Faceless

Written by Alyssa Sheinmel

Narrated by Susan-Kate Heaney

Faceless is an emotionally gripping novel about a girl who gets a face transplant -- and has to rediscover her identity.

While on a run one day, Maise gets into a terrible accident. A hot-burning electrical fire consumes her, destroying her face. Where her nose, cheeks, and chin used to be, now there is . . . nothing.She is lucky enough to qualify for a face transplant. But with someone else's features staring back at her in the mirror, Maise looks -- and feels -- like a stranger. The doctors promised that the transplant was her chance to live a normal life again, but nothing feels normal anymore. Before, she knew who she was -- a regular girl who ran track and got good grades, who loved her boyfriend and her best friend. Now, she can't even recognize herself. From New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel, coauthor of The Haunting of Sunshine Girl, comes a gripping and gorgeously written tale of identity and love. This is a story of losing yourself, and the long, hard fight to find your way back.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scholastic Audio Books
• Release date: Sep 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9780545921206

Alyssa Sheinmel

Alyssa Sheinmel is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels for young adults, including A Danger to Herself and Others, The Castle School for Troubled Girls, and Faceless. Such Sheltered Lives is her adult debut. Alyssa grew up in Northern California and New York and currently lives and writes in New York. Follow her on Instagram @AlyssaSheinmel or visit her online at AlyssaSheinmel.com.

Reviews for Faceless

[hnsims33 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great coming of age story for teens that are struggling through circumstances they can’t control

[Bethany · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book made me think about what I would do if I were in the main character's shoes. I highly recommend this audio book.

[Deanne Muster · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What an incredible book! You will laugh and you will cry. I highly recommend it. Enjoy

[Favour Emebo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting, I felt like not finishing it. thanks to the author

[Lynne Ward · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is suited more for teens and young adults. There’s a lot of self pity, it gets old and annoying. It’s slow moving, no riveting plots.
I had to skip a few chapters here and there. I finished it out of curiosity.

[ftbooklover · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you want a really good tear-jerker, then this book fits the bill. Maisie wakes up in the hospital after being severely burned by a lightning strike while she was out for a run. She soon has a surgical procedure to transplant parts of her face that had to be removed because they couldn't be saved. The story traces Maisie's struggle to come to terms with not only a new face, but also the entirely new life that comes with it. Her friends and family treat her differently now, and she can't do the things she has always loved making her want to escape to a place where noone knew what she looked like "before."

This is a well-written, realistic story about what happens to people when tragedy leaves them "lucky" to be alive but with huge obstacles to overcome.

[beth.clarke · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A strong YA novel. Students will love the page-turning tale of Maisie and how she faces a life-altering accident.

[wrightja2000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I recommend everyone reading this book to read the article the author mentioned in the acknowledgements. Raffi Khatchadourian wore a fascinating and detailed article in the February 2012 "New Yorker" about a man who received a full face transplant as well covering the history of transplants and a few other successful and unsuccessful cases. I ended up reading the article after reading a few chapters of the book and saw that the article greatly influenced the book. One thing that the article covers in greater depth than the book is the great risk inherent in any transplant. The book does address it but does not include the fact that no one with a face transplant has survived longer than ten years or so. Also one of the doctors quoted in the article said that the patients are made aware that death is a real possibility, not just a slight risk. It's an interesting dilemma- live life with missing all or part of your face, not having sensation and the risks and pain involved with multiple skin grafts and surgeries, or a transplant that improves appearance but is still not "normal" but possibly regain sensation, but have to take pills the rest of your life that have serious side effects on your daily functioning and also no guarantee on how long the transplant might last or if compilations might end your life. I really don't know what I'd choose and I hope I never have to find out.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a fascinating read about a teenage girl who had to have a face transplant after a freak accident, and it was clearly obvious that the author had put a huge amount of research into the topic before writing this novel. Although I found Maise's physical and emotional journey compelling as she battled with loss, grief and finally acceptance, I didn't really like her; I preferred Maisie's friends - Serena, Chirag and Adam. I also found the plot a bit slow and I was never really emotionally connected with the book. However, I do think "Faceless" was a worthwhile read as I learnt quite a bit about face transplants.