I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself

I picked up Marisa Crane’s I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself because its title amused me, wondering if it might be something like Murderbot or Robocop. The book turns out to be a dystopian novel that reminds me at times of 1984. A near-future surveillance state provides malefactors and misfits with extra shadows to let other people know they are not socially acceptable. It is unclear whether the shadows are actual surveillance devices or simply difference makers. The story also reminds me of the Vonnegut short story “Harrison Bergeron” in which talent and beauty are penalized in the name of equality. Here, the government serves a “Balance” that establishes social homogeneity as the ideal. Crane’s novel is heavy on theme and show more symbol but light on plot. A woman talks to the ashes of her dead wife as she struggles to raise their daughter. Mother and daughter both bear the stigma of extra shadows. The social themes are admirable, but I wish the surveillance technology were described more explicitly. 3.5 stars. show less

This is rather an on-point dystopian. The president has changed the punitive (in)justice system from imprisonment to adding shadows, a sort of mark of Cain, and multiply shadowed individuals, Shadesters, are subject to extra taxes, limited employment, and limited to a single shopping day a week. Kris, with an extra shadow, is left with her wife's Beau's daughter to raise, and because Beau died in childbirth, the child was given an extra shadow.

The first half of the book is a complete downer, well written, and not without some humor, but a major postpartum depression. It does improve, but the oppressiveness of the big-brother continually monitored state and of the brutality of the condoned violence of the enforcers is solid throughout.

This is my favorite book of the year thus far. I love the conversational piece of it that makes the book move at the perfect pace. I would only want my kid to be like bear, she is just the perfect character. I’m not even joking when I say I ripped a page out to use as part of my wedding vows next year: “you’ve stamped me forever, like a library card.”

This is very well done, though not what I expected going into it. Every review I've heard made it sound like this was about the child growing up with two shadows, but this is about the mother of that child learning to deal with her grief and shame. Excellent. Queer, brash, and only a little dystopian.

I loved this book. The prose was beautiful and poetic, and it was an emotional gut punch, in the best way possible. My one quibble, is I felt some of the timeskips in the second half through off the pacing, but overall I would highly recommend this book.

[1.75] What began as an intriguing dystopian tale with enormous potential quickly devolved into a meandering, plot-challenged mess. Characters that initially piqued my interest became tiresome by the midway point. I called it quits shortly thereafter. I award 4 stars for the creative concept (I typically love dystopian fiction) and 1 star for execution.

:( how do you mother someone when you've never been mothered yourself?