Book Review 6: The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher
Sarah Cypher: The Skin and Its Girl Genres: Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Coming of Age, Domestic Fiction, Drama, Magical Realism, LGBTQIA+ Literature, American Literature, Lebanese Literature Reading Level: Adult Setting: 2000s Oakland and Palo Alto, California (USA), Portland, Oregon (USA), Nablus, Palestine (West Bank) Published: 2024 Page Count: 330 (Paperback) Content Warnings: Suicidal Thoughts, Attempted Suicide Rating: ★★★⭑ (3.5 out of 5) First and foremost, Sarah Cypher’s The Skin and Its Girl is written in a bold and experimental second-person narration. It is from the perspective of Betty Rummani, as she talks directly to her late great aunt Nuha and recounts the events of the story by looking backwards. I enjoy the creative take that Cypher took with the narration style, though it is difficult to adjust to at first, as most readers are used to traditional first- and third-person narrations in fiction. The stylistic narration choice does (sort of) make sen...