Skin Game: A Memoir

by Caroline Kettlewell

Book Overview

Caroline Kettlewell's autobiography reveals a girl whose feelings of pain and alienation led her to seek relief in physically hurting herself, from age twelve into her twenties. Skin Game employs clear language and candid reflection to grant general readers as well as students an uncensored profile of a complex and unsettling disorder. " This] mesmeric memoir examines the obsession with cutting that is believed to afflict somewhere around...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312263937
• ISBN13: 9780312263935
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Interesting.

This account of a person who suffers from so much is a new look and understanding of what those who have mental health problems go through. And the different ways they choose to deal with it. It is a good read. Anyone who suffers with mental health should read to help them realize that there are better ways of dealing. And that they aren't the only ones. And I would also recommend to those who have friends or family members who are cutters or have eating disorders.

Very relatable but hard to read

It was very difficult to keep focus while reading this book. Although, the author talks about her obsessive disorder self harm as it changes through the years. I feel as if the loudest kid in the class could feel what Caroline feels.

Opened up for the world to see

Unfortunately, for cutters and former cutters alike, there are few books on the shelves which address the issue of self-injury. Certainly, it's slim pickins when it comes to books which we can relate to. If it's a garbage book about cutting, that's what we're stuck reading, because there are few other options. Fortunately for us, Caroline Kettlewell's Skin Game is quite a fantastic read, and one of the most well written memoirs I've ever read. As an earlier reviewer noted (and criticized the book for), similes and metaphors are shoe-horned in abundant, and sometimes absurd quantities within the text of this book. With an insatiable hunger for metaphor, this actually boosts my own love affair with this book. Skin Game's penmanship has a split personality feel, a delectable glitch which I'm sure Kettlewell wasn't aiming for, or may still be completely unaware of. Kettlewell #1, recalling somewhat "normal" teenage activities, isn't much varied from the average memoir writer. However, when undertaking the act of cutting itself, Kettlewell seems to get lost in the ecstasy of those moments, whereupon Kettlewell #2 emerges and assumes the role of author. Metaphors become more prominent, language becomes more complex, and there is a barrage of resonant details which make the reader feel as if he/she is not only sitting on the bed by Kettlewell's side during the ordeal, but inside of Kettlewell's skin itself. I must give a warning to cutters: These juicy morsels of the book can be VERY TRIGGERING. I first read this book after 2 years of abstaining from cutting, yet even after such a lengthy time, these graphic passages were enough to make me crave reverting back to the habit more than I had ever wanted to before. It should also be noted that Skin Game fiddles around a smidgen with Kettlewell's bout with anorexia, though it is inevitably cutting which stays on the top pedestal of subject matter throughout the book. SPOILER ALERT!: I was a bit eager to stomp the rating down to 4 stars due to a very poorly constructed ending. One gets the impression that Kettlewell simply got bored of writing the book and attempted to stitch things up quite quickly (no pun intended). It's ends up being quite a slop job. Pop a Paxil, get tapped on the head by your fairy Godmother's magic wand, and everything's suddenly A' OK! Kettlewell herself writes "I stopped cutting because I always could have stopped cutting..." C'mon Caroline. C'mon. Stop lying to yourself, and to us. The truth would've been a much more interesting read. Despite this meager faltering however, Skin Game is quite a powerful, and painful (in a good way) read, ultimately enough to hold a 5 star rating. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for anyone who struggles or who has ever struggled with the issue of cutting.

A verbalization of hard to explain feelings

It's actually quite funny how I came across this book. I was at the Goodwill looking for old records and this book just happened to catch my boyfriends eye and he showed it to me. I bought it that day for $2. I read it the next night, I read it all that night. Caroline Kettlewell was able to explain her feelings, something I have never been able to do when it comes to depression, eating disorders and self-mutilation. My boyfriend has often asked me to explain how I feel but I haven't been able to find the words. Caroline Kettlewell found the words. She takes a mysterious and often mis-judged topic and gives it humanity. She sheds light on the lives of self-mutilators- they are not crazy people. There is such a stigma attached to depression, eating disorders, self-mutilation etc., "Skin Game" helps clear those stereotypes away by introducing you to a young girl with a otherwise healthy lifestyle and shows you what happens. EVERYONE should read this book.

Every scar tells a story

As you grow up, you're taught that every scar tells a story and I believe that Caroline Kettlewell has proved that point.This book is a remarkable memoir of growing up with self-mutilation. She tells of how it looked, felt, etc. It can get a bit graphic, but sometimes, you need the graphic stuff in order to understand the feelings.I think that this book is exquisite. I think every self-injurer could identify with the feelings that Caroline went through. I think that non-'cutters' could identify with some of the feelings, too.This book gives cutters a feeling of not being alone and non-cutters a way to understand what it's like to hurt so much that you have to hurt yourself.There aren't enough words to describe how awesome this book is. I just hope that it helps you to understand how serious self-mutilation really is.

Don't Read If You're Squeamish

...I take that back. Read it even if you ARE sqeamish. You need to. Especially if you have a disgusted view of people who cut or otherwise self-injure themselves.This book will take you into their world, and let you understand WHY they do this. Written by a former self-injurer herself, the author is more than qualified to talk about it.The book is autobiographical in nature, but Caroline Kettlewell's story is that of so many teenagers, adults, even children today. Definitely worth it.