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Facing Up
“Metal crumpled, screamed as the force sent bodies in all directions. Instant stink of burnt rubber, glimpse of an arm flying up.
Only the signpost slamming into the side window stopped Carly’s momentum. Glass crunched. Then there was nothing.”
Since the car accident, Carly hasn’t changed that much.
She’s still yelling at her family, rebelling, alienating most people.
Only now she has reasons to be angry.
The guy she liked is heading to jail for causing the accident. His mate was killed. Carly’s best friend Suzie is now wheelchair-bound. And a complete stranger is dead.
Life sucks, and Carly’s coping the only way she can.
If she can’t pull herself together, everything will fall apart.
But what can you do when your face is half full of tiny glass pieces?
Only the signpost slamming into the side window stopped Carly’s momentum. Glass crunched. Then there was nothing.”
Since the car accident, Carly hasn’t changed that much.
She’s still yelling at her family, rebelling, alienating most people.
Only now she has reasons to be angry.
The guy she liked is heading to jail for causing the accident. His mate was killed. Carly’s best friend Suzie is now wheelchair-bound. And a complete stranger is dead.
Life sucks, and Carly’s coping the only way she can.
If she can’t pull herself together, everything will fall apart.
But what can you do when your face is half full of tiny glass pieces?
191 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2014
About the author
Carolyn Gilpin
1 book17 followersCarolyn Gilpin is the author of Facing Up, an indie contemporary Young Adult novel. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and adopted pets.
She is a Varuna alumni and is currently working on a middlegrade novel inspired by her love of dogs.
She has had many travel stories, non-fiction articles and book reviews published. She also enjoys writing short stories and had one, Goldie, short-listed in the Elyne Mitchell awards.
Apart from writing & reading too much (wait, what's wrong with that!), she works in admin in the disability field, mainly with people with ABI – Acquired Brain Injury.
She is a Varuna alumni and is currently working on a middlegrade novel inspired by her love of dogs.
She has had many travel stories, non-fiction articles and book reviews published. She also enjoys writing short stories and had one, Goldie, short-listed in the Elyne Mitchell awards.
Apart from writing & reading too much (wait, what's wrong with that!), she works in admin in the disability field, mainly with people with ABI – Acquired Brain Injury.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 14, 2016
WOW.
Okay so this started out as a two-star book, maybe three stars. Carly is a narrator who takes some getting used to - she has what I call "Harry Potter in Order of the Phoenix syndrome" (read: angst). So she's quite selfish and she has a temper and she's angry at the world.
But I don't know, I kind of grew to love her.
ANYWAY, this ended up being really good and my full review will be up on the blog soon.
_______________________
A few weeks ago, I got a lovely email from an Australian indie author, Carolyn Gilpin.
Usually I ignore review requests because they DON’T address me by name or they ask me to review erotica or they clearly have no idea what kind of blog I run.
But Carolyn was completely lovely and her book sounded great so I said yes. There’s always a bit of fear that accompanies requests like this, because it’s more personal than requesting a book from the publisher. But I resolved to be honest about the book, and I really, really enjoyed it.
So that makes things a lot easier.
Basically, Facing Up is about what happens after a car crash – the impacts on people and families.
I wasn’t SUCH a big fan of the flashbacks at times, but the ones of the actual car crash were incredible – like every moment was carefully documented in shocking detail.
Most of the novel occurs in the aftermath, when Carly’s recovering from the traumatic experience.
When the novel starts, Carly has a severe case of what I like to call “Harry Potter from Order of the Phoenix Syndrome.”
Aka angst.
HOWEVER, I grew to really like Carly. She comes across as angry and she’s lashing out at the world, but it’s all a facade and once you get PAST the facade, she’s a really interesting character.
Looking at my “unlikeable-narrators” shelf on Goodreads, there are 17 books. And it turns out that some of them are actually some of my FAVOURITE books.
Examples include These Broken Stars, Tiny Pretty Things and Paperweight .
So I thought that was really interesting. And it’s why I always wait until the end of a book to pass judgement on a character – often they undergo a lot of development, and that’s what I loved about Carly. She may start as a prickly cactus, but she doesn’t stay that way.
Facing Up also has a great depiction of therapy.
Carly went through a pretty traumatic event, and she has a lot of external scars as well – face that still has shards of glass all through it, which would take multiple operations to fix. So she’s reminded of it every day.
What I DID really like was that Carly’s first therapist wasn’t right for her. It wasn’t until she tried someone else that the therapy began to have an effect, which is something that felt so real to me.
And Carly’s guilt about the death of the other woman in the car accident? That was quite powerful, and raw, and one of the times I really felt for Carly.
The other characters were also a great supporting cast.
You’ve got Suzie – Carly’s best friend – who is abrasive but also friendly and hilarious, with a positive outlook. You’ve got Magda, the awesome nurse.
And you’ve got Carly’s family.
In particular, I loved how Carly’s younger brother was involved and also had to face consequences that related to Carly’s actions.
The ending was perfect: not too preachy, but still with a real message.
Definitely an emotional read.
Okay so this started out as a two-star book, maybe three stars. Carly is a narrator who takes some getting used to - she has what I call "Harry Potter in Order of the Phoenix syndrome" (read: angst). So she's quite selfish and she has a temper and she's angry at the world.
But I don't know, I kind of grew to love her.
ANYWAY, this ended up being really good and my full review will be up on the blog soon.
_______________________
A few weeks ago, I got a lovely email from an Australian indie author, Carolyn Gilpin.
Usually I ignore review requests because they DON’T address me by name or they ask me to review erotica or they clearly have no idea what kind of blog I run.
But Carolyn was completely lovely and her book sounded great so I said yes. There’s always a bit of fear that accompanies requests like this, because it’s more personal than requesting a book from the publisher. But I resolved to be honest about the book, and I really, really enjoyed it.
So that makes things a lot easier.
Basically, Facing Up is about what happens after a car crash – the impacts on people and families.
I wasn’t SUCH a big fan of the flashbacks at times, but the ones of the actual car crash were incredible – like every moment was carefully documented in shocking detail.
Most of the novel occurs in the aftermath, when Carly’s recovering from the traumatic experience.
When the novel starts, Carly has a severe case of what I like to call “Harry Potter from Order of the Phoenix Syndrome.”
Aka angst.
HOWEVER, I grew to really like Carly. She comes across as angry and she’s lashing out at the world, but it’s all a facade and once you get PAST the facade, she’s a really interesting character.
Looking at my “unlikeable-narrators” shelf on Goodreads, there are 17 books. And it turns out that some of them are actually some of my FAVOURITE books.
Examples include These Broken Stars, Tiny Pretty Things and Paperweight .
So I thought that was really interesting. And it’s why I always wait until the end of a book to pass judgement on a character – often they undergo a lot of development, and that’s what I loved about Carly. She may start as a prickly cactus, but she doesn’t stay that way.
Facing Up also has a great depiction of therapy.
Carly went through a pretty traumatic event, and she has a lot of external scars as well – face that still has shards of glass all through it, which would take multiple operations to fix. So she’s reminded of it every day.
What I DID really like was that Carly’s first therapist wasn’t right for her. It wasn’t until she tried someone else that the therapy began to have an effect, which is something that felt so real to me.
And Carly’s guilt about the death of the other woman in the car accident? That was quite powerful, and raw, and one of the times I really felt for Carly.
The other characters were also a great supporting cast.
You’ve got Suzie – Carly’s best friend – who is abrasive but also friendly and hilarious, with a positive outlook. You’ve got Magda, the awesome nurse.
And you’ve got Carly’s family.
In particular, I loved how Carly’s younger brother was involved and also had to face consequences that related to Carly’s actions.
The ending was perfect: not too preachy, but still with a real message.
Definitely an emotional read.
January 17, 2016
Facing Up (Kindle Edition) (2014) Carolyn Gilpin
This YA book should be given to all P plate drivers.
Carly is involved in a car crash that leaves the driver of the other vehicle dead, her best friend in a wheelchair, and her own face scarred by glass. She has horrific nightmares, uncertain whether her actions contributed to the accident. She’s counselled by a therapist who warns about the possible additional effects of brain injury and memory loss. Against everyone’s advice she visits her friend in hospital and helps with her rehab. Here she meets a sympathetic young doctor who sees beyond the scars on her face.
One of the best sections in the book involves the trial of the boy driving the car. Somehow, he doesn’t receive the sentence he deserves for taking a life, and bravely Carly apologises to the distraught victim’s family.
The story’s ending is positive. Carly has worked through much of the trauma and is better equipped to face the future.
This is a well-told, solid story with a complex protagonist. Carly is by turns moody, aggressive and angry/guilty.
Car accidents can happen to anyone. The repercussions have a ripple effect, which harms everyone directly or indirectly involved.
This YA book should be given to all P plate drivers.
Carly is involved in a car crash that leaves the driver of the other vehicle dead, her best friend in a wheelchair, and her own face scarred by glass. She has horrific nightmares, uncertain whether her actions contributed to the accident. She’s counselled by a therapist who warns about the possible additional effects of brain injury and memory loss. Against everyone’s advice she visits her friend in hospital and helps with her rehab. Here she meets a sympathetic young doctor who sees beyond the scars on her face.
One of the best sections in the book involves the trial of the boy driving the car. Somehow, he doesn’t receive the sentence he deserves for taking a life, and bravely Carly apologises to the distraught victim’s family.
The story’s ending is positive. Carly has worked through much of the trauma and is better equipped to face the future.
This is a well-told, solid story with a complex protagonist. Carly is by turns moody, aggressive and angry/guilty.
Car accidents can happen to anyone. The repercussions have a ripple effect, which harms everyone directly or indirectly involved.
October 16, 2018
How do you face up to something that you want to run away from as fast as you can? Carly is recovering from a car accident and is having a hard time dealing with the aftermath. No wonder - she has symptoms of brain injury, some PTSD, half her face is red and raw and embedded with glass shards and she feels incredible guilt over what happened when she and her friends ran a red light late one night.
Carly's usual way of dealing with things is pushing people away but this isn't working for her - the pain that wants out is too big for her to handle on her own. Adding to her trauma is the way people are reacting to the state of her mangled face, which can't be repaired until the glass has worked its way up to the surface.
The slow emergence of the glass fragments in a way parallels the patient emotional work needed to deal with with the tragedy. I found the scenes with the counsellor, as she unpacks with Carly what happened that night, some of the most moving in the book.
I really liked the way the author dealt with this topic in a non-preachy way. A very relatable read that reminded me of Risk by Fleur Ferris. Perfect for teens.
I look forward to Carolyn's next offering.
Carly's usual way of dealing with things is pushing people away but this isn't working for her - the pain that wants out is too big for her to handle on her own. Adding to her trauma is the way people are reacting to the state of her mangled face, which can't be repaired until the glass has worked its way up to the surface.
The slow emergence of the glass fragments in a way parallels the patient emotional work needed to deal with with the tragedy. I found the scenes with the counsellor, as she unpacks with Carly what happened that night, some of the most moving in the book.
I really liked the way the author dealt with this topic in a non-preachy way. A very relatable read that reminded me of Risk by Fleur Ferris. Perfect for teens.
I look forward to Carolyn's next offering.
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October 24, 2015THANK YOU TO JACK MAGNUS, c/- READERS' FAVORITE FOR THIS REVIEW!
https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...
01/29/2015
Review Rating: 5 stars!
Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite
Facing Up is a young adult coming of age story written by Carolyn Gilpin. Carly is one of thousands of young adults attending university, but she feels isolated and oh, so different from everyone else. One side of her face is scarred from a disastrous car accident that she was in while at high school. It left her with scars, a crushed cheekbone and hundreds of shards of glass which will work their way out of her skin over time. The plastic surgery that can restore some normalcy to her appearance cannot be scheduled until those shards of glass are gone. Even more troubling for Carly is the guilt she feels over surviving the crash and the visions that keep replaying themselves whether she's awake or asleep. She's not quite sure if she was to blame for the accident, and the uncertainty eats at her.
Carolyn Gilpin's coming of age story, Facing Up, is a joy to read. This may sound odd considering Carly's trauma and emotional suffering, but despite all of the challenges Carly faces, I couldn't help but be delighted to get to know this skeptical and self-effacing heroine. She's a phenomenal character, even with all her prickly self-defensive maneuvers, or perhaps in part because of them. I had such a grand time reading Facing Up. It reads beautifully and the supporting characters are well-defined and real, especially Suzy, Tim, Carly's nurse, Magda, and her therapist, Nina. Gilpin also addresses the potential impact of traumatic brain injuries and PTSD in this life-affirming and very special book. Facing Up is most highly recommended.
https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...
01/29/2015
Review Rating: 5 stars!
Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite
Facing Up is a young adult coming of age story written by Carolyn Gilpin. Carly is one of thousands of young adults attending university, but she feels isolated and oh, so different from everyone else. One side of her face is scarred from a disastrous car accident that she was in while at high school. It left her with scars, a crushed cheekbone and hundreds of shards of glass which will work their way out of her skin over time. The plastic surgery that can restore some normalcy to her appearance cannot be scheduled until those shards of glass are gone. Even more troubling for Carly is the guilt she feels over surviving the crash and the visions that keep replaying themselves whether she's awake or asleep. She's not quite sure if she was to blame for the accident, and the uncertainty eats at her.
Carolyn Gilpin's coming of age story, Facing Up, is a joy to read. This may sound odd considering Carly's trauma and emotional suffering, but despite all of the challenges Carly faces, I couldn't help but be delighted to get to know this skeptical and self-effacing heroine. She's a phenomenal character, even with all her prickly self-defensive maneuvers, or perhaps in part because of them. I had such a grand time reading Facing Up. It reads beautifully and the supporting characters are well-defined and real, especially Suzy, Tim, Carly's nurse, Magda, and her therapist, Nina. Gilpin also addresses the potential impact of traumatic brain injuries and PTSD in this life-affirming and very special book. Facing Up is most highly recommended.
October 30, 2015
A first time novel by Carolyn Gilpin, a Melbourne based author. As a teacher of English, I highly recommend this read for teachers of VCAL or those who are looking for high interest easy read texts.
The novel tackles the gritty, coming of age topics such as; family conflict, relationships, peer pressure and mental health.
Coming of age refers to the upper end of Secondary School where the choices made weigh heavily on all those around the young adult. In your final year of school, everything seems to hinge on doing well, studying hard, being sensible and setting yourself up for the future. Except, for some young people this world just doesn't make sense.
Fast forward to first year Uni. and the consequences of those decisions are dire.
Excellent character development. A bit of a slow start, but the intensity revved up and I just had to read it in one sitting!
The novel tackles the gritty, coming of age topics such as; family conflict, relationships, peer pressure and mental health.
Coming of age refers to the upper end of Secondary School where the choices made weigh heavily on all those around the young adult. In your final year of school, everything seems to hinge on doing well, studying hard, being sensible and setting yourself up for the future. Except, for some young people this world just doesn't make sense.
Fast forward to first year Uni. and the consequences of those decisions are dire.
Excellent character development. A bit of a slow start, but the intensity revved up and I just had to read it in one sitting!
February 14, 2016
From page one I was drawn into this book and I only put it down because life got in the way! Well written, the accident flash backs made me feel as if I was in the car too and this was chilling and exciting in equal measures.
Although the main character Carly is a bit prickly at first I didn't find this off putting at all as I felt she was reacting quite while considering what she had been/going through. With a cast of well written characters I found myself whizzing through the book as I wanted to find out what happened next. It has been quite awhile where a book as made me want to stay up late and say "just one more chapter, just one more chapter..."
A book that should be given to all teens as they embark on getting their licence as a warning as to what can happen from a few moments of carelessness. Or adults for that matter!
Although the main character Carly is a bit prickly at first I didn't find this off putting at all as I felt she was reacting quite while considering what she had been/going through. With a cast of well written characters I found myself whizzing through the book as I wanted to find out what happened next. It has been quite awhile where a book as made me want to stay up late and say "just one more chapter, just one more chapter..."
A book that should be given to all teens as they embark on getting their licence as a warning as to what can happen from a few moments of carelessness. Or adults for that matter!
January 20, 2015
Facing up is a book that I think explores the sadness and reality involved in horrid accidents like the one Carly and her friends experienced.
This novel really brought out a mixture of emotions in me, including joy, sadness, confusion and frustration for some of the characters rebellious behaviour. The suspense involved in slowly revealing more and more about the accident really kept my eyes glued to the pages and I found I couldn't put the book down.
One of my favourite parts in reading the book was seeing how Carly dealt with the constant reminder of her past, and how she used her experience to make the world a better place.
Mia Flynn
This novel really brought out a mixture of emotions in me, including joy, sadness, confusion and frustration for some of the characters rebellious behaviour. The suspense involved in slowly revealing more and more about the accident really kept my eyes glued to the pages and I found I couldn't put the book down.
One of my favourite parts in reading the book was seeing how Carly dealt with the constant reminder of her past, and how she used her experience to make the world a better place.
Mia Flynn
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed FACING UP. It's thought-provoking, the characters are angsty and well-developed, and the pacing is excellent.
FACING UP is the story of a teen who struggles to deal with the aftermath of a horrific car accident she survived with both internal and external scars. It's told with short flashbacks that reveal what happened the night when Carly's life was irrevocably changed. We're with Carly as she slowly works through her grief and guilt, until she's able to find hope for her future.
I'm looking forward to the next book by this author.
FACING UP is the story of a teen who struggles to deal with the aftermath of a horrific car accident she survived with both internal and external scars. It's told with short flashbacks that reveal what happened the night when Carly's life was irrevocably changed. We're with Carly as she slowly works through her grief and guilt, until she's able to find hope for her future.
I'm looking forward to the next book by this author.
December 24, 2016
I don't think I actually like Carly as a person, but somehow her abrasive personality works for the story. You don't feel sympathy because she is a perfect, flawless character, but rather because of what she has been through.
The series of flashbacks works well, filling in the details of the accident, the strained family dynamics are realistic and the friendship between Carly and Suzie is authentic.
The thing I like most about Facing Up is that it deals with some heavy issues but not once did it feel preachy.
The series of flashbacks works well, filling in the details of the accident, the strained family dynamics are realistic and the friendship between Carly and Suzie is authentic.
The thing I like most about Facing Up is that it deals with some heavy issues but not once did it feel preachy.
May 9, 2016
I don't normally read much YA, but if all of it were as interesting as this, I would likely read a lot more! I grew to love the characters throughout the course of the book, and I was disappointed when I finished the book.
March 12, 2015
This is a really good read and would recommend to anyone but in particular teenagers, I could relate to the characters very well and the story flowed really well. Excellent book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews