Deerskin

Rating:
Summary: Not For The Faint-Hearted
Review: A wonderful book, a retelling of an old French tale; a compelling read, a case-study of emotions and relationships...

But, with all that a dark and disturbing book, at least to begin.

Quite frankly, the opening scenes in which an aging King becomes fascinated by his daughter's growing resemblance to his beautiful, dead Queen's portrait and declares that he will marry the Princess when she is of age... and the horrifying (though not overly graphic) scene in which the obsessed King bursts into his daughter's chamber and rapes her, were almost enough to put me off this book when first i read it.

But i persevered, and was rewarded; this is a warm and wonderful book that looks at why humans need each others' companionship, and at what friendship and love can and should be, as well as what love is *not*.

I would recommend that anyone considering this book as reading matter for a younger teenage (or even younger reader) first read it themself and consider whether for that age group the dark intensity of the beginning too much overshadows the wonderful story that the final two-thirds of the book tells.

(Basically, if this book were a movie, i'd expect a PG-13 rating; i hope that helps...)

Rating:
Summary: Simply amazing
Review: I have been a fan of McKinley for several years, and snatched this book up in hardcover when it was first published. I was 17, and suprised by the content. This did not phase me, and I continued to enjoy one of the most remarkable works of current fiction. I am now a Master's student in English, and teach this book in my Composition II class. Often my students are disturbed by the content, but they walk away from the book amazed. This is not "fluff" fiction or escapist fantasy. Anyone seeking to hide from the real world might not enjoy this book. However, anyone looking to read a technical masterpiece by a skilled artist will not be disappointed. This is the sort of book that shapes lives. I encourage any readers to tackle this book and do not be afraid of the negative reviews. It is dark, but infinitely worth it.

Rating:
Summary: I will not type 'wow', because this was not an ordinary book
Review: This book, was definitely different from the previous books Robin McKinley has written, a lot darker. This book, may not be funny/charming enough to read quickly, but that does not make it 'bad'. When I first read it, I was drawn into the story. Lissar's growing realization of wrongness, her attempts to live under the shadow of her parents, the madness of her father, betrayal, and her escape. The moonwoman who healed her, and the other kingdom (like the opposite of her father and mother's), and her deepening friendship with the prince. The ending was all that it should be, and I admire Robin McKinley for not making it a "happily ever after, period" ending.

Rating:
Summary: one incredibly stirring and beautiful book
Review: I first read this book when I was eleven. not a really good age for something as emotionally in-depth as this. But, re-reading it as I grew older, I strangely connected with the story and cried for Lissla. This is a gorgeous, gorgeous book.

Rating:
Summary: Who Says!
Review: i read all of the other reviews, and i thought it was amazing how even if one did not like this pulling, drawing novel, it still evoked a strong response. it has to be powerful for one novel to accomplish this.

at any rate, to throw my two cents in, i want to know just who decides what a writer can and can not create? perhaps her other novels were not this edgy, but they were by no means gentle. harry's pride often gets in her way, and Aerin only comes to Luthe after she is almost dead because she listened to a demon. they were all very real. and if they have a happy ending, wonderful, for we all need that hope, but life is not all roses. so Deerskin proves.

Deerskin drew me, in fact YANKED me, out of my comfort zone. Lissla was everthing that a frail young human is. we are not perfect, and some, like me, only run away after we are hurt. it may be a fault, but there are others. Lissar trusted the moonwoman just as we all have that one thing that we have no other choice but to believe in because all else has failed. her triumph at the end is what we all need to wish for, or we lose hope. Her dogs gave her somethig to care about, to keep her real...would that we all had that.

deerskin is not my favorite of McKinleys works, but in my opinion it is the most compelling, and, i think, her best. for an author to go so deep after harry, aerin, and beauty, is a credit to her. i would give this book to anyone of any age who needed it, for it is indeed a book that heals while it pulls. i read it at fifteen, and i read it over every few months. it is comforting to me to know tht it exists, because it is as though someone has finally suceeded at putting reality down on paper, solidifying it. and that, i think, is something that many of us crave, or rather, need.

Rating:
Summary: controversial books are almost always good
Review: I really don't understand the reviews which talk of the "darkness" of this book as though it were a fault. The strongest books depict events in lives which resound familiarly against our own, and that includes the occurence of pain. In my opinion this is Robin McKinley's best book, partly because of the portrayal of such pain (and the d word, "darkness") and the survival of her character.

As for the writing style, I could see as I was reading that some might find it tedious. But I found it positively enchanting, enveloping me completely in Lissar's world. There were three times I cried aloud "No!" at the events in Deerskin, they were so powerful. It was with great reluctance I pulled myself away to bathe, and I cut as short as possible a lovely hot shower so that I could finish it! Once I did finish it, it left me stunned for hours.

So, if you read books, particularly fantasy, to drop into a pleasant fairy-world and escape from the miseries and stress of life, this book is not for you. Otherwise, look it over and give it a try. And just a note: I am fourteen and survived this book with no trauma whatsoever, thank you; however, do use caution. This book is very strong. It all depends who can handle what in books.

Rating:
Summary: Serious content, delicately explored
Review: As a long-time McKinley fan, I was a bit taken back by the serious content of the book. It was a thought provoking journey into a young woman's soul. McKinley did not gloss over the scars that Lissar would carry, yet left room for hope and love is Lissar's life. Serious & satisfying read.

Rating:
Summary: i could never put it down
Review: this book was one of the best i've read to this day. i guess it was the way that that the author threw every different detail in. The best thing about the book was how fanstay and reality were put together and that it was done in a tactful way.the book needs a follow up it left you in a slight hang that you just really wanted to know. other then that if you do read it you'll always want to pick it back up to make sure you didn't forget one detail or another

Rating:
Summary: Not everyone's cup of tea.
Review: This isn't a book that everyone would identify with, but for those who do it's wonderful. It's about abuse of power as well as sexual abuse, rape and incest. Heavy subjects. One of the things I liked about it, though others I know did not,was the powerful description of exactly what it feels like to experience dissociative amnesia about a traumatic experience. This is not a subject that I see addressed very many places, and many times those who do address it get it wrong. McKinley gets it right.

The writing is a bit uneven. I don't like the wrap-up of the story much -- it seems to me that Lissar's father caves in much too easily and that doesn't ring true. But I do love the ending -- the fact that Lissar is not made healed and whole by anything that anyone can do. That rang much truer to me than a conventional happy ending where the protagonist is "fixed" by the end of the book. Real life isn't like that, and I like reading fantasy that mirrors real life in the character reactions and feelings.

Overall I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wants a lighthearted escape, but I would recommend it to sexual abuse survivors and people who want to deal with difficult issues in a fantasy context.

Rating:
Summary: Awful!
Review: This book is about a horrible subject and gives no enlightenment. I looked to Robin Mckinley to give a bit of escape and was left with such a horrible feeling that I doubt that I will read her again. She was a good writer, but seems now to be getting into the darker side of life. Read her earlier works and leave this one alone!