Making Faces by Amy Harmon // Book review

Making Faces by Amy Harmon

Publication: February 21st 2017 by Spencer Hill Press (first publication on October 12th 2013)

Genres: contemporary, romance, amazingness (haha)

Number of pages: 300

Summary: Ambrose Young was beautiful. The kind of beautiful that graced the covers of romance novels, and Fern Taylor would know. She'd been reading them since she was thirteen. But maybe because he was so beautiful he was never someone Fern thought she could have . . . until he wasn't beautiful anymore.

Making Faces is the story of a small town where five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. It is the story of loss. Collective loss, individual loss, loss of beauty, loss of life, loss of identity. It is the tale of one girl's love for a broken boy, and a wounded warrior's love for an unremarkable girl. This is a story of friendship that overcomes heartache, heroism that defies the common definitions, and a modern tale of Beauty and the Beast, where we discover that there is a little beauty and a little beast in all of us.

REVIEW

When I first heard about Making Faces, I thought I wasn't interested in it, because the cover with a shirtless guy was so misleading. I was pretty sure it was another new adult novel and I don't really enjoy those. I actually read this because of French reviewers, who kept recommending it to everyone. When I saw the new cover, I finally bought it, without really reading the synopsis.

Let me tell you: Making Faces is so much more than a romance. In the first pages, you think it's going to be the typical romance where the main character, who feels that she's ugly, will end up with that so hot guy. But oh, that's not the case at all and that's what I understood when the characters saw the events related to 9/11 unfold. It was the first time I read a book that dealt with the attacks in 2001 and the Iraq war. These events had heavy consequences on the main characters and I loved how it felt way more realistic because of that. Making Faces isn't just about our characters: it's about life in itself. Amy Harmon plays with cliches and turns them around every time.

The main characters were absolutely fantastic. I related so much to Fern, who was a bookworm, loved to write and wasn't confident. She doesn't feel beautiful and yet... She's a strong young woman, because she learned from an early age to take care of people. Ambrose seemed like her opposite at first, because he was this beautiful young guy who had it all... Until he hadn't. He was strong physically, but fragile emotionally, and also completely kind. But the one who stole the show was Bailey. He was hilarious and optimistic, despite his disease and knowing his life wouldn't be long. These three main characters were so complex and complementary from each other, it was absolutely wonderful to read about them.

Moreover, I loved their dynamics. Obviously, I loved the romance between Fern and Ambrose. Amy Harmon built it slowly and I loved how healthy, sweet, playful and profound it was. These characters were perfect to balance each other and it never felt like there was drama. In most novels, I roll my eyes so hard because of relationships drama, but here? It wasn't the case at all. I loved how Fern showed Ambrose that there were so much more to life than what he first thought. They loved each other for their personality and who they were and you could definitely feel that.

 The other relationship that shines through the whole novel is Bailey and Fern's. They've known each other their whole life and aren't scared to be who they are, even if they look ridiculous in front of the other. It's probably one of the purest friendship I've ever read about. 

 On top of these wonderful characters and relationships, Making Faces also talked of many important topics. I already mentioned it was set right during and after the attacks on the World Trade Center. This novel explores the consequences of these events on people, because their mentalities changed, but also for people who chose to go to war to defend their country. It was also the focus of abusive relationships, religion, tragedy and getting back on your feet when life hits you down. It was an emotional roller coaster (I cried so much) and from an early stage, I knew I was going to rate it five stars and that it would become one of my favourite books. I don't think I can give this book justice in a review, because it was how good it was. 

 Making Faces was such a wonderful and heartbreaking story, I know it will stay with me for the rest of my life. I'm so happy I finally discovered Amy Harmon's writing through this one and I cannot wait to read her other books. I have so much love for this novel that it's hard to put it through words, but I can only recommend you to drop everything to get yourself a copy.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? If you've read any other book by this author, tell me which one I should read next! :)

Are there any particular diverse books you read more and why? | Conversations #1

Conversations is a bimonthly meme hosted by Geraldine @ Corralling Books and Joan @ Fiddler Blue. It's a brand new meme, because it's the first edition! This week’s topic is: Are there any particular diverse books you read more and why?

Yes I read diverse books as much as I can but of course, I have my preferences. I have to admit that… I’m close to a stereotypical character in a YA book: I’m white, blonde and straight. For that, I never had problems to identify myself to heroines when I was younger, because there wasn’t nearly enough diversity. I’m so happy that we finally get to see diverse characters in fiction though, especially in young adult, which is a sign that our mentalities are starting to evolve.

Personally, I don’t read a lot of diverse books, because in fantasy –my favourite and most read genre- there aren’t nearly enough diverse characters. Still, the diverse books I read the most are about mental health and people of colours (or POC as they say) in general.

1. I read diverse books about mental health

This is a topic close to my heart. Indeed, I think I would be diagnosed with a form of anxiety if I went to see a specialist. Moreover, one of my brothers might be autistic –guys, it’s been four years we’ve been waiting to know if it’s that or something else, but they’re pretty slow- and it’s not easy every day, for him just like my family.

I don’t especially read books on anxiety and autism, though. About anxiety, I read Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella last year, which I really enjoyed, even if my anxiety isn’t that severe. Still, it allowed me to understand what Audrey was getting through. For autism, I loved that in Lady Midnight, one of the characters is autistic, even though Cassandra Clare never said it clearly and for that, I was so grateful. I liked that the characters were saying that others thought he wasn’t normal, because he didn’t think like typical Shadowhunters, but for them, he was a great brother than they loved. It’s really hard to face what people say of autistic people. For example, once, my ex-boyfriend insulted someone of autistic in front of me. I did a great thing by dumping him, ugh.

I’ve read other books about different mental health issues. For example, I was an ugly sobbing mess when I read Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone, last year. I intend to read more books about mental health in the future, and since the spring is here, I’m getting in a contemporary mood again so it’s going to happen!

2. I read diverse books about people of colours (POC)

In France, some people are still very racist and it’s been getting worse lately, because of what happened in Paris (amalgams…) but also with the rise of an extremist political party that is gaining more followers every week. I intend to read books about people from different ethnicities, because I want to understand their culture, the struggles they have to get through sometimes… I’m not saying I can fully understand but I can still have glimpses of it.

Of course, I don’t read books with diverse characters for that reason only, I read books that appeal to me. Indeed, it makes me even happier when fantasy worlds contain characters of different ethnicities, because it’s not something we see a lot in fantasy books. Moreover, I don’t read that many contemporary novels, because it’s not my favourite genre. For example, in The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead, which came out on Tuesday and that I finished recently, Mira, one of the main characters of the novel, came from a different country and had to deal with people’s racism, who basically considered she was worth half a girl like Adelaide, a main character from this land.

It’s important for me to see the struggles some people have to get through because of their ethnicity, since it’s something I never had to experience. For example in The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry, because Natalie was the only Native American character in her town and had been adopted, it was hard for her to find who she was exactly. Apparently, this book is problematic but I can’t really realize it, because it’s one of the first times I read about a Native American. Moreover, thanks to the many tales, I learnt about their culture, which I loved. I also loved Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, where Maddie was from two different cultures. In the historical novel Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee, set in late 19^th century, the two main characters were Afro-American for one and from a Chinese family for the other.  They had to deal with so many things, for example almost no one wanted to shake hands with Sammy, the Chinese character (!!).

I think it’s important to see characters from different ethnicities in a book, because if it’s not the case, it doesn’t feel realistic. When I’m in class and I look around me… Yes, white people are still in the majority, but there are so many people from different origins. And if fiction can’t even feel representative of our societies, what’s the point?

To conclude, I don’t read that many diverse books, because to have diverse characters… You have to read contemporary. I’m really happy that a movement like #WeNeedDiverseBooks now exists but I really want for it to happen in fantasy, because it’s so unrealistic.

Do you read diverse books? What diverse books you read the most? Do you have diverse book recommendations for me?