Worn Skin: Tattoos are More Than Just Symbols
Torgeir Blok
Independently published (September 3, 2024)
Reviewed by Nora B. Peevy
The beginning of this book is hard to jump into, but once I got past the scene on the train, I was pulled into a world of intrigue, magic, and violence where tattoos are more than just ink. Nick is a broken and flawed character who doesn’t have much left to offer anybody until running into the mysterious “Painter” who uses tattoos to inflict harm on his victims. Now he’s kidnapped a little girl and Nick must use his own wiles and knowledge of tattoos to find the little girl before she is killed. Will Nick succeed or not? This is up to the broken character’s will to live, which, in the beginning of the book, is absent.
What I like about this story is what every person who bears tattoos will tell you. They all have a story. Ink is not just ink. There is something magical that transforms you when you get a new piece of ink done. You become someone different, someone reborn. Tattoos are tales of grief, anger, celebration, and transformation, just as they are in this book.
I loved the character of Nick because Nick is not your typical hero. At the beginning of the book, Nick is a broken person who wants to die, but then finds a purpose to live. The character arc is very well-written and convincing. Anyone who appreciates the art of tattoos or a good story will want to read Worn Skin.
