Seventeen Names for Skin

Name: Seventeen Names for Skin
Price: 14.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781951658052

✍️ Roland Blackburn

Reader Score

4.5

(1 review)

$14.00

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A cursed piercer fights her hunger while evading a hidden killer.

Snow Turner’s life unravels after a failed assassination leaves her with a polymorphic curse. She must manage her violent physical changes and the resulting death toll while investigating who still wants her dead. The story focuses on her internal struggle to keep her humanity intact as she tears apart everything she loves. Blackburn uses the premise of a terminal diagnosis to explore the desperation of familial love and the cost of survival. The narrative does not offer easy answers, instead presenting a grim portrait of a woman losing control of her own body and fate.

Key Themes

polymorphic curse dark web assassin terminal cancer

Literary Context

Published by Weirdpunk Books in 2020, this work sits within the contemporary horror genre. It draws on modern anxieties regarding healthcare and digital crime. The narrative reflects current cultural interests in body horror and moral complexity.

Difficulty

●●● Challenging

Recommended For Fans Of

Shirley Jackson · Thomas Ligotti · Paul Tremblay

🕯️

Supernatural

🏛 Weirdpunk Books 📅 2020 📖 176 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781951658052

📝 Description: Seventeen Names for Skin

Roland Blackburn’s Seventeen Names for Skin follows Snow Turner, an introverted body piercer who receives a terminal cancer diagnosis. Facing a six month deadline, she hires a dark web assassin to secure a life insurance payout for her ailing father. The plot shifts when the assassination attempt fails, leaving Snow alive but cursed with polymorphic abilities. Her body undergoes violent changes, and she finds herself unable to control an insatiable hunger that causes bodies to stack up around her. The narrative examines the tension between Snow’s desire to maintain her humanity and the destructive force of her new condition. As the curse consumes her, she must determine if someone is still actively trying to end her life. The story explores themes of bodily autonomy, familial duty, and the fragility of identity under supernatural duress. Blackburn constructs a modern gothic tale that blends medical realism with dark web thriller elements. The work appeals to readers who enjoy character driven horror and moral ambiguity. It may not suit those seeking traditional monster hunts or clear resolutions.

💎 Our verdict on Seventeen Names for Skin

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🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Blackburn constructs a nuanced narrative that examines bodily autonomy under supernatural duress, avoiding clear resolutions for a more authentic exploration of desperation. The blend of medical realism and dark web thriller elements creates a unique atmosphere where the threat is both internal and external. While it may not suit those seeking traditional action or tidy endings, it rewards readers with a morally complex protagonist navigating a terminal diagnosis and a polymorphic curse. The focus on familial duty against the backdrop of violent physical changes provides a fresh take on the horror genre.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate character-driven horror and moral ambiguity will find this title compelling. It offers a grim portrait of a woman losing control of her body, exploring the desperation of familial love and the cost of survival without offering easy answers. Those interested in the tension between maintaining humanity and succumbing to destructive forces will engage deeply with Snow Turner’s internal struggle. It is ideal for fans of psychological horror who prefer complex narratives over traditional monster hunts.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Blackburn constructs a nuanced narrative that examines bodily autonomy under supernatural duress, avoiding clear resolutions for a more authentic exploration of desperation. The blend of medical realism and dark web thriller elements creates a unique atmosphere where the threat is both internal and external. While it may not suit those seeking traditional action or tidy endings, it rewards readers with a morally complex protagonist navigating a terminal diagnosis and a polymorphic curse. The focus on familial duty against the backdrop of violent physical changes provides a fresh take on the horror genre.