A Wrinkle in the Skin tells the story of a man who, after a massive, Earth-changing earthquake, sets out to find his daughter who lives on her own back on the mainland of England. As he makes his way across the changed landscapes, he is joined by a boy who has no family, and the two continue his quest to find his daughter. The bond between the boy and the man becomes stronger as their adventures continue, making the book shine in portraying human interaction realistically. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where the characters struggle to survive and navigate through the transformed environment.

John Christopher's writing style in this book is described as vivid, descriptive, and engaging. The prose is easy for modern readers to consume, with a realistic portrayal of the characters' struggles and interactions. The narrative focuses on the journey of one man and a child through a devastated world, highlighting themes of survival, hope, and resilience in the face of adversity.

Characters:

The characters exhibit a range of moral complexities, with Cotter showcasing growth and care, while others symbolize the darker aspects of humanity.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is descriptive and engaging, providing a realistic portrayal of survival and human emotions through well-developed characters.

Plot/Storyline:

The story revolves around a catastrophic event from earthquakes, focusing on a man’s desperate search for his daughter amidst societal collapse and human depravity.

Setting:

The setting is primarily on the Isle of Guernsey and the now-dry English Channel seabed, portraying a grim, dystopian landscape following massive earthquakes.

Pacing:

The pacing is mostly fast and relentless, designed to maintain tension, though some conclusions may feel rushed or abrupt.

The first disaster, in New Zealand, killed upwards of thirty thousand people, leaving Christchurch badly shattered and Dunedin almost destroyed. Two weeks after that there were tidal waves in Malaya a...

Notes:

John Christopher, whose real name is Christopher Samuel Youd, wrote over 70 books, including both adult and young adult novels.

A Wrinkle in the Skin, originally published as The Ragged Edge in 1965, is set in a post-apocalyptic world due to massive earthquakes.

The novel features a protagonist named Matthew Cotter, who is a middle-aged man trying to find his daughter after a disaster.

Cotter teams up with a young orphaned boy named Billy during their quest across the barren seabed of the English Channel.

The book depicts a breakdown of society, with characters exhibiting both cooperative and violent behaviors in the face of disaster.

Christopher's writing is noted for its vivid description and well-developed characters, particularly the relationship between Cotter and Billy.

The narrative explores themes of human behavior under stress, often portraying bleak and sexist viewpoints.

A Wrinkle in the Skin is included in various literary recommendations, such as Horror Another 100 Best Books, highlighting its significance in the genre.

Critics have compared it to other classic apocalyptic novels like The Day of the Triffids and On The Beach.

Though the book addresses violence among survivors, its primary focus is on the journey and bond between Cotter and Billy, making it more character-driven than action-heavy.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for graphic depictions of violence, including sexual violence and loss, as well as themes of trauma and survival in a post-apocalyptic scenario.

From The Publisher:

One night, the island of Guernsey convulsed. As shock followed shock, the landscape tilted violently in defiance of gravity. When dawn came and the quakes had stilled to tremblings, Matthew Cotter gazed out in disbelief at the pile of rubble that had been his home. The greenhouses which had provided his livelihood were a lake of shattered glass, the tomato plants a crush of drowned vegetation spotted and splodged with red.

Wandering in a daze of bewilderment through the devastation, he came to the coast, looked out towards the sea ...

There was no sea: simply a sunken alien land, now drying in the early summer sun.

Gradually, a handful of isolated survivors drifted together. But where were the rescue missions from the mainland? How far did the destruction actually extend?

For Matthew, whose beloved daughter Jane had recently moved to England , finding the answer was all he had left to live for.

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A Wrinkle in the Skin

John Christopher