Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful?
Clear-Cut, Honest, Melodramatic
For all the bizarre and sadistic events happening in Skin Hunger, the tone (a.k.a. the author's and/or narrators' attitudes toward the story) is pretty chill. Events are related clearly, without too much bias. When Sadima first reaches Limòri, for instance, she notices a man painting portraits in the main square:
A woman in blue-green ruffles sat before him, her chin lifted, her posture stiff. Sadima could see the likeness on the paper. It was good, flattering, but he had the hair color a little wrong. (17.2)
Sadima isn't, like, freaking out about the painting not being super accurate, she's just observing it in a clear, straightforward way, being honest about its good and bad qualities.
When Hahp is narrating, the tone is still honest—but let's face it, Hahp is a tad theatrical. Shortly into his stay at the academy, he notes:
I was so hungry. It was hard to sleep without a pillow, and I hated the feed sack I had to wear. The chafing became painful and bloody. And my feet were so sore and swollen that the first ten or twelve steps after I woke were pure torture. (18.4)
Okay, dude, it's not like you were being water-boarded or anything. So while we're getting an unfiltered, honest perspective from Hahp, he's kinda melodramatic in how he goes about it.