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Thank you #NetGalley for the review copy of The Story of My Face. All opinions are my own.

Seventeen year old Abby used to love hiking in the mountains with her friends. But one day last summer, she was attacked by a grizzly bear, leaving her face severely scarred. She's now back at school finishing out her senior year. Her friends have moved on without her. Her ex-boyfriend hates her and is doing everything he can to make her life miserable and her boyfriend during the attack won't even look at her. Abby needs to learn how to accept herself and her situation, despite rejection and betrayal from others.

The Story of My Face is a great story of acceptance. Abby is on a journey to learn to love who she is, scars and all. In high school, that's not so easy. The author made us fall in love with Abby and really hope for her to make it through the difficult times and figure out who she wants to be. I hated some of her classmates before I even knew why and then found out there was good reason for it. The author had a great way of crafting the story to keep you interested and I finished the book in less than two days.

This book does have some adult language, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to kids, but I would definitely recommend it to any readers 16/17+.

This is such a beautiful book. I didn't expect to like it quite this much.
It's kind of Wonder meets If I Stay.

Leanne Baugh's writing is either intentionally or not but a bit stoic, which reads so fantastically appropriate for a YA narrator.

I can't say there were any real twists in this story. I mean, her friends are all above hideous from the very start so you kind of expect for the plot to lead you to an explanation behind your dislike.

I would absolutely recommend this to any parents who struggle with a self-conscious teenager, or any YA readers who for any reasons think they're irrevocably unique in a bad way. This book will open a whole new world of magic and gumption for you!

Thank you Netgalley so much for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Story of My Face by Leanne Baugh
Read courtesy of Netgalley
Publication date: September 10, 2018

LOVED THIS BOOK!

It had the potential to become preachy, and it WASN'T.

Baugh let the full story of the lead character's encounter with a bear build throughout the story without hiding the reader from the fact that the bear attack is what caused Abby's disfigurement. This paralleled the early shock of the attack and the physical affects with the more slowly evolving emotional healing.

Baugh included many characters and skillfully gave them depth and purpose. The author used the different storylines of the different characters' lives to ebb and flow with the pieces of knowing that we all have similar experiences and reactions in spite of our differences. Empathy came through without lecturing the reader. Real life sympathy showed through the varied characters' actions and reactions to Abby's new reality.

One of the greatest achievements an author might accomplish, Baugh did. She made me thoughtful and introspective rather than just being an observer. I related to the experiences about which I read rather than simply reading a story. I've never done, nor will probably ever do, the things that put Abby and her friends in their situations, but Baugh craftily made that irrelevant to my enjoyment. She created a universal experience through her characters' thoughts and actions, regardless of setting. Bravo!

I cannot wait to get this for my high school library!

What a beautiful story! I loved following our heroine’s journey to self love and healing. The premise of her backstory was so plausible and so terrifyingly real that I felt for her right from the beginning. I could not put this book down, cheering her on as she discovered what does and does not matter about a person. I strongly recommend this book to teens, both male and female, and to fans of YA. The story is ageless and beautiful.

A well-written young adult novel about important topics. I would recommend this to other YA readers.

i received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very empowering novel about overcoming the physical and emotional aftermath of a mauling incident. Abby is a strong young woman and faces cruelty with dignity. I love the unexpected ending--it is a very powerful statement for young women about the emotional burdens faced with regard to appearance and worthiness.

A beautiful and empowering novel about a high school girl, Abby, who has been mauled by a bear leaving her face physically deformed. High school kids are NASTY! Abby must endure bullying, nasty exes, losing old friends and straight out cruelty all while trying to accept her new self and move on with her life with dignity and strength. Abby does just that while realizing that she must accept her life now and her future even thought others are not. She finds an inner strength to do so while also realizing also that looks/appearances are not as important as she had thought and what is in inside her is what really that matters and makes her beautiful. Abby is brave and amazing! Great book! Loved it. Will pass on to all of my YA reader friends.

The story of my face: OMG!!!!! This was an awesome book. I really would recommend anyone and everyone to read it. I was able to connect with the character, which is a definitely must have when I am reading a book because when I read I look at the character as a person that I may know or even myself. This book is definitely something I can relate to.