Books Featuring Unconventional Heroes
Dive into stories that celebrate unique characters who defy conventional beauty standards. These books showcase protagonists who are real, relatable, and inspiring, proving that true strength comes from within. Discover narratives that resonate with your journey and offer a sense of belonging.
Autobiography Of A Face
196 pages
This memoir offers a profound insight into the life of a poet who faced immense challenges after losing her jaws to cancer treatment, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in resilience and the human spirit.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
365 pages
Eleanor's journey through loneliness and trauma is both touching and humorous, making it a compelling read that balances serious themes with a light tone.
North of Beautiful
315 pages
This YA novel is sweet and hopeful, exploring themes of appearances, self-discovery, and family. The journey of the two main characters, both with facial abnormalities, beautifully intertwines love and healing.
Faceless
305 pages
This book is a powerful journey of a traditionally attractive teen girl who faces life-changing challenges after an accident. It beautifully explores her adaptation to her injuries and new identity, making it one of the best reads out there.
Fundraising for Small Museums
237 pages
Raising Luminaries is an expertly curated resource that reviews children's books and scours for problematic tropes in books depicting disability, making it a valuable tool for finding inclusive literature.
Mortal Engines
294 pages
London is a city on wheels - a future city like you've never known before. In the terrible aftermath of the Sixty Minute War, cities which survived the apocalypse became predators, chasing and feeding on smaller towns. Now London is hunting down its prey, getting ready to feed. But as the chase begins, Tom uncovers a secret - a secret full of deadly consequences. Soon he is plunged into a world of unkillable enemies, threatened by a weapon that will tear his life apart... Winner of the Nestle Gold Award and the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award, this is a book to devour again and again.
The Armored Saint
181 pages
The main character faces significant challenges and physical scars throughout the series, making it a compelling read, but be cautious about the author's reputation.
Invisible Monsters: A Novel
296 pages
Invisible Monsters features a gripping story about a model whose life takes a dramatic turn after a car crash, leading her to reject reconstructive surgery and explore her identity.
Specials
384 pages
In this installment, the stakes are raised as the characters confront the darker sides of their society.
Pretties
390 pages
The continuation of the series delves deeper into the consequences of conformity and the quest for identity.
Uglies & Pretties
800 pages
This series is empowering, especially for young girls, as it emphasizes the importance of being true to oneself rather than conforming to societal standards.
The Minotaur Takes A Cigarette Break
319 pages
This book serves as a powerful allegory for the struggle of feeling one way inside while being perceived differently by society. It explores themes of identity and acceptance through the unique character of a modern-day Minotaur, who, despite his past power, now faces the challenges of being seen as just an ugly, working-class guy.
Laughing at My Nightmare
257 pages
This humorous autobiography offers a unique perspective on life with spinal muscular dystrophy, making it relatable for both young adults and adults alike. Shane's ability to tackle difficult topics with humor is truly inspiring.
Wolf in White Van
157 pages
A terrible event leaves Sean Phillips disfigured when he is only seventeen. In the weeks following the incident he creates an adventure game he calls the 'Trace Italian', where players awake in an apocalyptic America and make their way to safety across an irradiated landscape, decision by difficult decision. The years pass and Sean lives a quiet life enriched by his games. But when a pair of teenage sweethearts try to seek the Trace in the real world their actions prove fatal, and Sean is forced to confront the dangers of his creation and its origins in his own troubled past. A beguiling story of contingency, solitude and escape, Wolf in White Van is a heart-stopping debut from a musician and songwriter known for the transcendent power of his words.
The Warrior's Apprentice
304 pages
This book is a compelling exploration of a character who overcomes significant physical challenges in a society that values strength, making it a powerful read about resilience and acceptance.
Infinite Jest
1524 pages
Joelle's character arc is fascinating as she transforms from the Prettiest Girl Of All Time to Madam Psychosis, showcasing themes of beauty and inner happiness amidst a backdrop of darkness.
Uprooted
449 pages
Uprooted features a main character who is valued for her grit and cleverness rather than conventional beauty, making it a refreshing fantasy read.
Monstrous Beauty
303 pages
The Girl of Fire and Thorns showcases a main character who, despite not fitting traditional beauty standards, proves to be pretty awesome, making it an engaging fantasy.
Rhythms of Labour
359 pages
Whether for weavers at the handloom, laborers at the plough, or factory workers on the assembly line, music has often been a key texture in people's working lives. This book is the first to explore the rich history of music at work in Britain and charts the journey from the singing cultures of pre-industrial occupations, to the impact and uses of the factory radio, via the silencing effect of industrialization. The first part of the book discusses how widespread cultures of singing at work were in pre-industrial manual occupations. The second and third parts of the book show how musical silence reigned with industrialization, until the carefully controlled introduction of Music While You Work in the 1940s. Continuing the analysis to the present day, Rhythms of Labor explains how workers have clung to and reclaimed popular music on the radio in desperate and creative ways.
Jane Eyre (Großdruck)
628 pages
Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre Lesefreundlicher Großdruck in 16-pt-Schrift Edition Holzinger. Großformat, 216 x 279 mm Berliner Ausgabe, 2015 Vollständiger, durchgesehener Neusatz mit einer Biographie der Autorin bearbeitet und eingerichtet von Michael Holzinger Erstdruck: In drei Bänden: Cornhill (Smith, Elder und Co.) 1847. Hier nach der Übers. v. Maria von Borch, Leipzig: Verlag von Philipp Reclam jun., [o.J.]. Textgrundlage ist die Ausgabe: Currer Bell [d. i. Brontë, Charlotte]: Jane Eyre, die Waise von Lowood. Übers. v. M. von Borch, Leipzig: Verlag von Philipp Reclam jun., [o. J.]. Herausgeber der Reihe: Michael Holzinger Reihengestaltung: Viktor Harvion Umschlaggestaltung unter Verwendung des Bildes: Von Evert A. Duyckinck, basierend auf einer Zeichnung von George Richmond Gesetzt aus Minion Pro, 16 pt.
Bossypants (Enhanced Edition)
254 pages
Tina Fey shares her personal experiences, including her facial scar, making this book a humorous and insightful read about her life and career.
In My Heart
32 pages
Focusing on a teenage girl with achondroplasia, this novel captures the challenges and triumphs of growing up with a disability.
Just a Geek
296 pages
This unique story revolves around a family with four disabled kids, exploring the complexities of identity and acceptance, as the mother intentionally sought to have disabled children.
The Vanished Birds
389 pages
With multiple POV characters, this novel includes a thought-provoking storyline about a woman genetically engineered to be ugly, making a bold political statement.
The Mockingbird Next Door
306 pages
This YA anthology features stories by disabled authors, showcasing diverse narratives about disabled characters that are both engaging and enlightening.
First Test Graphic Novel
161 pages
It's a really sweet read with a likable main character who is described as boyish in appearance, making it relatable for many readers.
I Know This Much Is True
884 pages
This book features a character with a cleft palate, highlighting the challenges faced in a time with less modern attitudes, making it a poignant read.
So Much to Tell You: The Play
71 pages
This Australian YA novel explores deep themes of trauma and healing through the journey of a selective mute protagonist, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in stories of resilience.
Brothers in Arms
352 pages
The Vorkosigan Saga is a fantastic series that follows Miles Vorkosigan, who, despite his visible deformities, evolves into a true badass. The slow development of his character makes the journey all the more rewarding, and each book is an exciting science fiction adventure.
North of Beautiful
315 pages
As he continued to stare, I wanted to point to my cheek and remind him, But you were the one who wanted this, remember? You're the one who asked-and I repeat-Why not fix your face? It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper. She's tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably "flawed" face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob's path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path? Written in lively, artful prose, award-winning author Justina Chen Headley has woven together a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty.
Howl's Moving Castle
336 pages
It's a light-hearted and fun fantasy that brings joy and whimsy to readers.
Extras
416 pages
This book expands the universe and explores themes of fame and social status in a unique way.
Uglies
432 pages
This series offers a fascinating perspective on beauty and societal standards in a dystopian future.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK A PENGUIN BOOK CLUB PICK “Beautifully written and incredibly funny. . . I fell in love with Eleanor; I think you will fall in love, too!” —Reese Witherspoon Smart, warm, uplifting, the story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realizes the only way to survive is to open her heart. No one's ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine. Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she's thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy. But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond's big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one.
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
308 pages
This young adult novel explores deep themes like bullying and child abandonment through the story of a girl with a severe facial scar and her supportive friend, making it a compelling read for those interested in real-life struggles faced by teens.
Ham on Rye
365 pages
While *Ham on Rye* is a classic, it might not resonate with a teenage girl due to its unique tone and themes.
Face
210 pages
This YA novel has a beautiful moral and is one of the few books that made reading enjoyable for me in high school!
Ready Player One
303 pages
*THE BOOK BEHIND THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY STEVEN SPIELBERG* 'Wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, Ready Player One is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut' Independent 'Part intergalactic scavenger hunt, part romance, and all heart' CNN 'Ernest Cline's novel deserves to be a modern classic' SciFiNow 'Gorgeously geeky, superbly entertaining, this really is a spectacularly successful debut' Daily Mail _______________ A world at stake. A quest for the ultimate prize. Are you ready? It's the year 2044, and the real world has become an ugly place. We're out of oil. We've wrecked the climate. Famine, poverty, and disease are widespread. Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes this depressing reality by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia where you can be anything you want to be, where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. And like most of humanity, Wade is obsessed by the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this alternate reality: OASIS founder James Halliday, who dies with no heir, has promised that control of the OASIS - and his massive fortune - will go to the person who can solve the riddles he has left scattered throughout his creation. For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that the riddles are based in the culture of the late twentieth century. And then Wade stumbles onto the key to the first puzzle. Suddenly, he finds himself pitted against thousands of competitors in a desperate race to claim the ultimate prize, a chase that soon takes on terrifying real-world dimensions - and that will leave both Wade and his world profoundly changed. _______________ Readers can't get enough of Ready Player One . . . ***** 'THAT WAS SO TOTALLY AWESOME, WOW!' ***** 'This is an exciting story, especially for geeks, and the key word is FUN.' ***** 'Ladies and gentlemen, from this day this book is my life and I will obsess over it constantly.' ***** 'I just kinda wanna cry right now. I'll have a proper review at some point, but I gotta let myself recover.' ***** 'I had the feeling while reading this book that it was written expressly for me. This is my childhood captured.'
A Face for Picasso
264 pages
This memoir promises to be a compelling read as it explores the author's journey with a facial deformity, offering insights into her life experiences and resilience.
The School for Good and Evil
373 pages
This book explores the intriguing theme of appearances versus true character, showcasing how the perceived 'ugly' protagonist is actually good, while her beautiful best friend hides a darker side.
Scars Like Wings
384 pages
This book tells the powerful story of a teen girl who survives a house fire and navigates life with severe scars, making it a compelling read about resilience and self-acceptance.
