Mini Reviews: Damage Done by Amanda Panitch and Paperweight by Meg Haston

From Goodreads: 22 minutes separate Julia Vann’s before and after. Before: Julia had a twin brother, a boyfriend, and a best friend. After: She has a new identity, a new hometown, and memories of those twenty-two minutes that refuse to come into focus. At least, that’s what she tells the police. Now that she’s Lucy Black, she's able to begin again. She's even getting used to the empty bedroom where her brother should be. And her fresh start has attracted the attention of one of the hottest guys in school, a boy who will do anything to protect her. But when someone much more dangerous also takes notice, Lucy's forced to confront the dark secrets she thought were safely left behind. One thing is clear: The damage done can never be erased. It’s only just beginning... 

My Rating: 1.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Damage Done by Amanda Panitch had the potential to be a much more engaging read than it was. After all, the main character, Julia, was the only witness to a school shooting committed by her twin brother! Sadly, I could muster no sympathy for Julia or her former classmates, who you end up learning little about. What was more frustrating though was the ending because it resulted in Julia acting very out of character.

A bland book with a rather unbelievable plot, Damage Done was released in July 2015 by Random House Books for Young Readers. 

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Random House) for free via NetGalley. 
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From Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old Stevie is trapped. In her life. In her body. And now in an eating-disorder treatment center on the dusty outskirts of the New Mexico desert. Life in the center is regimented and intrusive, a nightmare come true. Nurses and therapists watch Stevie at mealtime, accompany her to the bathroom, and challenge her to eat the foods she’s worked so hard to avoid. Her dad has signed her up for sixty days of treatment. But what no one knows is that Stevie doesn't plan to stay that long. There are only twenty-seven days until the anniversary of her brother Josh’s death - the death she caused. And if Stevie gets her way, there are only twenty-seven days until she too will end her life.  

My Rating: 3 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Paperweight by Meg Haston isn’t the easiest of reads as it features an initially unlikeable protagonist and deals with themes like eating disorders, grief, abuse, and toxic friendships. Thankfully, as I learned more about Stevie's past through flashbacks and the more she developed as a character over the course of the novel, I grew to like Stevie. I also liked the way Stevie’s relationship with her therapist was portrayed, and that Paperweight acknowledges that there are a number of causes that can contribute to the development of an eating disorder.

Paperweight was released by HarperTeen in July 2015. 

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (HarperCollins) for free via Edelweiss.