A Face for Picasso

 Tell me a story... about living with Crouzon Syndrome 

A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome by Ariel Henley

Publication date: November 2, 2021

Date read: January 9, 2022

At eight months old, twin sisters Ariel and Alixandria Henley were diagnosed with Crouzon Syndrome - a rare condition where the bones of the head fuse prematurely. Because of this, the girls had to undergo multiple childhood surgeries in order to allow their skulls to grow along with their brains and to correct facial deformities. As children, they endured both the physical pain of the surgeries and the emotional pain of being bullied by their peers and looked at as mentally deficient by some adults. In this memoir, Ariel discusses what it was like for her growing up, as well as beauty ideals, mental health, and resilience. 

This book was intense, but really worth reading. I had never heard of Crouzon Syndrome before this book, and it’s both really interesting and really sad. I can’t imagine having to go through the things that these kids had to go through, but Henley tells her story in a very practical way. She’s not trying to get sympathy from the reader - just simply explaining how things were. 

Parts of this book are hard to read (the trigger warning section for this post is going to be a long one), including somewhat graphic descriptions of facial surgeries, so the extremely squeamish probably should avoid this one.

I thought Henley did an excellent job writing this book overall. She didn’t gloss over or skip the parts that cast her in a negative light, but chose to tell everything, making her seem very real. Some of the writing was a bit unpolished, in the way non-writer’s memoirs often are, but not to the point that it took away from the story. She actually wrote better than I was expecting from a debut author. 

I listened to the audiobook for this one, and I’m kind of torn on it. On the one hand, having it read by the author gave it a nice touch, allowing the listener to really get a feel for her as a person. On the downside, she’s not a professional, and here (more than her actual writing) is where it was notable. She had a fairly dry, somewhat monotone delivery, and I really wanted more emotion from her. It’s an emotional, personal story, and she sometimes sounded as though she was talking about someone else. 

Overall, though, this was a really unique, interesting story. Difficult at times due to the subject matter, but worth picking up. Ariel Henley is a fascinating person and I hope to hear more from her in the future. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Trigger Warning: bullying, eating disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, descriptions of medical procedures on the face and head, blood, anxiety, scenes involving throwing up and mucus, hallucinations of spiders, snakes, and mauling, mention of suicide, mention of child death, verbal abuse, ptsd

Additional trigger warnings, related to the discussions of Picasso, the artist, and his life: racism, misogyny, sexual manipulation, an affair with a minor, physical abuse

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this audiobook 

Let it Snow

 Tell me a story about... a Christmas snowstorm 

Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances by Maureen Johnson, John Green and Lauren Myracle

Publication date: October 2, 2008

Date read: December 29, 2021

A massive storm on Christmas Eve covers Gracetown under multiple feet of snow, making driving nearly impossible and stranding a passing train on the tracks. Three stories tell of love, lost and found, and adventures with friends. 

In The Jubilee Express, by Maureen Johnson, a girl trapped on the snowbound train attempts to walk back to civilization. All she wants is to get back to her boyfriend for the holiday, but things don’t exactly go as planned. 

This was my favorite story out of the three. I liked all of the main characters - Jubilee and Stuart were both really cute, and I loved Stuart’s mom. I thought the awkward family dynamics were wonderful and I actually laughed out loud a few times. 

In A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle, a group of three friends decides to brave the snow and unplowed roads in order to meet a fourth friend at the Waffle House, where a team of stranded cheerleaders have congregated. 

I wasn’t a huge fan of this story. I think I might have liked it a little more as an actual teenager, but I’m not sure. It also hasn’t aged great - a lot of sexist jokes and implications regarding the cheerleaders. Nothing over the top or sexual, but it just doesn’t sit well in today’s times. I also got really annoyed by the main female character in this one and felt she was kind of over-the-top in her portrayal as “one of the guys”. Not a horrible story, and the adventure is pretty fun, but it was definitely my least favorite. 

In The Patron Saint of Pigs (best title ever), a lovesick barista makes a promise to her friend to pick up a teacup piglet at the pet store, since the friend can’t make it in the storm, but when the pig gets bought by someone else, it’s up to our barista to help her friend and prove that she isn’t as self-centered as everyone thinks she is. 

I’ve seen a few mixed reviews on this one, but I kind of loved it. Sure, the main character - Addie - starts out as incredibly self-absorbed and depressed over her break-up, but she identifies this in herself and is determined to change. And that’s why I like it. She’s making mistakes, but she’s really trying. And not for the purpose of winning her boyfriend back, but to become a better friend and person. I really liked her as a character. This story also ties the first two stories into the ending, which was really well-done. 

Overall, this book is far from perfect, but it’s a fun holiday read. Teenagers will like this book more than adults - I wish I had read it when I was younger. There are a lot of YA cliches - some of which are cringe-worthy - which does hurt the book, but doesn’t kill it. This isn’t meant to be a prestigious novel, so what it tries to do it mostly does well. If you’re looking for a light and fun YA holiday story, this collection is worth your time. 

Rating: 3.5/5 stars