FICTION

Damage Done

by Amanda PANITCH
304p. Random. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780553507492.
COPY ISBN
Gr 9 Up—In the vein of E. Lockhart's We Were Liars (Delacorte, 2015) and Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl (Crown, 2012), Panitch's novel delivers a heart-pounding, emotionally charged story that proves that not everything is what it seems. Julia Vann faces unmentionable consequences when her twin brother, Ryan, brings a gun to school and kills 11 people in the band room. Ryan, after shooting himself, remains in a coma, and Julia's family moves to a different city to escape the whispers and outright hatred. As Julia, now called Lucy, realizes her brother's psychologist is following her, she must confront buried memories that threaten her daily existence. The slow trickle of reminiscences unveils a dark truth, one that Julia/Lucy wants hidden forever, and one in which she will go to extreme lengths to protect.
VERDICT The latest author to tackle unreliable narrators, Panitch combines heart-twisting realities with a good old-fashioned mystery.
Reviewed by Amanda C. Buschmann, Atascocita Middle School, Humble, TX
After Julia Vann's twin brother shot eleven people, plus himself, in a high school band room, Julia and her parents change their names and move to a new town. But the appearance of a man from Julia's past shows her she can't escape that easily. So begins this deeply disturbing, suspenseful thriller that, à la Gone Girl, skillfully manipulates its readers.
, Aug 01, 2015

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

BLOGS

Holiday Gift Guide: Six Inclusive MG Fantasies, a guest post by Marieke Nijkamp
by Amanda MacGregor
BOOKS

Gracie Under the Waves
by Park, Linda Sue
BOOKS

Make My Wish Come True
by Lippincott, Rachael & Alyson Derrick
BOOKS

My Weird School Special: Hip, Hip, Hooray! Every Day Is a Holiday!
by Gutman, Dan
BOOKS

Ramadan on Rahma Road: A Recipe Storybook
by Gutta, Razeena Omar & Faaiza Osman
BOOKS

Big Changes for Plum!
by Phelan, Matt
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?