Sara's Face

Title: Sara’s Face
Author: Melvin Burgess
Plot: Sara is a 17-year-old girl. Her dream is to become famous; which isn’t impossible since she’s a talented girl. However, she is a sick girl, too. She has schizophrenia, anorexia and is self-harming.

Jonathon Heat is a legendary pop star who is not only known for his music; but for his thousand faces. He has done several face surgeries which has now lead to a messed up face that cannot be repaired. Although his 80-year-old plastic surgeon, Dr. Kaye, (who is obsessed with the idea of being the first man ever to succeed with a full-face transplantation) is trying to fix it. In the meantime, Jonathon wears a mask.

Sara hurts herself badly and ends up in hospital. She is a fan of Jonathon’s and wear a mask, too. She feels protected by it. She says in the book that watching herself in a mirror is like watching another person; the reflection is not her. Behind the mask, she’s able to be herself. When Jonathon visits her and ask to help her becoming famous, Sara is overjoyed.

But Jonathon doesn’t want Sara’s talent, he wants Sara’s face.

Comment: At first I thought that Sara’s face would be a book that I could bear reading, but never get really fond of. I was wrong. I had low expectations on Melvin Burgess after reading Junk but this was something else. Sara’s Face is a novel that truly touched my heart. I even googled it to ensure that it wasn’t true! Sara is such a sweet girl. It is so sad that such a lovely girl like her has to be so sick. Sometimes it may seem a little unpredictable but you’re never 100 percent sure. It is written in such a amazing way, too. There aren’t any words to describe it properly without spoiling it too much. Although I can say this; everyone should give it a shot!