Deerskin by Robin McKinley Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Deerskin
Book Review: Are you sure McKinley wrote this?
Summary: 3 Stars
I adore McKinley but I wasn't overly fond of Deerskin. If you have read other McKinley books, tread softly here... her writing style is completely different in this book.
There are WAY too many loose ends and not enough substance in the story. I had to keep re-reading paragraphs because they didn't make sense. This book is not "dark" as a lot of reviewers claim. In fact, I found it rather dull and lacking.
I read all the reviews prior to ordering the book... I wish I would have paid closer attention to the negative reviews.
Book Review: At times compelling, but lacking overall
Summary: 3 Stars
I was eager to read this. Donkeyskin is one of my favorite fairy tales, and certainly my favorite Perrault tale (just goes to show how sick I am), and I love Robin McKinley, in spite of her liberal view of grammar and story telling. And there were parts of this that I felt lived up to my expectation. But if I hadn't been reading this for a challenge where I needed to complete it, I probably would have taken it back to the library. I felt so disconnected from Lissar, and from the story in general. There was way too much exposition, and too much "hedging" -- I constantly found myself saying "get to the point already." Of course, it needed editing like most of McKinley's work; there were lots of weird tense shifts and sentence structure issues. I questioned some of the choices McKinley made, too. I felt some things could have been more effective if done differenly. It did pick up at about 150 pages in (after this weird, questionable deus ex machina moment), and I did like the story more from then on; it wasn't a total waste of time, but it was a let down. That said, I know people who love it, so there you go.Book Review: Darkness Redeemed
Summary: 5 Stars
I first read Deerskin in high school, and had no idea what to make of it. Since discovering "Beauty" at the age of 13, I have been an ardent fan of McKinley's work; however, "Deerskin" was challenging for me to read. "Deerskin" is a story in which McKinley dared to talk about subjects that are forbidden and shameful in our society - and rightfully so. However, her story follows the emotional growth and journey of a victim who persists through the pain and emerges as a hero - something with which we can relate. It is a story in which a person undergoes on of the darkest, most horrible crimes, and finds the grit within herself to triumph over and even redeem that experience. The novel is much more a character study, and contains insights that are applicable in our lives as well. It will not excite readers who seek light romances or thrilling action, but McKinley's beautiful language and intense characters will delight a thoughtful reader. Certainly not fast-paced, it takes the reader through the details of our heroine's journey, and the conclusion is well worth the windings and detours. It was worth reading the first time - and the fifteenth time - earning a hard-won spot on my bookshelf.Book Review: Deerskin by Robin Mckinley
Summary: 4 Stars
I thought the book Deerskin was good very well written and not the typical book you normally read. It was very different but a good different but then I am partial to Robin Mckinley books. It had a good story line and though confusing in parts very good i loved it!Book Review: Easily my favorite of all Robin McKinley's books
Summary: 5 Stars
This book exhausted me. I bought it and stayed up all night to read it, and it left me feeling emotionally drained. It's very rare that I get so invested in a story, and in a character, but Lissar was both very real and very human, and I really CARED about what she went through and what happened to her. Having known several people who have been sexually abused, I found her reactions completely believable. I also really really liked the fact that it didn't have the stereotypical fairy-tale ending--McKinley acknowledges that there are some things that can't be easily banished, even by love.
I've always liked McKinley's prose, and this book did not let me down. It's richer, and more adult, and the way she handles Lissar's narrative conveys the poor girl's quasi-madness wonderfully. And, as someone else said, she handles the incestuous bits themselves as tastefully as is possible--there's nothing graphic about it, nothing unnecessarily gratuitous.
I'll reiterate what several other people have already said: this is not a children's book. I'd say it's fine for teenagers, but definitely do not hand this one to an elementary-school child. It would be a good one to discuss with teenagers, since it deals with things that are almost taboo to talk about, and does so in a very moving, convincing way, despite the fairy-tale setting. I would have loved to see more of what happened to the king after he received his justly-deserved retribution; the book so successfully made me hate the man that I wanted details of his punishment. If anyone deserved to dance the night away in red-hot shoes, it was that guy.