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The Damage Done
Lured by a prank phone call to a local park, Choi Lee, a Korean high school student living in New Hampshire, is unwittingly pushed to her breaking point. Since she was little, Choi’s parents have instilled in her a need to check her emotions, emphasizing that the damage done if she lost control would be catastrophic. With that phone call, Choi, her boyfriend, and her classmates will discover just how catastrophic after Choi is provoked to the point of no return.
Everyone in the park—the guilty, the innocent, the bystanders—they all die.
Inspecting the bodies littering the grass, Captain Pendleton, new to the Goffstown Police Force, walks the grounds of Barnard Park. His men are calling this event a microburst, but Pendleton had never seen a microburst decapitate, flatten, or twist a body inside out such as this. While at the park, he receives more unsettling news. There is a fatal incident at the local tavern with several people unconscious and at least two dead. Arriving at the tavern, Pendleton wonders if things could get any worse. It turns out they can. His men discover more bodies in a house next door to the tavern that a Korean family owns. The only survivor – a young girl named Choi, who has been shot in the head.
In the coming days, the gruesome deaths pile up.
Captain Pendleton’s investigation leads him to the owner of a local pawnshop. Together, they attempt to piece together Choi’s involvement with the deaths in the park, her home, and at the restaurant. However, Pendleton and the pawnshop owner are dealing with unfamiliar forces, and Choi’s ties to the supernatural and Korean folklore test the resolve and sanity of both men. It was Choi who initiated the events that led to the death of so many townspeople, and she is the key to stopping more.
The thing is, Choi is technically alive, but her brain is dead.
Everyone in the park—the guilty, the innocent, the bystanders—they all die.
Inspecting the bodies littering the grass, Captain Pendleton, new to the Goffstown Police Force, walks the grounds of Barnard Park. His men are calling this event a microburst, but Pendleton had never seen a microburst decapitate, flatten, or twist a body inside out such as this. While at the park, he receives more unsettling news. There is a fatal incident at the local tavern with several people unconscious and at least two dead. Arriving at the tavern, Pendleton wonders if things could get any worse. It turns out they can. His men discover more bodies in a house next door to the tavern that a Korean family owns. The only survivor – a young girl named Choi, who has been shot in the head.
In the coming days, the gruesome deaths pile up.
Captain Pendleton’s investigation leads him to the owner of a local pawnshop. Together, they attempt to piece together Choi’s involvement with the deaths in the park, her home, and at the restaurant. However, Pendleton and the pawnshop owner are dealing with unfamiliar forces, and Choi’s ties to the supernatural and Korean folklore test the resolve and sanity of both men. It was Choi who initiated the events that led to the death of so many townspeople, and she is the key to stopping more.
The thing is, Choi is technically alive, but her brain is dead.
- GenresHorror
266 pages, Paperback
Published July 18, 2024
44 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 13, 2024
Welcome to Goffstown, New Hampshire! A place that somehow seems to attract all manner of supernatural oddities. This time around the oddity takes the form of a young woman named Choi.
Due to a prank phone call to Choi by a local "mean girl," Choi heads over to her local park to see if her boyfriend is really there kissing another girl. What Choi sees makes her angry. And like the Incredible Hulk, you don't want to make Choi angry. After Choi leaves to seek out comfort from her mom, they both discover intruders at their home. This time Choi gets REALLY angry. Why were the intruders there? What happens when they are discovered? And lastly, what caused the massacre at the park? You'll have to read this to find out!
This is Tony Tremblay's third book about Goffstown. I feel like I am familiar with the town at this point and I can picture it clearly now. I've grown attached to our ex-communicated nuns and I feel terrible about the things they've been through. I've grown attached to the local news reporter, Manuel, and it was nice to see the sketchy Father MacLeod again.
Here's the thing though, I want to know more about the pawn shop owner, Gabriel. His is not your normal pawn shop guy. He collects artifacts from all over the world. Special artifacts-ones that must be protected and kept out of the wrong hands. Gabriel and his friend/bodyguard Rex have intrigued me since they were introduced in the previous books and here's the thing. I want to know more about Gabriel. Like, STAT!
I think The Damage Done is Tony Tremblay's best work yet, and that's really saying something. This book flows so easily from one scene to the next. He creates characters you can get behind and then he puts them through hell. In this way he reminds me of Stephen King-he also likes to create flawed characters that readers love and then drops them down into extraordinary circumstances so that you can't help but root for them. (Baby, can you dig your man?)
We have here a lovely example of one of my fondest tropes: evil in a small town. Why are all these terrible things happening in Goffstown? Is there something about it that draws in evil? Is Goffstown New Hampshire's Derry, Maine? I can't answer any of those questions, but I would sure love for Tony to answer them in his next book!
Highly recommended!
*ARC from author*
Due to a prank phone call to Choi by a local "mean girl," Choi heads over to her local park to see if her boyfriend is really there kissing another girl. What Choi sees makes her angry. And like the Incredible Hulk, you don't want to make Choi angry. After Choi leaves to seek out comfort from her mom, they both discover intruders at their home. This time Choi gets REALLY angry. Why were the intruders there? What happens when they are discovered? And lastly, what caused the massacre at the park? You'll have to read this to find out!
This is Tony Tremblay's third book about Goffstown. I feel like I am familiar with the town at this point and I can picture it clearly now. I've grown attached to our ex-communicated nuns and I feel terrible about the things they've been through. I've grown attached to the local news reporter, Manuel, and it was nice to see the sketchy Father MacLeod again.
Here's the thing though, I want to know more about the pawn shop owner, Gabriel. His is not your normal pawn shop guy. He collects artifacts from all over the world. Special artifacts-ones that must be protected and kept out of the wrong hands. Gabriel and his friend/bodyguard Rex have intrigued me since they were introduced in the previous books and here's the thing. I want to know more about Gabriel. Like, STAT!
I think The Damage Done is Tony Tremblay's best work yet, and that's really saying something. This book flows so easily from one scene to the next. He creates characters you can get behind and then he puts them through hell. In this way he reminds me of Stephen King-he also likes to create flawed characters that readers love and then drops them down into extraordinary circumstances so that you can't help but root for them. (Baby, can you dig your man?)
We have here a lovely example of one of my fondest tropes: evil in a small town. Why are all these terrible things happening in Goffstown? Is there something about it that draws in evil? Is Goffstown New Hampshire's Derry, Maine? I can't answer any of those questions, but I would sure love for Tony to answer them in his next book!
Highly recommended!
*ARC from author*
June 24, 2024
Choi and her parents were whisked to the US under mysterious circumstances.
They have settled in New Hampshire where Choi is attending high school and trying to fit in. But she is not like the other kids and it is not because she is Korean.
Too bad the "mean girls" didn't know that before they decided to pick on her.
Terrible things happen any time Choi is angry or frightened. This time, a cruel prank has pushed her too far.
Characters I recognized from a previous novel "The Moore House" will reunite in an attempt to stop the death toll from climbing, but even they are not immune to the supernatural influence that can turn even the kindest people into sadistic monsters.
The Damage Done combines Korean folklore with gruesome body horror in a fast-paced read that pulled me in from the brutal opening to the heart-wrenching climax. I feel as if the author tied me to a pendulum where I swung nervously back and forth, one minute being afraid for the characters and the next being afraid of them.
5 out of 5 stars
I received an advance copy courtesy of the author.
They have settled in New Hampshire where Choi is attending high school and trying to fit in. But she is not like the other kids and it is not because she is Korean.
Too bad the "mean girls" didn't know that before they decided to pick on her.
Terrible things happen any time Choi is angry or frightened. This time, a cruel prank has pushed her too far.
Characters I recognized from a previous novel "The Moore House" will reunite in an attempt to stop the death toll from climbing, but even they are not immune to the supernatural influence that can turn even the kindest people into sadistic monsters.
The Damage Done combines Korean folklore with gruesome body horror in a fast-paced read that pulled me in from the brutal opening to the heart-wrenching climax. I feel as if the author tied me to a pendulum where I swung nervously back and forth, one minute being afraid for the characters and the next being afraid of them.
5 out of 5 stars
I received an advance copy courtesy of the author.
July 23, 2024
4/5 The Damage Done is a wild ride. Choi a Korean American Teenager with a dangerous dose of supernatural powers is having a bad day. Unintentionally releasing her powers in a crowded park kicks our story off in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Everything spirals from there as the entire town appears to go bat shit crazy. Captain Pendleton is struggling to figure out just what the hell is going on and reel in the chaos.
Tremblay’s novel is exciting and frenetic with a decent amount of blood and guts without going over the top. Or what most people would consider over the top.
I will note that this is not the first novel that takes place in Goffstown and many members of the cast are returning from previous novels by Tremblay. I haven’t read those yet so I did feel I was missing key context and background on them but it didn’t stop me from really enjoying the story.
A fun horror romp with plenty of chaos and carnage.
Tremblay’s novel is exciting and frenetic with a decent amount of blood and guts without going over the top. Or what most people would consider over the top.
I will note that this is not the first novel that takes place in Goffstown and many members of the cast are returning from previous novels by Tremblay. I haven’t read those yet so I did feel I was missing key context and background on them but it didn’t stop me from really enjoying the story.
A fun horror romp with plenty of chaos and carnage.
July 24, 2024
This is the first novel length work that I’ve read by Tony Tremblay. It’s worth noting that this book is set in his “Moore House” background. The book stands alone just fine, but it’s clear that some of the key characters are shared between this and the earlier novel. It felt to me that I might be missing some of the characters’ deeper details that were developed in the “Moore House” book, but “The Damage Done” certainly fleshes them out sufficiently to service the story well. It’s made me want to add that earlier book to my near future reading list.
Briefly, this book dips into supernatural mental abilities resulting in (mostly Korean inspired) mythological forces made manifest, twisted character psyches, and some degree of physiological transformations. It’s fascinating, suspenseful, and in a few areas, very, very dark… but that often comes with the genre’s territory. Most importantly, it’s a hell of a page turner. I blazed through the book in record time and kept picking it up to read whenever time allowed… and even when it didn’t.
After the book’s first chapter, readers may think they’re getting the lay of the land and can see where the pages are heading. They would be wrong. The story twists, turns, then twists a couple more times, keeping you guessing where it’s all heading and how the tale’s alarming mayhem can be satisfyingly tamed by the last page.
Being originally from southern New Hampshire, I take a particular pleasure with Tony’s references to the area. If offers a special connection for me and other past/present locals. I hope he’s developed a good core of Goffstown, NH readers as I’m sure they’d be amused to see their quiet, familiar town turned upside down with supernatural chaos.
Briefly, this book dips into supernatural mental abilities resulting in (mostly Korean inspired) mythological forces made manifest, twisted character psyches, and some degree of physiological transformations. It’s fascinating, suspenseful, and in a few areas, very, very dark… but that often comes with the genre’s territory. Most importantly, it’s a hell of a page turner. I blazed through the book in record time and kept picking it up to read whenever time allowed… and even when it didn’t.
After the book’s first chapter, readers may think they’re getting the lay of the land and can see where the pages are heading. They would be wrong. The story twists, turns, then twists a couple more times, keeping you guessing where it’s all heading and how the tale’s alarming mayhem can be satisfyingly tamed by the last page.
Being originally from southern New Hampshire, I take a particular pleasure with Tony’s references to the area. If offers a special connection for me and other past/present locals. I hope he’s developed a good core of Goffstown, NH readers as I’m sure they’d be amused to see their quiet, familiar town turned upside down with supernatural chaos.
August 4, 2024
THE DAMAGE DONE starts like Stephen King's CARRIE on crack and does not let up! Tremblay introduces us to a variety of characters, and it's sinisterly satisfying to see them descend into their own type of madness. I was also touched by the author's covert nods to his friends in the book. It's full of gore and abuse that made me look away briefly, but never lose interest. I think it's one of Tremblay's best!
July 1, 2024
Who doesn’t know a teenager who isn’t emotional? Hormones tend to do such a number that the kids can make ‘Hello” sound like World War III, right? But that tends to be as far as it goes. No deaths, no injuries, just hurt feelings.
Not so with Korean teenager Choi Lee. When Choi Lee gets emotional things happen…bad things. When she gets upset, the guilty are punished all out of proportion to the ‘crime’ and the innocent become collateral damage as her destructive retaliation sweeps through like a tornado. This is why her parents, from the early age at which they discovered this facet of their daughter’s personality, have trained Choi in strict emotional control for her sake and the sakes of others.
It works…up to a point.
When the mean girls play a prank on Choi, she is unable to remain calm, and devastation and a high body count result. Choi, horrified at what she’s done, runs to her mother, who calms her and takes her home where they surprise burglars—one of whom has a gun and shoots them both. Mother dies and Choi is critically injured, but Choi manages to unleash the most horrifying emotional reprisal ever seen before she loses consciousness. At the hospital, her father explains that Choi must be calmed down for the destruction to stop—but Choi is in a coma and the doctors say she’s brain dead.
While investigating, the police captain stops at a hole-in-the-wall pawnshop in town that he’d never seen before. Those inside deal in the occult and will be a tremendous asset in resolving the situation, with an ending that you won’t see coming, but which makes perfect sense. His characters are all so well thought out and interesting that I had no difficulty regarding them as real people and was able to identify with aspects of many of them.
Mr. Tremblay is so adept with words that reading his work is akin to enjoying an excellent chocolate mousse—smooth and delicious—and when it’s gone leaves you with the memory of something truly extraordinary. You will eagerly anticipate the next book so that you may, again, feast on those dark and creamy chapters.
This is one book you do not want to miss.
Not so with Korean teenager Choi Lee. When Choi Lee gets emotional things happen…bad things. When she gets upset, the guilty are punished all out of proportion to the ‘crime’ and the innocent become collateral damage as her destructive retaliation sweeps through like a tornado. This is why her parents, from the early age at which they discovered this facet of their daughter’s personality, have trained Choi in strict emotional control for her sake and the sakes of others.
It works…up to a point.
When the mean girls play a prank on Choi, she is unable to remain calm, and devastation and a high body count result. Choi, horrified at what she’s done, runs to her mother, who calms her and takes her home where they surprise burglars—one of whom has a gun and shoots them both. Mother dies and Choi is critically injured, but Choi manages to unleash the most horrifying emotional reprisal ever seen before she loses consciousness. At the hospital, her father explains that Choi must be calmed down for the destruction to stop—but Choi is in a coma and the doctors say she’s brain dead.
While investigating, the police captain stops at a hole-in-the-wall pawnshop in town that he’d never seen before. Those inside deal in the occult and will be a tremendous asset in resolving the situation, with an ending that you won’t see coming, but which makes perfect sense. His characters are all so well thought out and interesting that I had no difficulty regarding them as real people and was able to identify with aspects of many of them.
Mr. Tremblay is so adept with words that reading his work is akin to enjoying an excellent chocolate mousse—smooth and delicious—and when it’s gone leaves you with the memory of something truly extraordinary. You will eagerly anticipate the next book so that you may, again, feast on those dark and creamy chapters.
This is one book you do not want to miss.
September 10, 2024
A compelling read
I read this one fast because I just couldn’t put it down. The action is paced well and even though you know bits and pieces of what’s happening and who’s doing bad things, you really don’t know how or why until it all comes together in the end.
I read this one fast because I just couldn’t put it down. The action is paced well and even though you know bits and pieces of what’s happening and who’s doing bad things, you really don’t know how or why until it all comes together in the end.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews