Reviewed by Twilight Sage Moon
Released: September 17, 2024 by Page Street YA
Triggers: Grief, sibling death.
Such Lovely Skin by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne is a beautiful mix of so many things. At first glance, it is reminiscent of The Ring and focuses on an evil video game that overhauls a young girl’s life; however, deep grief and guilt underly it all. It is as frightening as it is heartbreaking, and that is truly what makes it such a crucial read for young adults and adults alike.
I am a huge fan of young adult horror and have loved watching the genre expand. Young adult horror for me growing up meant Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. These are still ingrained in my soul, but I wish that there had been more options. That is exactly why I have so much fun reading young adult horror as an adult due to the variety available.
Such Lovely Skin reminded me of the movie Cam on Netflix due to its focus on mimics, a horror concept I find absolutely terrifying as something takes over your likeness with the possibility of possessing your entire life. But Schlote-Bonne went above and beyond by taking that concept, translating it for a young audience, and focusing on grief horror paired with cancel culture. It highlighted how many of us are obsessed with subscriber/follower counts on social media and other platforms, but for younger generations, the novel explores the toxicity of seeking visibility and relevance in a world where our lives are shared for public consumption, entertainment, and criticism.
Such Lovely Skin highlights how the competition for recognition can be detrimental to our wellbeing and sense of self, which can cause us to make irreversible mistakes or poor choices. Schlote-Bonne didn’t shy away from controversy, and she showed not only in her main character, Viv, but also in her side character, Ash, that all of us can be misunderstood and unlikeable.
We are human, after all. And humanity isn’t black and white. Our mistakes do not make us bad people, but accountability is paramount—a vital message, particularly for the younger audience for whom the book is intended.
At the center of Such Lovely Skin is Viv’s struggle with grief and guilt over the death of her little sister. She blames herself for the accident, and never told her parents the truth behind how her sister died or her part in it, which causes guilt to take over her life. Viv is a horror video game streamer and when she’s offered the opportunity to test out a new game, it captures her information and a “mimic” forms to upend her entire sense of being. The majority of the novel focuses on Viv trying to fight the mimic to avoid the loss of her reputation and damage to her personal life, while also struggling to hide the true cause of little sister’s death.
I loved how the language highlighted these intense subjects for a younger age group who might not see such topics presented so bluntly. The author doesn’t talk down to her audience; instead she looks them in the eye and says, I see you.
Schlote-Bonne opened the door for readers to witness how essential it is that we share things we may have done and are ashamed about. While highlighting that more often than not, it helps us to connect and establish deeper relationships.
Sometimes Viv’s character was hard to love. She was unlikeable to the point of almost being insufferable; however, I must mention that this was extremely important for her character representation. Grief, guilt, and growing up are more than messy enough for any kid to handle individually. By piling them all on Viv together, Schlote-Bonne emphasized how painful these experiences are on their own; and life-shattering when combined.
At first, Viv does come off as self-absorbed, but this was central in telling her story. It made the reader see her in this difficult light, before peeling away her layers to reveal what was underneath.
The writing felt geared toward a younger reader at times, but it was written with purpose. Schlote-Bonne included in her author’s letter that she wrote this book for reluctant readers, as she was as a child, aiming to tell a story she would have enjoyed reading as a kid. Covering these heavy subjects in accessible language was no small feat, and paired with video game representation intending to connect to kids today, Schlote-Bonne knew exactly what she was doing.
If you love video game-based horror with deep messages and compelling characters, “mimics,” or have a video game loving youngster in your life, Such Lovely Skin is an optimal pick. There are not many books that are comparable.
I still think about it two years after I originally read it, and the fact that Such Lovely Skin was Schlote-Bonne’s debut before going on to write two other phenomenal adult novels makes her an essential author to watch.
Twilight Sage Moon (They/Fae/Use My Name) is a horror critic and scholar, author, and mental health professional. Fae are the Founder and CEO of Releasing the Phoenix, a holistic LGBTQ+ mental health and wellness organization. As part of their work, they incorporate bibliotherapy to specialize in using horror to address trauma, grief and phobias, as well as erotica to help folx safely navigate their sexuality.
Sage has been involved in publishing since 2013 when their first novel was published. Throughout their time in the publishing world, fae have worked with traditional, independent, and self-published authors and publishers. Sage has extensive experience in publishing, editing, interior design, and marketing. This has given them a rare, multi-faceted viewpoint of the industry, and horror continues to be a solace through their chronic mental and physical health concerns.
Tatiana Schlote-Bonne (Shh-low-tee Bo-Nay) is the author of the horror novels Such Lovely Skin, The Mean Ones, and What Feeds Below (Fall 2026.) She has an MFA from The Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa. When she’s not writing, she’s either gaming, lifting weights, or teaching people how to lift weights. She is of Japanese, Mexican, and European descent, and lives in Iowa. Find her on IG @thebuffwriter
