Member Reviews
I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.
I was very interested in this novel based on the blurb/premise. I wish there were more stories about acid survivors. However, it simply failed to grab my attention as the novel went on. The novel lost me in the second half, especially. Questionable plot points and it seemed to be all over the place.
It suffered the same old cliche: great premise, but the execution fell short.
I wanted to love this. The premise, though horrifying, is one that should be in conversation. And there was so much potential for personal growth, acceptance and the tenderness of romance. And I just didn't quite get it. That said, its an ambitious premise, and I respect what the author was going for!
Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.
After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.
I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.
Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I didn't connect to the story or the characters. The writing style was okay, but not for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Troubadour Press for this e-copy in return for my honest review. I found the premise interesting. The story itself was very dark and not an easy read.
Girl Without a Face had a great, relevant premise but overall the story fell flat for me. The pacing was too slow to keep me engaged and the characters weren't developed enough to make up for it.
I honestly thought that this was going to be more on par of Scars Like Wings. Instead, the writing was rather boring and for the subject matter, it was dull. A disappointment.
This was so good! Really dark read but I couldn't put it down. It wasnt an easy read but it was really interesting
I thought the subject matter was interesting. Too bad the writing style was not. It was boring and dry and did not keep my attention at all.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
Main character Laura is the unfortunate victim of an acid attack. This is her story. Three months later, she's recovering better than most.. physically and emotionally. She's contacted by a member of the gang that harmed her asking for forgiveness.
*I received this ebook for free in exchange for a review from net galley*
SUMMARY
Laura Danes, fresh out of university becomes a victim of an acid attack, wrecking her ability to become the director she's dreamed of becoming. Three months after, she begins to recover still not only physically, but emotionally as well. And then one day out of the blue, a member of the gang contacts her hoping for forgiveness.
REVIEW
I chose to DNF this book. Looking at the summary and the cover/ blurbs I assumed this was going to be a contemporary about personal development and rising out of hard times and loving yourself, but it really wasn't that. It is much more a murky mix between contemporary and mystery fiction, the cast of characters being very one-dimensional, and the pacing was quite slow and uneventful for my taste. I chose to put this book down just under halfway through.
I would give this a 1.5 stars, because there was parts of the writing style that I liked, but not much more than that.
The Girl Without a Face by Nasser Hashmi, is a 3.5 ⭐ book for me. I liked that the book moved at a quick pace to keep me involved with the story.
The characters in the book are different and the same. Laura is attacked by some kids bored with how the night was going for them and Jake who has his own story and was in the group of kids who attacked Laura. Their unlikely friendship is strange and compelling at the same time.
There are a few things mentioned in the book that might not be ok with some people. Disfigurement, sexual abuse, and rape. Although the abuse and rape are mentioned briefly it may not be a book for everyone.
I am not sure I would recommend this book to others because of the triggers. Yet it is interesting how one person deals with the act of violence and how she prevails. This is a stand alone book, and I would take a look at the authors other work.
I get what the story was about, however I just couldn't get into it. DNF at 30% . I was bored with it after several attempts of finishing it
A very interesting take on the aftermath of a violent attack, this book was very powerful with the victim taking justice into her own hands. The only thing that let this book down was that it felt quite rushed and did not allow sufficient time for character development. I would have liked this empowering story even more if it was longer.
I would give this book 2,5 stars, rounded up to 3. Like other reviewers have also said it was based on something that is not spoken/written much about, namely an acid attack and its aftermath, so had the basis for great story, but it just didn't cut it for me.
The way the characters were developed I felt bad for what had happened to Laura, but I wasn't close to tears or enraged the way I would have expected. I think a lot of this was due to the way we get to know Laura, the main character or rather not really know her fully and her way of treating others. Especially her talks with her mother did not feel real... also the way her mother spoke to her. It felt really scripted and not like something someone would really say in real life.
The added romance both for Laura and her mother felt a little forced, more so for Laura than her mother as it was there, but then not really.
There were several serious, devastating stories told in this book. It covers not just acid attacks but also sexual abuse and suicide but I didn't think it really did any of them or their victims justice.
This was a beautifully written book, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and felt bad for Laura. I look forward to more from the author
Girl Without a Face was a beautiful coming of age novel about overcoming adversity, and moving on from a place of darkness into the light. Laura is attacked by a gang one night, simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She is left with life-changing injuries after having acid thrown in her face. The story begins with Laura and her Mum Sheila removing all the mirrors from their house as Laura can't bear to see her reflection. She is haunted by the attack and lives with panic attacks. But an unlikely friendship develops between her and Jake who was present at the night of the attack. Together they help one another find hope again:
'We might be two damaged souls but the power of that healing is limitless'.
Laura has the support of her best friend Sophie and her Mum Sheila, and she refuses to be defined by her ordeal. She makes a documentary film about the gang and the night of the attack, which not only helps secure their convictions, but also gives her a new focus when she forms a production company with Sophie. Girl Without a Face proves that love will always win over hate, and that even when life changes in the blink of an eye, it is how you deal with those changes that truly defines you. Laura was a hero in her own life, and the developing love between her and Jake was truly heart-warming, without ever becoming sickly sweet. A truly inspiring and heartfelt story.
**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
Laura has been horribly scarred in an acid attack, her life (and looks) are in pieces. We meet her as all of the mirrors are removed from her house and we learn that the 4 who attacked her have not been found.
Through the book, Laura (and her family) try to come to terms with their "new normal" as she finds herself unexpectedly drawn into the story behind those who attacked her. Were they really as evil as she first thought?
I really enjoyed this book and there were a few twists that had me guessing.
Laura Danes was a young graduate with dreams of being a filmmaker when her life is changed in an instant following an acid attack on her way home from visiting a friend. She’s struggling to cope in the aftermath of the attack until out of the blue one of her attackers contacts her.
I recently signed up to NetGalley to expand my reading and reviewing and this is the first book I’ve read for them. I chose this one as the plot sounded interesting and quite topical.
Whilst I’m glad I gave this a try I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped. The story is very topical; acid attacks are, sadly, becoming more prevalent in the UK and it was interesting to read a story based around this but I didn’t find Hashmi’s writing very engaging. Some of the descriptive writing was a little repetitive and I found the language used in conversations between the quite young characters to be oddly formal and a little stilted.
Whilst the story of the how the attack happened seemed quite well researched and realistic I found some of the other plot points to be a bit far fetched and at times I felt that Hashmi had tried to cram too much into one book and there was a lot going on.
There were also some editing issues with spelling errors and a character’s surname changing and then changing back at one point.
I am glad that I read it, it didn’t feel like a waste of time and I never considered DNF-ing but I wouldn’t be in a rush to read any of Hashmi’s other books.