Face

Author Benjamin Zephaniah
Narrator Ben Bailey Smith
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
Publish Date 3 September 2020
Run Time 4 hours and 1 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Children’s / Teenage fiction and true stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: General fiction, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Racism, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Self-awareness and self-esteem, Children’s / Teenage: Personal and social topics, Modern and contemporary fiction, Narrative theme: Social issues.

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What to expect

Bloomsbury presents Face by Benjamin Zephaniah, read by Ben Bailey Smith.

'A brilliant first novel' Guardian

In the moving and compelling debut novel from Benjamin Zephaniah, a young man's life is completely changed when his face is badly scarred in a car accident.

Martin seems to have it all. He's cool, funny, and he's the undisputed leader of the Gang of Three, who roam their East London estate during the holidays looking for fun. But one night after the Gang leave a late night rap club, Martin accepts a ride from Pete, a Raider's Posse gang member. Too late, he realises that the car is stolen, and that the police are after them.

What happens next will change Martin's life and looks, and show him the true meaning of strength, courage, discrimination and friendship.

Brilliantly written and with a real ear for dialogue, fans of Angie Thomas and Malorie Blackman will love Benjamin Zephaniah's novels for young adult readers:

Refugee Boy
Face
Gangsta Rap
Teacher's Dead

Critics Review

A brilliant first novel

Guardian on FACE

A lively and positive account of a boy who is badly scarred in a joyriding crash, and how he comes to terms with it ... incredibly well told

Irish Times on FACE

An impressive debut, carefully researched ... Zephaniah writes wonderfully natural dialogue with the same ease as he spins out rhyming couplets

Herald on FACE

The playful, obstinate and courageously humorous tone of Zephaniah's writing shines through ... hilarious and later heartbreaking

Alfred Hickling, Guardian on REFUGEE BOY

Sweet, funny, highly inventive

Yorkshire Post on REFUGEE BOY

Humour and innocence are both to the fore as is a sweetness of tone ... more street than poetic, and personal yet universal, Refugee Boy is well told by impassioned writer

York Press on REFUGEE BOY

The authority with which the story is written leaves the reader no choice but to be drawn in – and indeed educated – into the world of gangsta rap, with all the appropriate vocabulary. Not for a long time have I read a book with such a 'pick me up again' factor

Independent on Sunday on GANGSTA RAP

A fairytale of hip-hop success ... teens will enjoy the thrilling music fantasy, while many will identify with the smart, talented boys who grow up quickly and rescue themselves

Booklist on GANGSTA RAP

Benjamin Zephaniah rides straight through everybody's taboos, everybody's prejudices, everybody's niceties and gets straight to the heart of the matter … Strong, honest, democratic, accessible to all, Teacher's Dead comes highly recommended

The Bookbag's Jill Murphy on TEACHER'S DEAD

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