Damage Done - Amanda Panitch - Review And Giveaway

If you read We Were Liars last summer and are looking for another YA read in the same vein, you'll want to pick up Amanda Panitch's debut novel Damage Done.

Julia Vann has moved to a new town, a new school, a new house - and a new name. You can call her Lucy Black now. She's left that old identity behind - along with her twin brother and the 22 minutes she can't remember. 22 minutes where her boyfriend, her best friend and nine others died.

This new town seems okay, and she's made some new friends - and met a cute new guy. But can you ever outrun your past? Or is the damage done?

Panitch drops breadcrumbs along the way into the deep, dark forest that is Lucy/Julia's memory and truth. Astute readers will pick up on the scattered single lines that hint and promise something more, something darker than Lucy is sharing with the reader. I was able to predict the final aha moment, but Panitch adds one more final twist.

Damage Done is recommended for 14+. It's definitely not for readers younger than that as there are serious and disquieting themes woven into the plot. As an adult, I did find myself questioning the depiction of the parents and their lack of involvement. But hey, it's a YA novel. Same for the rapid falling in love and friend angst - I found it a bit dispassionate. But that rapid pace gives us a page turning tale.  Damage Done is a quick read, albeit a little disturbing. Read an excerpt of Damage Done.

"Amanda Panitch grew up next to an amusement park in New Jersey and went to college next to the White House in Washington, DC. She now resides in New York City where she works in book publishing by day, writes by night, and lives under constant threat of being crushed beneath giant stacks of books. Visit Amanda online at amandapanitch.com and follow her on Twitter @AmandaPanitch."

And if you think you'd like to find out what the twist is, I have one copy to giveaway to a lucky reader, courtesy of Random House Children's Books.Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US and Canada, no PO boxes please. Ends Aug 15/15.

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