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Deerskin
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Plot Summary of Deerskin
"Princess Lissar had only one friend; her dog, Ashe. Yet, when she turns 17, her father threatens to take Ashe away after declaring that he was going to marry her. Then, one night, Lissar is forced to flee the kingdom after her father rapes her and almost kills Ashe. She finds refuge in a small mountain cottage, where she meets the Moon Woman. After Ashe is transformed to look differently, Ashe with long hair and Lissar with white hair and black eyes, Lissar sets forth into the world as Deerskin to right the wrongs done to her."
Jennifer, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Deerskin
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 10%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 60%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%




Tone of book - depressing/sad
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - an adult (general)
Romance Yes
Romance plotlets: - two lovers coping with tough mission
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - overthrowing govt/kingdom
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
Age: - a teen
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
Eccentric: Yes - obsessed - deluded - emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a lot
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - bulging muscles

Setting
Terrain - Water - Mountains - Forests
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a primitive/fantasy society
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - rape/molest (yeech!)
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Deerskin
The Prize in the Game by Jo Walton
The Lute and the Liar by Rie Sheridan
The Seer and the Sword by Victoria Hanley
Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier
The Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook


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Robin McKinley Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
sayruh  

SCHOLARS:
Mai Tsuji  serah  Manda  fran laniado  Debbie  Jennifer  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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