Butterface by Gwen Hayes is a book about a girl I can understand.

Elizabeth Anderson was born with Hemifacial Microsamia, a facial deformity. She had managed to not be inundated with the kidney and hear problems that plagued some patients with this birth defect. Often, “they” would say she was lucky. In Beth’s mind, lucky people aren’t born with facial deformities. She keeps her hair messy as a curtain to help hid the scars from the deformity. She had learned how to hide the asymmetry of her face by camouflaging it with the hair in different ways, how she held her neck, her cheek. Anything that would soften the profile she had.

Lucas O’Leary, better known as Lucky is one of the University’s star soccer players, who lives with six of his teammates, rather than at the dorms on campus. He’s spending a lot of time at Bing’s Diner, because it was open all night and served breakfast 24/7. Several of Lucky’s teammates show up at the diner one night and suggest that he take Liz to the “Dog Dance.”

I related to how Beth felt, as I was born with a uni-lateral cleft lip, a cleft palate, and have scars and a flattened nose as a result of the surgeries. I remember going home I tears after not only kids but teachers made fun of me and my speech impediment. How Ms. Hayes managed to show us so quickly, and satisfactorily the two main characters and get us to like them is a testament to her writing ability.

This story will leave you with a smile, and hopefully, you’ll be drawn to learn more about Hemifacial Microsamia as I was.

This book receives a ****1/2 from me. Thank you, Gwen, for writing a story about an imperfect looking heroine. ( )

Butterface by Gwen Hayes is a book about a girl I can understand.

Elizabeth Anderson was born with Hemifacial Microsamia, a facial deformity. She had managed to not be inundated with the kidney and hear problems that plagued some patients with this birth defect. Often, “they” would say she was lucky. In Beth’s mind, lucky people aren’t born with facial deformities. She keeps her hair messy as a curtain to help hid the scars from the deformity. She had learned how to hide the asymmetry of her face by camouflaging it with the hair in different ways, how she held her neck, her cheek. Anything that would soften the profile she had.

Lucas O’Leary, better known as Lucky is one of the University’s star soccer players, who lives with six of his teammates, rather than at the dorms on campus. He’s spending a lot of time at Bing’s Diner, because it was open all night and served breakfast 24/7. Several of Lucky’s teammates show up at the diner one night and suggest that he take Liz to the “Dog Dance.”

I related to how Beth felt, as I was born with a uni-lateral cleft lip, a cleft palate, and have scars and a flattened nose as a result of the surgeries. I remember going home I tears after not only kids but teachers made fun of me and my speech impediment. How Ms. Hayes managed to show us so quickly, and satisfactorily the two main characters and get us to like them is a testament to her writing ability.

This story will leave you with a smile, and hopefully, you’ll be drawn to learn more about Hemifacial Microsamia as I was.

This book receives a ****1/2 from me. Thank you, Gwen, for writing a story about an imperfect looking heroine. ( )

Why couldn't it have gone on longer?!

This was so short and so sweet. But it ended before it barely began. I don't know what this was about, but I never would've guessed that the pretty as a picture girl on the cover would've made it to a "dog dinner."

Besides, it has been said too many times, "Scars are just tattoos with better stories." ( )

Butterface was a short and sweet novella. I enjoyed the characters of Beth and Lucky, and I loved that their relationship never seemed forced or like they didn't have chemistry. They were so cute with each other. My only real problem with Butterface was that it was so short and that everything happened so fast. All in all, it really was a cute story, and I liked it. ( )

3.5/5 stars

A short story by Gwen Hayes about a girl with scars inside & out and the boy who’s willing to look beyond the surface. While impressed by the character development Hayes was able to accomplish in such a short word count, I felt the story itself was a little rushed and wished for more development, particularly in the individual growth and realizations of Beth.


Also, I understand the story was more about the two main characters coming to grips with who they are as people and the kind of people they want to become, while the romance played a more secondary role. But, I believe their first and second dates are summarized in about a paragraph, and I really wish I could have seen more of Lucky & Beth’s relationship shifting from friendship to something perhaps a little more. Despite this, however, their’s is a rather sweet, little romance.


Overall, Butterface is an enjoyable and quick read. If you’re a fan of Hayes you should definitely give it a whirl. ( )