Literary Titan
Someone to Kiss My Scars by Brooke Skipstone defies standard categorization as it is a wonderful amalgam of coming of age, mystery, science fiction, and love story. I would say it is suitable for mature teens, and add that I, as an adult reader, thoroughly enjoyed Someone to Kiss My Scars and never felt it was juvenile while reading it. In fact, the introduction from Skipstone made me a little bit nervous - did I want to read about sexual abuse, depression, and suicide, given that 2020 has already been a challenging year? But, as Skipstone poignantly says, the novel not should be read by "anyone who desires to remain in the dark despite being in a position to shine light." Having loved and lost family members and friends to depression, I felt incredibly moved by Skipstone's goal in creating this deeply thoughtful novel, and am so glad I continued reading Someone to Kiss My Scars.
The novel centers on teenage Hunter Williams, who recently moved to rural Alaska, and his only friend in town, Jazz. Mysteriously, Hunter cannot seem to remember much of his life before he and his father moved to Alaska a year ago. He's been told his mother and brother died in an accident, but everything is blurry to him, with haunting memories coming in sporadic glimpses. Hunter is a voracious writer, though, with a seemingly supernatural ability to write incredibly detailed stories that, impossibly, seem to recreate the memories of those around him. As Hunter and Jazz begin to understand more about his special writing ability and how it impacts those around him, they are faced with a decision: should they share his power and use it for good or is it better to keep it a secret?
Someone to Kiss My Scars is incredibly hard to read at times because of its heavy subject matter, but I found the hardship to be eye-opening and beautiful. The pains that Skipstone describes felt unfathomable to me, but I know that the experiences described have happened to many people, and, as Skipstone cites, abuse, depression, and trauma are exceedingly common in Alaska. I was engrossed fully in the plot and raced through the chapters, often staying up late to find out what happened next.
I was not expecting to love Someone to Kiss My Scars as much as I did, and I am thankful for Skipstone for her work in creating this novel. It is highly unusual to read a book and feel like the book has changed you for the better, but that is how I felt after reading it. Someone to Kiss My Scars opened my worldview to the experiences not only of those living in rural Alaska, but also to the pains of depression and abuse which are prevalent but rarely discussed. I would highly recommend this novel to any reader, and assure you that even though the subject matter is heavy, the novel is ultimately one of hope and forgiveness that will encourage you to believe in the good in the world.
