Skinzz Paperback – June 1, 2015

This was a great story about a time in Philadelphia were racism was rampant and punk was dying out. The story centers on two friends who are big into the punk scene and how they have to deal with a group of neo-nazi skinheads who don't take kindly to their music or the fact that one of them is black. This is not a story for the weak of stomach or mind. It was a great read about a time that we still live in certain aspects.

“The wind sounded sad and angry, violent, like a tortured spirit raging against existence." -Skinzz, by Wrath James WhiteOne does not open a WJW book and expect safety and warmth. His words are as passionate as they are violent, as beautiful as they are unflinchingly brutal. Skinzz is my second read from this author; I started with If You Died Tomorrow I Would Eat Your Corpse, an extreme horror collection of poetry and prose. While the collection leans more towards White's more extreme writing, it still has similarities with Skinzz. Both are personal explorations of life and love; one focused more on young life and love, the other on the experiences of what could be that same man all grown up.Don't misunderstand, this is very much a book about smashing skinheads and and living life right at the edge of destruction. Mack is a young black man known for his fighting prowess and propensity to look for fights with white supremacists and anyone else who threatens his circle of friends. With his best friend, Jason, he continues to spiral deeper and deeper into a situation that requires increasing levels of violence to stay alive. White is very skilled at ramping up the action and there are spectacular fight scenes. This should come as no surprise given the author's history as a professional fighter.Furthermore, there are multiple scenes that will be difficult for readers to experience. If you consider picking this up and have a desire for specific content warnings, please feel free to ask. Readers should expect language and extreme scenes of murder and violence towards the black and the LGBT community - this is not a spoiler. I will freely admit that the chapters written from the POV of the skinheads are some of the hardest I've had to read. Think of the curb scene from American History X and that's getting close.As I mentioned in the beginning, running through all of this is a story of friendship, love, and struggle. It may not be a scene or situation I can relate to, but the humanity is there. The rawness of emotion is tangible and important. While this book may not work for every reader, I certainly intend to seek out more of White's work. Tread carefully with this one, it pulls no punches.

This book has a lot of heart and pumps out a lot of blood. An exploration of the 80's punk scene in Philly and the Nazi subculture of the time, this book contains a brutal story about friendship, fighting, love, murder, and making racists afraid again.

This book was awesome. I know a lot of people said they couldn't handle it because of the cover, but the cover was what made me buy the book. This is the fourth book I have read by White and I can now say I have become a major fan. He is in the must buy list of Deadite authors for when I want Hardcore Horror.

Like all of Wrath's work, the writing is visceral, has a real edge to it that is missing from other writers. Not my favorite of his works, but not bad at all. If you enjoy Wrath's writing you'll enjoy this book. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

Well written and a look into the world of hardcore racism. Wrath James White does it better then most and seems to know what he's talking about. Very well donw

Well written book. Still working on it but its worth reading. Good commentary wrapped in exciting and compelling fiction.

Review from horrorunderground.orgSkinzzDeadite PressAuthor: Wrath James White1988 Philadelphia was a battle ground between up and coming skinhead neo-Nazi groups and the punk rock/hardcore community. During this time in the late 80s, racial tensions were on high, much as they are now. A quick google search will show news reports and social studies conducted on this situation. Wrath James White, author of this novel, has firsthand experience growing up as a young African American punk during this time. Skinzz has a semi-autobiographical feel that adds to the depth and growing tension throughout this exceptional novel.Mack and Jason live to fight. They live to fight The Unrest, a local group of neo-Nazi skinheads in Phillie’s legendary South Street. It is the late 1980s and tensions are ramping up. Little Davey, a member of The Unrest, is out on a rampage trying to stoke the flames of an all-out race war. Committing random acts of violence and murder, Little Davey and his crew of scumbags make their way to getting what they want. Meanwhile, Mack and Jason deal with events that inadvertently add to the growing tension that will soon come to a head.Wrath James White always manages to sneak in deeper meaning with every tale he spins, regardless of how deep it is into the bizarre or horrific. With Skinzz, he manages to tell a profoundly heartfelt and panic inducing story. As the tensions rise and boil over, the emotional toll is almost too much to take. This isn’t your typical horror yarn, technically this isn’t even horror. The drama and realism are very horrific and these monsters and boogeymen are the real deal that people experience on a daily basis.The story reminds me of a Wrath James White version of Penelope Spheeris’ Suburbia. The punk rock lifestyle has a realism that can only come from experience. It is a very true feeling tale that could fit right in with Spheeris’ other notorious work, The Decline of Western Civilization. As mentioned earlier, this has an autobiographical feel to it. At times, it feels that we are reading journal entries from a young White dealing with the racial tensions of the 80s hardcore scene.This isn’t just a book about the punk scene and the racial tension of Phillie, it also has plenty of the violence and humor you would expect from White. There is plenty of graphic gore and violence in between emotional heft.Skinzz is a magnificent novel. This is easily my favorite Wrath James White novel to date. I am a little biased. Growing up a Hispanic punker, this novel spoke volumes to me. If you are looking for something a little outside the horror genre, this is the perfect place to go. There is a 80s exploitation feel, a la Surf Nazis Must Die, but with a better premise and better writing.

I am a big fan of Wrath James White. His books, whilst often being violent and horrific always carry a message and this is for me what sets him apart from other extreme writers around today. I think this maybe my favourite Wrath read so far. The book captures the feel and tension of the punk scene brilliantly and the friendship between Mack and Demon/Jason is genuine. I had a feeling what was coming towards the end, but I was wrong. If you are a newcomer to Wrath's work then this is a great place to start. It is not quite as visceral as some of his later stuff, but the story and characters are incredibly engaging and the book motors along at a perfect pace. Another great release from a fine writer and a fine press. 5 stars.

Skinzz is a brutal ride that doesn’t let up and builds to an ending I really didn’t see coming.Wrath James White crafts this story with these characters with a stunning amount of skill that puts you into this world and makes you feel what the characters are fighting their way through.This is one of those stories that isn’t going to fade away with time, it’s going to sit with me and I’ll be thinking it through for some time to come yet.

For me, WJW is one of the most intelligent & courageous writers I've ever had the pleasure of reading. His work is as brutal as it is uncompromising and this book is no exception. Be prepared for an unflinching critique of the darkness, depravity and degradation he mines from the depths of the human soul. It won't be to everyone's taste, but, no one can deny WJW is a master at what he does. Enjoy.