The Damage
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- Create Date：2021-07-15 10:51:14
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Caitlin Wahrer
- ISBN：0385696450
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
An edgy， propulsive read about what a family pushed to the brink will do in the name of love and blood。
The Damage pulled me in from the first page with smart narration， characters I cared about， a hold-your-breath plot， and a terrific final twist。 Put this one high on your summer list。 --Stephen King
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 sexual assault， his protective instincts flare and a white-hot rage begins to build。
As a small-town New England lawyer， Tony's wife， Julia， has cases involving kids all the time。 When Detective Rice gets assigned to this one， Julia feels Nick is in good hands。 Especially because she senses that Rice， too， understands how things can quickly get complicated。 Very complicated。
After all， one moment Nick was having a drink with a handsome stranger; the next， he was at the center of an investigation threatening to tear not only him but his entire family apart。 And now his attacker， out on bail， is disputing Nick's version of what happened。
As Julia tries to help her brother-in-law， she sees Tony's desire for revenge--to fix things for Nick--getting out of control。 Tony is starting to scare her。 And before long， she finds herself asking: Does she really know what her husband is capable of？ Or of what she herself is？
Exploring elements of doubt， tragedy， suspense， and justice， The Damage is an all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer。
The Damage pulled me in from the first page with smart narration， characters I cared about， a hold-your-breath plot， and a terrific final twist。 Put this one high on your summer list。 --Stephen King
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 sexual assault， his protective instincts flare and a white-hot rage begins to build。
As a small-town New England lawyer， Tony's wife， Julia， has cases involving kids all the time。 When Detective Rice gets assigned to this one， Julia feels Nick is in good hands。 Especially because she senses that Rice， too， understands how things can quickly get complicated。 Very complicated。
After all， one moment Nick was having a drink with a handsome stranger; the next， he was at the center of an investigation threatening to tear not only him but his entire family apart。 And now his attacker， out on bail， is disputing Nick's version of what happened。
As Julia tries to help her brother-in-law， she sees Tony's desire for revenge--to fix things for Nick--getting out of control。 Tony is starting to scare her。 And before long， she finds herself asking: Does she really know what her husband is capable of？ Or of what she herself is？
Exploring elements of doubt， tragedy， suspense， and justice， The Damage is an all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer。
Reviews
Jordan Dardas
，
Wow。 This book was so good。 One of my top reads for 2021 without a doubt。
Cori
，
This book was a great audiobook！ While the fallout from the assault on Nick was awful for many， I found some characters to be so strong and raw。 This book had a slow unfolding mystery as we learned more about the characters and I enjoyed it very much。
Kelly LaRue
，
Really sucks you in！ Great story and you feel like you really know the characters。 I enjoyed it and finished in 3 days。 A little graphic but I think it's necessary to the story。 Really sucks you in！ Great story and you feel like you really know the characters。 I enjoyed it and finished in 3 days。 A little graphic but I think it's necessary to the story。 。。。more
Laura
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Great read if you like suspense/mystery。
Andi
，
Wow。 This book is about the damage done to a family from a violent crime。 I so appreciated the gentleness and care the author took with a difficult topic。 She handled that so well。 The tension builds in this family drama， and I was literally surprised up until the very last sentence。 I loved these complicated characters and how they all struggled to handle something so devastating and still stay a close family。 The ending was the just the best and that’s where most books fall apart for me。 I def Wow。 This book is about the damage done to a family from a violent crime。 I so appreciated the gentleness and care the author took with a difficult topic。 She handled that so well。 The tension builds in this family drama， and I was literally surprised up until the very last sentence。 I loved these complicated characters and how they all struggled to handle something so devastating and still stay a close family。 The ending was the just the best and that’s where most books fall apart for me。 I definitely want to talk about this book with others， it’s a book to create dialogue and discussion。 Definitely recommend！！ 。。。more
Ally
，
I 100% feel like this one flew under the radar。 I hadn't heard much about it and so I skipped it in my June BOTM box， but after hearing positive things in June， I added it to July， figuring I'd get to it when I got to it。 More and more I saw good feedback on the BOTM FB group and I moved it to the top of my TBR list。 I'm SO glad I did。 The first half of the book or so， all I could think of was how closely the book paralleled a current high profile baseball player that also claims to have partake I 100% feel like this one flew under the radar。 I hadn't heard much about it and so I skipped it in my June BOTM box， but after hearing positive things in June， I added it to July， figuring I'd get to it when I got to it。 More and more I saw good feedback on the BOTM FB group and I moved it to the top of my TBR list。 I'm SO glad I did。 The first half of the book or so， all I could think of was how closely the book paralleled a current high profile baseball player that also claims to have partaken in consensual "rough" sex， and I use that term loosely。 To read Nick's perspective and pain， and additionally， how it affected his entire family， broke my heart， not only for Nick， but for the woman that was involved with this baseball player and all/any other people this has happened to。 I loved Julia and Tony and the twists and turns this book took， had me on a rollercoaster。 Such a great read， and so well written。 This is one of those books that will probably stick with me for awhile。 I would absolutely recommend this book！ 。。。more
Brittney Rae
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So refreshing and stressful and satisfying。 Great read。
Erin Doherty Gilfert
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3。5- wished the ending was more dynamic
Jennifer
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I decided to check this one out when I saw that it was a June BOTM add-on option and I am glad I did。 The Damage is a small-town mystery told from alternating timeframes and from multiple points of view of from the characters investigating and untangling a random act of violence。 After a few too many drinks at the bar， Nick a college student ends up going home with a stranger he meets at a bar， only to wake up alone the next day with little memory of the night before and the realization that he I decided to check this one out when I saw that it was a June BOTM add-on option and I am glad I did。 The Damage is a small-town mystery told from alternating timeframes and from multiple points of view of from the characters investigating and untangling a random act of violence。 After a few too many drinks at the bar， Nick a college student ends up going home with a stranger he meets at a bar， only to wake up alone the next day with little memory of the night before and the realization that he has been sexually assaulted。 Unsure of what to do， Nick turns to his older brother Tony （who was more of a father to Nick than his actual dad） and Tony’s wife Julia （a former lawyer） for help。 When Nick reports the crime to the police it doesn't take long for them to identify the suspect who vehemently denies that allegations。 It then becomes Nick’s word against his rapist’s。 The damage has been done。 What follows is the story of how everything plays out （from the arrest to the trial preparation and perhaps justice） and asks how far will people go to protect the people they love。 I found the alternating timeframes （2015 when the rape occurs and 2019 being present day） and the bits of the story being revealed in each， did a good job at ratcheting up the tension。 Clearly this is heavy subject matter with plenty of trigger warnings that should be included。 Watching Nick and Tony struggle to come to terms with the event itself， the media coverage thereafter and the legal process where the case comes down to a "he said/he said" was difficult。 Wahrer did such a good job portraying the topics of masculinity， being a victim， loss of identity and the victim's mental health。 There was a very real sense of the emotional impact of the sexual assault。 Overall this was a thought provoking， slow burn of a book with an ending that left me close to speechless。 I can hardly believe that this was Wahrer's debut。 If you are wanting to read an emotional and slower paced family drama about strength， perseverance， and the unconditional love of family then you should check out this book。 。。。more
Natalia
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Plot twist I did NOT see coming！！！！
Mary Ann
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What a debut。 The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer centers more on the relationships。 between a set of half-brothers and sister-in-law than anything else。 Nick Hall， a college student， meets a charming stranger in a bar and goes to a motel for a hook-up that changes his life forever。 When he tells his brother Tom from his hospital bed later what happened， the violence and sexual attack leaves them all shaken。 Julia Hall， Tom's wife， is quite familiar with how the system works， and she fears Nick's attac What a debut。 The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer centers more on the relationships。 between a set of half-brothers and sister-in-law than anything else。 Nick Hall， a college student， meets a charming stranger in a bar and goes to a motel for a hook-up that changes his life forever。 When he tells his brother Tom from his hospital bed later what happened， the violence and sexual attack leaves them all shaken。 Julia Hall， Tom's wife， is quite familiar with how the system works， and she fears Nick's attacker will never be brought to justice。Not only does Wahrer keep the tension at a taught pace， she has the characters' flaws and foibles be front and center from the start。 Tom saved Nick from their alcoholic， uncaring， violent father and became the surrogate father; Tom develops a trigger-temper as well。 Julia who was an attorney in the juvenile courts knows what a "he said， he said" case's uphill struggles can be。But Wahrer also goes beyond the depth of heart and soul of these characters。 She lets the dark shadowy thoughts any of us might have slowly work out into the open once the attacker begins attacking his victim in the newspaper and once the identity of Nick has been spread far and wide around his small campus。 Wouldn't you want to just shut this terrible man up for good， saving taxpayer dollars and the emotional toll of a trial where Nick would need to testify？ Julia and Tom each begin thinking。 There's a solid mystery in this novel that slowly unfolds to a satisfying end。 Highly recommend， though with trigger warnings to anyone who has dealt with a violent rape。 My rating is a 4。7 out of 5。 。。。more
Amy Blake
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 3。90 The end saved this book for me。 First of all， Tony was an absolutely insufferable character and this largely ruined the book for me。 I was glad to see Julia as the backbone of the family but the fact that she babies Tony so much was exhausting。 I was waiting for a bigger twist honestly。 I’m glad that Julia actually had Raymond Walker the rapist killed because I had a hard time believing she would let him get away to possible hurt someone else。 I did enjoy Julia and Detective Rice as charter 3。90 The end saved this book for me。 First of all， Tony was an absolutely insufferable character and this largely ruined the book for me。 I was glad to see Julia as the backbone of the family but the fact that she babies Tony so much was exhausting。 I was waiting for a bigger twist honestly。 I’m glad that Julia actually had Raymond Walker the rapist killed because I had a hard time believing she would let him get away to possible hurt someone else。 I did enjoy Julia and Detective Rice as charters。 Overall， it was alright。 。。。more
Jolene
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I probably wouldn't have picked up The Damage on my own， but it was chosen by one of my book clubs after its write-up in The New York Times。 I was kind of surprised because， to me， it sounded like a pretty average thriller， except with a gay guy at the center of the mystery instead of a （substance-abusing） （white） woman。 But I bought the book at the GORGEOUS Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle during a Pacific Northwest trip 。。。 and then COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN。It's honestly pretty tough to find a I probably wouldn't have picked up The Damage on my own， but it was chosen by one of my book clubs after its write-up in The New York Times。 I was kind of surprised because， to me， it sounded like a pretty average thriller， except with a gay guy at the center of the mystery instead of a （substance-abusing） （white） woman。 But I bought the book at the GORGEOUS Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle during a Pacific Northwest trip 。。。 and then COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN。It's honestly pretty tough to find a mystery that holds up。 I feel like I'm forever looking for the next Gone Girl but end up finding stories that try to do too much （The Good Daughter， The Woman in the Window）， ones with disappointing endings （The Guest List， The Widow， The Body Lies）， or ones where the "twist" is just that the narrator or author LIED to you， the reader， （Something She's Not Telling Us， Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead）。 But all that is just to say that The Damage was a welcome exception to the bad luck I usually have with mystery reads！ I was genuinely unsure about what really happened。 The blacked-out/can't remember trope is actually used effectively here。 Sometimes the narrator drops little flourishes at the start and end of chapters （"This is what happened;" "At the time， Rice and O'Malley didn't know far off they were on the rest;" "But it was kinder than telling him the truth;" etc）。 And I gotta hand it to Wahrer: she kept me guessing， and the reveal was satisfying。I'm also into the nuanced look at sexuality and masculinity presented here。 What does it mean that the rape victim is male？ How does that change how his story is presented in the courtroom and in the media？ How does that change what the trolls say？ How does that change how his family reacts？ Does it？I guess the only other thing I'll say is that most of the negative reviews suggest that the plot is too slow。 I didn't feel that way。 Is there a lot of hand-wringing （and scab-picking）？ Well， sure。 That's how it would be in real life， too。 Trials get dragged out。 But the short chapters and back-and-forth 2019 and 2015 perspectives keep the narrative momentum moving。 。。。more
Leslie
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3。5
Shelby
，
A good， quick read。 I couldn't put it down！ Enjoyed the story despite the difficult topic and didn't expect the ending - always a mark of a good suspense novel。 Definitely not for everyone。 I could see this book being triggering。 A good， quick read。 I couldn't put it down！ Enjoyed the story despite the difficult topic and didn't expect the ending - always a mark of a good suspense novel。 Definitely not for everyone。 I could see this book being triggering。 。。。more
Jordan Dieterle
，
Tony has always looked out for his little brother， Nick， especially because of the age difference and their good-for-nothing father。 Nick ends up in the ER after suffering a sexual assault and Tony decides he needs to protect his brother at all costs。 Tony's wife Julia is a lawyer and tries to dig into the case herself。 She knows that the law might not help Nick in this situation。 She becomes aware of her husband's anger and desire to take things into his own hands。 But what exactly is he capabl Tony has always looked out for his little brother， Nick， especially because of the age difference and their good-for-nothing father。 Nick ends up in the ER after suffering a sexual assault and Tony decides he needs to protect his brother at all costs。 Tony's wife Julia is a lawyer and tries to dig into the case herself。 She knows that the law might not help Nick in this situation。 She becomes aware of her husband's anger and desire to take things into his own hands。 But what exactly is he capable of？It took me forever to get into this book and longer than usual to read it。 I loved the last 1/4 of the book but the first 3/4 just didn't draw me in or keep my attention。 The writing style was also very different from what I am used to。 The dual timelines were fun but not really necessary- the ending could have still been writing without them。 It also felt like it could have been a fast-paced court based book but never turned into that。Overall， I did enjoy this book。 I think it was just heavy and dark for me to read in the middle of summer at the pool。 This is probably an "it's not the book， it's me" scenario so if this plot sounds intriguing， pick this one up！ 。。。more
Sayed
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I don’t know where to start。 The whole story is written well ，the characters， the police and the attorneys work and the development of the plot were good but i was so disappointed with the end。 After all what nick been through， It should have given justice to Nick and the criminal be put in jail。 A solid 3 over 5。
Jeffrey Schnitzer
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I'm not quite sure how I stumbled onto this book - someone， somewhere must have said something about it that made me buy it。I'm am so grateful。 The Damage is a powerful book， at times so powerful that I wanted to put it down but I couldn't。 The book is so rich - it's alive with possibility and certainty， and they keep interchanging。I think everyone at Goodreads has some idea of the story。 Four main characters who are truly good in the mixed way that real good people are - and one possible monste I'm not quite sure how I stumbled onto this book - someone， somewhere must have said something about it that made me buy it。I'm am so grateful。 The Damage is a powerful book， at times so powerful that I wanted to put it down but I couldn't。 The book is so rich - it's alive with possibility and certainty， and they keep interchanging。I think everyone at Goodreads has some idea of the story。 Four main characters who are truly good in the mixed way that real good people are - and one possible monster/sicko - in small-town Maine。 The central question is how do you deal with evil if you're not quite sure it is evil， and， even if you're sure that it is evil how do you stop it and keep from letting it taint you？Three of the main characters are portrayed so well that I love them; I'll doubt I'll forget them。The writing is clear and clean。 You understand what the author wants you to understand。I recommend that all serious readers try this book。 I think almost all of you will be glad you did so，And thanks to whoever turned me on to The Damge。 。。。more
Margaret Kelly
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Excellent， intriguing and a brilliant read。 Highly recommend。
Ann
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Well this laboured a bit with me to start with and was a slow burn， so much so that at 30% in I was in two minds to ditch it， but boy am I glad I didn’t。 A hard subject matter rape， and male rape at that， so less written about。 The book brilliantly shows the repercussions of this not only on the victim Nick but his wider family too and the justice system。 Add to that a complex childhood， mixed family dynamics and you’re in for what in the end became a great read
Susan Hampson
，
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 reluctant to take up the offer。 But Detective Rice， a religious man， has terminal cancer and doesn’t have long to live。 He needs to make peace with himself and God on a few issues that he feels Julia can lay to rest for him and give him a clear conscience before he meets his maker。Tony was seventeen when his brother Nick was born and soon bec 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 reluctant to take up the offer。 But Detective Rice， a religious man， has terminal cancer and doesn’t have long to live。 He needs to make peace with himself and God on a few issues that he feels Julia can lay to rest for him and give him a clear conscience before he meets his maker。Tony was seventeen when his brother Nick was born and soon became his protector from the neglect he was raised in。 When Tony married Julia， she stepped into the caring role for Nick too。 With the couples’ guidance， Nick was now a confident young man at university。 Nick had a casual relationship with a male friend at university who wasn’t the most reliable person to turn up for a date。 When a good looking older man approached Nick， they got on well and， when the man suggested that they go back to his hotel， Nick went with him。Nick came round in a terrible state， badly beaten， bleeding and eventually ended up at the hospital where he told doctors he had been raped。 Tony and Julia were determined to be there for him， and a search began to find the man responsible。 The worse was still to come in this riveting story that took a new turn at every chapter。 This story dives deep into how the victims family deal with the rape and how the person accused reacts in the story。Not everyone will feel at ease with the story， not because it is rape but because it is about a man been raped。 There are some hard to read pages of life afterwards。 This story does not just have twists， it made my mind spin。 I had no idea where it would all go。 All I can say is read it， it has jaw-dropping chapter after stunning chapter。I wish to thank the publisher and Net Galley for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly。 。。。more
Gina
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Great page turner about the assault of a young man and how our system treats victims。 Characters were nuanced and well done。
Dawn McGill Dalrymple
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Omg， this book， had no idea where it was going but I was on the edge of my seat the whole time！ Amazing book， I don't give out 5 stars often but this one definitely deserves it。 And props to the author for giving the victim all her deserves for his feelings， his struggles， his everything！ I'll be recommending this to all my book buddies。 Omg， this book， had no idea where it was going but I was on the edge of my seat the whole time！ Amazing book， I don't give out 5 stars often but this one definitely deserves it。 And props to the author for giving the victim all her deserves for his feelings， his struggles， his everything！ I'll be recommending this to all my book buddies。 。。。more
Tom Holehan
，
A gay college student goes to a hotel with the wrong guy in Caitlin Wahrer's debut novel which chronicles the fallout that occurs after he is beaten and raped。 This is strong stuff and a story that keeps you glued to the book with each unexpected twist of the narrative。 Told from the point of view of family members and a detective， the motivations of each fascinate as the story unfurls。 I didn't completely buy the final reveal， but Wahrer does such exemplary work throughout， that it didn't spoil A gay college student goes to a hotel with the wrong guy in Caitlin Wahrer's debut novel which chronicles the fallout that occurs after he is beaten and raped。 This is strong stuff and a story that keeps you glued to the book with each unexpected twist of the narrative。 Told from the point of view of family members and a detective， the motivations of each fascinate as the story unfurls。 I didn't completely buy the final reveal， but Wahrer does such exemplary work throughout， that it didn't spoil my appreciation and enjoyment of this riveting new novel。 。。。more
Betty Beel
，
This book damaged me with its boredom I wish it was fall so I could bury this book under the leaves。 It pulls you in at the beginning and then proceeds to slowly kill you by 1，000 papercuts。 You can skip over 90% of this book and still know what happens。 The theme of the book is intriguing and was what pulled me to this title。 There aren’t many books that discuss male sexual assault and examine the differences the public and media view male victims compared to female。 The theme could be triggeri This book damaged me with its boredom I wish it was fall so I could bury this book under the leaves。 It pulls you in at the beginning and then proceeds to slowly kill you by 1，000 papercuts。 You can skip over 90% of this book and still know what happens。 The theme of the book is intriguing and was what pulled me to this title。 There aren’t many books that discuss male sexual assault and examine the differences the public and media view male victims compared to female。 The theme could be triggering for some but there aren’t really any graphic scenes。The book is told from 4 character’s POVs:Nick - a 20 year-old gay male who was date raped and assualtedTony - Nick’s brotherJulia - Tony’s wife and ex-criminal defense lawyerDetective Rice - the cop investigating the caseThe rape happens early on so the majority of the book is about the emotional affects the assualt has on Nick， and if Nick is going to proceed with a trial。 I thought this was going to be a courtroom drama that would highlight the stigmas around male sexual assault but nope， nothing really happens。 There is A LOT of talk about what Nick is going to do， then what Tony is going to do， then what Julia is going to do。 Will they be vigilantes and murder Nick’s abuser？ There are 200 pages of them talking！！！ The only sort of action happens in the last few pages。I won’t spoil the ending but I personally don’t agree with what happens。 I think Wahrer had a real opportunity for some thought provoking social commentary and this book barely even touched upon it。 。。。more
Randy
，
Too many thrillers today throw in a twist that's ludicrous and silly。 Not so "The Damage。" There's a sense of realness and authenticity throughout this outstanding debut。 Each character is complex and their actions and reactions make sense。 Wish Wharer's arrival on the scene would be receiving more attention。 Too many thrillers today throw in a twist that's ludicrous and silly。 Not so "The Damage。" There's a sense of realness and authenticity throughout this outstanding debut。 Each character is complex and their actions and reactions make sense。 Wish Wharer's arrival on the scene would be receiving more attention。 。。。more
Colleen Myers
，
Really well paced crime thriller - I don’t always enjoy multiple narrators but it worked in this case。 Trigger warning for violent sexual assault and suicide attempts - there are very realistic portrayals of the rape victim’s experience and it was hard to read at times。
Lavins
，
This was a real delight to read。 The story flows nicely and the suspense and mystery is steadily build。 The author does a great job in misdirecting the reader， although some things can be suspected， the exact way of execution are revealed in the end as a nice surprise。 I really enjoyed this book！ The theme of a male rape victim， it is equally tragic and new as not a lot of authors have explored this avenue as of yet。 The devastating impact that has on the victim and his family are very well desc This was a real delight to read。 The story flows nicely and the suspense and mystery is steadily build。 The author does a great job in misdirecting the reader， although some things can be suspected， the exact way of execution are revealed in the end as a nice surprise。 I really enjoyed this book！ The theme of a male rape victim， it is equally tragic and new as not a lot of authors have explored this avenue as of yet。 The devastating impact that has on the victim and his family are very well described in the book， without losing countless time on internal chatter， the message is strong and the pain is real。A beautiful story about family， love， choices， individual strength， personality and a good mystery。 Thank you Net Galley for this great book！ 。。。more
David Ketcham
，
What a waste of my time！！ Stephen King must have been smoking crack when he recommended this unbelievable piece of crap。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Damage
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Damage&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Damage&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0