Book Review — Making Faces by Amy Harmon

“If God makes all our faces, did he laugh when he made me?”

• Buy MAKING FACES (Kindle)
• Buy MAKING FACES (Paperback)

This book blew me away!! It was beautifully written and deeply moving, with a very powerful message about true beauty, silver linings, and second chances. A poignant and unconventional tale about heroism, courage, love, loss, friendship, and self-acceptance. Absolutely breathtaking! 5 stars!!

Every once in a while a book comes a long that, from the moment I first hear about it, takes over my mind and heart and doesn’t let go until I’ve read it, lived it and immersed myself in the story. Making Faces was such a book. I read the blurb and shivers just went right through me and I immediately knew that this book was a must-read.

“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 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.” 

See?? Tell me that doesn’t make you want to drop everything and read this?!

Once I started reading, I could not put this book down and it kept me riveted to the page until I finished at 4AM. It captivated me from start to finish and stayed with my heart long after I had turned the last page.

The heroine, Fern, had been in love with Ambrose from the time they were kids. Problem was, he barely knew she existed – at least, not in the way she wanted. He was the school’s star athlete and she was just a shy, forgettable girl who never imaged that anyone as handsome as him would ever take notice of her.

“If God makes all our faces, did he laugh when he made me?”

When Ambrose enlisted following the crushing events of 9/11, he left with four of his best friends but was the only one to come home alive and even so, a part of him wished he’d died with them. Broken, permanently wounded, and guilt-ridden he hid himself from the world. But it was the love of a quiet but fiercely strong girl that helped bring him back to life and learn that there is always a silver lining and that everyone deserved a second chance.

“I used to be afraid of going to hell. But now that I’m here, hell doesn’t seem so bad.”

“Sometimes you can’t take your life back. Sometimes it’s dead and buried and you can only make a new life.”

Part of what struck me about this book was that it felt completely ‘different’ than anything else I’d read. Unique. Fresh. This was not a story I’d already read twenty times and despite the fact that it did carry some well-known themes, it’s delivery was heartfelt and original.

It’s more than just a romance too (in fact, there is no graphic sex in it) and it’s just as much about friendship as it is about love. I don’t want to spoil things for you but the balance between all the different elements of this story were perfect. Many parts were so heart breaking that I just read with tears pouring down my face, while others filled me with such happiness that I’d read pages on end with a huge smile.

“How did you know I needed you?”
“Because I needed you too.”

The book brought out emotion after emotion from me. It’s such a strong, character driven story and it’s the kind where every single section has a little message or life lesson or something that just makes you take a step back and think about it for a minute. It’s not only beautifully written but it’s also very well crafted and even the simplest of phrases carry rich, multi-layered meaning.

Everything about this story is somehow connected. As a result of it taking place over so many years, we got to see how little seemingly insignificant details came into play later on in a powerful, life-changing way.

“We all fit together to create this experience we call life. None of us can see the part we play or the way it all turns out. Maybe the miracles that we see are just the tip of the iceberg. And maybe we just don’t recognize the blessings that come as a result of terrible things.”

It brought up so many questions and things to ponder… Why was someone born a certain way? Why did someone survive? Was there a grand design? Or was it all just random chance handed out by the universe?

There is so much more to the story that I’ve decided not to talk about in my review because I didn’t know any more than I’ve told you at this point when I started reading and I absolutely loved the process of just watching the story unfold and not fully knowing what to expect. Just know that I do not have a single complaint about this book. Not one. Just trust me and read it. I promise you will not be disappointed.

By the end of the book, tears were streaming down my face – a true testament to the overwhelming emotions it pulled out of me. The ending, the last line in particular, was just perfect!!! Like I said…. breathtaking!

This is now one of my favorites of the year!

Everyone should read this book. This is the kind of unforgettable story that sinks into your heart and doesn’t let go. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

5 stars!!

This is a standalone (complete with epilogue).

“If God makes all our faces, did he laugh when he made me?
Does he make the legs that cannot walk and eyes that cannot see?
Does he curl the hair upon my head ‘til it rebels in wild defiance?
Does he close the ears of the deaf man to make him more reliant?
Is the way I look coincidence or just a twist of fate?
If he made me this way, is it okay, to blame him for the things I hate?
For the flaws that seem to worsen every time I see a mirror,
For the ugliness I see in me, for the loathing and the fear.
Does he sculpt us for his pleasure, for a reason I can’t see?
If God makes all our faces, did he laugh when he made me?” 

[rating]

Here’s my casting for Ambrose.

• Buy MAKING FACES (Kindle)
• Buy MAKING FACES (Paperback)