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The Face
Orphaned and severely deformed, from her earliest moments Sarah Sims has been kept hidden away in a secret CIA facility. But an unexpected discovery has given this extraordinary young woman an opportunity to make a life for herself at last!
Now she has an ally, a long-lost aunt who has discovered her true identity. Aided by this brave psychologist, twenty-year-old Sarah must find the courage to confront the forces that have confined her for so long. And she must also find the faith to be born again, into a world she has never known.
Now she has an ally, a long-lost aunt who has discovered her true identity. Aided by this brave psychologist, twenty-year-old Sarah must find the courage to confront the forces that have confined her for so long. And she must also find the faith to be born again, into a world she has never known.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
20 people are currently reading
358 people want to read
About the author
Angela Elwell Hunt
271 books1,972 followersChristy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who have learned to expect the unexpected in novels from this versatile author. With nearly six million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 165 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to novels.
Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Turner and Hooch and Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards--one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City.
Afterward, the dog gave out pawtographs at the airport.
Angela admits to being fascinated by animals, medicine, psychology, unexplained phenomena, and “just about everything” except sports. Books, she says, have always shaped her life— in the fifth grade she learned how to flirt from reading Gone with the Wind.
Her books have won the coveted Christy Award, several Angel Awards from Excellence in Media, and the Gold and Silver Medallions from Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. In 2007, her novel The Note was featured as a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel. Romantic Times Book Club presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, and American Christian Fiction Writers bestowed the same award in 2019.
In 2006, Angela completed her Master of Biblical Studies in Theology degree and completed her second doctorate in 2015. When she’s not home reading or writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences. And to talk about her dogs, of course.
Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Turner and Hooch and Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards--one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City.
Afterward, the dog gave out pawtographs at the airport.
Angela admits to being fascinated by animals, medicine, psychology, unexplained phenomena, and “just about everything” except sports. Books, she says, have always shaped her life— in the fifth grade she learned how to flirt from reading Gone with the Wind.
Her books have won the coveted Christy Award, several Angel Awards from Excellence in Media, and the Gold and Silver Medallions from Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. In 2007, her novel The Note was featured as a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel. Romantic Times Book Club presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, and American Christian Fiction Writers bestowed the same award in 2019.
In 2006, Angela completed her Master of Biblical Studies in Theology degree and completed her second doctorate in 2015. When she’s not home reading or writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences. And to talk about her dogs, of course.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
June 4, 2025
MY ! MY !
A well written book about love & sacrifice.
I love Ms.Hunt's books they always have good plots and tug at my heart strings.
This story was definitely intriguing with some twists and turns
A well written book about love & sacrifice.
I love Ms.Hunt's books they always have good plots and tug at my heart strings.
This story was definitely intriguing with some twists and turns
January 15, 2018
Sarah Sims was born with a severe form of Treacher Collins syndrome. Her mother died during childbirth and her father died shortly after and Sarah's remaining family believed she had died along with her mother. Fast forward 18 years and Sarah's aunt discovers evidence that the baby might not have died after all but when she starts investigating she is stymied at all angles until she discovers her brother was a government agent. She calls in favors, fills out a lengthy application and finds herself employed by the CIA. After some time she is able to meet her niece but no matter how much she was prepared for it, no one can prepare you for someone who was essentially born without a face. Her aunt comes up with the idea of a face transplant, wanting her niece to have a life outside of the protective CIA cell. But things never go quite as planned. This was a good book. Told from a variety of points of view we see the pain that Sarah goes through, a brilliant mind trapped in a body that is unacceptable to most people. And we see her aunt who fell in love with her niece regardless of her appearance and wanting her to have the life her brother would have wished for her, no matter the cost. I am not certain how realistic the story was, but it was entertaining.
September 10, 2018
The Face by Angela Hunt is a suspenseful story part CIA thriller and part medical drama. Sarah, a severely deformed CIA agent, has been living a sheltered life in a CIA facility until her aunt discovers her existence and jumps through hoops to meet her. They quickly develop a warm relationship until a CIA operation interrupts their reunion.
August 5, 2013
Orphaned at birth, Sarah Sims has been kept hidden away in a secret CIA facility due to the fact that her father was a covert CIA agent. She was born with Treacher-Collins syndrome which resulted in her being born without a face. The CIA paid for surgeries for her so that she would be able to have basic functions of eating, hearing and speaking. But the surgeries stopped at a certain point so that she has a "freakish" appearance.
Sarah has developed keen computer skills that the CIA has put to use in their covert operations. This has been her life...until a long lost aunt discovers her and she has an opportunity to make a life for herself at last. When Sarah first learns that she has a family member she is excited and says "I have family...an aunt, a woman who knows who I am." Isn't this part of why we have an interest in researching our own roots-because it will tell something about who we are?
There are some interesting concepts presented in this novel: One of them is the use of propranolol to erase bad (trauma) memories. And the idea of brain printing to introduce positive memories into the brain raises the questions of whether we or someone else should have the right to control what memories we retain. There are other concepts in this novel such as CIA black sites, the advances in lie detetection and the whole idea of face transplants.
I thought that this story had some interesting twists and turns and the bad guy was not who I was expecting!
Great book for a book club as it has discussion questions at the end!
Sarah has developed keen computer skills that the CIA has put to use in their covert operations. This has been her life...until a long lost aunt discovers her and she has an opportunity to make a life for herself at last. When Sarah first learns that she has a family member she is excited and says "I have family...an aunt, a woman who knows who I am." Isn't this part of why we have an interest in researching our own roots-because it will tell something about who we are?
There are some interesting concepts presented in this novel: One of them is the use of propranolol to erase bad (trauma) memories. And the idea of brain printing to introduce positive memories into the brain raises the questions of whether we or someone else should have the right to control what memories we retain. There are other concepts in this novel such as CIA black sites, the advances in lie detetection and the whole idea of face transplants.
I thought that this story had some interesting twists and turns and the bad guy was not who I was expecting!
Great book for a book club as it has discussion questions at the end!
April 11, 2016
Great Book
Angela Hunt has the ability to tell a story so well I can see in my mind's eye everything she describes. This story was so good I didn't want to put it down. I was captivated by the characters. The medical and technical aspects were entirely new to me and very interesting.
Sarah was born cruelly disfigured by a disease called Treacher Collins syndrome. This causes all kinds of issues with the head. Sarah was one of the worst cases, it was as if someone had erased all her facial features. Both her parents died shortly after her birth and it was believed she had no other relatives. Because her father was employed by the CIA she was taken to a secret CIA facility that did high level electronic surveillance. It also housed a state-of-the-art medical facility where undercover agents were treated when wounded and had their appearance altered when necessary. We join Sarah at age 20. I don't want to write anything that will spoil your read.
This book has one of the best unexpected twists toward the end of the story. I think I actually stopped reading I was so surprised and then I couldn't read fast enough to find out what happened. If you've never read Angela Hunt this would be a great place to start. The ebook on Amazon.com is only $2.49. Definitely worth the price!
Angela Hunt has the ability to tell a story so well I can see in my mind's eye everything she describes. This story was so good I didn't want to put it down. I was captivated by the characters. The medical and technical aspects were entirely new to me and very interesting.
Sarah was born cruelly disfigured by a disease called Treacher Collins syndrome. This causes all kinds of issues with the head. Sarah was one of the worst cases, it was as if someone had erased all her facial features. Both her parents died shortly after her birth and it was believed she had no other relatives. Because her father was employed by the CIA she was taken to a secret CIA facility that did high level electronic surveillance. It also housed a state-of-the-art medical facility where undercover agents were treated when wounded and had their appearance altered when necessary. We join Sarah at age 20. I don't want to write anything that will spoil your read.
This book has one of the best unexpected twists toward the end of the story. I think I actually stopped reading I was so surprised and then I couldn't read fast enough to find out what happened. If you've never read Angela Hunt this would be a great place to start. The ebook on Amazon.com is only $2.49. Definitely worth the price!
March 28, 2010
I am now a fan of Angela Hunt. Her books are intriguing because of their unique, thought provoking plots. This one is of a psychologist aunt trying to help her newly discovered niece, who has a severe physical deformities, have a life away from her work. The girl has been locked up in a facility since her birth without normal contact with other children her age, all because of the fear she would be unkindly treated by the world. She has had many surgeries to repair most of her deformities so she can hear and see.
Sarah is a computer genius with highly developed skills necessary for world security. Yet she has never had the opportunity of developing interaction with other people on a personal level. With her aunt's help, she learns to read other people's body language.
An immensely interesting book. How would I respond to someone who had Sarah's deformities if I saw them on the street?
Note: Angela Hunt's books do not have swearing, crude language or the seemingly obligatory sex scenes in modern novels. A big plus for this fussy reader.
Sarah is a computer genius with highly developed skills necessary for world security. Yet she has never had the opportunity of developing interaction with other people on a personal level. With her aunt's help, she learns to read other people's body language.
An immensely interesting book. How would I respond to someone who had Sarah's deformities if I saw them on the street?
Note: Angela Hunt's books do not have swearing, crude language or the seemingly obligatory sex scenes in modern novels. A big plus for this fussy reader.
November 20, 2008
Actually I think this one should be 3 1/2 stars. This is definitely a character-driven novel (which is my favorite kind), and it allows us to get inside the head of the two main characters; Sarah, a young woman with Treacher-Collins syndrome (a condition that causes severe facial deformity)who was orphaned under mysterious circumstances, and Renee, Sarah's aunt who for two decades doesn't even know that Sarah exists. Sarah currently works for the CIA in a top-secret capacity as a technological genius and basically knows nothing of the outside world. When Renee, a psychologist, finds out about Sarah, she goes to great lengths to help her discover the world. Despite dragging a little in the middle, this book is fascinating in its concept of CIA special ops, psychology, and experimental surgery combined with a pair of really well-defined central characters.
April 17, 2010
Told from the alternating perspectives of Sarah and her Aunt Renee, The Face takes a thought-provoking look at personal identity, self-acceptance, emotionality, and the significance of life experiences – all without drawing attention from the heartwarming story. Cleverly disguised within an original and entertaining plot, Hunt examines important ethical issues currently found in both medicine as well as psychology, even managing to communicate their application to the general population in daily life. Overall this was a beautifully crafted masterpiece of fiction that, while it didn’t wrap up with my typically preferred ending, compensated effectively by presenting a deeply meaningful conclusion. Once again, I am thoroughly impressed by the caliber of Angela Hunt’s writing.
October 23, 2011
What an interesting, well written book. This is not an overtly Christian book, but I think some of the themes in it could be used as a jumping off point for a very interesting discussion.
Certainly there is love and sacrifice, but there is also the idea of identity and how our inner and outer selves affect one another. There is also the idea of taking the risk to break out of the safe, but stunted place we are in to participate in a world full of beauty and danger and the richness of emotion and relationships.
In the book Renee's love for Sarah causes her to take Sarah's place and to make a sacrifice that allows Sarah to, in a sense, cover herself with Renee's identity and so become more fully all that Sarah was meant to be and to take that risk and move into life.
Certainly there is love and sacrifice, but there is also the idea of identity and how our inner and outer selves affect one another. There is also the idea of taking the risk to break out of the safe, but stunted place we are in to participate in a world full of beauty and danger and the richness of emotion and relationships.
In the book Renee's love for Sarah causes her to take Sarah's place and to make a sacrifice that allows Sarah to, in a sense, cover herself with Renee's identity and so become more fully all that Sarah was meant to be and to take that risk and move into life.
April 8, 2009
A good thought provoking book. Who are we and how much of it has to do with how we look. Sarah was born without a "face". Her only identify is as a CIA agent. She works and lives in a world of secrecy. It's not until a long lost aunt finds her and introduces her to her potential as a wonderful lovable human being that she blossoms, but the reality of pain comes with knowing love. Okay, I just did a mini book talk. The writing is great and don't be afraid if you see this in the Christian section of your library. There is no preaching in this book just a great story.
March 27, 2010
This was another book by Angela Hunt that really got me thinking. How would I treat someone who looked different or even frightening? I am not talking about someone who has alot of tattoos or dressed wierd, but someone who was born with a major facial, or another obvious, defect. I think it would be human nature to look twice, but would we shush our children and turn away, or would we attempt to show them Christ's love? This is not really a book review, just what I recall the book made me think. Thank you Mrs Hunt, for such thought provoking books!
November 29, 2015
I haven't read a more intriguing novel than THE FACE which was released in 2008. Subject matter cannot get more cutting edge (pun unintended) than this one. Hunt's meticulous research is apparent on each page. While carrying the reader along a spellbinding plot line, she plumbs the deepest well of human emotions spawned by unspeakable birth defects. She sweeps the reader to the heights of modern medical technology while maintaining unremitting suspense and intrigue ... with a surprising twist or two. This story satisfies on many levels.
August 27, 2010
WOW! Without blowing the whole book, that is about as much as I can say regarding the ending! Has a smidgen of romance, CIA, spies, covert ops, what you would think to be sci-fi medicine (but in the authors notes, it said it is real). Really liked and would recommend. This is a slam dunk again by this author. My only slight complaint, was that I didnt feel it had as much about Christianity involved with several of the characters.
April 17, 2012
This was a really good story. Suspense, romance, action, drama, all rolled up into one story! This was the first book that I have ever read of Angela Hunt's, but I will be sure to check out her other ones based on my reading experience with this one!!
August 23, 2016
I liked the philosophical questions raised in this book, with regards to what it means to be human. And whether having a recognisably human face is required in order to be considered and treated as human. The plot did nothing for me though.
November 25, 2024
I'm very surprised and disappointed by the number of "average" ratings for this book. I found it to be one of the most memorable books I've ever read. A story of disfigurement and ultimate sacrifice.
June 19, 2019
Good, but not a great book. Woman with facial deformity works for the FBI.
July 7, 2023
I most definitely did not see the ending coming. A great read.
December 15, 2020
I've read other books by this author and found this one different than most of her books. I think there's another level to the book that I haven't yet grasped.
In an ideal world, appearance wouldn't be such an important factor in how we're treated.
Did Dr. Mewton do Sarah a favor by saving her and having all the procedures done when Sarah was little? Was she right to keep Sarah isolated from the world to try to spare her the "misfit" label? Was she wrong to not insist that Sarah continue to have surgeries or to suggest the face transplant surgery when it became available?
Is Sarah's inability to read faces due to her own disfigurement or to the environment in which she's raised or due to a lack of training from those who should have taught her?
I am glad that Renee pushed to find and see Sarah once she knew about her. I wish she'd known about her when Sarah was younger and that the two could have known each other longer. I think Renee was good for Sarah.
I felt sorry for Judson. I was glad that he and Sarah were friends to each other.
I was surprised by Espinoza's revelation. I was surprised by Renee's decision and what happened to her.
In an ideal world, appearance wouldn't be such an important factor in how we're treated.
Did Dr. Mewton do Sarah a favor by saving her and having all the procedures done when Sarah was little? Was she right to keep Sarah isolated from the world to try to spare her the "misfit" label? Was she wrong to not insist that Sarah continue to have surgeries or to suggest the face transplant surgery when it became available?
Is Sarah's inability to read faces due to her own disfigurement or to the environment in which she's raised or due to a lack of training from those who should have taught her?
I am glad that Renee pushed to find and see Sarah once she knew about her. I wish she'd known about her when Sarah was younger and that the two could have known each other longer. I think Renee was good for Sarah.
I felt sorry for Judson. I was glad that he and Sarah were friends to each other.
I was surprised by Espinoza's revelation. I was surprised by Renee's decision and what happened to her.
December 16, 2022
Sticking with her theme, "Expect the unexpected," Angela Hunt has given us a fascinating concept within the spy community, and drawn us in with her excellent research and imagination. With a completely satisfying ending, she gives us some shocking twists, and shows the love that can take place even within the most jaundiced heart, the most disfigured of faces. This is a highly thought-provoking read.
September 24, 2023
This is an engaging book. I wasn't sure of what to expect. But found the donation at the climax to be sweet, though sad.
At one point, however, I was stumped. The big boss permitted an action that I know the Company would never ever allow.
Sure enough, that failure to observe the regulations sets up the ending. I didn't appreciate that. No one that high up the food change would have done so.
But it's fiction. And a good book at that.
At one point, however, I was stumped. The big boss permitted an action that I know the Company would never ever allow.
Sure enough, that failure to observe the regulations sets up the ending. I didn't appreciate that. No one that high up the food change would have done so.
But it's fiction. And a good book at that.
July 5, 2022
I don't know how I felt about this book. It seemed like it had too much going on, while also feeling like it dragged quite a bit. I don't know. It was weird. But, it kept me engaged, I guess, so 3 stars.
August 11, 2025
I have become a fan of Angela Hunt books. it's not a historical novel, but I learned so many new concepts. reading a smiling face, surgery of the brain as well as face, CIA lifestyle, the good and bad of love.
very well written.
very well written.
August 24, 2025
Another excellent Angela Hunt book. They never disappoint! I always learn new vocabulary, usually learn at least one fascinating thing (like Treacher Collins Syndrome), meet characters I fall in love with, and enjoy a wonderful story. Loved this one!
September 18, 2019
Better book than the elevator by Angela hunt...good plot
January 18, 2022
Angela Hunt never disappoints. There is a lot of technical computer jargon I wasn’t sure I would get past, but so glad I did. The ending is a nightmare surprise.
June 14, 2023
Couldn't put this book down for all the twists and turns. Definitely intriguing.
June 27, 2023
It took me a little bit to get into it and I did figure our some of the twists at the end, but still an enjoyable read.
June 1, 2020
Unusual plot
I would say this was a fairly good read. Not my favorite by any means but I was intrigued. I would suggest buying it when it’s in sale & see for yourself.
I would say this was a fairly good read. Not my favorite by any means but I was intrigued. I would suggest buying it when it’s in sale & see for yourself.
August 15, 2009
A faced paced look at covert CIA operations in Europe through the perspective of a disfigured young woman whose has never been outside of the "company". When her aunt, Renee, discovers Sarah is alive, she is determined to help the her niece the necessary surgery to allow her to experience a the world without fear of rejection.
In order to achieve the vaunted status of One Who Can Be Trusted with Government Secrets, I have filled out Standard Form 86, I have been fingerprinted, and I have given the government page after page of personal information, numerous references, and permission to check everything from my credit report to my college transcripts. i have been told that my medical and police records will be reviewed...and I am praying that my five speeding tickets won't be interpreted as a reckless disregard for American highway law. - Page 32
While readers are learning the cloak and dagger life of Sarah, a sudden shock comes at the end of the book when an ally turns out to be an enemy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews