Review: Skin & Earth TP

Skin & Earth TP by Lights
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I rather enjoyed the weird dystopian future depicted in this book. The way it is laid out can leave you feeling disconnected from what is going on at times. This happens mostly because not everything is spelled out from the beginning. It takes a while to get a feel for the world, such as how the cities are laid out and what caused things to be the way they are now. The payoff at the end is pretty good though. I liked the strange path it takes to get there too.

Enaia Jin is a good guide to this world. She is a bit of an outsider, but she is able to pass between the different stratums of society. During the early parts of the book, the reader is able to learn about her and begin to identify with her before any of the big shifts in the story occur. A lot of the other characters are pretty forgettable though. They all serve to tell Jin's story and don't contribute much beyond that.

Art-wise there is a ton going on. The images range from mundane events to fantastical and I thought they were all done equally well. One thing that sets the book apart is the soundtrack that was put together to coincide with the different chapters. There are codes you can scan with a smartphone to queue up the music for each section. It gives a more interactive experience and plays with the senses more than other comics. Between the story, the protagonist, and the artistic elements, this book hit the points for me. I could see others being put off by it, but I think it's worth checking out for something beyond the norm.

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