With this being my 3rd reading of 'Face' (reading the book twice, and the play once), I still love this book and the message it teaches the reader. It also shows us a strong young protagonist who is able to deal with the situation maturely and learn as it goes on. I've always enjoyed and looked out for Benjamin Zephaniah's poetry so I knew I had to read his books too! This would be an excellent prompt for discussion about prejudices regarding appearance and our reaction to those less fortunate than ourselves.

Also, Martin has to learn to deal with all the different reactions of ordinary people to his terrible injuries.Critical reception for Face has been mixed to positive, with Booklist saying "Martin's personal growth may lack literary finesse, but his struggle to overcome adversity will still involve some readers".

Through this trial he discovers who his true friends are, the difference between love and lust, and what it really means to be beautiful. And although his old friends melted away from him, I was glad that Martin was able to make other friends. Zephaniah is not just telling a story of a brave and inspiring young man, he is also teaching readers an important lesson through the voice of Martin.Benjamin Zephaniah is a British performance poet who travels on literary world tours for the British Council. The pacing is excellent as well, with events naturally following on from one another - whilst never lingering on certain situations for too long. Zephaniah shows the different ways in which the society/world reacts to huge physical changes and how difficult it can be to cope with it.