To be Someone, Louise Voss. (Black Swan £6.99)

WHEN she wakes in hospital, the day after the accident the tragedy of her face is not immediately obvious to her. All she knows is that everything hurts, her face is numb and parts of it don't seem to work anymore.

She later finds out that during a drunken, cocaine-ridden moment at an awards evening she has fallen from the stage, and the champagne flute she was holding has done immeasurable damage to her eye and her face. No one will ever describe her as a beauty again.

Helena Nicholls led a charmed life. Former pop idol and talented DJ, she lived life in the fast lane. There was a beautiful man in her life. What could possibly have gone wrong?

Her personal life is now in tatters; Justin her lover has taken his leave and she is faced with the loneliness that past fame can bring. Her best friend, Sam has died tragically, and she feels she has nowhere to turn to and no one to guide her.

Her recovery is directed by the tunes associated with past moments in her life, they are the milestones in her journey.

This comic, yet poignant novel is beautifully written.

Friendship, love, redemption and a cuttingly-witty style make for an endearing heroine and a charming love story.

Annie Dendy