A Face First [Hardcover]

Priscilla Cummings (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Twelve-year-old Kelley is afraid she'll never be part of the "normal" world again, for a terrible car accident has left her face, leg, and hand badly burned. Waking up in the hospital disoriented and in agony, she can't remember the details of the accident. But the details of recovery soon become painfully clear to her-skin-graft operations, uncomfortable dressings, torturous hand exercises, and debridement. But worst of all is having to wear a plastic mask for at least a year so her facial skin won't grow back puffy and hard. How will she ever face the world again and make people, as her physical therapist says, "see a face first, then a mask"?

In this riveting story of a young girl's struggle to recover from catastrophic burns, Kelley discovers many things about herself, including a talent she never knew she had. Most important, she learns that although a face is the first thing one sees, a second impression can make all the difference. The author of the highly acclaimed Autumn Journey takes us on another life-changing journey-one of determination, courage, and survival.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When sixth-grader Kelley and her mother get into a car accident, Kelley is rushed to the hospital with a broken leg and severe burns, especially to her face. She is in physical pain, and her mental anguish grows throughout the novel, as she wonders why this happened to her, and who she is now that her appearance has been dramatically altered. Her anger and confusion intensify when she suspects that her own mother may have been at fault in the accident. Cummings (Autumn Journey) incorporates medical vocabulary and treatments into her narrative ("Twice a day they come in and pull the dead skin off my leg with tweezers and Q-tips," Kelley explains to a visiting friend. "It's called debridement"), and while these passages are sometimes clunky, readers learn a great deal about burn recovery. The mystery surrounding her mother's responsibility, on the other hand, seems like an unnecessary complication, and some of the descriptions of Kelley's emotions are clich‚d (e.g., when the heroine opts for the silent treatment, "Kelley... wondered if she wasn't subconsciously--or maybe consciously--punishing her mother for something that maybe she didn't even do!"). Ultimately, Cummings's careful pacing makes this story work; she helps readers to empathize with the heroine, to follow her from her post-trauma confusion to her rage and withdrawal from the world, and ultimately to her discovery of inner strength. Ages 10-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 6-10-Unable to remember the horrific automobile accident and resulting explosion that melted her earrings as well as much of her skin, 12-year-old Kelley finds her world of horses, ballet lessons, and environmental projects reduced to a vise of pain in a Baltimore hospital's burn unit. Having dead skin tweezed off and being forced into pressure bandages and difficult physical therapy are bad enough, but when the staff straps a clear plastic mask on her ruined face, Kelley resists in the only way left to her. She quits all human communication. Finally weaned from her self-pity by the cries of a burned baby, she begins to speak once again, but draws the line at seeing friends and returning to school. However, she isn't the only one who isn't fully communicating, and the arrival of a lawsuit brings about an evolution of sorts. Cummings gives a good explanation of medical procedure, but really shines in showing the careful balance of push, pull, and nurturing that must be maintained by the dedicated medical staff who choose to work with fire victims. She understands appearance-conscious adolescents, and leads readers to pull with Kelley in working through the layers of her inner being to reach beyond the mask.-Cindy Darling Codell, Clark Middle School, Winchester, KY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525465227
• ISBN-13: 978-0525465225
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,877,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Priscilla Cummings is the author of Red Kayak and A Face First, an ALA Notable Book. She spent an academic year attending school with blind students before writing this story of a teenager's wrenching physical and mental journey into blindness. She lives in Annapolis, Maryland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ~AMAZING!~, January 26, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: A Face First (Paperback)

I thought this book was absolutely wonderful. It's very, very well written and it makes you feel as if you are a part of the story. It explains the hard times Kelley goes through and how she handles them. Bravo!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dramatic, September 9, 2001

By 

a 11 year old girl (Northern New Jesey USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Face First (Hardcover)

This book is probably one of the best books I've ever read. This girl has faced a dramatic acciden in wich she was burned in. She is so frightened to show her face to people because of what the burns look like. This book shows all of the opsticles she has over come. I think that this book is both dramatic and inspiring. I would recomend this to everyone

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real heartwarmer!, June 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Face First (Paperback)

This book is about a young girl named Kelley. After a terrible accident Kelley has to go through painful treatments. She also has to wear a mask to help her face. She worries what everyone will think of her but realizes they like Kelley for the person on the inside. This book was good and sort of sad at first. But towards the end when Kelley truly discovers herself, it makes you feel really good.