Such Lovely Skin

This book sucked me right in. I love the pop culture references, and that the MC is a twitch streamer whose niche is horror games. This was such a cool concept! Familiar, but fresh. Fast paced and thrilling. I’ve always found doppelgängers unsettling and this book really solidified that feeling. I was anxious, full of dread and totally creeped out. YA horror has really been stepping up its game. I was in one hell of a slump when I decided to start this and it pulled me out of it like a jump scare.

If you like demons, video games and modern YA horror — this one’s for you!

SUCH LOVELY SKIN by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne

Pub date: Sept. 17, 2024
Publisher: Page Street YA
Rating: 4.5 / 5


Chat, you ever play a video game that asks for your deepest secrets and unintentionally release a demon who steals your identity and drives you to the brink of insanity?

17-year-old Vivian is a horror game Twitch streamer looking to reboot her channel after a family tragedy. The perfect way to end a hiatus? Playing LOCKED IN, a new indie game that promises unparalleled frights. Once Vivian has played the game, uncanny things start happening in her life. The strange soon turns terrifying as lies, blood, and secrets are shed. Viv has an evil doppelganger who preys on her misery. And it will stop at nothing to devour and destroy everything Vivian loves.

SUCH LOVELY SKIN is a fantastic, horrific, and deeply emotional debut from author Tatiana Schlote-Bonne. Schlote-Bonne is truly gifted at crafting an atmosphere of terror and playing on the conventions of streaming and gaming culture. The story moves with a quick pace to build up tension and suspense, and perfectly intertwines teen angst with grotesque and chilling moments of horror. Viv's battles against her demonic doppelganger keep the reader invested just as much as her personal growth– with her relationship to herself, her parents, and friends. This book is perfect for readers wanting a cybernetic scare reminiscent of The Ring and Truth or Dare, with a vulnerable and hopeful arc of forgiveness and acceptance at the heart of the story.


(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!)

This is an excellent first novel from this author and it's frightening enough for adults but not gratuitously bloody or gory so it's also great for teens.

This is about a teen who dreams of fame and fortune from her horror game streaming channel on Twitch. Her younger sister died and she's hiding a dark secret about that, one that tears her apart with guilt and grief.

When she plays an indie video game before streaming it, something is unleashed which will put her and everyone she cares about in grave danger. An evil doppelganger reeks havoc causing broken relationships and a stressful home life.

But it doesn't stop there. There's nothing she can do and seeks help from an unexpected source and the only person who believes her. But she just might be putting him in the thick of the horror. And then things get much worse!

This novel feels like The Ring but with a technology boost if you will. This doppelganger is terrifying and it's only goal is destroying her life piece by bloody piece. And it's very effective.

The characters are diverse and act like teens would and with the added realism of modern day sites, apps, and terminology, this book will especially be enjoyed by those who do this kind of thing in real life. But even if you're not up to date with some of it, you'll find a fantastic, thrilling, and well written horror story that is sure to raise your hackles and creep you out. I highly recommend it.

With this debut novella, in under 200 pages, Tatiana Schlote-Bonne has firmly asserted herself among the new horror greats.

This short book packs a bone-rattling horror punch along with a heartbreakingly uplifting message about guilt, self-forgiveness, the fragility of our human nature, and how, quite literally, "the truth can set you free". Not typically one for parables, this story had me literally unable to pull myself away from it. I even found myself neglecting social media, which for me, not unlike the main character, is not typical.

Such Lovely Skin is like The Ring (or Ringu) in the modern age of Twitch gamer streaming, with a bit of everything in it: from realistic young romance, friendships, and a very real sense of high school nostalgia (in all it's skin-crawling glory). Ultimately a story about love, friendship, and self-forgiveness, Such Lovely Skin will terrify you, intrigue you, indulge you and inspire you.

I'm not a huge YA reader, but this book pleasantly surprised me. It was very creepy and the stakes felt higher than they often do when things are written for younger audiences. The concept of mimics/doppelgangers/evil twins could easily come off as cheesy, but I feel that the author did an excellent job with taking the subject and making it as terrifying as it could be. Aside from the scare factor, the way that grief and guilt are effectively discussed in this book felt moving and meaningful. I could see teens and younger adults benefiting from the advice to let go of guilt and shame before it literally destroys your life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for providing this arc for me to review!

What an amazing plot and what an amazing execution!

Such lovely skin is a YA horror book. The story follows Vivian- a Twitch streamer with a horrible secret. One day while trying out a new game, she confessed that secret. Little did she know that it will empower a demon doppelganger who won't stop at anything.

The book is fast, action packed, funny at just the right times, has all the emotions and yet does justice to the horror genre. It is beautifully written and I just can't wait to see a movie inspired by it!

This is easily my favourite read of 2024 and I doubt anything will be better than this. If you miss out on this, you will regret it!