UNDER THE SKIN

Grisly, repugnant, and eerily compelling--such is this story of Isserly, a disguised space alien who lures and traps human hitchhikers for a terrible purpose. Despite her ghastly occupation, one cannot help but sympathize with Isserly, what with the dangers she faces daily, the constant physical pain she experiences from the operation that made her appear human, her exile, her bestial colleagues, and her various personal crises. Gerri Halligan contributes a restrained elegance and dignity to the narrative and considerable personality to the characters, even inventing a special accent for the extraterrestrials. Her approach emphasizes irony, insinuates satire, prevents bathos, and keeps the gruesomeness near, if not always within, the bounds of taste. Y.R. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 06/ JAN 07]