Autobiography of a Face

Imagine trying to live a normal life with half of your face missing. It's impossible. People stare at you all the time breaking down your self confidence fast. This is the life of Lucy Grealy. A brave young girl who never thought her life would change after being hit in the face by a kickball one recess. That one kickball game caused Lucy to later head to the hospital in pain to find out she actually had cancer in her jaw. With little help from her father and mother, Lucy faces life changing surgeries while she lives in the hospital. But on the other fun side of the hospital days, she never fails to find someway to cause trouble with the nurses or her best friend Derek. There comes a time when Lucy needs to face the world with her "new face" where she takes on every struggle bravely. There are times when Lucy questions her "new face" and wishes she were normal again. She never gives up and stays brave throughout every situation. Later on, Lucy meets new surgeons who work miracles to her face bringing her closer and closer to that normal life again.

I would recommend this book to any audience that is looking in the career field working with cancer, someone who wants a heart felt story of someones life, or simply someone looking for a short read that keeps you wanting to turn the pages. I loved how this book not only talks about all the challenges Lucy faces, but her reactions and how she deals with those challenges. She often talks about loneliness and the pain of feeling different which can relate to many different life scenarios. That way many readers can relate to the story even if they are experiencing a totally different issue.

Reading isn't my first choice for an activity, but I really enjoyed reading this autobiography. It was easy to read, yet introduced me to new words to add to my vocabulary. Also, with an interest in the science field I loved hearing about all the procedures Lucy had to undergo and all the medical help she was given. Overall, Autobiography of a Face was a very unique book based around a remarkable person who deserves to have her story heard.