A dark truth: DAMAGE DONE by Amanda Panitch

Damage Done

by Amanda Panitch

Gr 9+

In the vein of We Were Liars and Gone Girl with a YA twist, Panitch delivers a heart-pounding, emotionally-charged novel that proves that not everything is what it seems. Julia Vann faces unmentionable consequences when her twin brother, Ryan, brings a gun to school and kills eleven people in the band room. Ryan, after shooting himself, remains in a coma, and Julia’s family moves to a different city to escape the whispers and outright hatred.

As Julia, now called Lucy, realizes her brother’s psychologist is following her, she must confront buried memories that threaten her daily existence. The slow trickle of reminiscences unveils a dark truth, one that Julia/Lucy wants hidden forever, and one in which she will go to extreme lengths to protect.

VERDICT: The latest in unreliable narrators, Panitch combines heart-twisting realities with good old-fashioned mystery.

Note: I reviewed Damage Done for School Library Journal.