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Damage
There was a time when I prayed for Rachel to be real―it ended the night she tried to kill me. When Dani was eight, she fell from a building. No one believed her claim that she was pushed by Rachel, her imaginary friend. It took years of therapy to convince Dani that Rachel was a product of her own mind.
Now fifteen, Dani wants to make it as a dancer. But a deadly freak accident sends her a terrifying Rachel is back, she's real, and she'll stop at nothing to kill Dani. Complicating matters is Jesse, the school bad boy who's being stalked by his own invisible childhood monster.
When Dani and Jesse join forces to learn why their tormenters are back, their investigation leads to a horrifying discovery―and the secret that binds them to each other.
Now fifteen, Dani wants to make it as a dancer. But a deadly freak accident sends her a terrifying Rachel is back, she's real, and she'll stop at nothing to kill Dani. Complicating matters is Jesse, the school bad boy who's being stalked by his own invisible childhood monster.
When Dani and Jesse join forces to learn why their tormenters are back, their investigation leads to a horrifying discovery―and the secret that binds them to each other.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
12 people are currently reading
2740 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
December 29, 2011
3.5 stars? 2 stars? I don't know.
There were some great things about this book:
* the concept
* some fun action sequences
* a scary imaginary friend named Rachel
* the unexpected depth of the scenes with her stepmother
* an intriguing ending
some ho-hum things:
* okay-but-not-spectacular hero and heroine
* instalove
* muddled, predictable FBI shenanigans
* not a whole lot of depth or intricacy to the plot or characters
and some bordering-on-distasteful things:
* some violence later in the book , which I thought crossed the line a little. I love great action scenes as much as the next person, but I was turned off by some of the ones , etc., etc. Mostly because they felt like they were done for shock value, without the physical or emotional consequences that should follow.
but most of all, I think I just couldn't get over what Jesse's imaginary creature was. It's revealed a few chapters in, but in the interests of not spoiling it at all, I'll hide it here. It's pretty much the equivalent of having a dinosaur in the room that no one else can see. It would have been nice to at least have a sense of humor about the ridiculousness of this scenario, but unfortunately it was all serious business for just about all of the book.
I'm mildly curious about where the story will go in the next book, but I'll most likely wait to see what others have to say about it first...
There were some great things about this book:
* the concept
* some fun action sequences
* a scary imaginary friend named Rachel
* the unexpected depth of the scenes with her stepmother
* an intriguing ending
some ho-hum things:
* okay-but-not-spectacular hero and heroine
* instalove
* muddled, predictable FBI shenanigans
* not a whole lot of depth or intricacy to the plot or characters
and some bordering-on-distasteful things:
* some violence later in the book , which I thought crossed the line a little. I love great action scenes as much as the next person, but I was turned off by some of the ones , etc., etc. Mostly because they felt like they were done for shock value, without the physical or emotional consequences that should follow.
but most of all, I think I just couldn't get over what Jesse's imaginary creature was. It's revealed a few chapters in, but in the interests of not spoiling it at all, I'll hide it here. It's pretty much the equivalent of having a dinosaur in the room that no one else can see. It would have been nice to at least have a sense of humor about the ridiculousness of this scenario, but unfortunately it was all serious business for just about all of the book.
I'm mildly curious about where the story will go in the next book, but I'll most likely wait to see what others have to say about it first...
July 13, 2017
Fun, fast-paced, action-heavy YA adventure. I think this would be classed as soft sci-fi, rather than, as I expected from the blurb, fantasy.
Early on I was afraid that the plot device with the imaginary friend might irk me by not making any sense, but in fact it did get explained in a way that was not only adequate for plot purposes but fairly original. I would have liked to have more development of how the
Four stars is maybe a little generous, but it is a strong debut and I appreciate that he avoid many tropes that often decrease my enjoyment of YA, especially when romance was present. Yes, it was a touch instalove, but I thought it was sufficiently justified by the intense circumstances and the hints later on that plus they clearly had at least been checking one another out at school, even though they hadn't talked. I liked that they had a quite equal relationship, saving one another and taking turns providing emotional support, and there was no manipulation or abuse portrayed as romantic, as is weirdly and grossly frequent in YA romance.
I also liked that there was some depth to the relationships between family members. Being realistic about parents is a part of growing up, and I thought both characters did a pretty good job of coping a mature way, without hysterical scenes.
Since it's July, I'll toss this out as a recommended beach read: fairly light and easy, but not vexatious or painfully stupid.
Early on I was afraid that the plot device with the imaginary friend might irk me by not making any sense, but in fact it did get explained in a way that was not only adequate for plot purposes but fairly original. I would have liked to have more development of how the
Four stars is maybe a little generous, but it is a strong debut and I appreciate that he avoid many tropes that often decrease my enjoyment of YA, especially when romance was present. Yes, it was a touch instalove, but I thought it was sufficiently justified by the intense circumstances and the hints later on that plus they clearly had at least been checking one another out at school, even though they hadn't talked. I liked that they had a quite equal relationship, saving one another and taking turns providing emotional support, and there was no manipulation or abuse portrayed as romantic, as is weirdly and grossly frequent in YA romance.
I also liked that there was some depth to the relationships between family members. Being realistic about parents is a part of growing up, and I thought both characters did a pretty good job of coping a mature way, without hysterical scenes.
Since it's July, I'll toss this out as a recommended beach read: fairly light and easy, but not vexatious or painfully stupid.
Want to read
September 8, 2011Sep 8th.
Sounds good. Although, i'll have to put aside the fact that the homicidal manic shares my name. Just my luck, lol!
Sounds good. Although, i'll have to put aside the fact that the homicidal manic shares my name. Just my luck, lol!
Read
July 30, 2022Not for me but I can see this being SUPER good if you're in YA age range and into horror. I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to buy the insta love but if that's not an issue for you, this is definitely dark and creepy feeling. DNF at Chapter 5.
October 30, 2011
Damage by Anya Parrish has such a cool premise - two teenagers that had homicidal imaginary friends as children suddenly come together and realize the nightmare isn't over yet. Unfortunately - the awesomeness of the plot far exceeded the characterization, leaving me feeling mostly disappointed.
I will say first that this book was definitely creepy. Did you have an imaginary friend as a kid? What would you do if it suddenly turned up and tried to throw you off a building or breathe fire at you? Top it off with being chased by shady governmental officials and we have definite Halloween-worthy drama on our hands.
Dani and Jesse are in a horrible bus crash, which reawakens their childhood nightmares, leaving them scared out of their minds and in terrible danger. They try to unlock the secrets as to why both of them have such similar problems - which ends up wrapping them up in medicinal complications and governmental intrigue. Whoa boy, are they in for a wild ride.
So, the plot was pretty much non-stop. They went from one terrible situation to the next, constantly trying to battle their imaginations and collect more information about their pasts. Unfortunately - the danger catches up to them far too quickly. There is a massive twist at the end that will leave you bug-eyed, my friends!
Too bad the characters fail to live up to the plot in basically every single way. Both Dani and Jesse basically function only as plot devices. None of their actions or emotions ring true. Ever. I was so totally disappointed by this. The book should have been longer, giving them more room to develop naturally. Example: Dani goes from having never been kissed and hating having people touch her at all to suddenly being in love with Jesse and hating being unable to touch him every second. (I'll pause here so you can roll your eyes.) Seriously, I don't know how to say it any other way - the characterization was just plain bad.
Still, if you don't care as much about the people as you do about a crazy-intense-thrilling-high-octane plot, than Damage is a book you'll enjoy! Creepy and suspenseful at every turn.
I will say first that this book was definitely creepy. Did you have an imaginary friend as a kid? What would you do if it suddenly turned up and tried to throw you off a building or breathe fire at you? Top it off with being chased by shady governmental officials and we have definite Halloween-worthy drama on our hands.
Dani and Jesse are in a horrible bus crash, which reawakens their childhood nightmares, leaving them scared out of their minds and in terrible danger. They try to unlock the secrets as to why both of them have such similar problems - which ends up wrapping them up in medicinal complications and governmental intrigue. Whoa boy, are they in for a wild ride.
So, the plot was pretty much non-stop. They went from one terrible situation to the next, constantly trying to battle their imaginations and collect more information about their pasts. Unfortunately - the danger catches up to them far too quickly. There is a massive twist at the end that will leave you bug-eyed, my friends!
Too bad the characters fail to live up to the plot in basically every single way. Both Dani and Jesse basically function only as plot devices. None of their actions or emotions ring true. Ever. I was so totally disappointed by this. The book should have been longer, giving them more room to develop naturally. Example: Dani goes from having never been kissed and hating having people touch her at all to suddenly being in love with Jesse and hating being unable to touch him every second. (I'll pause here so you can roll your eyes.) Seriously, I don't know how to say it any other way - the characterization was just plain bad.
Still, if you don't care as much about the people as you do about a crazy-intense-thrilling-high-octane plot, than Damage is a book you'll enjoy! Creepy and suspenseful at every turn.
October 7, 2011
I was first drawn to this book by its cover. It has the pretty-creepy factor going on, and a really chilling synopsis that demanded me to read it. I ended up pre-ordering this book way in advance, that’s how good it sounds! The story is told from two point of views that alter between chapters, from the two main characters Dani and Jesse. Dani and Jesse have been tormented by their imaginary friends as a child, and were told by their elders that what they experience is all in their head. As both grew older, they both came to believe that the adults were probably right and it was nothing but their imagination. One day while Dani and Jesse are on a school trip, their bus gets knocked off the road by another truck. Matters go from bad to worse when their imaginary friends turn out to be real, and are trying to kill them.
The pace of the book was great; it immediately caught my attention from the first page. Hearing the description of Rachel gave me the creeps, which was extra scary considering I was reading at 12-1 in the morning (ekk!) I kind of thought that this book was going to be somewhat like a ghost story, but as the book progress and we learn how Dani and Jesse are connected, it was clear that this was no ghost story. This book really surprised me because of all the twist and turns it took. Overall a good story, the only small problem I had with the book is how quick the two characters fell for each other. It was practically right when they set their sights on one another, than again it is a young adult novel…characters are both 15 and 17 years old. I finished this book in about a day, fairly short considering its 264 pages.
If you want to read a book with a mix of horror, action and romance or to read something new and different than pick this book up. I can definitely say that this isn’t like many books out there (well not any that I’ve read), and I can’t exactly say why because I would give the ending away; P
The pace of the book was great; it immediately caught my attention from the first page. Hearing the description of Rachel gave me the creeps, which was extra scary considering I was reading at 12-1 in the morning (ekk!) I kind of thought that this book was going to be somewhat like a ghost story, but as the book progress and we learn how Dani and Jesse are connected, it was clear that this was no ghost story. This book really surprised me because of all the twist and turns it took. Overall a good story, the only small problem I had with the book is how quick the two characters fell for each other. It was practically right when they set their sights on one another, than again it is a young adult novel…characters are both 15 and 17 years old. I finished this book in about a day, fairly short considering its 264 pages.
If you want to read a book with a mix of horror, action and romance or to read something new and different than pick this book up. I can definitely say that this isn’t like many books out there (well not any that I’ve read), and I can’t exactly say why because I would give the ending away; P
August 4, 2018
Definitivamente a pesar de los personajes medio cliché y del instant love, este libro consiguió atraparme entre sus páginas, me permitió disfrutar de la aventura, de la intriga y del final.
Una historia juvenil que se lee en poco tiempo, con acción constante y con varios secretos por revelar.
Una historia juvenil que se lee en poco tiempo, con acción constante y con varios secretos por revelar.
April 11, 2012
I was excited for DAMAGE because I was looking forward to a good YA horror read. It sounds like one, right? Except it ended up traveling down a really weird path that I didn't really see coming at all. And it was weird to the point that at times it bordered on being just downright silly. And it's a weird in a kooky but not endearing kind of way either. There were a few too many elements thrown in that really mucked it up, is what I think I'm trying to say.
I did like the two characters, Dani and Jesse, as the story alternated between their two viewpoints. But their relationship just made me heinously uncomfortable. It seemed so inappropriate considering everything that was going on. In a matter of hours they were totally in love with each other. Seriously. But that wasn't really the awkward part. Being in their respective heads I was privy to their thoughts, obviously, so when they're thinking about kissing each other when they're running from some fake FBI dudes it really threw me. Just the whole relationship seemed immensely forced. It was far too much, way too soon and insanely inappropriate for the circumstances. They didn't have any cooling off periods to dwell on anything. They were constantly moving from the turning point of the story, which was in like chapter 2. It really did not sit right with me.
Removing the relationship aspect their characters were pretty good if not a little stock-ish. Dani is the quiet yet secretly strong character while Jesse is the outwardly bad boy who's merely a product of his environment. Not bad, just not all that original. I still liked reading about them. I cared enough about them to see what happened to them. I was rooting for them the whole time and I wanted them to be okay. I just didn't like their relationship. But I already said that. They were rather smart together. They fed off each other well and not in a synergistic corruption type of situation either. They were each others' idea machines when it came to trying to get out of their problems and they really worked well together. Dani and Jesse were serious compliments to each other and I did like that.
The weirdness? I can't really say much without spoiling the entire plot. I'll just say it went really far off course of where I thought it was going to be. Bad guys are everywhere and can be anyone and horrible, horrible things happened to the characters when they were younger that they weren't aware of. Rachel would have been a phenomenal entity in a purer horror setting but in DAMAGE she's a bit subdued. Although I will give Parrish credit for not skimping on the carnage. Loved it. As demented as that sounds. She wasn't afraid to do what needed to be done with her tools. But this isn't a horror story. Not really. It's kind of more science fiction/conspiracy theory stuff and it kind of ruined the juju for me a little when it started to reveal itself. Again it wasn't bad it was just really off course for me.
Overall it's not terrible. It's entertaining and the characters are likable enough that I think you'd enjoy reading about them. They really do act like kids stuck in a terrible situation and I believed most of their actions. Dani and Jesse worked really well together although I felt Dani got over the death of her seemingly best friend far too quickly (chapter 1/2 element). Made her look a bit callous. But she's still endearing to an extent. I liked watching her come out of the shell that she made for herself. I don't think Jesse changed all that much from beginning to end although he kept saying Dani was the first person he really loved aside from his sister in his entire life. But other than that he was pretty static. It's an entertaining read. Just don't go into it thinking it's horror. It's not and I think that's one of the major reasons that I didn't think more of DAMAGE. Stupid expectations. Or perhaps just off-point blurbing.
I did like the two characters, Dani and Jesse, as the story alternated between their two viewpoints. But their relationship just made me heinously uncomfortable. It seemed so inappropriate considering everything that was going on. In a matter of hours they were totally in love with each other. Seriously. But that wasn't really the awkward part. Being in their respective heads I was privy to their thoughts, obviously, so when they're thinking about kissing each other when they're running from some fake FBI dudes it really threw me. Just the whole relationship seemed immensely forced. It was far too much, way too soon and insanely inappropriate for the circumstances. They didn't have any cooling off periods to dwell on anything. They were constantly moving from the turning point of the story, which was in like chapter 2. It really did not sit right with me.
Removing the relationship aspect their characters were pretty good if not a little stock-ish. Dani is the quiet yet secretly strong character while Jesse is the outwardly bad boy who's merely a product of his environment. Not bad, just not all that original. I still liked reading about them. I cared enough about them to see what happened to them. I was rooting for them the whole time and I wanted them to be okay. I just didn't like their relationship. But I already said that. They were rather smart together. They fed off each other well and not in a synergistic corruption type of situation either. They were each others' idea machines when it came to trying to get out of their problems and they really worked well together. Dani and Jesse were serious compliments to each other and I did like that.
The weirdness? I can't really say much without spoiling the entire plot. I'll just say it went really far off course of where I thought it was going to be. Bad guys are everywhere and can be anyone and horrible, horrible things happened to the characters when they were younger that they weren't aware of. Rachel would have been a phenomenal entity in a purer horror setting but in DAMAGE she's a bit subdued. Although I will give Parrish credit for not skimping on the carnage. Loved it. As demented as that sounds. She wasn't afraid to do what needed to be done with her tools. But this isn't a horror story. Not really. It's kind of more science fiction/conspiracy theory stuff and it kind of ruined the juju for me a little when it started to reveal itself. Again it wasn't bad it was just really off course for me.
Overall it's not terrible. It's entertaining and the characters are likable enough that I think you'd enjoy reading about them. They really do act like kids stuck in a terrible situation and I believed most of their actions. Dani and Jesse worked really well together although I felt Dani got over the death of her seemingly best friend far too quickly (chapter 1/2 element). Made her look a bit callous. But she's still endearing to an extent. I liked watching her come out of the shell that she made for herself. I don't think Jesse changed all that much from beginning to end although he kept saying Dani was the first person he really loved aside from his sister in his entire life. But other than that he was pretty static. It's an entertaining read. Just don't go into it thinking it's horror. It's not and I think that's one of the major reasons that I didn't think more of DAMAGE. Stupid expectations. Or perhaps just off-point blurbing.
December 19, 2016
The concept of a childhood imaginary friend being villainous and murderous was very attention grabbing, and I was excited to read this after borrowing it from the library. However, the novel itself did not do the plot justice.
While the concept of this book is exciting, thrilling and sounds completely awesome - I think my expectations were WAY too high for what the author produced, unfortunately.
From the beginning of the novel, the two protagonists bonded way too quickly, and established trust and romantic interests in each other way too soon to be realistic. While, undoubtedly, they would have bonded over being two people being tormented by imaginary creatures, they were exceptionally dependent on one another irrespective of Jesse's well-known "bad boy" image. I found the progression of their relationship to be much too fast, and in this way was portrayed extremely unrealistically.
I was also quite confused regarding the imaginary creatures - while Dani had an imaginary human young girl, Rachel, as her attacker... Why did Jesse have a dragon? This was not explained at all... Of course no two people would create the same imaginative fragment, but a dragon? Of all things he could have imagined, why did he immediately think, "Yes. I'm in hospital with a type of cancer. I want a dragon here."? It didn't really make sense to me.
While there are many, many things that let me down about this book, one thing I did enjoy was how Anya Parrish managed to weave each character into the story to be involved in some major, unexpected way. Dani's father, her step-mother, her step-mother's brother... They all were thrown in there to be involved in the major events of the story by means that I did not expect.
Perhaps the biggest downfall of this book for me was the ending. While it was supposed to be a sort of happy, empowering ending... It didn't really make much sense to me, and it did not resolve or explain much from the entire story like an ending should. Sure, it is great that Dani and Jesse begin to take control of their lives, but how will they control these creatures? What about everyone who was being held in a safe house because they had similar powers due to the medication? There were many things left unanswered which was quite disappointing.
The plot excited me, but the novel did not meet my expectations. I do not think I will be in a hurry to read any more of Parrish's work.
While the concept of this book is exciting, thrilling and sounds completely awesome - I think my expectations were WAY too high for what the author produced, unfortunately.
From the beginning of the novel, the two protagonists bonded way too quickly, and established trust and romantic interests in each other way too soon to be realistic. While, undoubtedly, they would have bonded over being two people being tormented by imaginary creatures, they were exceptionally dependent on one another irrespective of Jesse's well-known "bad boy" image. I found the progression of their relationship to be much too fast, and in this way was portrayed extremely unrealistically.
I was also quite confused regarding the imaginary creatures - while Dani had an imaginary human young girl, Rachel, as her attacker... Why did Jesse have a dragon? This was not explained at all... Of course no two people would create the same imaginative fragment, but a dragon? Of all things he could have imagined, why did he immediately think, "Yes. I'm in hospital with a type of cancer. I want a dragon here."? It didn't really make sense to me.
While there are many, many things that let me down about this book, one thing I did enjoy was how Anya Parrish managed to weave each character into the story to be involved in some major, unexpected way. Dani's father, her step-mother, her step-mother's brother... They all were thrown in there to be involved in the major events of the story by means that I did not expect.
Perhaps the biggest downfall of this book for me was the ending. While it was supposed to be a sort of happy, empowering ending... It didn't really make much sense to me, and it did not resolve or explain much from the entire story like an ending should. Sure, it is great that Dani and Jesse begin to take control of their lives, but how will they control these creatures? What about everyone who was being held in a safe house because they had similar powers due to the medication? There were many things left unanswered which was quite disappointing.
The plot excited me, but the novel did not meet my expectations. I do not think I will be in a hurry to read any more of Parrish's work.
July 30, 2012
The only reason this book isn't getting 5 stars is because I find the explanation to what was going on to be scientifically weak. I'm not an endocrinologist but really, the book would have been better if the resolution had been a bit vaguer so we scientists wouldn't be able to nitpick.
Other than that I have absolutely nothing to point out, excellent pacing, characters, plot, everything was great.
I've read reviews complaining about the insta-love and they held me back from reading this book for a while. There was insta-love, yes, but it was more believable than that particular plot point tends to be, taking in consideration how the character's pasts, their personalities, and the situation they were in contributed to it.
But honestly, it was so original and at times really creepy, I definitely recommend it! I suck at writing reviews of books I really like, I guess I'm a better hater :/
Anyway, go read this, it's great!
And I really, really, REALLY hope this will become a series!
Other than that I have absolutely nothing to point out, excellent pacing, characters, plot, everything was great.
I've read reviews complaining about the insta-love and they held me back from reading this book for a while. There was insta-love, yes, but it was more believable than that particular plot point tends to be, taking in consideration how the character's pasts, their personalities, and the situation they were in contributed to it.
But honestly, it was so original and at times really creepy, I definitely recommend it! I suck at writing reviews of books I really like, I guess I'm a better hater :/
Anyway, go read this, it's great!
And I really, really, REALLY hope this will become a series!
October 9, 2011
This book is definitely a must read !!! Damage tells the story of Dani , who is tormented by her ' imaginery friend ' Rachel ... Sounds good , well its a hell like experience for her .
This book is such a thrill ride coz the whole book just talks about events unfolding on one single day . No tomorow , no day after !! Just one day .. And its all too much to handle . What i really loved about this book was that this book talks about a very delicate subject from science point of view .. Loved the way the author has handled the subject . The ending was mind blowing !!!
This book is such a thrill ride coz the whole book just talks about events unfolding on one single day . No tomorow , no day after !! Just one day .. And its all too much to handle . What i really loved about this book was that this book talks about a very delicate subject from science point of view .. Loved the way the author has handled the subject . The ending was mind blowing !!!
May 23, 2012
I wanted a scary book, I didn’t get it. Mostly because the characters didn’t spice it up for me and the monster Jess has really makes me snicker when it’s finally unveiled.
There’s a whole lot of escaping and running away bits and the writing isn’t the most beautiful, it’s on the rough and simplistic side so I wasn’t really into the story. Until the ending. Can you say holy crap? Crazy plot twists I never saw coming and a whole bunch of what the fuck is going on moments that’ll make you sit up when you read it.
There’s a whole lot of escaping and running away bits and the writing isn’t the most beautiful, it’s on the rough and simplistic side so I wasn’t really into the story. Until the ending. Can you say holy crap? Crazy plot twists I never saw coming and a whole bunch of what the fuck is going on moments that’ll make you sit up when you read it.
April 8, 2013
Me encanto totalmente. Lo que mas me atrajo fue la portada y toda la sinopsis, medio de terror y así pero resulta que al final se convirtió en todo menos eso.
Lo que no me gusto fue ese insta super insta-love entre Dani y Jesse, pero al final.. Jesse de verdad, me enamore de el en la tarde que me tomo leer el libro.
Otro personaje que me fascino fue Rachel, moorrriaaaaa dee riisaaasss con ellaaaa jajajaja.
EL FINAL ME DEJO CON GANAS DE MAAAS.
O sea de verdad, que les pasa a estos escritores que les encanta dejarnos con las ganas? No es lindo, NO ES.
Lo que no me gusto fue ese insta super insta-love entre Dani y Jesse, pero al final.. Jesse de verdad, me enamore de el en la tarde que me tomo leer el libro.
Otro personaje que me fascino fue Rachel, moorrriaaaaa dee riisaaasss con ellaaaa jajajaja.
EL FINAL ME DEJO CON GANAS DE MAAAS.
O sea de verdad, que les pasa a estos escritores que les encanta dejarnos con las ganas? No es lindo, NO ES.
November 21, 2011
It was non-stop action but the plot wasn't very thick and there wasn't much character development.
February 28, 2018
I’ve always found the idea of imaginary friends to be quite creepy (even if I did pretend to have them when I was younger). The premise of this book kept me engrossed, as I haven’t really read anything like it. I liked both of the main characters, Dani and Jesse. I felt like I could relate to Dani a little, with how awkward and insecure she is with the idea of any type of intimacy with other people. The only thing is that the ending felt a bit rushed and incomplete to me. I feel like it was a cliffhanger and that either the book should’ve been longer, or that there should be a second one. Otherwise, I’d say it’s worth a read.
February 19, 2024
DNF at chapter 3 page 37
A huge disappointment. Imaginary friends gone bad, the trope that is one of my favorite tropes in horror. This book is not that, huge misdirection. The book feels like it was written like an early 2000’s cringe fest / watt pad fanfic
The main character Dani…… aka the “I’m not like other girls”
If I had to read Jesse talk/think about how Dani smells one more time…. The characters were so bland and no diversity of different types of people.
I just would not recommend at all.
A huge disappointment. Imaginary friends gone bad, the trope that is one of my favorite tropes in horror. This book is not that, huge misdirection. The book feels like it was written like an early 2000’s cringe fest / watt pad fanfic
The main character Dani…… aka the “I’m not like other girls”
If I had to read Jesse talk/think about how Dani smells one more time…. The characters were so bland and no diversity of different types of people.
I just would not recommend at all.
April 9, 2022
I've been reading my oldest books on my TBR lately and these books have been gems, including this one. This story was equal parts suspense, suspicious behavior, conspiracy, supernatural things, literally everything I love. I liked the 2 main characters, I know it was instalove but it just worked for me. The love connection wasn't the main focus, it just helped move the plot along. This book made me question every action and suspicious of everyone, I loved it.
January 15, 2017
Este es uno de esos libros que llegas a encontrar cuando no te llama la atención algún libro que tengas y te decides por este porque no tiene continuación y es para una lectura de relajación porque no cuenta con alguna secuela o precuela por la que preocuparse.
Su lectura es muy fácil, ya que las palabras utilizadas son simples y comunes y todos las podamos comprender. El espacio de la narración es en el mundo actual, siglo XXI, en el cual Dani y Jesse enfrentan, incluyendo problemas típicos de adolescentes, a sus némesis: esto quiere decir que se enfrentan a sus miedos de manera que piensan que son reales y no un producto de su imaginación, causando que los doctores crean que se trata de alguna enfermedad psicológica de la que se debe tratar.
Puede que esto sea al estilo Mara Dyer con todo eso de la mutación genética pero te aseguro que este libro tiene su propio estilo al enlazar las vidas de los personajes principales desde su niñez y juntarlos en un futuro próximo donde deberán escapar, no sólo de sus propios miedos, sino también de los científicos que están detrás de ellos después de sufrir aquel accidente que reactivo a sus némesis y así poder estudiarlos; ya que desde niños fueron seleccionados específicamente por, de parte de Dani, su enfermedad y también porque su papá pensó que así le podía la vida y de parte de Jesse por su situación familiar, ya que no tenía ninguno y de esa manera nadie iba a reclamar a un niño abandonado en un hospital infantil.
Pero ahí no es todo, porque también ellos cuentan con habilidades especiales que les permitieron sobrevivir a aquellos accidentes y enfermedades.
Es una historia en la que te darás cuenta de que no sólo es una historia de ciencia ficción adaptada a la vida normal, sino también de que incluye un toque de amor entre los personajes.
Si es que no tienes algo que hacer o algún libro que leer que te puedas decidir, comienza a leer este libro para pasar el rato entre que decides que hacer.
Su lectura es muy fácil, ya que las palabras utilizadas son simples y comunes y todos las podamos comprender. El espacio de la narración es en el mundo actual, siglo XXI, en el cual Dani y Jesse enfrentan, incluyendo problemas típicos de adolescentes, a sus némesis: esto quiere decir que se enfrentan a sus miedos de manera que piensan que son reales y no un producto de su imaginación, causando que los doctores crean que se trata de alguna enfermedad psicológica de la que se debe tratar.
Puede que esto sea al estilo Mara Dyer con todo eso de la mutación genética pero te aseguro que este libro tiene su propio estilo al enlazar las vidas de los personajes principales desde su niñez y juntarlos en un futuro próximo donde deberán escapar, no sólo de sus propios miedos, sino también de los científicos que están detrás de ellos después de sufrir aquel accidente que reactivo a sus némesis y así poder estudiarlos; ya que desde niños fueron seleccionados específicamente por, de parte de Dani, su enfermedad y también porque su papá pensó que así le podía la vida y de parte de Jesse por su situación familiar, ya que no tenía ninguno y de esa manera nadie iba a reclamar a un niño abandonado en un hospital infantil.
Pero ahí no es todo, porque también ellos cuentan con habilidades especiales que les permitieron sobrevivir a aquellos accidentes y enfermedades.
Es una historia en la que te darás cuenta de que no sólo es una historia de ciencia ficción adaptada a la vida normal, sino también de que incluye un toque de amor entre los personajes.
Si es que no tienes algo que hacer o algún libro que leer que te puedas decidir, comienza a leer este libro para pasar el rato entre que decides que hacer.
February 20, 2019
3.5
Leído en un dia, así de interesante esta. Realmente increíble, y no deberían leerlo muy tarde.
Perdió un punto porque realmente me decepcionó el final, y el destino de algunos personales (Penny, Mina) y realmente hubiera dado otro final a los personajes principales. Eso me va a quitar el sueño por unos días :(
Leído en un dia, así de interesante esta. Realmente increíble, y no deberían leerlo muy tarde.
Perdió un punto porque realmente me decepcionó el final, y el destino de algunos personales (Penny, Mina) y realmente hubiera dado otro final a los personajes principales. Eso me va a quitar el sueño por unos días :(
April 23, 2019
Damage is a good book, but the only issue I have with it is it's inconsistent flow. There's slow moments, but then suddenly BAM, it hits you with hard and fast things that make you a little confused. There's no emotional connection to the characters because of this. The premise is promising, but it could have been executed better.
August 26, 2021
There is so much to love about this book! I love the fast-paced action and the concept behind the "imaginary friends". The only downside is that it left me wanting more! I read this book for the first time years back when I was very young and just now decided to buy it and I'm glad to see that it still holds up!
August 24, 2020
It kept you wanting more. It was a really good book however the ending of this book I personally did not like. I didn't like the ending because it felt like they just stopped right at the good part and it just ended. It leaves you with so many questions and no answers.
February 6, 2017
It was ok, kept me interested. Characters had insta love and no real depth. I liked the imaginary friend concept.
September 19, 2017
Esperaba mucho más
August 26, 2018
Creo que el final es lo único que vale la pena.
September 26, 2018
Whao... Impactantemente impresionante, me encanto esta historia esta llena de acción algo te miedo y también amor, como siempre lo que no puede faltar en las historias juveniles
July 31, 2023
kind of cringe
March 2, 2016
In ‘Damage’, Dani can still remember being hospitalized when she was eight years old as that was when she met her imaginary friend, Rachel. She stopped wishing for Rachel to become real when Rachel almost killed her. Now fifteen, Dani’s ordinary day soon turns into something tragic and life-threatening when she almost dies in an accident which triggers the reappearance of Rachel. Together with mysterious bad boy Jesse, they know they must figure out what's going on before it’s too late.
The fearsome cover combined with the interesting storyline made me decide to read this. I especially enjoyed the prologue featuring the flashbacks in which Rachel wrecked havoc. However, as soon as the accident (in present time) occurred, I started to lose interest because the instant love was not only annoying but it was also the focal theme throughout the entire story. All of a sudden, Dani and Jesse have such deep feelings for each other. I’ve read that sharing a traumatizing or scary experience can lead to such emotional bond but the way it was written just made their romance unconvincing and terribly forced.
Besides that, their thoughts (especially Jesse’s) merely revolved around each other. For instance, any time they were in danger, Jesse would be thinking about how he simply can’t let anything hurt Dani because he wouldn’t be able to live without her and that would be the worst thing to happen to him. If that was mentioned once or twice, it’d be acceptable but no, this went on in almost every single page. I also didn’t like how he kept repeating that Dani looked fragile but she was actually really strong. Authors should show, not tell. Telling is lazy and ineffective!
The alternating perspectives between Dani and Jesse were pointless since neither had a distinct voice. This storytelling style only provided more ways to annoy the reader with their ‘love’ towards each other. I highly doubt that people would have time to be obsessed with another person when they know that some strangers are hot on their trails and that they might just drop dead at any moment. Both of them were incredibly boring too. Jesse got to play the role of the hero while Dani alternated between being the occasional heroine and damsel in distress. They were too boring to even dislike.
The horror aspect which was so promising in the beginning was sadly underwhelming. Jesse’s imaginary friend was ridiculous and didn’t fit with the story at all. As for Rachel, I liked how she was really creepy and menacing but it soon became obvious that the author was playing it safe by making sure that no matter what Rachel did, she would never actually hurt Dani for good. Come on – hurling cups? That’s juvenile, unoriginal and laughable. Even Jesse’s imaginary friend was wasted as he was supposedly powerful yet he clearly wasn’t doing his best to annihilate Jesse.
In the meantime, Dani and Jesse discovered that their wounds could . Any normal person would have freaked out but no, they stayed cool. How unrealistic. As for the mystery behind who were pursuing them and why, the answers made some sense but the villains were seriously stupid. On the bright side, there were a couple of interesting action sequences which mostly involved automobiles. The ending was alright but I felt that everything was resolved too easily considering that it was presented as something complicated.
Overall, ‘Damage’ was promising but the storyline was bogged down by the focus on the poorly written romance and the only horrifying thing was how a bus could crash, leaving almost everyone dead yet go unreported until hours later.
The fearsome cover combined with the interesting storyline made me decide to read this. I especially enjoyed the prologue featuring the flashbacks in which Rachel wrecked havoc. However, as soon as the accident (in present time) occurred, I started to lose interest because the instant love was not only annoying but it was also the focal theme throughout the entire story. All of a sudden, Dani and Jesse have such deep feelings for each other. I’ve read that sharing a traumatizing or scary experience can lead to such emotional bond but the way it was written just made their romance unconvincing and terribly forced.
Besides that, their thoughts (especially Jesse’s) merely revolved around each other. For instance, any time they were in danger, Jesse would be thinking about how he simply can’t let anything hurt Dani because he wouldn’t be able to live without her and that would be the worst thing to happen to him. If that was mentioned once or twice, it’d be acceptable but no, this went on in almost every single page. I also didn’t like how he kept repeating that Dani looked fragile but she was actually really strong. Authors should show, not tell. Telling is lazy and ineffective!
The alternating perspectives between Dani and Jesse were pointless since neither had a distinct voice. This storytelling style only provided more ways to annoy the reader with their ‘love’ towards each other. I highly doubt that people would have time to be obsessed with another person when they know that some strangers are hot on their trails and that they might just drop dead at any moment. Both of them were incredibly boring too. Jesse got to play the role of the hero while Dani alternated between being the occasional heroine and damsel in distress. They were too boring to even dislike.
The horror aspect which was so promising in the beginning was sadly underwhelming. Jesse’s imaginary friend was ridiculous and didn’t fit with the story at all. As for Rachel, I liked how she was really creepy and menacing but it soon became obvious that the author was playing it safe by making sure that no matter what Rachel did, she would never actually hurt Dani for good. Come on – hurling cups? That’s juvenile, unoriginal and laughable. Even Jesse’s imaginary friend was wasted as he was supposedly powerful yet he clearly wasn’t doing his best to annihilate Jesse.
In the meantime, Dani and Jesse discovered that their wounds could . Any normal person would have freaked out but no, they stayed cool. How unrealistic. As for the mystery behind who were pursuing them and why, the answers made some sense but the villains were seriously stupid. On the bright side, there were a couple of interesting action sequences which mostly involved automobiles. The ending was alright but I felt that everything was resolved too easily considering that it was presented as something complicated.
Overall, ‘Damage’ was promising but the storyline was bogged down by the focus on the poorly written romance and the only horrifying thing was how a bus could crash, leaving almost everyone dead yet go unreported until hours later.
September 15, 2016
Damage tenía todos los ingredientes para ser un libro diferente, atrayente y original. Comencé sin muchas expectativas, así que no me he llevado un batacazo al leerlo, pero el final sí que me ha jodido porque es bastante abierto y lo odio.
Entonces, Damage comienza con Dani y Jesse yéndose de excursión con el instituto en un bus, cuando durante el camino, tienen un accidente y los únicos que sobreviven son ellos dos. A partir de ahí, comienza un sin parar de acción, una escena detrás de otras sin dar descanso. No suelo ser muy fan de la acción, pero no me desagradaba mucho en este libro, así que continué leyendo. Entonces la cosa se complica aún más y hay que tener en cuenta que el libro transcurre en un solo día, y aún así la cosa me gustaba y quería saber más sobre estos "amigos imaginarios" tan sanguinarios y el ambiente tan creepy: Está Rachel, una niña con la cara cortada la cual ve Dani, y un dragón por parte de Jesse, así que todo prometía bastante.
Hasta que se meten con las cosas de modificación del ADN, experimentos, gobierno y todo ese rollo al que suele acompañar a este tipo de historias. Por lo normal, esto no me molesta siempre y cuando toda la parte científica tiene "sentido" dentro de lo que cabe, pero es que en Damage no le encontraba ni pies ni cabeza. Estos científicos crean una droga o algo así y empiezan a experimentar con niños sanos, como Jesse, y con niños enfermos, como Dani, con el propósito de que no tengan más enfermedades. La droga en sí lo que hizo fue alterar el ADN, hacer que estos niños vieran cosas, esos "amigos imaginarios", hacerlos más fuertes, rápidos y con curación súper rápida y cambiar el sistema inmunológico.
Como he dicho, el libro ocurre en un día, por lo que cuando digo que hay instalove, hay instalove. Los protagonistas no habían hablado en su vida y ese mismo día, por azares de la vida, ya sienten como que tienen que dar la vida por el otro, que nunca se habían sentido así de unidos a alguien más, que se sienten muy afortunados de contar con el otro y esa gran necesidad de proteger al otro de lo que sea y como sea, con decir que poco tiempo después de eso, sobre el final del día, ya se están diciendo te quiero.
Otra cosa que no me ha gustado es que constantemente Jesse pensaba cosas como "me tengo que alejar de Dani para protegerla porque no puedo controlar a la cosa" y entonces ella le soltaba un discurso de por qué tenían que seguir juntos y él cambiaba su "me voy" a "tenemos que estar juntos pase lo que pase porque esa es la manera en la que tiene que ser".
Y luego está ese final. O sea, ¿qué clase de final es ese? ¿y sin segunda parte? Penny, Dani y Jesse tienen un accidente de coche, pasan 6 meses y despiertan gracia a Rachel en una habitación, que presumo que es por los del FBI (los malos del libro) y termina con que Jesse puede ver a Rachel sin ninguna explicación de por qué antes no y ahora sí y con Dani diciéndole a Rachel que puede hacer todo lo que le venga en gana con los del FBI para salir de allí (porque sí, a Rachel solo la ve Dani pero puede hacer daño físico real (o matar) a personas o tocar cosas pero nadie la puede ver). Y fin. Eso es todo. Ehh, ¿hola? ¿Ninguna explicación? ¿Ningún por qué? ¿Ningún cómo? ¿Nada? No se ve absolutamente nada de qué pasa con estos dos, o si van a dejar de ver a estas cosas extrañas o si Jesse se encuentra con su hermana o qué pasa con ellos en un futuro y cómo escapan y siguen adelante. Por mucho que el libro no haya sido del otro mundo, odio que la historia quede así de incompleta.
Entonces, Damage comienza con Dani y Jesse yéndose de excursión con el instituto en un bus, cuando durante el camino, tienen un accidente y los únicos que sobreviven son ellos dos. A partir de ahí, comienza un sin parar de acción, una escena detrás de otras sin dar descanso. No suelo ser muy fan de la acción, pero no me desagradaba mucho en este libro, así que continué leyendo. Entonces la cosa se complica aún más y hay que tener en cuenta que el libro transcurre en un solo día, y aún así la cosa me gustaba y quería saber más sobre estos "amigos imaginarios" tan sanguinarios y el ambiente tan creepy: Está Rachel, una niña con la cara cortada la cual ve Dani, y un dragón por parte de Jesse, así que todo prometía bastante.
Hasta que se meten con las cosas de modificación del ADN, experimentos, gobierno y todo ese rollo al que suele acompañar a este tipo de historias. Por lo normal, esto no me molesta siempre y cuando toda la parte científica tiene "sentido" dentro de lo que cabe, pero es que en Damage no le encontraba ni pies ni cabeza. Estos científicos crean una droga o algo así y empiezan a experimentar con niños sanos, como Jesse, y con niños enfermos, como Dani, con el propósito de que no tengan más enfermedades. La droga en sí lo que hizo fue alterar el ADN, hacer que estos niños vieran cosas, esos "amigos imaginarios", hacerlos más fuertes, rápidos y con curación súper rápida y cambiar el sistema inmunológico.
Como he dicho, el libro ocurre en un día, por lo que cuando digo que hay instalove, hay instalove. Los protagonistas no habían hablado en su vida y ese mismo día, por azares de la vida, ya sienten como que tienen que dar la vida por el otro, que nunca se habían sentido así de unidos a alguien más, que se sienten muy afortunados de contar con el otro y esa gran necesidad de proteger al otro de lo que sea y como sea, con decir que poco tiempo después de eso, sobre el final del día, ya se están diciendo te quiero.
Otra cosa que no me ha gustado es que constantemente Jesse pensaba cosas como "me tengo que alejar de Dani para protegerla porque no puedo controlar a la cosa" y entonces ella le soltaba un discurso de por qué tenían que seguir juntos y él cambiaba su "me voy" a "tenemos que estar juntos pase lo que pase porque esa es la manera en la que tiene que ser".
Y luego está ese final. O sea, ¿qué clase de final es ese? ¿y sin segunda parte? Penny, Dani y Jesse tienen un accidente de coche, pasan 6 meses y despiertan gracia a Rachel en una habitación, que presumo que es por los del FBI (los malos del libro) y termina con que Jesse puede ver a Rachel sin ninguna explicación de por qué antes no y ahora sí y con Dani diciéndole a Rachel que puede hacer todo lo que le venga en gana con los del FBI para salir de allí (porque sí, a Rachel solo la ve Dani pero puede hacer daño físico real (o matar) a personas o tocar cosas pero nadie la puede ver). Y fin. Eso es todo. Ehh, ¿hola? ¿Ninguna explicación? ¿Ningún por qué? ¿Ningún cómo? ¿Nada? No se ve absolutamente nada de qué pasa con estos dos, o si van a dejar de ver a estas cosas extrañas o si Jesse se encuentra con su hermana o qué pasa con ellos en un futuro y cómo escapan y siguen adelante. Por mucho que el libro no haya sido del otro mundo, odio que la historia quede así de incompleta.
October 26, 2011
Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!
No one believed Dani when she said that her imaginary friend, Rachel, pushed her off the roof of the hospital when she was eight-years-old. Dani used to enjoy spending time with Rachel during the months she spent at St. Baptist’s getting treatment for her diabetes. One night, however, Rachel turned sinister and, when Dani survived the fall from the roof, made it her mission to kill Dani by any means possible. Psychiatrists, doctors and Dani’s parents spent years trying to convince Dani that Rachel wasn’t real, and eventually she stopped seeing the little girl with the piercing blue eyes and the bloody gash for a mouth. Now Dani is fifteen-years-old and living in fear that Rachel will return. What she doesn’t know is that her worst fears will be realized: after a freak bus accident on a school field trip, Rachel returns stronger than ever and even more determined to kill Dani. Someone else survives the bus accident, however: Jesse, a quiet rebel who has always had his eye on Dani. Dani and Jesse escape the crash together and soon make a startling discovery: Jesse was plagued by his own invisible monster as a child as well, and that monster has also returned ready to kill.
Creepy, exciting and romantic, this debut novel by author Anya Parrish makes for a mind-bending adventure full of twists and turns. Almost from the first pages, the author lets the reader know that they are in for something different. The basic concept behind the novel is something that seems promising even when taken at face value: homicidal imaginary friends. When Dani’s “friend” Rachel is introduced, the image created is quite horrifying: Rachel is a rambunctious little girl who keeps Dani from feeling lonely in the hospital. When Dani is finally able to see her friend’s face, however, she discovers that her mouth is a gaping line that oozes blood whenever she smiles. Rachel’s constant determination to murder Dani would be almost comical if the little eight-year-old in every reader wasn’t frightened by the idea of the imaginary friend gone bad. Parrish accomplishes a lot with her creation of the “Rachel” character, and this is the strongest element of the novel. Of course, like most young adult books, there is a romantic male lead in the form of bad boy Jesse. The novel is told in alternating voices between Jesse and Dani, and it is revealed early in the story that Jesse was also plagued by an evil imaginary monster when he was younger: a vicious dragon he simply referred to as “The Thing.” Not much more can be said about the plot without giving away too much of the story, but the novel dives into many different genres as it progresses, from horror to mystery to spy-thriller. The result is a very enjoyable book that can be enjoyed by both teens and adults equally.
I loved the concept behind this novel when I read the description, and, after reading the book, I found that it surpassed my expectations! The idea of homicidal imaginary friends sounds funny, but I was genuinely creeped out by the descriptions of Rachel. As the plot unraveled, however, I began to lose the creepy-vibe and began to really get into the twists and turns of the story. I really hope that the author decides to make the novel into a series because I think it has a lot of potential!
No one believed Dani when she said that her imaginary friend, Rachel, pushed her off the roof of the hospital when she was eight-years-old. Dani used to enjoy spending time with Rachel during the months she spent at St. Baptist’s getting treatment for her diabetes. One night, however, Rachel turned sinister and, when Dani survived the fall from the roof, made it her mission to kill Dani by any means possible. Psychiatrists, doctors and Dani’s parents spent years trying to convince Dani that Rachel wasn’t real, and eventually she stopped seeing the little girl with the piercing blue eyes and the bloody gash for a mouth. Now Dani is fifteen-years-old and living in fear that Rachel will return. What she doesn’t know is that her worst fears will be realized: after a freak bus accident on a school field trip, Rachel returns stronger than ever and even more determined to kill Dani. Someone else survives the bus accident, however: Jesse, a quiet rebel who has always had his eye on Dani. Dani and Jesse escape the crash together and soon make a startling discovery: Jesse was plagued by his own invisible monster as a child as well, and that monster has also returned ready to kill.
Creepy, exciting and romantic, this debut novel by author Anya Parrish makes for a mind-bending adventure full of twists and turns. Almost from the first pages, the author lets the reader know that they are in for something different. The basic concept behind the novel is something that seems promising even when taken at face value: homicidal imaginary friends. When Dani’s “friend” Rachel is introduced, the image created is quite horrifying: Rachel is a rambunctious little girl who keeps Dani from feeling lonely in the hospital. When Dani is finally able to see her friend’s face, however, she discovers that her mouth is a gaping line that oozes blood whenever she smiles. Rachel’s constant determination to murder Dani would be almost comical if the little eight-year-old in every reader wasn’t frightened by the idea of the imaginary friend gone bad. Parrish accomplishes a lot with her creation of the “Rachel” character, and this is the strongest element of the novel. Of course, like most young adult books, there is a romantic male lead in the form of bad boy Jesse. The novel is told in alternating voices between Jesse and Dani, and it is revealed early in the story that Jesse was also plagued by an evil imaginary monster when he was younger: a vicious dragon he simply referred to as “The Thing.” Not much more can be said about the plot without giving away too much of the story, but the novel dives into many different genres as it progresses, from horror to mystery to spy-thriller. The result is a very enjoyable book that can be enjoyed by both teens and adults equally.
I loved the concept behind this novel when I read the description, and, after reading the book, I found that it surpassed my expectations! The idea of homicidal imaginary friends sounds funny, but I was genuinely creeped out by the descriptions of Rachel. As the plot unraveled, however, I began to lose the creepy-vibe and began to really get into the twists and turns of the story. I really hope that the author decides to make the novel into a series because I think it has a lot of potential!
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