Monday, July 23, 2007

Sara's Face by Melvin Burgess

Sara's Face is a chilling tale of a seventeen year old girl looking for an escape from the "skin she's in". Sara is a wild and beautiful girl--she is not your typical teenager. She flits from character to character each day, her friends and family never know who or what Sara will become. As injuries and anorexia become aparent in Sara's life she is finally brought to a hospital. There her dream comes true. Jonathan Heat is a glorious superstar, infamous for his constantly changing facial features--cosmetic surgery has been a constant in Heat's life. Sara is lying in a hospital bed when Heat visits and determines that he must take her home. There he gives her everything she would ever need. She could surgically change every part of her body, something Sara has been aspiring to do for years. As Sara's life drastically changes at Heat's home, wonder and horror overtake Sara and the people around her. What will happen to the face Sara so badly wants to rid herself of? What will become of her? Written from the perspective of a novelist searching for clues of Sara's life, interviews and opinions from her family, friends, and even Sara's video diary, Sara's Face is a dramatic novel--a mix between reality and fantasy.

Sara's Face is almost like a horror story in its own way. Chilling, gripping, and sometimes confusing it was certainly a book that readers will have a hard time putting down. Sara was a frustrating character, few will have a hard time relating to her wild antics and lack of love for anyone but herself. However, the characters that surround Sara, her best friend, boyfriend, nurse, and even Heat give the book a fantastic perspective of love and friendship as they attempt to understand a girl who might never be understood. Sara's Face is a tale of drama, horror (ther is a ghost-like presence that surrounds Sara), mystery, and fantasy. It is a quick read that keeps its readers interested and excited.

Content: Sara's Face uses mature language and there are many sexual references. It also has a scare component to it.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Concord, Massachusetts United States

posted by Flamingnet Book Blog @ 9:56 PM