Face Value

by Catherine Johnson

Two lifetimes. Two rising stars. One common danger.

As a daughter starts her rise in the glamorous London fashion scene, she begins to uncover secrets and clues about the mother she never knew -- a beautiful teenage model who became a victim in the high stakes, high pressure world where international fashionistas and mobsters intersect.

The fast cars, flashy parties, and easy money can be so enticing. But in a world where everybody is taken at face value, there is always a high price to pay for such fleeting fame.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

Catherine Johnson is a British author and screenwriter known for her young adult fiction and work in film, television and radio. Born in London to a Jamaican father and Welsh mother, she studied film at St Martin's School of Art before publishing her debut novel, The Last Welsh Summer (1993). She has since written around 20 novels, including works on Arctic explorer Matthew Henson, and won the 2019 Little Rebels Award for Freedom. Her historical novel Sawbones (2013) earned multiple shortlistings and the Young Quills Award. Johnson co-wrote the screenplay for Bullet Boy (2004) with Saul Dibb, and has served as Royal Literary Fund Fellow, Writer in Residence at Holloway Prison, and judge for the Jhalak Prize. In 2019, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Reviews

[Jay Daily Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember being confused throughout this book.

Why did I read this? Because it was on the library bookshelf, and it just looked interesting.

***MY SYNOPSIS (FROM MEMORY - SPOILERS)***
All I really remember is that it's about a girl who is looking for something. it takes place in some place foreign I believe London and she is looking for answers about her family.

***REASON FOR MY ODD REVIEW***
MARCH 28, 2013 (Thursday) - 2:06 AM *JOURNAL - Writing old notes I wrote in a journal about books I read and wrote about years later after I read them... wanted to know what I remembered... and just so I could have this information for future re-reads or just so I can remember my thought or anything for future reference because I use to think I would remember a book years after I read it then I realize that's not always the case especially when the book doesn't leave a strong impression and even when it does you tend to forget curtain things... re-reading books made me realize that like I could remember how I felt while reading if anything, but sometimes not the story itself... as I re-read then I'll start remembering curtain things...

[Amaya B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book but was confused about Lauren's race for a long time - her mum was black and she was white? then i came to the conclusion that perhaps her mother was mixed raced and her father white. The book felt rushed in terms of Lauren and Luke's relationship. I hated when Lauren blamed Vanessa for the death of Paula although Nessa tried everything to stop it - lawyers and confessing. The book is okay but is good for its standard of 2005.

[Summer Y. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was actually really good and it kept me hooked! 😝

[polet' :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will always love me a book set in London and this one did not disappoint too much.

It was a bit difficult to follow - it’s split between two different lives; in the past and the present.

I wish that the story lines evolved a bit more and the story telling went into a bit more detail.

It is gripping and I did get into it and cared for the characters but I felt it needed more.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not the best written book ever but it does have a good plot and some decent minor twists. A good choice if you want a quick easy read.