Reviews

Face by Benjamin Zephaniah

jpegjaiquon's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lanica's review against another edition

2.0

Genre: Realism
Audience: Young Adult
Setting: London
Notes: Bookclub Discussion

Review:
Martin is the leader of The Gang of Three, three tight friends since grade school who are known as good-natured trouble makers and class clowns. He also has a beautiful girlfriend and loving parents. Who will stay with him after a car accident disfigures his face with burns?

Billed as "A groundbreaking novel about prejudice..." some might expect a heavy-handed look at relationships. Instead what we get is a weak overview of possible conflict that leads nowhere. There are a range of topics touched on lightly throughout the book, but no issues are delved into deeply enough to live up to this billing.

h_evans14's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

ankysbookbubble's review against another edition

4.0

It was a beautiful read!
The slangs made it a bit less enjoyable, but it was still good.

joebendun's review against another edition

2.75

Too dated and cringe to be "good" but would probably be good for 90s nostalgia kids.

kay_23's review against another edition

5.0

I read this book in my school a few years ago with my class and I wanted to keep reading so i bought it and loved it. I loved the ways the characters spoke and the way it was written.

nicolesbookspace's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

nickymaund's review against another edition

4.0

Having listened to (and loved) another of Zephaniah’s audiobooks (also narrated by Bailey Smith) I was really looking forward to this one, and I was not disappointed. I really like his writing style; he’s able to cover such complicated topics such as peer pressure, drugs, youth crime, racism, young relationships, preconceptions and a whole host of others, without it getting too heavy or bogged down. There’s a lot of feeling going on in this short read and he’s able to include positive messages at the end that everyone can relate and take notice from. Bailey Smith does an excellent job in narration duty once more.

kamckim's review against another edition

3.0

This was a very quick read, which I'm considering for G8&9 choice for One School/One Story. It deals with the same subject matter as WONDER-how students with craniofacial disorders or scarred faces deal with their peers. It's a very British book, and I believe contemporary to Zephaniah's time, with the East part of London being a melting pot of races. There is definitely a coming-of-age arc to the story, and Martin's spirit is both real and invincible at the same time. I would recommend it, though not as literary fiction. The writing is too clear and straightforward. The point of view shifts from time to time, but it is a bit jarring when it happens. Overall, I think G8&9 students would finish the book or at least want to know how the story finishes.

zeldaspellman's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0