New Skin 🫧
By Sarah Wang.
New Skin is chaotic, unsettling, darkly funny, and completely impossible to predict.
At its core, the book follows Linli Feng, who is pulled back into her mother Fanny’s life after years of distance when another cosmetic procedure goes disastrously wrong. What initially sounds like a story focused purely on beauty culture and plastic surgery quickly becomes something much bigger and far stranger.
What surprised me most is how layered this book is beneath its outrageous premise. Yes, it explores cosmetic surgery addiction and the disturbing world surrounding underground procedures, but it also dives into family expectations, trauma, undocumented labour, immigration, identity, and the complicated pressures surrounding success and reinvention in America.
The relationship between Linli and Fanny completely drives the story. They are constantly shifting between resentment, obligation, love, and frustration in a way that feels deeply messy but incredibly believable. There is this overwhelming sense that neither of them fully understands the other, despite being so emotionally entangled.
Fanny herself is such a fascinating character because she is both tragic and absurd at the same time. Her obsession with transformation and appearance becomes increasingly extreme, especially once the reality television storyline begins, but underneath all of it there is still vulnerability and sacrifice woven into her choices.
I also loved how unpredictable this book felt. Every time I thought I understood where the narrative was heading, something unexpected would happen. It moves between satire, family drama, social commentary, and almost surreal moments without ever completely losing control of itself.
The humour works especially well because it is so sharp and uncomfortable. The absurdity of reality television culture mixed with genuine emotional pain creates this strange balance that somehow works perfectly.
What stayed with me most, though, was the way the book questions whether we can ever truly know our parents beyond the role they play in our lives. Beneath all the chaos, body horror, and dark comedy, there is something surprisingly emotional about watching Linli slowly uncover parts of her mother she never fully understood.
Strange, bold, and brilliantly original, this is a book that constantly reinvents itself while exploring identity, family, and the dangerous pursuit of transformation.
Thank you to the team at Picador for sending me such a shiny copy of the book as well as the extra treat! The book is out now and available to purchase.
Support a local and independent bookshop and buy the book here.
