Christina Reviews *Mysterious Skin* by Scott Heim

          Mysterious Skin is told from multiple points of view.  It’s told from the point of view of Neil McCormick--- a hustler who hides a dark secret from childhood.  It’s told from the point of view of Brian Lackey--- a shy, loner who has developed an obsession with aliens after a weird black-out experience when he was only 8 years old.  It’s told from the point of view of Brian’s older sister. There are also sections told from the points of view of Neil’s two best friends.

        I saw the movie before reading the book.  And to be honest, I think I preferred the movie because it focused on the two central characters----Brian and Neil.  The other characters were only secondary, and while it was interesting to read from their points of view, I liked the way the movie condensed the story.

       Both the book and movie do a good job telling a story about the ways in which a traumatic experience in childhood affects the two characters differently.