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izzyclouty's review
3.0
I would say a 3.5 from me. For most of the book I found Gabi hard to get on with but I did like all the characters around her. It really ramped up in the last 3rd and I couldn't stop reading from that point on.
katiebookqueen's review
4.0
Reviewed at: http://www.queenofteenfiction.co.uk/
Please Note: This review discusses self harm and addiction.
Damage is a book that features a protagonist who finds herself starting to self harm. From the moment I realised the subject this book was about, I knew I wanted to read it. Self harm is something that I don't see discussed openly and honestly in YA very often, so I was keen to read a story that focused on it. As someone who has seen what self harm can do to a person and how it can turn someone's life upside down, I wanted to see how this book portrayed the issue.
Gabbie is grieving the death of her grandfather, who had been an important figure in her life. But his relationship with her parents was a turbulent one, so Gabbie found herself feeling torn between them. After his death, she feels like she is the only one who is hurting over his loss and she has no one she feels she can truly express her feelings to. When she discovers that physical pain can press a temporary pause button on her emotions, Gabbie starts to self harm, and she finds herself losing more and more control.
I can't applaud this book enough for it's portrayal of self harm. It is different for every person who goes through it, but Damage provides an insight as to how something like this can take over a person's life, and for what it's like for someone to struggle with this every day. This story is also a great way to educate young people about self harm because as the characters in this book show, it's easy for a person who doesn't understand the issue to jump to conclusions and make assumptions about people who cut themselves.
Another thing that really upped my level of respect for this story is how it dealt with alcoholism. There are a lot of stereotypes that come with alcohol addiction, so I was pleased to see that Gabbie's grandfather wasn't painted as a bad man or a lesser person, he was simply someone who'd had his life overshadowed by his addiction to alcohol. Ainsworth perfectly presented the range of emotions and situations that surround a family who have to deal with that.
Damage is a short read and it's easy to get through in a couple of days. Gabbie struggles but develops so much throughout the story, and there are some heartfelt scenes towards the end. I was also very pleased to see that there were some helplines and useful links at the back of the book for anyone struggling with self harm and grief. It's so important that books like this are out there for young people to access.
Please Note: This review discusses self harm and addiction.
Damage is a book that features a protagonist who finds herself starting to self harm. From the moment I realised the subject this book was about, I knew I wanted to read it. Self harm is something that I don't see discussed openly and honestly in YA very often, so I was keen to read a story that focused on it. As someone who has seen what self harm can do to a person and how it can turn someone's life upside down, I wanted to see how this book portrayed the issue.
Gabbie is grieving the death of her grandfather, who had been an important figure in her life. But his relationship with her parents was a turbulent one, so Gabbie found herself feeling torn between them. After his death, she feels like she is the only one who is hurting over his loss and she has no one she feels she can truly express her feelings to. When she discovers that physical pain can press a temporary pause button on her emotions, Gabbie starts to self harm, and she finds herself losing more and more control.
I can't applaud this book enough for it's portrayal of self harm. It is different for every person who goes through it, but Damage provides an insight as to how something like this can take over a person's life, and for what it's like for someone to struggle with this every day. This story is also a great way to educate young people about self harm because as the characters in this book show, it's easy for a person who doesn't understand the issue to jump to conclusions and make assumptions about people who cut themselves.
Another thing that really upped my level of respect for this story is how it dealt with alcoholism. There are a lot of stereotypes that come with alcohol addiction, so I was pleased to see that Gabbie's grandfather wasn't painted as a bad man or a lesser person, he was simply someone who'd had his life overshadowed by his addiction to alcohol. Ainsworth perfectly presented the range of emotions and situations that surround a family who have to deal with that.
Damage is a short read and it's easy to get through in a couple of days. Gabbie struggles but develops so much throughout the story, and there are some heartfelt scenes towards the end. I was also very pleased to see that there were some helplines and useful links at the back of the book for anyone struggling with self harm and grief. It's so important that books like this are out there for young people to access.
olivereadingnook's review
2.0
The plot had potential and whilst I enjoyed the story, it always felt like something was missing. The amount of errors that was in my copy of the book was so frustrating. There was one point where there was a random quotation mark in the middle of the sentence that was so blatantly obvious I don't know how no one spotted it before. And so many sentences with missing full stops. Despite this, I did enjoy the story and I did always want to keep reading, always wondering what was going to happen next.
jasm1n3_03's review
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Trigger warning on topics of self harm and alcoholism
reviewsfromabookworm's review
I have to put this as a DNF for now because apparently I can't even read about blood without getting faint and sick. Which is so pathetic! But so true. Apparently watching really bloody TV shows or films is 10x easier than actually reading about blood. So, yes, I have to come back to this when I am better prepared.
ebony1ouise's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Alcoholism
skyblue212's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
frombethanysbookshelf's review
4.0
I can’t exactly say I “Enjoyed” this book because it is not the type of book to be enjoyed. It’s a realistic, in depth look at just some of the factors that can lead to a young person getting caught up in self-harm and just how it can affect their relationships and life at the same time.
There’s issues that are left slightly unaddressed, her mother’s emotional trauma from her childhood, Amira’s anxiety problems, and the way so many people address self-harm as “attention seeking”. And whilst this may come across as ignorant to these issues, sadly this is such a common idea that it makes it all that more accurate.
There’s issues that are left slightly unaddressed, her mother’s emotional trauma from her childhood, Amira’s anxiety problems, and the way so many people address self-harm as “attention seeking”. And whilst this may come across as ignorant to these issues, sadly this is such a common idea that it makes it all that more accurate.