Wow this book was incredible! Gripping right from the start, I couldn't put it down. I would class this book as a thriller but there is also plenty of drama!
Such a fantastic debut for Caitlin Wahrer! I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!
Thank you to Caitlin Wahrer, NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the opportunity to read and review this book.

‘Damage’ is an incredible debut from Caitlin Wahrer.
The story follows a small town family and how all of their lives change after a horrendous attack and although it depicts a very difficult topic it is handled extremely well. The main characters are Tony, his wife Julia and his brother Nick; after Nick is attacked Tony finds it hard to come to terms that he could not protect Nick as he has done for most of their lives. Julia struggles to see the change in her husband and is at a loss as to help Nick when it appears his suffering will continue throughout the investigation.
Part of me would classify this book as a thriller because it reads like a gripping tale of avenging a loved one but it is also a domestic drama that feels so well thought out and ultimately real in the individual reactions to trauma.
There are so many intricate layers to this book I find it hard to put into an eloquent review; in my opinion I cannot express how much I want people to read this and discuss the questions it asks; primarily ‘How far would you go to protect your family?’
*Warning: this novel may be triggering as contains description of sexual assault.

This is an emotional read, due to the subject of sexual assault and it started off with a fast pace. However, the pace then slowed down and became repetitive, although the subject matter was handled with sensitivity. The writing was strong and there were interesting characters but the mix of police procedural and thriller just failed to work for me. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

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 almost his surrogate son) Nick is beaten and sexually assaulted. What follows is an intense family drama as the crime is investigated and the family deal with the emotional and traumatic fallout.

The writing is superb with its main cast of characters well explored and alongside these elements is narrative thread set 4 years later which hints at surprising twists and turns. Combined, it makes for a gripping, involving read. It deals with a very difficult subject matter well, though there was an occasion where there was a suggestion of a twist that would undermine Nick's story which I felt was unnecessary but thankfully it didn't take a crass route.

Not my usual choice of read but I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to what Caitlin Wahrer writes in future - this was a very impressive debut!

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for this ARC in exchange for a fair review.

Gripped from the beginning of this debut novel from Caitlin Wahrer. A hard read at times due to the subject matter. A slow burner but definitely worth staying with.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc of this book!

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 books, it just didn't live up to the expectation unfortunately.
I liked the characters of Nick, Julia and Tony and also Detective Rice who was doing everything he could, but the storyline was just a bit too predictable and the 'twists' weren't really twists. Went on a but too long and was a bit too repetitive.
I kept reading it though to see if anything unexpected would happen but sadly it wasn't a gripping novel like I had hoped.

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 due to the subject but it’s really well written and I found it quite steady going. Told in several viewpoints both from the time of the attack and looking back a few years later you can really see how the situation affected various individuals and led them to take the actions they did. Mental health is a huge focus of this but it’s all very sympathetic and considered. Although this could never be a happy story it is actually very digestible.

male rape and it's aftermath on both victims, perpetrator and families is not a subject matter often tackled in fiction. This book does explore the matter deftly and with a lightness of touch and depth. It talks about masculinity, power, revenge and the end of really satisfying. All the characters and their struggle, their humanity and complexity ring true.

This book hits the ground running. After the first couple of pages I knew I was reading a five star book and could not put it down. I will be looking out for Caitlin Wahrers books.

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 problems started. Tony and Julia are married and Nick is Tony's younger brother, whom he has always looked out for all his life. This triangle is about to fall apart. I did not enjoy the style of writing and not for me. I struggled to connect to any of the characters.

I give a 3 star rating only because the novel was not for m.

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REPLY

A hard hitting and brilliant debut. It deals with hard hitting and difficult subject matters. I cant believe this was her first novel as its so well written.

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 with the issues sensitivity but at the same time creating a slow building atmosphere of suspense. The story also considers the impact that such an attack has on all the family. The story alternates been several different character view points as the story moves forward. All the characters are really well written and their responses believable and definitely very real. This is definitely a character driven story but the storyline does keep you hooked right to the very last line.

What an incredible, intense and heartbreaking read.
The storyline of Nick being sexually assaulted was truly awful and the horrendous abuse he got when the story got out. The fact people can't get their head around that men can also be assaulted is heartbreaking and you felt that all the way through the book.
Ray Walker was a cruel and deceiving man and got what he truly deserved. The ending of the book was brilliant.
Nick, what a storyline for him and how he dealt with everything was so detailed and really true to life, again, great writing.
Tony, what a hero to Nick throughout his life and the support he has given to his little brother was warming and just so lovely. You could tell Tony would do anything for his family, including Murder?!
Julia, the strongest person without realising how amazing she is and the ending of the book shows this.
Honestly, as horrible the storyline was, great book, great raw writing and emotion.
Thank you for allowing me to read this wye opening book.

#NetGalley #TheDamage

An interesting concept for a procedural/crime thriller, yet this felt like there was a number of stumbling blocks, making it less easy to delve into through the subject matter.
A truly interesting concept, dealing with the harmful, devastating and relentless after effect of a sexual assault. The writing itself is engaging and well-paced, though the characters are missing some elements of the third dimension that could have really brought them to life.
As far as plot and narrative structures, the book came a little undone the further it went on - there was a lack of succinctness which grew alongside the length of the novel, which lead further to engagement being lost in the final third. The premise seems brilliant, yet the outcome is hindered at times by it's own ambitious nature to craft a unique victim-based tale, yet cram it into a well-know, tried and tested genre structure, wherein it is lost and seems unclear as to what it wants to be.
For readers, there is enigma, mystery and the base potential to really invest in characters...but with the distraction of pace and procedure clouding the potential to really care about character for too long, before shifting gears and keeping up with the narrative nuts and bolts.

Real potential and some lovely sections of well-crafted writing from Wahrer, but what begins with finesse and curiousity-invoking storytelling, peters out into a slightly outpaced generic crime-thriller.

Interesting story and characters but rather too long winded.Felt it wandered all over the place with too many narrators.

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 and really was not what I expected. I would recommend but expect some tears.

I hate giving negative reviews, but I am so sorry about not being able to finish reading this book. I got forty seven percent in and I just can't read anymore. It's quite boring and nothing really happens, the storyline just seems to drag on. The characters have no substance and they seem wooden, with no fire in their bellies.
It's not published until 8th July so if I do manage to continue reading it I will edit this review, but for the meantime I just can't read anymore.

This book hooks you in and you can only feel sympathy for the victim. His supportive family do everything they can to help him sometimes too much. With a few surprises along the way this book is worth a read. It

This book was ok, but I wouldn't really go further than just ok.

It was very character driven, which is something I usually like, but it was very slow going and I prefer my novels to be a bit more fast-paced.

I did enjoy how developed the characters were, and I especially liked Detective Rice. The beginning and end of the book where the action happens are actually quite exciting and I enjoyed those parts, but the middle section is just so long-winded that I often found myself getting a little bored and just wanted it to hurry up and end!

I would recommend this if slow burners are your thing, but I didn't love it.

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 down. He is brutally beaten and raped, but when the police investigate the assailant claims that Nick was the instigator of the encounter and that the encounter was consensual. A media campaign orchestrated by this clever predator and his mother means that Nick’s anonymity is compromised, and he is judged by strangers with their own opinions on what it means to be a gay man. His brother, Tony, has always looked out for him and tried to protect him, particularly from their bullying father and Nick’s neglectful mother, but finds his efforts to help now are at best ineffectual and occasionally doing more harm than good, and his torment has a knock-on effect on his family. What is the truth about what happened that night, and can Nick and his family ever recover? This is an amazing novel, tense and gripping and frequently surprising. The characters are well drawn, the plot satisfyingly intricate and the horrible nature of the crime balanced with empathy and emotion. It is refreshing, when so many thrillers feature sexual violence against women, to see one centred on a male victim, and it is handled with sensitivity and honesty. An original and compelling read that raises lots of ethical questions but also has lots of heart..