|
 Price £5.99
ISBN 0 340 89325 7
Published by Hodder Bite January 2006
www.bookswithbite.co.uk
Becci’s made an effort
for Emma and Elliot’s themed party hoping
Nathan will finally realise she’s not a little
girl any more.
Matt doesn’t want to go to the party at all – he
hates dressing up – but he’ll do anything
for Sophie.
Sophie’s hoping the evening will distract her
from her mum’s tacky date with that bloke from
her salsa class.
And Nathan is always up for a laugh, a bit of excitement – though
his costume won’t exactly make him a babe magnet…
One way or another the night is going to be unforgettable…
It will change their lives, for ever…
|
 A
teenage girl lays flowers at the site of a road traffic
accident on a dismal December afternoon, covering her
face as she does so… A father and daughter make
a journey together in the snow…A mother begins
to unravel and sinks into depression…A teenage
skateboarder cannot look his parents in the eye…A
young man, haunted by nightmares, dreams of climbing
a mountain…What happened on the way home from Emma
and Elliot’s party?
Damage is a harrowing tale of love and loss and scars
that are more than skin-deep.
No reviews yet but a text from my son (the driving one)
said:
‘
Just finished Damage. It blew me away – seriously.
The crash made my hair stand on end. Awesome, mum, it
really is. Gripping!’ (Bless.)
Roadside bouquets seem to be everywhere. Every one of
them tells a story. Each person commemorated is someone’s
child or parent, someone’s brother or sister, someone’s
friend. As my sons have gone through secondary school,
and as the eldest - like many of his mates in the Sixth
Form – has learnt to drive, we have been aware
of several fatal accidents involving young people we
know. I’m sure as a family we’re not alone
in this. 20% of road traffic accidents involve drivers
aged 17-21 so it’s a subject that touches many
of us. Most of these young drivers, like my characters,
will be ordinary kids – not joy riders, or criminals
or even drinkers. Anyone can make mistakes. Some mistakes
are permanent.
In my writing I often use the first person narrative
and in the past, I’ve written from more than one
point of view (two in Reckless, three in Poisoned). Damage
allows a record number of narrators (eleven in all) to
tell their side of the story. Alongside these stories
is a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ account of Matt, Nathan,
Becci and Sophie’s journey home from the party.
A car crash wasn’t an easy thing to write about
and the result isn’t a comfortable read. But Damage
was a book I wanted to write – if only to make
myself drive more carefully and cherish my children more
tenderly. Damage is a story about death but it’s
also about life and hope – about living with mistakes
and daring to forgive.
And it’s about driving…so if you’ve
just passed our test – please drive safely.
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