A gripping fast-read horror novella that will have you debating the morality of contracts after death...

Bart is a legend of his craft. Known across the world for his gorgeous tattoo art, even at the cost of being classified as "taboo". His contracts require for his art to be modeled at events, and even given back to him after the person has passed away.

Bart jumps at the chance to put his renowned work on a celebrity rapper who insists that Bart make his tattoo one of a kind - by adding gold. Something that has never been done. But Bart isn't a quitter, and if he doesn't want to be swallowed up by the newest macabre artists who are joining the scene, he will do anything it takes.

I couldn't put this book down! I don't know what I expected from the ending, but it was definitely a book I would recommend to anyone interested in horror.

4.5 stars

Young Skin is a subtle horror novella that will still make you want to crawl out of your skin. A renowned tattoo artist's clients stimulate that after the client passes he owns the skin with his work on it after they die, with the plan to use them in regular exhibitions alongside living models. Young Skin follows the first exhibition featuring the skin of a deceased client which attracts the attention of a new VIP client with a never-been-done-before request. Despite his reservations, the artist rises to the challenge but the consequences will be dire.

I really love this novella! It's totally original and binge-able. I can't even think of any good comps because this is unlike anything I've ever read before, but fans of popular literary horror such as the likes of Agustina Bazterrica, Ling Ling Huang, Monika Kim, etc. will enjoy this. I'd also recommend to non-horror readers as it's not explicitly scary, but more on the unsettling side. Also a great unreliable narrator rec if you want to get in the mind or someone who's losing theirs.

We know enough about the protagonist (his reclusive lifestyle and driving motivations) to understand why he takes the risks he does and how that puts him on the fringe of society. The other characters are very distinct and each play an important role in the progression of the plot, none of them feel like throwaways or a waste of the limited page count. The author relies on using brief impressions to paint a picture in the reader's mind (a seedy man, snobby celebrity, etc.) which I think is clever in short novels/novellas. I didn't predict where the story would go and I was very satisfied when I finished reading.

I am looking forward to reading this author's backlist!

I really enjoyed the way this uses the horror genre and the art of tattooing, it had that overall feel that I was expecting and enjoyed from this type of book. It was engaging and had that plot that I was looking for and enjoyed. The characters were everything that I wanted and though each character was engaging. Line Langager wrote this perfectly and glad I read this.