Book Review: Snakeskins by Tim Major - More2Read
 

Snakeskins by Tim Major

An SF thriller examining the repercussions of rejuvenation and cloning on individuals’ sense of identity and on wider society.

Caitlin Hext’s first shedding ceremony is imminent, but she’s far from prepared to produce a Snakeskin clone. When her Skin fails to turn to dust as expected, she must decide whether she wishes the newcomer alive or dead.

Worse still, it transpires that the Hext family may be of central importance to the survival of Charmers, a group of people with the inexplicable power to produce duplicates every seven years and, in the process, rejuvenate. In parallel with reporter Gerry Chafik and government aide Russell Handler, Caitlin must prevent the Great British Prosperity Party from establishing a corrupt new world order.

Snakeskins is an SF thriller examining the repercussions of rejuvenation and cloning on individuals’ sense of identity and on wider society, with the tone of classic John Wyndham stories and the multi-strand storytelling style of modern TV series such as Channel 4’s Humans.

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

Praise for Snakeskins:

“A premise worthy of Wyndham becomes a twisty political SF thriller in the hands of Major. Snakeskins is full of action and surprise, keeping me reading, but the real hook lies in the rich seam of humanity within.”
–Aliya Whiteley, author of The Beauty

“Another great page-turner from Tim Major! We follow Caitlin, a teenage girl, whose ability to produce snakeskin clones causes emotional ripples that spread more widely than she d ever anticipated. It s a gripping and thought-provoking tale, with Major exploring the wider implications of cloning and extended life-spans in the growth of a corrupt new government which has consequences for all.”
–Alison Littlewood, author of The Hidden People

“John Wyndham meets Black Mirror in Tim Major’s scintillating novel, a parallel world thriller, which takes as its themes duplicity, paranoia and what it truly means to be human. Snakeskins wrapped its coils around me and wouldn’t let go.”
–Mark Morris, author of The Wolves of London

“Startling imagery, deft storytelling, and assured and engaging writing make Snakeskins simply unmissable.”
–Tim Lebbon

“Tim Major has a talent for combining big ideas to create something exciting. With Snakeskins he gives us a SF thriller brimming with questions about identity.”
–Priya Sharma

“A cautionary tale for our times.”
–James Brogden

“Whether as page-turning thriller, coming of age story, or timely satire on a broken Britain, ‘Snakeskins’ is a delight.”
–Robert Shearman

Review

A distinctive transformation ensues with a shuddering comes the shedding and green light with the snakeskin arrival.
Caitlin a young woman still at college is to shed soon and faces many taunts and names she is a person not an alien or species like many label charmers, maybe a different breed of human, she wants to be seen as a human like her peers and facing inequality and difference from society and friends.
What happens to these snakeskins and where do they go?
Interesting aspects that need expounding on and keep you reading on.
There will be hidden things.
Conspiratorial theories and movements, class difference, charmer hate and policing.
Legacies on the line, lives and skins too.
There is a reporter in the discovery of truths, in search of a story, seeking out secrecy in Charmer society and up against that division amongst society charmers and snakeskins and non-charmers.
Author unravels little by little the state of affairs and dilemma the charmers and skins are in, their identity up against many things, keeping you reading on with keen interest in the fate of one young charmer Caitlin.

Reviewed by Lou Pendergrast on 07 May 2019