The story of two boys who share a common experience as children. They grow up in very different ways but both were incredibly affected by that experience. ( )

I read this because I loved the movie so much, and really, I can't say I was impressed. The story is heartbreaking and harsh, but the prose isn't particularly stunning, and the pacing is awkward in many places. I'd recommend the movie to friends before this novel. ( )

At the age of eight Brian Lackey is found bleeding under the crawl space of his house, having endured something so traumatic that he cannot remember an entire five–hour period of time.

During the following years he slowly recalls details from that night, but these fragments are not enough to explain what happened to him, and he begins to believe that he may have been the victim of an alien encounter. Neil McCormick is fully aware of the events from that summer of 1981. Wise beyond his years, curious about his developing sexuality, Neil found what he perceived to be love and guidance from his baseball coach. Now, ten years later, he is a teenage hustler, a terrorist of sorts, unaware of the dangerous path his life is taking. His recklessness is governed by idealized memories of his coach, memories that unexpectedly change when Brian comes to Neil for help and, ultimately, the truth.

Some spoilers.

I don't know what to say about this novel that won't make me sound like a gushing advertisement. But to put it in bluntly, I loved it. I'll try to detail what I liked about it sans the gushing.

Well first, let's talk about the characters. I love well-rounded characters; they're the most important things about a book for me. I couldn't have been more happy with the development of the two main characters, Brian and Neil. (Especially Neil. He was that sort of flawed, generally screwed up anti-hero that I love.) It's important for the main character to make me care, and Mysterious Skin went above and beyond: it gave me two protagonists that I could relate to. And not only were the main characters well drawn, but the secondary characters were also given their fair share of depth. (I'm thinking primarily of Eric, Wendy, and Deborah.) The characters developed in a way that was not only subtle but followed that cardinal rule of SHOWING NOT TELLING. I cannot tell you how many times I see a book in which the narrator comes right out and tells you he's shy, or tells you that he's a bad boy, or any number of traits. Mysterious Skin is one of those wonderful books that knows the reader doesn't need their hand held the whole way through.

Another thing that helped connect me to this book--and this is probably one of the few times you'll hear me comment on this--was the setting. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who felt this while reading, but the descriptions of the setting gave the book a desolate feel. That's part of what grabbed me--the overall feel of the book was what separated this from a four star book. I think the author might have been going for a depressing aura to parallel the conflicts of the two protagonists. Whether he was or not, the setting did a lot for me in this book, which isn't something I would normally be saying.

But the biggest part of the book was how the subject matter was handled. Child molestation isn't an easy topic to tackle but I applaud Heim on the fine job he did with his portrayal. What's more impressive, he showed the affects of the abuse in two very different adolescents. It's not an easy conflict to resolve (in fact, it's not something that CAN be resolved--more like accepted and overcome) and the most I can say is that Heim handled the subject excellently. I don't want to go further, not because I don't want to spoil things, but because the book is something that needs to speak for itself.

My one complaint--the ending. The book did a fine job wrapping itself up but I wasn't so sure about the way the author chose to end it. It was a cliffhanger-type ending, which usually puts me off unless I know there's going to be a sequel. I think one more chapter wouldn't have hurt the book. It wasn't a particularly huge deal, just something that irked me.

And before I wrap up this review, I'd like to compliment Heim on his fine prose. Undoubtedly, I'll be picking up more of his novels.

Who would I recommend this to? Everyone. It's worth the money and time. ( )

I saw the movie first and it is also excellent. Explores, with great sensitivity and intelligence, the different survival journeys of two 10-year-old boys molested by the same baseball coach. ( )