Sapphire's Review Store 3.0

Review by Faye: The Stains Beneath Our Skin

Title: The Stains Beneath Our Skin

Author: sxxaint

Reviewer: Fayesther

Blurb: 

This blurb is well thought out. It is short and to the point. A perfect introduction to this story, that hooks the reader in. Good job!

Writing Style: 

Your writing style is a style that I have so much time for. It is immersive and poetic. It has a classic literature feel to it, yet it is very modern at the same time. I truly enjoyed how you expressed each and every aspect that you brought to the book.

I especially loved your use of imagery and metaphors to put across deeper emotions within your characters. The references you used fit wonderfully; that and your rich vocabulary brought such a sophistication to your writing. I liked the continued image of the ghoul that follows Casper around, it brought out a dark humour within this tale full of depressing themes.

Your descriptions were beautifully portrayed, through an elegant subtlety that didn't ever disturb the flow of your story. Characters' actions were particularly well described, I could see clearly in my mind's eye what was going on.

The first sentence in this book that stood out for me was: "Some distant cousin of adrenaline trembled beneath his skin." – brilliant! There were many more gems like this throughout the story.

Choosing to write this story in the third person, but from one character's perspective was a great choice.

Your writing is consistent and easy to follow all the way through.

Characterisation: 

You are certainly a writer who knows their characters inside and out!

My first impression when I was introduced to Casper was that he was so troubled! You expressed the dark inner workings of his psyche insanely well. Him always referring to himself as a lowly bug, be it a roach or a worm, was a clever character trait. You used it relentlessly, but it was not at all overused by any means. As I read on, I soon discovered that "troubled" was an understatement! Casper is so much more than just troubled. He is on the path to self-annihilation! Addicted to many things – including drugs and self-deprecation. He acts as though he is allergic to kindness.

To be completely honest, Casper grated on my nerves at times. His same note mentality of constantly putting himself down and wallowing in self-pity brought out emotions deep within me as I read. To be able to get such a strong emotional response from a reader truly showcases your talents.

I liked Cain. He brings a sense of hope to the story, however he is just as messed up as Casper (as are all the characters that we deeply explore in this story). Cain tries his best though. He tries to connect with Casper and the various ways that he reacts to Casper's outbursts displayed how genuine his feelings toward him were. I believed he loved him. I found Cain endearing within how he managed to work around the personal attacks he got from Casper. He has the patience of a saint, the majority of the time, but a person's fuse can only be so long. Scenes where Cain lost his temper were fun to read! He was such an interesting character, surrounded by mystery. I want to know much more about this guy!

Jack was a strange character also, when first introduced, I didn't know whether to feel sorry for him or hate him. This was a consistent theme within your characterisation; there were no straight forward roles appointed. All three of these characters were full of flaws and capable of terrible things. Yet, you showed their vulnerable sides also, which helped the reader immensely to connect with each of them. I personally saw Jack as what Casper's influence can turn somebody into. When hope has run out and a spirit is broken they soon reflect what they were trying to fix in the other person. However, that being said, it was difficult to pinpoint where the darkness truly came from – was it Casper's influence or was it Jack who brought Casper down? The fact that I am still pondering this shows how deep and realistic your writing is.

Your characters were consistently portrayed throughout! Casper is always Casper. Cain is always Cain. Small gestures they make, phrases they say, thoughts they have, are unique to their own personalities, and they don't overlap.

Plot: 

You start things off with an incredibly written first chapter that dives straight into how Casper's mind works. I felt I knew him well straight away. Your writing flows with a great ease that makes the storyline move organically and authentically. Your story has a very realistic pace. Brilliantly detailed. You revel in each small moment in an intriguing way.

Cerunnos was my favourite chapter! What fascinating ideas were introduced here! I loved how at first I didn't know whether Cain's story was true or if he was a madman spewing made up crazy things. Also there were moments where I wasn't sure if what Casper was experiencing was real or whether he was in a mental institute with Cain being an assigned member of staff. I couldn't wait to find out who Cain was really. This chapter was an incredible hook. It was such a clever idea to include such an intriguing aspect at this point. Bringing up so many questions in the reader at this stage really worked.

I liked the world that you built around Casper and Cain. The way you introduced magic, and explained the science behind it, was really interesting and easy to follow.

There were times where Casper's actions made me so mad. I found myself on Cain's side a lot, despite the story being told in Casper's point of view.

There were times where I found that Casper's wallowing overpowered the story, causing it to lull at times. However, this aspect was written very authentically, for self-loathing (to the extent of Casper's case) is a relentless issue, and seeing as we are viewing the world from his perspective it makes sense to keep that theme and mood going. But, personally, I think the story needs lighter moments or more story plot driven scenes to break up Casper's inner processes a bit.

OVERALL: 

You are a writer with an incredible way with words. Your grammar is brilliant, I couldn't see any problems there at all. Your story is immersive and brings out deeper emotions within your reader. However, there were times where I found the depressing mood a bit overwhelming. Some more lighter moments here and there would benefit the story in my opinion.

Thank you so much for asking me to review this incredibly poetic novel! I hope my feedback was helpful.