Bookseller Reviews
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Intense, thought-provoking, and powerful
What a gripping read! I devoured this book in two sittings, nearly breathless by the end. When Nick is sexually assaulted, everything changes; his life is ... READ MORE
Immersive and gripping
An excellent family drama . After a devastating attack Nick Halls family have to come to terms with what happened to him. Its gripping and totally engrossi... READ MORE
Synopsis
DON'T MISS THE MOST GRIPPING AND SHOCKING DEBUT OF THE SUMMER
'Pulled me in from the first page' STEPHEN KING
'Utterly authentic and full of twists. A remarkable debut' SUNDAY TIMES
'One of the best books you'll read this year' SHARI LAPENA
'Keeps you guessing until the end' 5***** Reader Review
_______
Sometimes, the true story is the hardest to believe.
TONY has always looked out for his younger brother, Nick. So when Nick is badly hurt and it looks like he was the victim of sexual assault, Tony's anger flares.
JULIA is alarmed by her husband Tony's obsession with Nick's case. She's always known Tony has a temper. But does she really know what he's capable of?
NICK went out for a drink. After that, everything's a blank. When he woke up he found himself in a world of confusion and pain, and the man who hurt him doesn't deny doing it. But he says the whole thing was consensual.
Three ordinary people; one life-shattering event. And when the police get involved, this family in crisis might be capable of anything . . .
Set to ignite debate and as gripping as your favourite box-set, Damage is a compulsive drama from an extraordinary new writer.
_______
'As though Michael Connelly and Tana French had joined forces. A spectacularly plotted and powerful family drama' A.J. FINN
'A suspenseful family drama. It draws you right in and constantly leaves you guessing and questioning - sometimes even shouting at the page . . . An explosive ending' COSMOPOLITAN
'Gritty and suspenseful . . . Splices small-town family drama with nervy psychological noir. An explosively slow-burn guessing game' METRO
'Sets the standard for psychological suspense ... the characters are breathtakingly real' JEFFERY DEAVER
'Caitlin digs into our perceptions around masculinity, consent and what it means when violation becomes public knowledge. Twisty'GRAZIA
'A brilliantly-observed novel about how a terrible crime can ignite the first match in a whole row. Twist after twist . . . To say I loved it is a wild understatement' GILLIAN MCALLISTER
'Smart, suspenseful and timely' GILLY MACMILLAN
Join the readers discovering DAMAGE . . .
'I really can't recommend this book enough' 5***** Reader Review
'The characters had depth . . . I felt for them all' 5***** Reader Review
'The kind of book one doesn't forget' 5***** Reader Review
Publisher information
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
- ISBN: 9780241451113
- Number of pages: 400
- Dimensions: 240 x 162 x 36 mm
- Weight: 629g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allGreat story, one we don’t hear often.
I received a copy of this from the publisher Penguin Michael Joseph, and Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t s... READ MORE
Family mystery set in MAINE
You know that feeling when you come across a novel that is more than engaging. A little bit different and special? Well, Damage is one of those books.
It ... READ MORE
Richly-woven, character lead crime drama
This is a richly-woven, character lead crime drama which I couldn't put down. The story centres on the Hall family when Tony Hall's younger brother (and al... READ MORE
A strong, well written, drama. Real page turner
This is a strong, well written drama about a terrible sexual assault on a young male and the ripple effect on his closest family. The characters are so wel... READ MORE
Hard hitting, brilliantly written read
This is a brilliantly written story, told from several points of view. Nick, Tony, Julia and Detective Rice. It’s quite a tough story at times to read but ... READ MORE
The Damage
Another enjoyable book from Netgalley. Nick Hall who is a student at University goes into a bar to wait for Chris who does not come to meet him on time. ... READ MORE
Just ok...
I had high hopes for this book as the synopsis sounded good, however it just fell a bit flat for me.
After reading so many brilliant crime and thriller boo... READ MORE
Gripping read
Damage was a brilliant, if occasionally difficult (due to the subject) book to read. It gave a realistic account of rape and the subsequent fallout, especi... READ MORE
Dark, twisty family drama
Thank you to @netgalley and @michaeljbooks for my arc of this suspense family drama, I really enjoyed it!
Synopsis: When his younger brother Nick is sexua... READ MORE
4 SOLID STARS
What a debut! Julia Hall goes to the house of a 'dying detective', John Rice in 2019 - she does not want to be there and is worried. Then we move back to 2... READ MORE
What a book !
Totally not what I imagined. What a book. Male rape is very rarely written about and this was done really well. The book kept me gripped from the start ... READ MORE
Great read
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC copy.
Tony has always been the father figure to his little brother Nick. Both survived an alcoholic father and come out t... READ MORE
Good read!
I really enjoyed this book. Though it's about a serious crime it's much more than just a crime novel. I liked the authors style of writing and look forward... READ MORE
Impressive debut novel
This very promising debut examines the damage caused to a family following the violent sexual assault to Nick Hall. Nick is a student at the University of ... READ MORE
A great plot
A great plot in this, at times, difficult read. Offences of this sort will also affect those who are nearest and dearest to the victim, shown here as the t... READ MORE
Aptly named
A hard-hitting read which is far from easy but worth the effort.
The subject of male rape is never going to make for a light read but I think that Wahr... READ MORE
A Tough Read
Set in small town America ,Damage is a book about male rape and the effect it has on the victims family ,friends and of course the victim .It is a slow bur... READ MORE
Hooked from the first page!
#DAMAGE
By Caitlin Wahrer
— “Addictive, twisty and thought provoking, #Damage explores themes of justice and doubt, ultimately asking how far you would go ... READ MORE
An Intriguing Read
Tony has always looked out for his younger brother, Nick. So when he is called to a hospital bed where Nick is lying battered and bruised after a violent s... READ MORE
Damage
Nick is a college student on a night out with friends, awaiting the appearance of a hot date when he meets an older man at a bar. His date is so late he ha... READ MORE
did not finish it
The premise of this book was interesting, there are not many books talking about male sexual assault. Unfortunately, I didn't finish it as I found it it wa... READ MORE
A good debut novel about a less ‘talked about’ topic.
This is a good debut novel by Caitlin Wahrer. The book is set in the U.S.A and the main characters are a family living in Maine, Tony & his wife Julia Hal... READ MORE
Great read
This is a really hard hitting read. It deals with rape but uniquely from a male rape victims perspective. The book is incredibly well written, and deals ... READ MORE
Roller coaster story but totally gripping
What a roller-coaster. You never know what is going to happen next. A brutal rape and its repercussions not only on the male victim but on his family.
Hook... READ MORE
Just average
This book got off to a good start and I was gripped for the first 10% where we learned about the rape and violent attack on Nick. He is very close to his ... READ MORE
Psychological thriller
This is quite a gritty psychological thriller. A young man wakes up in a hotel room, discovering that he has been assaulted by the man he willingly went t... READ MORE
The tricky subject of rape - from a different angel
Excellent debut novel. A difficult subject dealt with sensitively and with realism. Believable characters whose actions are plausible.
Following a night o... READ MORE
Tense and original drama
When student Nick is picked up by a handsome older man in a bar and goes back to his hotel, he does not expect that his world is about to come crashing dow... READ MORE
A slow burn family drama / thriller
A traumatic male rape tests a family’s bonds and their individual values on law, justice and retribution.
It’s a powerful page-turner that starts with a c... READ MORE
Good
I quite enjoyed this book but found it a bit slow in places . On the whole though it was well worth reading . I enjoyed the family dynamics and the love be... READ MORE
A cracker of a debut novel.
Wow- I needed to take a moment to process this book which I loved!
The characters leapt off the page, each with their own human traits, frailties and fla... READ MORE
This really is a book worth reading as it has a really good plot, expletives aside.
Rather a good read with quite a few twists and turns that will almost certainly keep you guessing as to who did what to whom and did they really!
Yet anot... READ MORE
How far will you go for your family?
A great debut. Brothers Tony and Nick have always been there for each other. When Nick suffers a sexual attack Tony wants to sort it. The emotional damage ... READ MORE
A powerful read
For a debut novel this is really excellent. It’s a hard subject to read about, let alone write about and with such an authentic feel about it.
Nick has be... READ MORE
Original and sensitively written
A sensitively written book about the sexual assault of a young man and the aftermath of how he and his family try and deal with it afterwards. This deeply... READ MORE
Superb debut realistic psychological thriller
This novel, set in a small town in Maine in 2015, is best described as a psychological thriller, although it is also, in many ways, a family drama and a my... READ MORE
Compelling read
Compelling read with sympathetic characters whose deepest feelings are carefully revealed. The far-reaching consequences of one horrific and violent attack... READ MORE
Brilliant storyline
When Julia is asked if she will visit a retired detective, who worked on the rape case four years earlier that her brother-in-law was the victim of, she is... READ MORE
assured debut exploring the wider effects of sexual violence
Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the ARC.
Tony has looked out for his much-younger brother all Nick's life. Tony's wife Julia, a lawy... READ MORE
Amazing Book
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it, This Book Touches on a very sensitive subject
Thank to net galley & the publisher for the arc of this bo... READ MORE
Compelling and well written
What they say: Sometimes, the true story is the hardest to believe. TONY has always looked out for his younger brother, Nick. So when Nick is badly hurt an... READ MORE
Domestic Thriller
Wahrer gives a good insight into how a family can be affected following a traumatic event. The plot is very dark but I felt that Wahrer sensitively handled... READ MORE
A thrilling read and impressive debut
I enjoyed this book, thank you to Netgalley and Michael Joseph Penguin Random House for my review copy.
The most striking aspect of this book is the plot... READ MORE
An Okay Read
I'm sorry that I can't rave about this book which in my opinion was just an okay read, It was slow and I didn't particularly gel with any of the characters... READ MORE
Damage isn’t an easy read. It cuts to the bone and has you wanting to hold those close to you
The focus of Damage is that of male rape and the aftermath for both the victim and the family. The book begins in 2019 with Detective Rice who has cancer a... READ MORE
B
Wow! This is an impressive debut. Tony and Nick are brothers, albeit with different mothers. Tony has always protected his younger sibling and so when he h... READ MORE
One event can change everything
A brilliant debut which is being published in the UK on 8th July. A cross between a psychological thriller & a police procedural, showing the impact of one... READ MORE
Solid read
Although this is about the very challenging subject of male rape it is told in a palatable and considerate manner. I expected this to be quite a difficult ... READ MORE
A night out ends with rape. Will the truth come out and at what cost?
What a brilliant novel. Nick goes out and meets a man in a bar and they leave together. A decision to be regretted. Nick accuses Ray of rape which he denie... READ MORE
DEBUT NOVEL.....
I was interested by the summary given on this debut novel.. The story was slow to start. A story of three ordinary people, one terrible event and the pro... READ MORE
Brilliantly written
When Nick is sexually assaulted on a night out his big brother Tony just can't get his head around it .
Tony becomes obsessed wanting to find out who did t... READ MORE
Intriguing and original
An intelligent, intriguing thriller that deals with a brutal rape of a young man and the ripple effects through his family and friends and the investigatin... READ MORE
Full of suspense.
Caitlin Wahrer is a new author to me but I will look out for more of her books in future. For a debut novel this book was absolutely amazing.
The subject... READ MORE
A read in one sitting book
Utterly amazing!
Nick is a college student who arranges to meet up with a guy called Chris in a bar. However , when Chris hasn’t arrived by the agreed time... READ MORE