SuitabookIn the skin of a monster
Kathryn Barker
- Reading
- Because the narrative alternates between Alice and Lux and moves through a disorienting dreamscape, consider pausing at perspective shifts to track whose viewpoint you are following and what has changed.
- Themes
- Alice’s identity and the aftermath: Alice struggles with her identity and life in a town affected by her twin sister’s fatal school shooting; the dream-world journey makes her confront the tragedy’s impact. Alice’s struggle with identity unfolds alongside the town’s shared aftermath, bringing personal and community responses to the tragedy into focus.
- Shifting viewpoints and dreamscape: The story alternates between Alice and Lux as they move through a dreamscape where the townspeople’s nightmares play out. The shifting viewpoints and connections between real and dream worlds make the story’s structure part of how readers piece events together.
- Worth knowing
- The backstory includes a school shooting in which seven children are killed; the dream world contains deadly monsters and recurring nightmares. These elements may feel intense for readers sensitive to violence or frightening imagery.