Grasp A Face For Picasso: Coming Of Age With Crouzon Syndrome Curated By Ariel Henley Depicted In Electronic Format

book was a work of art, This was probably one of the first memoirs Ive ever read, and it was definitely a good one.
It was truly eye opening, hearing how gruesome some of her experiences were, In some parts, when she was younger, I wish there had been someone who wasnt her family that viewed her as what Ariel called normal and respected her no matter what.
The fact that this society will only accept people if they have a “normal” appearance is truly disappointing.
Ariel shouldnt have had to live with the weight on her shoulders of what society thought of her.
She should not have had to feel like she didnt belong, We shouldnt care what people look like, its plain and simple, Ariel had to live with people staring at her and judging her by her appearance, Life shouldnt be about what you look like, it should be about what kind of person you are.
This book showed me that when people say dont sweat the small stuff, they really mean it, reads:/

content warnings: graphic medical procedures, bullying, ableism, eating disorder

in this memoir, the author recounts her and her sisters experiences as girls with crouzon syndrome.
while the physical aspect of this condition was painful, the psychological aspect of living with a facial disfigurement was a lot worse.
this book also mentioned picasso quite a bit, as one time the twins were referred to in a french article as having faces that “resemble the work of picasso.
” henley calls out picasso and other classic artists many times throughout the novel, as theyre definitely not the best judges of beauty.
this was a very wellwritten, tearjerking memoir that i think everyone should read, Thank you to Teen Ink and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


Unflinching and insightful, Ariel Henleys A Face for Picasso weaves a memoir of beauty, identity, and pain unlike any I have read before.
Born with Crouzon syndrome, a condition where the bones of the head fuse prematurely, Ariel and her twin sister grow up with a twofold burden: the ceaseless hostility of a society with strict and rigid beauty standards, and the neverending stream of facial surgeries necessary just to keep them alive.
Told in three segments, the memoir follows Ariel from her vague understanding of the impact of her condition in early childhood to a middle school experience marked by cruelty and trauma as well as resilience, and finally to later teenage years and college as she begins to take control of the influence it has over her life.
With the theme of Picasso a unifying thread through it all, Henley explores the immense societal importance of striving toward unreachable female beauty standards and the very real consequences for those who fall so short as to be considered disfigured.
The book also touches on eating disorders, PTSD, and anger issues,

Henleys experiences are truly not ones that the majority of readers will understand before reading this book, and they are recalled with striking candor.
The physical realities of the major surgeries Ariel and her sister had to undergo every few years immense pain, long recoveries, reactions to medications are laid bare in matteroffact detail, and she is equally open about the emotional pain and trauma this leads to over the years.
Though the novel certainly deals with heavy themes, the reading experience is neither overdramatized nor depressing though Ariel and her sister have to deal with hardships their peers simply never will, they still navigate the same triumphs and challenges of growing up.


Certainly, though, Henleys is a life the genre of memoir is designed for, As she mentions in the introduction, there are very few if any stories about people with extreme facial differences by people with extreme facial differences, who have lived through and understand just how thoroughly it impacts ones life.
The pairing of Crouzon syndrome and western beauty standards for women ensures that there is no part of Ariels life unaffected by her appearance, and whether at school, in another country, or walking down the street, there is no reprieve from the difference in treatment.


A Face for Picasso also manages to adapt the messiness of life gracefully to the format of a novel.
It can be difficult to make a memoir feel coherent and follow a satisfying pacing, but Ariels story is thoughtfully centered and organized by the recurring theme of Picasso, the ideas of beauty and ugliness in his works, and the way his life reflects social values around beauty and art.
With this underlying thread, A Face for Picasso fits into a beginning, middle, and end without feeling forced.


Striking and honest, A Face for Picasso does what memoir is meant to do: provide a vivid glimpse into a life truly unlike the readers own and give voice to a narrative missing from the public eye.
With astute analysis of the way beauty standards shape the most basic social values and a fascinating comingofage story, Ariel Henleys memoir is not to be missed.
A unique book on a rare topic, I got the impression this book was more cathartic for the author than anything else, While informative and sad it teetered on redundant and tiresome, In no way is the authors story invalid or not worth learning but I felt it could have been told in half the length as the “before” and “after” sections were identical other than title.
Well researched and heartbreaking story of a girl with a face disfigured by a rare condition, how it felt to endure dozens of surgeries and peoples reactions to her appearance and assumptions about her character and intelligence.

Using the misogynistic Picasso and his penchant for dissembling his lovers faces in his paintings is a clever analogy.
I've never known about Crouzon Syndrome before listening to this memoir and I'm glad I learned about it in this format.
Very emotional, educational and fascinating memoir that was heard to stop listening to, I loved the way she told her story That made it feel like the most honest and unique memoir I've ever read.
From explaining the way looking different has shaped her life, to operations and to using Picasso's paintings to tell her story it's not something I'll soon forget All I ever wanted was permission to take up space.
To be seen fully.

I've never really thought about Picasso and cubism in the context of ableism, I've honestly never spent much time thinking about Picasso in general, but this wasn't a privilege Henley had growing up with Crouzon Syndrome.


This memoir goes through Henley's young adult life, from the trauma of numerous surgeries to the struggle with societal expectations of beauty to the cruelty she experienced from both children and adults.


This was beautifully written and heartbreakingly honest, I don't think my words can do justice to how eloquently Henley writes about her trauma,

I recommend the audiobook, which was narrated by the author herself,

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC! Wow this book was a lot to take in, Very well written.

This is about Ariel Henley who, along with her twin Zan, were born with Crouzon syndrome a rare condition where the bones in the head fuse prematurely.
This book is in three parts, It first talks about when she was born, and her first early years when they had to undergo many surgeries to save their

lives and their recovery.
Second part is more focused on middle school to high school years and what they experienced going to school and how people treated them.
Then the third part was life after high school,

This is a heart wrenching story, I did not know about this syndrome until I read this, and I feel a lot more educated about it.
It not only talked about the syndrome the girls were born with, but it also talked a lot about people and their views, about body image, and what others think beauty and ugly is.
It even talked a lot of about Picasso and the kind of person he really was and how distorted his view was of beauty and women.


Reading this took me back to my childhood and when I went to school, Kids are mean, and I had my fair share of bullying and how much everyone viewed beauty as the norm.
Its sad to read this and remember when I was kid how focused everyone is on body image and beauty.
And if youre uglyto them then youre frowned upon, I could never imagine what these girls exactly went through or how they felt, but I do understand how someone may judge someone by their looks rather than the person they are.
I dont think Ive ever truly recovered from school and how I thought I needed to look because others thought something or someone was ugly or beautiful.
Its sad that people do that, No one should judge a book by its cover, And I think Ariels story really emphasizes that and Im glad I got the opportunity to read this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a free digital copy to read and review, If you have purchased a copy of Wonder, you are legally obligated to also purchase a copy of A Face for Picasso.
I don't make the rules, sorry!
Seriously though, buy this book, A compelling memoir about finding identity while growing up with a rare condition, constant operations, physical pain, a twin sister, and more.


I received an Advance copy of this from the publisher, because I am a librarian and librarians are awesome

In my town,th graders have an assignment to read a memoir, so I'm always on the lookout for titles that may be suitable for that.


Good news: this is a very suitable title, Easy to read, with a strong focus on the author's middle school experience, without any of the simpering "people with disabilities are so inspirational" context.
Even better, she talks about the challenges in crafting a memoir when memories and available documentation don't always match.
Her depiction of her experiences with her cheerleading team were vividly written, and her experiences with incompetent/biased teachers will be especially poignant for middle schoolers.
She also spared no punches when it came to the PTSD and anger she suffered from as a result of her surgeries and the way she was treated daytoday by adults and her peers.


Bad news: the author's attempts to integrate Picasso in the memoir read like a stilted undergrad paper.
And while body image struggles and disordered eating was discussed through the narrative, the label "bulimia" was only abruptly mentionedthrough the narrative, when she was in college.


I read it in an afternoon, and I'd definitely buy it for my library and give it to a kid working on the memoir project.
But in the end, I wish the writing were a little more polished, Many of the disability and chronic illness memoirs that I have read seem inauthentic at best, The author always paints themselves as either a saint with a few tantrums to make them relatable, or a "too fragile for this life" tragic heroine.
Ariel Henley is one of the few authors who seems like she's recounting the experiences of an actual human.
If I was inth grade having major surgeries and dealing with intense bullying from kids and adults then I'd be a bit prickly as well.
I'm so glad she left in the parts where she was misdirecting her anger, I'm glad that she left her anger in general, This book was amazing and I highly recommend it,

Also fuck that shop teacher AND Picasso, Henley approaches her story with such raw honesty, reexamining and reflecting on beauty through the problematic life of Picasso, gruesome surgical procedures that shadowed parts of her childhood, mental strain at the evershifting selfimage that takes a toll on her family and worldview.


Infused with such empathy, this journey of selfacceptance was a wonder to experience, Powerful and full of deep honesty, Everyone should read this book, .