A gripping read that took me for surprise. It was slow paced but gripping and suspenseful and kept me guessing for a while.
There is so much attention to detail and details are just lightly feathered throughout that it's brilliant.
Story is told from 4 different view points and the character development is well balanced.
We get to dig deep into family and relationships, that is coated in love and sadness.
A fantastic debut

Nick and his brother Tony are brothers, and extremely close after coming from a troubled background. Tony, the elder by 17 years, is essentially a father figure to Nick, and Tony’s wife Julia is also a pillar of support in the family. One night, Nick goes out for a few drinks and ends up suffering a serious sexual assault, however, this is contested by the assailant when he reports it, who claims that it was consensual. Tony is desperate to protect Nick in what may well be the most vulnerable moment of his life, but just how far will he go to do so?

This is very well written, although relatively bleak. I personally didn’t really connect with any of the characters but I found the story interesting enough that that almost didn’t really matter - I was still drawn into the story and keen to see how it ended. The story is told through flashbacks, framed through the detective who investigates the case and asks to see Julia in the present time to discuss the past. It’s a strong premise, with a bit of a change from similar he said / she said stories. I would recommend this, it’s a good story - bleak but quite satisfying!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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 Wahrer handles it well. Thought-provoking, compelling, and sadly believable.

With thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the copy.

A fantastic book which is well written and completely engaging. I have been completely pulled in and kept hostage by this one.
This is unique, intriguing and one that I have devoured.

I enjoyed this book and was drawn in from the beginning. I liked the use of different timelines and different characters. Nick an openly gay student who finds himself in the terrible situation of reporting a rape. His brother and sister in law are dragged into the tragedy and the story unfolds like an onion. A very well plotted story with great characters and a very empathetic treatment of male rape.

A well written debut. Mystery/family drama exploring the aftermath of a serious sexual assault and how numerous lives can be blown apart by a crime.

I could not read this one at all, I couldn’t get into it at all! Not for me, sorry.

I could not read this one at all, I couldn’t get into it at all! Not for me, sorry.

Despite dealing with a very sensitive subject, the author writes about it delicately and with the utmost respect. The research she must have done to write this shows in every single page. The story focuses on the aftermath of the assault, showing the damage done, and thankfully doesn’t recreate on graphic descriptions of the assault itself (which would have been the case in some less capable hands).
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oof, this is not an easy read at all. Dealing with male rape and its aftermath, it’s not one for the faint-hearted, though I did think it was dealt with sensitively. From reading the synopsis, I wasn’t at all sure where the author was going to take this story, and some of the twists and turns it took really knocked me for six. I thought it was paced really well and found that the last 100 pages particularly had me hooked.

That this is a debut is all the more impressive and I’m looking forward to reading whatever Wahrer writes next. With thanks to Michael Joseph for gifting me a digital copy to review.

Damage is a thoughtful family drama that tackles an extremely difficult and sensitive topic: sexual assault. But whilst we tend to hear more about women suffering this absolutely horrendous ordeal, in this case, it is college student Nick, violently raped by a man he met whilst on a night out.

The story then follows Nick’s family – his older brother Tony, who has been like a father to Nick since he was young, and Tony’s wife Julia – as they try to come to terms with what has happened, and the incredibly difficult and upsetting period after Nick reported the rape to the police and was awaiting trial. We jump back to the time period when it actually happened, and the present day. It’s a shocking and important look at what people who have suffered this have to endure, and the way that it keeps affecting not just the person who was directly impacted but all their family and friends too.

I found some of this book hard to read, but it was gripping and the characters were really interesting. Though most of the book centres on Julia and Nick’s perspectives, the story also switches to Detective Rice, mainly during the ‘then’ timeline, and I really liked this swapping between the characters. As Detective Rice investigates the case and works closely with Nick, Julia and Tony to try and ensure Nick’s attacker is brought to justice, we’re not sure if Nick is hiding anything. The person identified as Nick’s attacker claims that it was consensual, so it’s their word against each other’s. This uncertainty adds to the tension which runs high throughout this novel, despite it being fairly slow in terms of plot progression. I felt it was much more about the character development and the family dynamics than any action-packed court drama, and I loved it.

The second half of Damage felt, for me, a bit more fast-paced as we start to doubt whether Tony can handle what’s going on as he becomes more and more determined to hurt Nick’s attacker. I enjoyed this novel hugely and think it’s such an important read as it’s not only thought-provoking but also handles the topic sensitively and (I imagine) with authenticity too in terms of how this kind of case would go through the courts in the US. And the ending had a sort-of-twist that left me feeling satisfied… Definitely recommended!

Male rape is an difficult subject to write about, and it might be a trigger to some readers. The book was well written, and kept me glued until the end. Recommended. .

I was completely immersed in this brilliant book from the first page.

Tony sees younger brother Nick as more like a son than a brother. He's always protected him from their drunk and abusive father. So when Nick is sexually assaulted one night, he vows to get justice - no matter what.

Nick battles with the aftermath - he feels weak and guilty about an untruth he told.

Tensions grow between Tony and wife Julia when Julia realises there are no lengths Tony won't go to to protect Nick.

Dealing with the issue of male sexual assault, the writer shows huge sensitivity and insight. Aside from that, this is simply a brilliant novel, with intrigue and a twist that left me punching the air.

Trigger warning for sexual assault. I think it was handled well and the book was well written. If you're ok to read about the subject matter, it's a good one.

I really enjoyed this book, i loved the characters and it was a great story. Id definitely read more by this author, very well written

This book was simply incredible. A fantastic exploration of the issues surrounding report sexual assault, particularly when it involves same sex and when alcohol is introduced into the event. It reminded of my Chanel Miller's Know My Name. Obviously as this work is fictional it allows for a much darker exploration of "what would you do if someone hurt a loved one" than the real life counterpart offers. I would highly recommend this book xx

An absolutely fantastic book and an incredible, realistic and powerful story. I lobed it and the family dynamics were written perfectly xx

A brilliant debut book
To write about male rape as your debut novel is to be applauded especially the way it was wrote about
Very well written
Can’t wait for the next from this author
Thanks NetGalley

A tale of a family’s love and how far they’d go to protect each other. Some really difficult reading but the ending was so worth it. Fantastic concept and an incredibly important subject to write about.

What lengths would you go to to protect the ones you love? In Caitlin Wahrer's compelling debut novel Damage, the lives of Nick, Tony and Julia are shattered after Nick is raped and beaten by a one night stand.

Nick, who is gay, is suffering from the shame and humilation at being overpowered by another man, with part of his trauma compounded by his verbally abusive alcoholic father.

His brother Tony, 17 years his senior was his surrogate dad, who takes it badly. Tony is a fixer, and feels he failed to protect Nick. Meanwhile Tony's wife Julia, a former defence lawyer, watches Tony fall apart with his growing anger and need for revenge. Julia can see where this is heading, and knows its not going to end well if it does.

The book weaves between present day 2019 and the events in 2015. As a lawyer Wahrer deftly weaves in how the justice treats rape survivors and part of the process involved after an assault.

Its a tightly written psychological thriller, where Wahrer uses the snowy, cold weather to slowly build tension as we jump back in time to find out how it unfolds.

The most heartbreaking bits are the chapters involving Nick in the aftermath - what he remembers, what he tells the police, his therapy sessions and the trial process. It's cold, its clinical and it retraumatises survivors. The basis of natural justice is innocent until proven guilty, but that implies survivors are liars until proven true. Where does that leave them?

Damage is thought-provoking and compelling. I would easily consider this one of the top psychological thrillers of 2021. I look forward to reading Wahrer's next novel.

Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and Aries and Netgalley.

A hard hitting book that tackles a subject not often talked about, a violent sexual assault on another male.
Chilling and tense all the way through, this book shows us the impact the attack has, not just on the victim, but those around him.