2024~40. Autobiography of a Face

Lucy Grealy. 2016.

I was unprepared for the raw introspection that this provides about a child starved for love, affection, and attention, in the midst of a pediatric cancer treatment that removed part of her jaw bone.  Her description of being bullied and ostracized following was painful, but that paled in comparison to the emotional impact of her experience of illness and hospitalizations.  I was stunned by her frankness about the ways in which she enjoyed being sick, having surgeries, and the attention that came with it.  Her vivid and detailed accounts of trying to make herself sicker was both heartbreaking and shocking.  People who love horses will not find it at all surprising that she finds particular joy and acceptance riding and caring for horses at a stable.  

The writing in the book is strong and her story provides a unique perspective, yet I did feel like something was missing from the book.  There didn't seem to be an overall arc or theme to the story that held it all together, which I think left me feeling a little disappointed by it overall.  That said, I have mad respect for someone who can take such a harsh and honest look at their motivations as a child and young adult and take public accountability for that.  All in all, I have really mixed thoughts about recommending the book, so I am going to call it a Not Not Recommended.

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