Face [Hardcover]

Benjamin Zephaniah (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 2002

Martin is a good-looking, self-assured boy who accepts a ride home from a drunken acquaintance and ends up in a horrible accident--badly burned, his face completely disfigured. Life as it was before is over...he loses his girlfriend and his friends, and finds that people are making judgements about him and how he feels without even knowing.

As Martin struggles through the reconstruction of his face, he is also working hard to reconstruct his life. His character, however, remains intact. There are startling truths in this story, written with clarity and insight, which make it utterly believable and impossible to read without heartfelt empathy. Parents, librarians, teachers and mostly children will be absorbed by the story.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Zephaniah (Refugee Boy) paints a sympathetic portrait of Martin Turner, a burn victim, who changes as much on the inside as on the outside after a car accident leaves his face severely disfigured. The author uses bold lines to describe how the once fun-loving wise-cracker confronts the fact that his life can never be the same. Even more disturbing than the stares and cruel taunts, perhaps, are his friends' obvious discomfort and overly solicitous behavior ("He hated being pitied and he hated being given special treatment. He learnt how to look into the eyes of others and measure their sincerity"). Martin also resents those (like the priest at the community center) who refer to him as "disabled"; however, he develops the confidence and poise to correct such misapprehensions. Newfound friends who are able to look beyond his scars encourage him to rise to challenges and develop his talent for dancing and gymnastics. Although the plot is somewhat formulaic and although Zephaniah discusses many of Martin's struggles rather than offering specific examples, Martin himself is believable enough to be appealing. Kids will tune in to this book's clear message about appearances. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 8-10-Accepting a ride home with a former schoolmate, Pete, after a night out, Martin and Mark, 15, are unaware that he has been joyriding in a stolen car, and the short trip turns to tragedy as he is killed and Martin's face is burned beyond recognition. The medical treatments for burn victims are described accurately, and each professional involved with the teen's care comes into play as a supporting character. Martin's emotions run the gamut from guilt and anger to fear of losing his friends and being ignored by classmates. A psychologist helps him handle looking into a mirror for the first time and he befriends another patient, whose reassurance is pivotal to his recovery. Because of his grit and tenaciousness, Martin refuses to play the victim for long. When his girlfriend rejects him and children call him "Dog face," he becomes depressed but ultimately recovers after gaining the respect of his gymnastics teammates, who name him captain. Rather than pity Martin, readers will empathize with his desire to be normal. They will also enjoy the British dance club scene and the hip teen vocabulary.
Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (November 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582347743
• ISBN-13: 978-1582347745
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,115,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What is seen in the mirror, April 22, 2003

By 

Candie (Monroe, La. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Face (Hardcover)

FACE was just that, the face of reality! Being a teen is hard enough without something turning your entire world upside down! The questions we ask and then find the answers makes us wonder why we ever asked them at all. Benjamin Zenphaniah has amazing insight into the mind of a teen while all the while making you realize that whether you survive or not is all up to you.I recommend FACE to anyone who enjoys a challenge!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Trite and banal, June 15, 2009

By 

K. Roberts - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Face (Paperback)

I picked up this book at a library used book table thinking that it might interest my high school students. It was a waste of time and 50 cents. The writing is simplistic and the plot line is banal and boring. It was entirely predictable and Martin, the main character, was not developed in enough detail. The writer also needs an editor who can pick up on some obvious grammatical errors. It is "He could have gone" not "He could have went." I could understand if this was part of the dialogue used to portray an uneducated character but it was not. Do not waste your time with this one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Teen strength, June 13, 2005

By 

Jesser2004 "Jess" (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Face (Hardcover)

This book happens to be written/published in Great Britain, and I think that is one of the many reasons I liked this book. I don't live in Great Britain, but in the states, so reading something from another country is always interesting for me.

This book it about a 15-year-old boy named Martin. He has what an average teenager has: a girlfriend, a gang, family, and good looks. Things change when he goes to DANCEMANIA and shows of his good dance moves in the club. Walking home he meets up with a boy named Peter. Peter asks him and his friends if they wanna go for a ride. Martin excepts because Peter use to go to his school so he sort of trusts him. He also gets his friend, Mark, to come along for the ride, but Matthew stays behind, knowing that nothing good will come out if the joy ride.

Martin soon finds himself in a hospital with sever burns to his hands and face because the driver of the car ran a red light, running away from the cops. Martin then finds that his face is messed up bad. He then stays in the hospital for almost a month because of his badly burned face.

This book is really about the changes of life. In this case, Martin must deal with his disfigured face and the way the public, his friends, and even his girlfriend treat him. Martin faces ups and downs, but realizes that being here, with his family and his REAL friends, is better then looks and winning.

I loved this book; so 2 thumps up to Benjamin Zephaniah for this amazing story about teen triumph and lose. This was an amazing book that was written in the way that you could just relate.