Under the Skin

I come to this novel after having seen the brilliant film adaptation starring Scarlet Johannson and, while the thread of the story is similar (alien disguised as human preys on lone male hitch-hikers) this book is a very different beast.

Isserley drives the roads of the Scottish highlands seeking the right specimens to pick up. She is not what she seems and the men disappear never to be seen again. This is an extraordinary tale told from the point of view of aliens (who call themselves “human beings” despite being furry quadrupeds) who regard us as animals, dumb beasts to be harvested, processed and shipped home as a rare delicacy.

The strain on Isserley, who has been painfully surgically altered to appear “human”, builds and builds as she encounters these men who she really has no understanding of. Add to that the visit of Amliss Vess, the pampered son of Vess Industries boss, who sparks resentment and attraction in her, and we get a creature headed for a breakdown.

This is a disturbing story, mirroring our attitudes towards other animals. The sexualisation of Isserley to lure men is also shocking and speaks to how little we've developed as a society. It's an unsettling, eerie read with moments of horror and beauty.

Not to everyone's tats tie but a good, challenging read.

Read this after seeing the movie–they sure are two different animals, both good in their own way, with different weaknesses.

This book had a haunting quality that I hadn't anticipated–there is a bit of heavy-handedness regarding animal rights stuff, which I'm sure was intentionally done, but aside from that it's got a lot going on, getting us to ask questions about identity, sexuality, our connections to others. The minimalist elements in it were appealing to me, and it has a strong, if a little abrupt, ending.