that— how similar you are. How much you have in common with this sprout that could have been, that never had the chance to reach its full potential.
And with all of this you realize your time is up, your final meal is over. Just straggles of noodles left behind. Half a lime. A basil leaf. Now you too will be a moment stuck in time, like the half cooked beef and the young bean sprout, someone— or something— that will never grow up.
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June 17, 2018
This title was dark and creepy! It made me stop and think about how controlled our lives feel like at times. The hope is, we are like this character, and march to the beat of a different drum so we don't get strung along with the rest of the herd. There were elements in this that made me think of the film Coraline but with a more twisted and bizarre direction and ending. I was easily drawn into this tale and highly recommend the read.
January 24, 2017
A grim, playful little bizarro fairytale whose meaning seemed to morph and change from one chapter to the next. I mean, what were the Puppet People? What did they represent? Complacency or something more complex? It doesn't much matter either way, as the book is fun, dark, and funny and surprisingly deep.
March 17, 2018
Lucky me, I met Danger Slater at the 2017 Cthulhu Con and this is the book I left the little Bizarro Booth with (well, this, A Pretty Mouth, and The Egg Man).
Puppet Skin is an intriguing exploration of growing up, rebellion, and art. The beauty of book lies in the mystery that Hannah pieces out; finding out the truth behind the world she's grown up in. A world where graduating from Middle School means turning into a wooden marionette.
This is a great "starter" Bizarro book; one that doesn't thrust folks into a reality that is too far removed nor one that basks in gory violence or extreme sex. Instead, the reader is gently ushered into something that is strange, but encouraged to uncover the reality underneath the bizarre. The clear allegories at play further the introductory nature of the book. So in this way, Puppet Skin is a great way to get new folks into the Bizarro world.
The book is also written with a deft hand. DS writes with a prose that gets out of the way of the story, allowing the reader to fully engage with the world without the distance that stylistic tricks brings about. Still, peering through the crevices of each letter, the dedicated Bizarro reader will find much to enjoy. Just because the violence and gore is rare does not mean they don't exist in this universe; their rarity enhances their power.
Puppet Skin is an intriguing exploration of growing up, rebellion, and art. The beauty of book lies in the mystery that Hannah pieces out; finding out the truth behind the world she's grown up in. A world where graduating from Middle School means turning into a wooden marionette.
This is a great "starter" Bizarro book; one that doesn't thrust folks into a reality that is too far removed nor one that basks in gory violence or extreme sex. Instead, the reader is gently ushered into something that is strange, but encouraged to uncover the reality underneath the bizarre. The clear allegories at play further the introductory nature of the book. So in this way, Puppet Skin is a great way to get new folks into the Bizarro world.
The book is also written with a deft hand. DS writes with a prose that gets out of the way of the story, allowing the reader to fully engage with the world without the distance that stylistic tricks brings about. Still, peering through the crevices of each letter, the dedicated Bizarro reader will find much to enjoy. Just because the violence and gore is rare does not mean they don't exist in this universe; their rarity enhances their power.
November 20, 2017
Puppet Skin
by Danger Slater
Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book, gratis, by the author due to the fact that it was slightly marred by some stain of dubious origin (just kidding - it was coffee). This generosity in no way influenced my opinion of the subject matter. Really. If you write something and I hate it, I'll let you know. All opinions, tangents, and mind-wanderings are my own.
It's a shame that the Bizarro genre is not more well-known outside of certain circles because I know of no more fertile breeding ground for creativity nor one with a firmer connection to humanity, despite the penchant for nightmare-inducing visuals.
You won't find much life-affirming content on, say, the New York Times bestsellers lists, unless your definition of "creativity" is some hackneyed combination of "handsome doctor and beautiful (and smart!) woman not only find adventure together (and save the world while they're at it) but also love! Hooray!" Or perhaps you prefer an author whose approach is "I am going to write the most boring, tedious, and pedantic novel imaginable in order to showcase just how erudite I am, and to relate just how much I feel." Knock yourself out, if that's your thing.
But in this humble reviewer's opinion, real questions of humanity can only truly be dealt with when one wanders off the pedestrian-infested sidewalks and into that poorly lit alley just over there, the one that makes you wonder what could possibly be lying in wait in the shadows just beyond the garbage bags and graffiti and that bum who appears to be sleeping. But is he?
That alley is a favorite of mine and I dally there whenever I can. On my most recent excursion I had the pleasure of tripping over the prone form of Danger Slater. As I sprawled onto the ground next to him he looked at me, not unkindly, and said "I haven't seen you here before, but I know that look of need." He stood up, pulled something out of his jacket, dropped it onto my chest and then disappeared into the shadows.
My hands reached for the item as I sat up. It was a book. I could just make out the title in the waning light - "Puppet Skin." I stood slowly, clutching the book to my chest, and headed home.
In order to "suck out all the marrow of life" (to quote Robin Williams as Charles Keating quoting Henry David Thoreau in "Dead Poets Society") one must have an inkling as to what the marrow of life is (which is why you're not going to find it amongst the authors proffered for sale at the corner drugstore or supermarket. "Buy me!" those books demand, "I'm the least objectionable!").
I don't know much about this Danger Slater character, but I think it's safe to surmise that he is well-acquainted with sucking the marrow out of life.
"Puppet Skin" as akin to a cautionary tale of sorts, a rumination on fear and that undeniable fact of existence: "...without proper care, everything will rot eventually." And also: when you become an adult there is a good chance that you will be "alive differently" than when you were young and whether you deem that good, bad, or irrelevant probably depends on just how much marrow-sucking you've done.
So let's take a look at the novel(la), shall we?
Hannah is in eighth grade and the time is fast approaching for her to graduate and become an "adult" - but in her world that means she will be turned into a puppet, complete with "acrylic paint slathered on top of hard cedar flesh," "glassy doll eyes," and attached strings that disappear "into the endless black void above." It's what happens to all youngsters, and all adults are puppets.
But Hannah shows little enthusiasm for the impending change. She can't quite understand why anyone would look forward to turning their lives over to some unseen and unknowable Puppet Master who is assumed to be up there somewhere, pulling the strings.
This vexes Hannah's mother to no end. You need to grow up, she tells Hannah. Be more like your cousin Bette, she says. Embrace the future laid out for you, she insists. Hannah's father rarely says anything and only seems alive when he pipes up to agree with Hannah's mother before flopping over into silence again.
It seems as if the only person Hannah can really talk and relate to is her friend Jordan, herself something of a self-styled rebel - instead of becoming a puppet she wants to run off to The City to become a model. Nobody really knows much about The City, however, and there's no certainty that it's even real. Still, it's a goal, something other than a daily life of being tugged around by puppet strings.
As Hannah is walking home from school one day she sees something that is both confusing and horrifying: a puppet - a man - slumped on a park bench. When he sees her he desperately begs for help and then starts spewing wood pulp like vomit out of his mouth and every other orifice he's managed to retain as a puppet. Hannah is shocked and sickened. "Puppets don't age" she's been told, nor do they ever experience anything other than a perfect life - so what the hell is going on here? She runs like a dickens until she's safely back home.
She tells Jordan about what she saw, and they decide to ditch school to return to the scene to look around. They're sidelined by Hannah's cousin Bette who is essentially a goody-two-shoes but finds that her curiosity is piqued so she tags along. When they get to the park they experience a different sort of shock and awe, inviting more questions about the nature of the world.
And Hannah, our stalwart heroine, starts to consider that maybe she hasn't been the best daughter to her parents, and that perhaps her mother truly does know what's best for her. The day of her graduation into adult-/puppet-hood arrives, and...
And there you have it. It's far from over but you'll get no more out of me. The element of surprise and the joy of discovery are in your hands now. I have faith in you. Now go, children - pick up this book and suck some marrow out of life.
by Danger Slater
Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book, gratis, by the author due to the fact that it was slightly marred by some stain of dubious origin (just kidding - it was coffee). This generosity in no way influenced my opinion of the subject matter. Really. If you write something and I hate it, I'll let you know. All opinions, tangents, and mind-wanderings are my own.
It's a shame that the Bizarro genre is not more well-known outside of certain circles because I know of no more fertile breeding ground for creativity nor one with a firmer connection to humanity, despite the penchant for nightmare-inducing visuals.
You won't find much life-affirming content on, say, the New York Times bestsellers lists, unless your definition of "creativity" is some hackneyed combination of "handsome doctor and beautiful (and smart!) woman not only find adventure together (and save the world while they're at it) but also love! Hooray!" Or perhaps you prefer an author whose approach is "I am going to write the most boring, tedious, and pedantic novel imaginable in order to showcase just how erudite I am, and to relate just how much I feel." Knock yourself out, if that's your thing.
But in this humble reviewer's opinion, real questions of humanity can only truly be dealt with when one wanders off the pedestrian-infested sidewalks and into that poorly lit alley just over there, the one that makes you wonder what could possibly be lying in wait in the shadows just beyond the garbage bags and graffiti and that bum who appears to be sleeping. But is he?
That alley is a favorite of mine and I dally there whenever I can. On my most recent excursion I had the pleasure of tripping over the prone form of Danger Slater. As I sprawled onto the ground next to him he looked at me, not unkindly, and said "I haven't seen you here before, but I know that look of need." He stood up, pulled something out of his jacket, dropped it onto my chest and then disappeared into the shadows.
My hands reached for the item as I sat up. It was a book. I could just make out the title in the waning light - "Puppet Skin." I stood slowly, clutching the book to my chest, and headed home.
In order to "suck out all the marrow of life" (to quote Robin Williams as Charles Keating quoting Henry David Thoreau in "Dead Poets Society") one must have an inkling as to what the marrow of life is (which is why you're not going to find it amongst the authors proffered for sale at the corner drugstore or supermarket. "Buy me!" those books demand, "I'm the least objectionable!").
I don't know much about this Danger Slater character, but I think it's safe to surmise that he is well-acquainted with sucking the marrow out of life.
"Puppet Skin" as akin to a cautionary tale of sorts, a rumination on fear and that undeniable fact of existence: "...without proper care, everything will rot eventually." And also: when you become an adult there is a good chance that you will be "alive differently" than when you were young and whether you deem that good, bad, or irrelevant probably depends on just how much marrow-sucking you've done.
So let's take a look at the novel(la), shall we?
Hannah is in eighth grade and the time is fast approaching for her to graduate and become an "adult" - but in her world that means she will be turned into a puppet, complete with "acrylic paint slathered on top of hard cedar flesh," "glassy doll eyes," and attached strings that disappear "into the endless black void above." It's what happens to all youngsters, and all adults are puppets.
But Hannah shows little enthusiasm for the impending change. She can't quite understand why anyone would look forward to turning their lives over to some unseen and unknowable Puppet Master who is assumed to be up there somewhere, pulling the strings.
This vexes Hannah's mother to no end. You need to grow up, she tells Hannah. Be more like your cousin Bette, she says. Embrace the future laid out for you, she insists. Hannah's father rarely says anything and only seems alive when he pipes up to agree with Hannah's mother before flopping over into silence again.
It seems as if the only person Hannah can really talk and relate to is her friend Jordan, herself something of a self-styled rebel - instead of becoming a puppet she wants to run off to The City to become a model. Nobody really knows much about The City, however, and there's no certainty that it's even real. Still, it's a goal, something other than a daily life of being tugged around by puppet strings.
As Hannah is walking home from school one day she sees something that is both confusing and horrifying: a puppet - a man - slumped on a park bench. When he sees her he desperately begs for help and then starts spewing wood pulp like vomit out of his mouth and every other orifice he's managed to retain as a puppet. Hannah is shocked and sickened. "Puppets don't age" she's been told, nor do they ever experience anything other than a perfect life - so what the hell is going on here? She runs like a dickens until she's safely back home.
She tells Jordan about what she saw, and they decide to ditch school to return to the scene to look around. They're sidelined by Hannah's cousin Bette who is essentially a goody-two-shoes but finds that her curiosity is piqued so she tags along. When they get to the park they experience a different sort of shock and awe, inviting more questions about the nature of the world.
And Hannah, our stalwart heroine, starts to consider that maybe she hasn't been the best daughter to her parents, and that perhaps her mother truly does know what's best for her. The day of her graduation into adult-/puppet-hood arrives, and...
And there you have it. It's far from over but you'll get no more out of me. The element of surprise and the joy of discovery are in your hands now. I have faith in you. Now go, children - pick up this book and suck some marrow out of life.
July 27, 2017
Fantastic. Wonderful. Poignant. This book is a coming-of-age story sifted through the filter of bizarro fiction, and it's a lovely read. Equally parts philosophical and narrative, Puppet Skin delivers a fast-paced adventure steeped in big thoughts. What is our nature? Why are we here? What is the meaning of life, or what does it mean to be God? How does creation help us understand ourselves and our place in the universe? Danger Slater offers no concrete answers, but he does provide all the questions for us, and neatly arranges them on skewers at the end of strings leading up into the sky. A perfect book to get into bizarro fiction, and especially for dreamers, misfits and people who wonder what it all means and why we are the ones blessed to have to figure it out for ourselves.
January 8, 2018
You know that part in Coraline where the parents get buttons for eyes and act all creepy? Page one of Puppet Skin made me think of that scene, but in Puppet Skin, it's just how the world works: you come of age, you get your strings. This is a YA novel, technically, but breaking away from "the strings" and cutting your own path is something that, I think, resonates with the rebellious teen in everyone. Something I dug about the book is it makes its point very obvious from the start, but instead of feeling like it's beating you over the head with a heavy thematic hand, it pulls you into its bizarre world with ease. This might be a world full of anthropomorphic marionettes, but it's a familiar world, and a relatable story told with sharp storytelling skills by Danger Slater.
July 18, 2016
Hannah is a regular flesh and blood girl, but in this story, that ends when 8th grade does. Following graduation she is to become like her parents and the rest of the adults – a puppet – a wooden puppet controlled by strings that stretch into the sky. The sky is a mysterious black void where the strings come from. As you might have gathered from this introduction, we’re dealing in bizarro fiction and a novel concept.
Puppet parents place the same demands on their children as you would expect, asking what they want to do with their lives. Hannah’s not like the others. She’s rebellious and not looking forward to life as a puppet as her graduation day nears. She likes the flexibility and uniqueness of her meat based human body.
We follow Hannah’s voyage of discovery as she uncovers more and more about the puppet filled world she lives in, and what lurks beneath the surface. After the graduation ceremony, you go to the final testing room for conversion, and the tension leading up that is intense. The final testing room is where your strings are attached, and you are changed from within by the strange puppetfeed being pumped into your body. Reading about children lining up for conversion is truly unsettling and will give you a knot in your stomach.
As well as this being a bizarre book, including fun terms like mompet and dadpet for mom and dad, it’s not short on the horror. There are plenty of disturbing images, such as a counselor puppet vomiting up grubs and sharp objects going into brains. When the placid and rigid movements of adult puppets becomes different it takes a very sinister turn. Throughout the book there is body horror, from the hideous conversion process to insects and bacteria in the body.
There are a number of themes running through this book that relate to real life, such as the rebelliousness of youth and questioning where we fit in. There is the crushing burden of expectation about what an adult is expected to do, seemingly without choice. There is also the question of faith, namely the Puppeteer that all the puppets believe in but never see. The author also looks at the lengths that society goes to in order to preserve the status quo. This is all delivered through a bizarre and inventive story.
This is a book that asks questions and delivers them with striking imagery.
Puppet parents place the same demands on their children as you would expect, asking what they want to do with their lives. Hannah’s not like the others. She’s rebellious and not looking forward to life as a puppet as her graduation day nears. She likes the flexibility and uniqueness of her meat based human body.
We follow Hannah’s voyage of discovery as she uncovers more and more about the puppet filled world she lives in, and what lurks beneath the surface. After the graduation ceremony, you go to the final testing room for conversion, and the tension leading up that is intense. The final testing room is where your strings are attached, and you are changed from within by the strange puppetfeed being pumped into your body. Reading about children lining up for conversion is truly unsettling and will give you a knot in your stomach.
As well as this being a bizarre book, including fun terms like mompet and dadpet for mom and dad, it’s not short on the horror. There are plenty of disturbing images, such as a counselor puppet vomiting up grubs and sharp objects going into brains. When the placid and rigid movements of adult puppets becomes different it takes a very sinister turn. Throughout the book there is body horror, from the hideous conversion process to insects and bacteria in the body.
There are a number of themes running through this book that relate to real life, such as the rebelliousness of youth and questioning where we fit in. There is the crushing burden of expectation about what an adult is expected to do, seemingly without choice. There is also the question of faith, namely the Puppeteer that all the puppets believe in but never see. The author also looks at the lengths that society goes to in order to preserve the status quo. This is all delivered through a bizarre and inventive story.
This is a book that asks questions and delivers them with striking imagery.
November 4, 2016
Although I must admit to liking I Will Rot Without You SLIGHTLY more, Puppet Skin is definitely a winner. It’s an imaginative visceral trip down memory lane…hopefully. I say hopefully because this book reeks of the pains and joys (although much lesser so on that front) of adolescence. Do you remember that moment when you felt the need to grow up impinging upon you like the pincers of an insect—an insect who might also happen to have the head of one of your parents? If you answered no to this question, do not read on. I repeat: DO NOT read on!
So it happened to you too then, eh? Welcome to the Secret Society of the Puppet People. We read this book every day before leaving our homes, but, let’s be honest here, THAT NEVER ACTUALLY HAPPENS. We slurp puppetfeed and generally keep an eye on a particular gentleman puking up sawdust. He hangs out at THAT park. Yup, you guessed it: we live in the bad part of town.
All kidding aside, this is a fun and imaginative book that I managed, like with I Will Rot Without You, to read in a single sitting. It’s absorbing, fast-paced, quick-witted, and playful; its narrative has enough hairpin turns to keep even the most jaded bizarro enthusiast thoroughly entertained.
I’ll just be waiting here in my bonnet munching grapes hoping Danger Slater can churn another one out real soon. Oh and be forewarned: DO NOT EAT THE PUPPETFEED!
So it happened to you too then, eh? Welcome to the Secret Society of the Puppet People. We read this book every day before leaving our homes, but, let’s be honest here, THAT NEVER ACTUALLY HAPPENS. We slurp puppetfeed and generally keep an eye on a particular gentleman puking up sawdust. He hangs out at THAT park. Yup, you guessed it: we live in the bad part of town.
All kidding aside, this is a fun and imaginative book that I managed, like with I Will Rot Without You, to read in a single sitting. It’s absorbing, fast-paced, quick-witted, and playful; its narrative has enough hairpin turns to keep even the most jaded bizarro enthusiast thoroughly entertained.
I’ll just be waiting here in my bonnet munching grapes hoping Danger Slater can churn another one out real soon. Oh and be forewarned: DO NOT EAT THE PUPPETFEED!
February 7, 2017
Tightly told story about a living teenage girl in a society of grownup puppets who is about to undergo the ritual of becoming a puppet. Hannah is more rebellious, you gather, than most teenagers in this frightening and sad conformist world.
Haunting imagery throughout. Puppets are not relied on as the basis for creating an overall creepy vibe, but rather they are treated as real entities with real cycles of usefulness or function and the story is driven by the very real fear from a teenager's point of view that in the end everyone becomes one because... that is how the system works. The system, however, turns out to be even weirder and more sinister than I, at least, expected.
To top it all off the narrative voice is powerful and rhythmic in a way that moves the story without getting enamored with the devices of expanded metaphor (which could become confusing in an alt reality like this) and repetition. This story is haunting (I know I repeat myself, but it is), colorful, strange, and for all its atmospheric ugliness, full of beauty.
Haunting imagery throughout. Puppets are not relied on as the basis for creating an overall creepy vibe, but rather they are treated as real entities with real cycles of usefulness or function and the story is driven by the very real fear from a teenager's point of view that in the end everyone becomes one because... that is how the system works. The system, however, turns out to be even weirder and more sinister than I, at least, expected.
To top it all off the narrative voice is powerful and rhythmic in a way that moves the story without getting enamored with the devices of expanded metaphor (which could become confusing in an alt reality like this) and repetition. This story is haunting (I know I repeat myself, but it is), colorful, strange, and for all its atmospheric ugliness, full of beauty.
September 26, 2016
Bizarro has a long tradition of stories about transformation. I think of Cameron Pierce and Carlton Mellick III as the biggest examples of that. Stories where the protagonist starts out as a normal human being (or at least normal in the world of the story), and then undergo change so uncomfortable, we cringe while reading. Like Cronenberg, Bizarro has an excellent tradition of body horror.
And this is what have here, with Danger Slater's latest book. But not just that - we also have a coming of age story. YA as directed by the aforementioned Cronenberg.
I had some issues with some exposition, but the kind of worldbuilding Danger does here is really hard to create without some level of telling-not-showing.
An engrossing read, quick paced and entertaining, as Danger Slater usually delivers. Highly recommended.
And this is what have here, with Danger Slater's latest book. But not just that - we also have a coming of age story. YA as directed by the aforementioned Cronenberg.
I had some issues with some exposition, but the kind of worldbuilding Danger does here is really hard to create without some level of telling-not-showing.
An engrossing read, quick paced and entertaining, as Danger Slater usually delivers. Highly recommended.
July 6, 2017
Danger Slater's Puppet Skin is a graduation from R.L. Stine and Bruce Colville into the next stage of young adult horror.
Puppet is well-written and delicious, with a touch of body horror and a whole lot of teenage angst. Best for teenagers who already love a bit of terror and gore to their reading, I wouldn't suggest it as an introduction to the horror genre, but as the half-way point in the transition from gentler reading, like Goosebumps, into more adult titles.
I loved every minute of reading Puppet Skin, and in a few years, I'll be sharing it with my son. I'll be handing him a dictionary, as well- and I find it an added bonus that Danger's young adult title will surely expand the average teen reader's vocabulary.
Puppet is well-written and delicious, with a touch of body horror and a whole lot of teenage angst. Best for teenagers who already love a bit of terror and gore to their reading, I wouldn't suggest it as an introduction to the horror genre, but as the half-way point in the transition from gentler reading, like Goosebumps, into more adult titles.
I loved every minute of reading Puppet Skin, and in a few years, I'll be sharing it with my son. I'll be handing him a dictionary, as well- and I find it an added bonus that Danger's young adult title will surely expand the average teen reader's vocabulary.
July 12, 2016
I really enjoyed Puppet Skin and the completely different view on the fear of growing up. However, if you think that is all this book is about, you're in for a big surprise.
I wish I could discuss all the nuances of this story but those would be spoilers so I won't go on. I will say that Puppet Skin goes in a direction that I wasn't expecting but really appreciated.
Good for ages 13 and up but maybe the more mature 13-year-olds. Some of the scenes can be disturbing.
I wish I could discuss all the nuances of this story but those would be spoilers so I won't go on. I will say that Puppet Skin goes in a direction that I wasn't expecting but really appreciated.
Good for ages 13 and up but maybe the more mature 13-year-olds. Some of the scenes can be disturbing.
December 5, 2016
Danger Slater is a unique writer among a sub genre of unique writers. If you have yet to check him out this is an excellent book to start with. Weird, a little creepy and plenty charming, Puppet Skin is filled with themes anybody can relate to. The fear of becoming a cog in machine, growing up and losing what makes you you.
October 6, 2016
This book was an immense amount of fun to read, and had a surprising amount of warmth. It's perhaps more gentle than Slater's other work, more tender, but it's still got Slater at his imaginative best. It's a delightful tale and I recommend it heartily.
January 30, 2020
I loved this little book. I was freaked right out by the puppets and the void. I felt for Hannah's reluctance to grow up and even for Bette's eagerness to advance to the next stage ahead of her time. The writing here made me feel scared and free at the same time.
I noted some of the most moving sentences for me:
"But this cigarette was also liberating, in a way. Hurting yourself was the ultimate act of control." -This has to hit home for every human being ever, because we've all hurt ourselves or made a choice that wasn't actually best for us because it feels good to "conquer helplessness."
"Her teacher's words passed right through her head like a boxcar train on its way to some grander depot in the heart of a metropolis far away from this boring old classroom." -This is some vivid imagery that I loved.
"And as she danced, she started to wander. Not intentionally, but the music in her head was a zephyr and she was a feather and she had surrendered herself to the cadence of her own heart." -What a beautiful metaphor.
"But you've already been afforded that luxury, Hannah," Dr. Alder said. "You've been given time to figure things out. You got to be a child. Nobody denied you that."
"But it wasn't enough," she said.
"It doesn't matter. That's all the time you get."
-How painfully true of youth and life.
I just really liked this story. It made me feel itchy at times, and warmed my heart while also baring all the sorrow that comes with growing up and becoming an adult, and how lonely that can feel.
I noted some of the most moving sentences for me:
"But this cigarette was also liberating, in a way. Hurting yourself was the ultimate act of control." -This has to hit home for every human being ever, because we've all hurt ourselves or made a choice that wasn't actually best for us because it feels good to "conquer helplessness."
"Her teacher's words passed right through her head like a boxcar train on its way to some grander depot in the heart of a metropolis far away from this boring old classroom." -This is some vivid imagery that I loved.
"And as she danced, she started to wander. Not intentionally, but the music in her head was a zephyr and she was a feather and she had surrendered herself to the cadence of her own heart." -What a beautiful metaphor.
"But you've already been afforded that luxury, Hannah," Dr. Alder said. "You've been given time to figure things out. You got to be a child. Nobody denied you that."
"But it wasn't enough," she said.
"It doesn't matter. That's all the time you get."
-How painfully true of youth and life.
I just really liked this story. It made me feel itchy at times, and warmed my heart while also baring all the sorrow that comes with growing up and becoming an adult, and how lonely that can feel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews