Stephanie Vercier

This young adult novel about a teenage boy torn between two girls is much deeper than it appears at first glance. The story challenges the concept of love being driven by superficiality, especially at the teenage level. A physically damaged boy is forced to retreat from normal high school life because of a deformity caused by an accident as a young boy. He fears the idea that all anyone will see of him is this deformity. His particular scarring is such that could also deny him any sort of love life. Despite this, he becomes close to a girl who is seemingly accepting of him no matter what. This forces him to question the relationship he had previously which was passionate but also very judgemental.

I really felt for this young man and wished for him to resolve what seemed to me an inconsequential part of himself. However, having been a teenage girl myself, I can see the truth in his shyness. I personally rooted for the new girl throughout but cannot help but feel others might feel the first was better. That is the power of the writing, to make us understand why there may even be a conflict even if we do not feel the same way.… (more)