Face by British-Jamaican author and poet Benjamin Zephaniah

Benjamin Zephaniah

Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah is an English writer and dub poet. He is a well-known figure in contemporary English literature, and was included in The Times list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008....

 is a novel published in 1999 about a teenage boy who suffers facial injuries

Facial trauma

Facial trauma, also called maxillofacial trauma, is any physical trauma to the face. Facial trauma can involve soft tissue injuries such as burns, lacerations and bruises, or fractures of the facial bones such as nasal fractures and fractures of the jaw, as well as trauma such as eye injuries...

 in a car accident.

Plot summary

The protagonist, Martin Turner, is portrayed as a typical teenager from a fairly rough, multicultural area of Newham

Newham

-Places:* London Borough of Newham, England* Newham, Lincolnshire, England* Newham, Northumberland, England* Newham, Victoria, Australia-People:* Billy Newham , English cricketer* Edgar Newham, Australian rugby league footballer...

. One evening, after leaving a rap club, he and his friends are offered a ride home by an acquaintance, which they accept. However, the car is stolen, and the driver's reaction on seeing a police car results in an accident in which Martin suffers severe burn

Burn

A burn is an injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation, or friction.Burn may also refer to:*Combustion*Burn , type of watercourses so named in Scotland and north-eastern England...

s to his face. Martin has to deal with the loss of his Girlfriend and Friends, ridicule at school and his isolation from his family, however he eventually overcomes his disfigurement, makes new friends and attains a level of personal acceptance.