Under My Skin

By Author / Illustrator

James Dawson

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Hot Key Books

ISBN

9781471402968

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

05-03-2015

Synopsis

Meet Molly Sue. Once she's under your skin there's no getting rid of her...Seventeen-year-old Sally Feather is not exactly a rebel. Her super-conservative parents and her treatment at the hands of high school bullies means that Sally's about as shy and retiring as they come - but all that's about to change. Accidentally ending up in the seedier side of town one day, Sally finds herself mysteriously lured to an almost-hidden tattoo parlour - and once inside, Sally is quickly seduced by its charming owner, Rosita, and her talk of how having a secret tattoo can be as empowering as it is thrilling. Almost before she knows what she is doing, Sally selects sexy pin-up Molly Sue, and has her tattooed on her back - hoping that Molly Sue will inspire her to be as confident and popular as she is in her dreams.But things quickly take a nightmareish turn. Almost immediately, Sally begins to hear voices in her head - or rather, one voice in particular: Molly Sue's. And she has no interest in staying quiet and being a good girl - in fact, she's mighty delighted to have a body to take charge of again. Sally slowly realises that she is unable to control Molly Sue... and before long she's going to find out the hard way what it truly means to have somebody 'under your skin'.

Reviews

Sally Feather is an everyday, average girl with a normal and boring life, until Molly-Sue comes along.....she is trouble! Sally finds herself craving change and, after a scary encounter results in a death, Sally crosses paths with Molly-Sue, a pin up girl with attitude. The main problem? Molly-Sue is a tattoo and now Sally is stuck with her....forever! This novel had me gripped from the fist page. The story is engaging, the characters are likeable and well written, and the fact that the main antagonist is a tattoo adds an element of fear I have rarely experienced in the pages of a book. Sally hears voices and commits acts beyond her control due to Molly-Sue and her powers, meaning you find yourself wondering how this can ever end. I would absolutely reccommend it to anyone looking for a spooky and gripping read, I read it again immediately after finishing my first time through! 320 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Caroline Mitchell, librarian