As you might've guessed from the title, Skin Hunger features hunger and other kinds of suffering. Characters in the book are starved, sleep deprived, beaten, tortured, and generally made to suffer. There's emotional blackmail, slavery, and assault. Fun times, eh?
While these topics might seem heavy for a young adult novel, think about it this way: Harry Potter explored a lot of the same stuff, and showed us how magically gifted youngsters can rise above those circumstances to triumph over evil. Skin Hunger goes in a similar direction, though because there's a metric ton of suffering without an end in sight, we're a tad more pessimistic about the light at the end of the tunnel.
Questions About Suffering
- Who do you think suffers more, Sadima or Hahp? Why?
- Is suffering a good incentive to learn?
- Do you think Somiss realizes how much suffering he causes others? If so, does he care?
- Would you rather suffer physical or emotional punishment?
Chew on This
Franklin suffers the most in the book, as he bears the brunt of Somiss's rage and whims.
Hahp's suffering is comical at times, because he's so spoiled to begin with.