Faceless

by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Lexile:  790
Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Maisie loves to run and that is the last thing that she remembers doing when she wakes up in the burn unit of the hospital.  Her parents tell her that there was a lightning strike, then a fire, and that she has second degree burns on her left arm and hand.  And then they tell her that her nose, left cheek, and chin are gone.  Completely burned away. Maisie can't comprehend what this means for her future - he plan to compete for college scholarships in track, her plan to leave happily ever after with her boyfriend Chirag, and her plan to go to college with her best friend Serena.  Then she is offered the opportunity to have a face transplant.  A donor has suddenly become available and Maisie has to decide now.  A transplant means having to take anti-rejection medicines for the rest of her life.  But it also might mean a chance at a more normal life.  What would it be like to still feel like yourself, until you looked in the mirror and saw a different face?

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