Face

Product Information

And although his old friends melted away from him, I was glad that Martin was able to make other friends. Benjamin Zephaniah and Richard Conlon deal with issues such as prejudice, drugs and disfigurement in this vibrant, gritty adaptation of Zephaniah’s bestselling novel for young people. He doesn't know the car is stolen though, and it isn't a ride home, it's a ride to self-destruction. As much as I adore Benjamin Zephaniah's poetry and his presence when he reads, I'm not as certain in my feelings towards Face.

I was only 11/12 and I loved it, the reality of perceptions, peer pressure and a character learning to be confident in his own skin - brilliant read. Martin's life looks good with a model for a girlfriend, the best gymnast in school, and as a class clown.This was a powerful read, highlighting the subject of image and other people's reaction to disfigurement. This would be an excellent prompt for discussion about prejudices regarding appearance and our reaction to those less fortunate than ourselves. It also shows us a strong young protagonist who is able to deal with the situation maturely and learn as it goes on. Written in very simple language, Zephaniah brings the streets to life - I especially like the scene where Natalie misinterprets the three girls' smiles and gets ready for a fight, only to be asked if she likes clubbing. It's all a bit different being on the receiving end of other people's prejudices, about disabilities, or race, or anything else.

Being a short novel, I think everything was carefully played out and I very much enjoyed the contrast between what Martin had been before and after the accident. I read this book ages ago but I remember that it scarred me for life (but in a good way) and made me appreciate things more. Before the accident he hated gymnastics at school and then on his second day back it was his favorite activity and two days later he was the captain! It perfectly executes a change in character for Martin, who you go from having a distaste to, to supporting every step of his lifechanging journey.It was both believable and sad when Martin's girlfriend no longer wanted anything to do with him and instead hooked up with some other guy, and the scene when he confronted her nearly brought tears to my eyes.

The other characters are additionally well written - with their portrayals remaining relatable throughout, thanks to Zephaniah's realistic youth dialogue. But when his world is turned upside down by a crash in a stolen car, he has to come to terms with more than his facial injuries…. This book is amazing and i would recommend it to 12-15 year olds, it has comedy, romance and lots more. Benjamin Zephaniah is a British performance poet who travels on literary world tours for the British Council.

A local author reignited my love of reading at a difficult time in my younger years, which has now set me up to fall in love with stories again. I like that the author didn't shy away from anything, and it was an honest portrayal of what burn victims have to go through.