Damage

by A.M. Jenkins

What you really want to do
is give up trying. Lay your head down on
the steering wheel and quit sneezing,
quit breathing, quit trying. The problem is, you can't .
Just quit, that is.
When people want to quit,
they have to choose.
Make a decision. Take action.

Genres: Young Adult, Sports, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Football, Contemporary, Mental Illness

192 pages, Library Binding

First published October 1, 2001

About the author

Born in 1961. Have lived in TX all my life. Divorced with three sons, two dogs (Hobo and Tyson), two cats (Waldo and Smudge), and two gerbils (Nimbus and Gobi). Jobs throughout my life include pizza maker, ice cream dipper, day care worker, bookstore manager, aerobics instructor, high school math teacher, elementary reading tutor, and freelance writer (warning: this, kiddies, is what may happen to you if you get a liberal arts degree). Published books include Breaking Boxes, Damage, Out of Order, Beating Heart, Repossessed, Night Road, and Hallowmere #5 Queen of the Masquerade (with Tiffany Trent). Short stories include The Last Second, in Michael Cart's anthology Rush Hour: Reckless.

Reviews

[Julie Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

You enjoy this book because it is written in the second person, although you feel that the character of Heather could have been developed so much more and maybe even turned out to be less of a flake than she was when she started. You think the author wrote well, and gave a good sense of the feeling of teenage depression and sexuality, although you could have done without the frequent references to Heather's butt.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how well the second person narrative fit this novel, considering I'd never really seen it done well before. The book tells the story of a high school senior struggling with depression and his relationship with a girl whose father has committed suicide. While the main character, Austin, was well-written and Jenkins's portrayal of depression was both heart-rending and acurate, I felt that essentially Heather (the girl he dates) was abandoned both by the other characters and by the author. Austin ends up tossing some comment about her being in control of her life, and his best friend Curtis's evaluation of Heather as nothing but a shallow and manipulative girl is actually reinforced by Austin and the author at the end. This, despite the lengths to which Jenkins goes to show that depression is something Austin does not want and is not his fault. There is a strange dichotomy in the way his mental illness is portrayed versus the way that Heather's is: his is pitiable, hers is repulsive. Never mind that Austin's use of Heather to make himself feel better is not so different from Heather's attempts to manipulate her world to make herself feel better. The real difference is that in the end, Austin has someone he can turn to, while Heather is unable to do so.
Still, one of the best depictions of depression I've ever seen in a YA novel.

[Sophie Gimble · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot I could say, but don’t think I want to. A.M. Jenkins understands the feeling, the wayward thoughts, the complete loss of how time is actually passing, to a point of scary precision. I can’t think of another time I’ve read a novel in second person, but it left me shaky - in a good way. I’m going to word vom if I don’t stop here, so I’ll stop here. I’m glad my friend shared this one with me ❤️

[Ryan Thebado]

In the book Damage by A.M Jenkins there is this kid in high school that is depressed. His Name is Austin. Austin plays football on the high school team and has two friends on the team named Curtis and Dobie. Austin had a hard life in his point of view. One day Austin attempted suicide by cutting himself. There was this girl named Heather that helped Austin get through this hard time in his life.

[Carrie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book was… wow. Okay, let me try to gather my thoughts. I just finished reading “Damage” by A.M. Jenkins. I picked this book to read because, well, it was a “boy” book and I am trying to balance my reading this summer between “boy” and “girl” books. I didn’t really expect to like it much; it’s a boy book and the main character plays football – my LEAST favorite sport. But, this book caught me by surprise. It was interesting, moving, and about so much more than football.

Austin Reid is the main character in “Damage.” He is a tall, good-looking, lady-killing, football star. He is “The Pride of the Panthers.” He is the guy every girl wishes she could date. But, Austin hasn’t been feeling like himself lately. It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning. He has to force himself to go through the motions of getting ready and “click a smile into place” when he goes out into the world. And football, his lifelong love, just isn’t fun anymore. Austin feels tired and heavy and squeezed and on-edge all of the time. What is going on? But then Heather comes into his life. Heather seems to have a similar past, similar problems. When he is around Heather, things seem a little more solid, a little better, a little more like normal. But, how will Heather respond when Austin really opens up and lets her in? Will the ground beneath him stay solid, or will everything slip away again?

I can’t begin to put into words how important and powerful I think this book could be for young men. The topic of this book is depression. I think this is a topic that we don’t like to discuss with teens in general (we don’t want to give them ideas), but especially gets left undiscussed with boys. Boys are expected to be rough and tumble, largely devoid of feelings other than happy and mad. This book brings to light the fact that young adult males get depressed, too. It provides validation for young men who may be feeling this way – others feel it, too. It also, to some degree, gives some helpful advice about the right way to go about dealing with the problem.

Also, I was really impressed with the author’s portrayal of living with depression in the book – how the character thought and felt, how people around him acted and reacted. I have had some personal experience with depression (a family member and a close friend), and the thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions of characters in the book all rang very true. Nothing felt sugar-coated or dramatized; everything felt very real. I appreciated that.

The one thing about this book that… well… was strange, I guess, was the fact that it was written in the second person (using “you” instead of “I” or “he/she” for the narrator). For the life of me, I cannot figure out WHY the author chose to write this book in second person. I don’t know if the author is trying to make the point that depression is ubiquitous and we all have felt that way (or know someone who has). I don’t know if the author was trying to show that the main character was kind of having an out-of-body experience, always feeling like he was outside himself, watching what was happening to him. I just don’t know. It seems like such a strange choice. And it was confusing. Each time I would pick the book up again after taking a break from it, I would find myself reading and re-reading sentences, befuddled by the use of “you” – trying to figure out why the author was talking to me. I would be jarred and have to re-adjust each time. I didn’t like it!

The second person point-of-view aside, I would highly recommend this book to junior high and high school males. It can get a little “touchy-feely” at times, but I think guys will enjoy the rest of it enough to overlook those few brief moments. I would also recommend this book to female young adults. The main character IS male, but the second person POV makes it easy to put yourself into the book, into Austin’s shoes, and forget you’re looking through the eyes of a boy. This book deals with an important issue and is quite moving. Everyone should read it!

[Runa]

I went into reading this very skeptical. A football book? Why would I ever want to read a football book? Amazon and several other sites recommended it though, so I did get it and read it. It started out a little flat. I was still reeling over the whole football thing. The first person narration was a little off-putting. Things weren't great. Typical jock, typical girl, typical story, blahblahblah. Or...you know, not. I started getting interested upon getting a better explanation about Curtis, a surprisingly sensitive football player. I still had my doubts, mentally ranting about how stupid it was that society forced football players to put on a perfect "image", still feeling that these boys were pathetically weak for not showing their emotions. (This, actually, was the one thought that stayed through the entire book. The rest were all disproven.) Going into the second half, things aren't as perfect as they seem. The facade is lifted and everyone's lives have been damaged. It was Austin's conversation with his mom that really won me over, leading in to one of the best endings I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The emphasis on football died down, and more and more of the book focused on the characters' lives and emotions, the interesting stuff. Simply amazing. As Austin's interest in life fades, the intensity of the book grows. Damage is really one of those books that everyone should take the time to read. Biggest shocker? A.M. Jenkins is a woman.

[Andrew Mannino · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Damage, by A.M. Jenkins was a text I could relate to because of the topic. The events and relationships throughout the book mirrored the life of an average high school student. It’s a great novel that will keep you wondering and asking yourself what is next.

I personally loved the book; I thought it was very similar to the things I’m going through in my high school years. I liked it when the main character would talk about the bond with his friends a how that bond would never break. Another point I liked about the book was when it would discuss how the characters would hang out. That reminded me of the times my friends and I just hang out with each other. One of the things I would have changed about the book was when Austin got a girlfriend it bothered me to see the friends drift apart. Another thing I would have changed would have been when he was thinking about committing suicide even though he was going through some rough times. “He’s my best friend” (pg98) this quote shows how Austin cares for his friends when his girlfriend heather talks bad about them. He’s been friends with them for a long time and he’s not going to end it for a girl.

[ZPelc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I'm not a very huge fan of reading, I normally don't get into many books. However, I really enjoyed reading this book. One reason I believe that I got into this book, is because it was about football, and the main character, Austin, going through a lot of problems throughout the book. To me, the conflicts and theme of this book could not have been better implemented. I feel a lot of teens would like this book, and could relate due to the relationship, and friendship problems that occurred throughout this story.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damage is written in the second person point of view and takes you into the life of a teenage boy that is depressed. Because of the second person point of view, the story makes you feel like you are in the book and you end up forming sympathy and empathy for the main character. This book is well written and will be an easy, enjoyable read.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book but was sad throughout it and had a good thought and message to it.

[James Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the novel damage by A.M Jenkins the author's craft made the book more enjoyable. Jenkins would describe the feelings the characters have. In one scene after a football game. You’re sitting there, attacked by the usual day-after-a-game soreness. Your muscles are stiff; your shoulders ache,and the back of your thighs” (Jenkins 49). This helps me understand how the characters feel because they play high school football, and after a game the author expresses how the players feel sore and aches and pains after their games. Another example of Jenkins describing the characters feelings. “You can’t wait for practice to be over , because most days she waits for you. Sometimes you go to the Dairy Queen, where Heather orders a Diet Coke what you get a jumbo ice water or sprite. Sometimes you even order fries because it seems like you’re hungry. Ire often these days” ( Jenkins 96). This shows how Jenkins is being descriptive because she says “you can’t wait for practice to be over” and that showstopper are excited for what you are going to do after practice. She also says what you get at dairy queen and how you have been ordering a fries lately because you have been hungrier. My last example of the author being descriptive. “He did it after my mom old him she wanted a divorce. He was living in the garage apartment out back. Whenever I went to see him he was just mostly sitting in his armchair staring into space. He didn’t care if I was there or not. Sort of like the way you’re behaving right now”(Jenkins 140). This is an example of the author vexing descriptive because she said when “I went to go and visit my dad in the garage he was mostly sitting in his armchair staring into space” she didn’t need to say where he was sitting and she could just say he was staring into space. She compared how her dad acted when she would go and and see him to Heather's boyfriend. She said “ Sort of like the way you’re behaving right now” she just conspired him to her father. In conclusion the authors craft helped me understand the novel more because the author explained thing more.

[Mateo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hardcover writes damage, the book was published on October 1, 2001.
Austin has 17 years old he is in high school, he has all the problems that a high schooler can have, and he is suffering from depression also sometimes he thinks of suicide, but every time he thought about suicide walks to his friend's house, and explains to him. But all is not bad because he is also a football superstar at the Parksville Panthers High School, he is also popular but whit a bag of problems.

Damage is a great book that is also not hard to read and understand. I kine the book was written in 2nd person and makes you feel like you are in the book, not like a character, nor like a fiend bus yes like an observant. A.M. Jenkins do really well when he wrote this book because you can feel the emotions that Austin feels when he thinks of suicide or is a point of depression. A.M. Jankins explains really well how important is to have good friends and trust in them and also trust in yourself.

Damage Struggles in some things like some points of view being in 2nd person for me as well but sometimes you need more than one point of view. Another main thing that struggles a lot is the characters it focuses a lot on the main character but it doesn't say much about the friends, teachers family, because we know everything about Austin but we don't know much about the important people for him.

I recommend this book for people who love sports in this case football, and who don't;t like to read a lot because in not long and is not hard to read either. Is an excellent book because Hardcover wrote Damage as if he was the main character and you can feel the emotions.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Damage by A.M. Jenkins is a book about a boy named Austin who is going through a typical high school career. Austin, is a wide receiver for his high school football team. He goes to class, eats lunch, then he goes to football. One day, he gets together with this girl named Heather. He offers her a ride home and then sooner or later, they are a couple. They spend all of their time together, doing things that high schoolers would do. (Some things that I would not like to list off in this review) Austin is all tangled up with Heather, he forgets about his friends that he has known for his whole life. Austin starts to realize that he is ignoring his friends, so he tries to include them with Heather. Heather does not like that and toward the end of the book, they break up. Austin goes through a depressed stage and he has thoughts of suicide. I thought this book could have included a lot more detail and going deeper into Austins high school life.

[Tucker A · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book that I read was Damage by A.M. Jenkins. The book was about a teenager in second person point of view. When Austin the main character was very young his dad died from cancer and Austin stayed with his best friend Curtis who lives right across the street. He played football with his high school and was nicknamed the pride of the panthers. Austin had a crush on a girl who has dad that is also dead but from a different reason, when he finally asks her out she says yes. Overall I think that the book was good, but there were some inappropriate parts that had skipped but they were usually one page. I think that if you like second person point of view you should defiantly read the book.

[Paycen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What you really want to do
is give up trying. Lay your head down on
the steering wheel and quit sneezing,
quit breathing, quit trying.

The problem is, you can't .
Just quit, that is.
When people want to quit,
they have to choose.
Make a decision. Take action.
A high school senior stud of the Football team is a kid who is thought to be the perfect human being. Austin is quietly struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide, but as a football player he is constantly being drilled that feelings make you weak, so he can do nothing about it but live in his own mind and suffer more and more, while everyone thinks he is happy.

[Stefanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

HOLY MOTHER OF TYPOS, BATMAN. I found a typo on every single painful page of this book. There were so many that I gave up on reporting them to Amazon because it was taking so long to get through a page. Fucking unbelievable. I've seen better self-published books. This is embarrassing.

The story itself is interesting. I loved the use of first person, and I liked the expert way Jenkins shows you Austin's depression. But his relationship with Heather was almost as aggravating as the typos, and I didn't feel like any of the characters behaved like real teenagers.

[Kayla Go-Oco · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't my favorite book because I couldn't relate to the book since it's written in a boy's perspective. It's about a boy named Austin Reid who tries to balance his relationship, friendship, football, all on top of depression. Something that made me keep reading was how the author wrote about Austin's depression. I could never tell if Austin was going to end it all or if he was going to continue to push through his life. If this book had more of a story to tell, I feel like I would've liked it more.

[Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that is book is a great read. I really liked how their picture perfect life style went from really good. Right over to really bad. This part of the book was the most important and also one of the coolest parts. My favorite character was Curtis, I really liked him because he was one of the main characters and always tried to protect everyone. And also I like the football coaches attitude towards everything because he always got everything done.

[Michael Colombo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damage is a young adult novel written by A. M. Jenkins, published October 16, 2001 by HarperTeen. In 2001, the book was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature. The following year, it was named one of the top ten Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damage was a awesome book to read. Looking at the cover you would think it's about football but it is so much more than that. It's about teenagers growing up and dealing with their hormones and everyday stress. Trying to fit in and yet stand out. I feel that the book was too short.

[Daniel Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the book wasn't that bad, it talks about real life situations and problems a person has to face to get were they want to be in life.

[Sahil Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought overall the book was really good!

[Alexis Papakostas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for teenage boys to see a more intense side to life.

[Jaxon D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is very good. Austin Reid is the main character in this book. Him and his friends like Football. They play for the Panthers high school team. Austin and his friends like to hang out at Dairy Queen a lot.
Heather which is the most beautiful girl in school likes Austin and Austin likes her back. Austin and his team win against many other Football teams. Austin scores a lot for his team. Austin starts to hang out around Heather more than his friends. Austin continues to win games for his team.

[Zack · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Damage" by A.M Jenkins is about a 17 year old teenager named Austin. Who is going through severe depression. He is a star football player on the Parksville Panthers and is very handsome and popular. However, he has to force himself to go through the motions of daily life. He only listens to his best friend Curtis, and heather, which is his girlfriend. They both bond together, because they lost their fathers at such a young age. But the loss of a football game because of Austins mistakes. And the problems with his relationship with heather. It pushes him to kill himself, but he doesn’t.

I really liked the book, because the events and in depth details made me want to read longer. I had tons of questions going on in my mind about what was going to happen next. However, it was sort of inappropriate. It had a lot of explicit stuff in it. I don’t recommend it to anybody under the age of 14. And the other thing is that its written in 2nd person. using “you” instead of “I”. Which is kind of a good thing, because it puts you into Austin's shoes.

"Damage" has a clear connection with current events today. Because some people in our world are depressed and have suicidal thoughts just like Austin. This book shows that depression can happen to anyone. No matter if you’re popular or not. Also this book provides that killing yourself isn’t worth it. “Damage” also has connections to anyone in high school.

A person might not want to read this novel, because of its about suicide and depression. Some people don’t like that subject, or have other negative thoughts towards it. This book also has explicit content in it. That might be another reason why a person might not want to read this novel. And just the overall subject, girls or whoever might not like sports or even football.

This book targets teenagers who like sports, and are most likely vulnerable to depression. And teens who lost a closed loved one. Because the teens who lost a loved one are most likely to go through depression stages, over whoever that may be. It also targets everyone, depression can happen to anyone.

I rated this book 4 stars out of 5. Because I really enjoyed and liked this book. Except the explicit content, was really disturbing. But the overall book was great. Only because I love football, it's my favorite sport.
1 Star- bleh >:(
2 Stars- ehh :/
3 Stars- acceptable :)
4 Stars- enoyable :')
5 Stars- astonished ;*)))

[Wil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damage
By: A. M. Jenkins

• The setting is based in Parkersville, small rural Texas town. The weather is making the change from summer to fall
• The book is told in the point of view of 2nd person
• The main character is Austin Reid
• Austin is a typical popular high school athlete who seems to live the dream. But in reality, Austin can’t seem to find happiness in life, much less find it enjoyable. When he was much younger, his father died, and the only thing he remembers is his dad teaching him to shave with a fake shaving kit. Even though he is a top player on the football team and is dating “the most beautiful girl in town”, he still feels depressed. Some nights he takes out his dad’s old razor and considers killing himself.
• The story begins at the time of the beginning of football season, and Austin starts to feel more and more dejected. He has two great friends named Curtis and Dobie. He also has a crush on one of the best looking girls in the community, named Heather Mackenzie. Austin is expected to have a great year that season for the football team and plays well in his first few games. After a little while, Austin begins dating Heather, and his whole world starts focusing on her. His friendship with Curtis and Dobie start to fade, along with his interactions with his mother and sister. When things are rough with him and Heather he becomes very depressed, but when things are going well, he is in a better mood.
• I liked this book a lot because it was nothing at all what I expected. I expected it to be about a football team and their struggles and successes as a team. But the book was really about an individual and how he deals with life’s struggles. The author really only uses football as one aspect of his struggles. It was interesting to see how Austin handled some very difficult situations and how they played out. This book was also a little bit relatable, now being in high school and experiencing all of the drama and different things that can effect your emotions.

[Drew M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Damage by A.M. Jenkins. The main character, Austin Reid, is a likable guy, but he struggles with depression. Austin is about to be a senior in high school, and is a football star, who just isn't happy and finds it to be hard to get out of bed in the morning. The setting takes place in a rural town in Texas. Austin's mind games and Heather; the most beautiful girl in town, are making him think about suicide. Austin is pride-less through out the story. Most of the story takes place at football practices and when he is with Heather. Through out story Austin relies on Heather, his life long friend Curtis and Dobie.
In my opinion, this book was really intriguing, fantastic and hard to put down. The author, A.M. Jenkins did a great job describing in great detail depression and the lack of interest in everyday topics, some one with depression might struggle with. I thought this book was very interesting. I enjoyed it because I love football and even though I don't struggle with the same things Austin struggles with, I do know what it is like to have distractions during the football season. One of the things that I though made it hard to put the book down was the dialog especially when the coach gave the team a motivational speech before the season opener.
This book is really sumptuous, it was amazing. However, this book is not for every one. I would recommend this only book but only to certain people. I would recommend Damage for teen and young adults both males and females that enjoy sports and like a good story. The plot is truly grand and it hooks the reader in, like a kid and candy, you just can't stop your self. The book is thrilling and is what truth in fiction really means.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Reads Review
The book Damage, by A.M. Jenkins was a book I could relate to because of the topic. The things and relationships throughout the book mirrored the life of an average high school student. It’s a great novel that will keep you wondering and asking yourself what is next. Austin Reid is the main character in “Damage.” He is good-looking and a lady-killing, football star. He is “The Pride of the Panthers.” He is the guy every girl wishes she could date. But, Austin hasn’t been feeling like himself lately. It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning. He has to force himself to go through the motions of getting ready and fake a smile when he goes out into the world. And football, his lifelong love, just isn’t fun anymore. Austin feels tired and heavy and squeezed and hates his life all of the time. What is going on? But then Heather comes into his life. Heather seems to have a similar past and the similar problems. When he is around Heather, things seem a little more a little better, a little more like normal. But, how will Heather respond when Austin really opens up and lets her in? The only thing I can think about y you would not want to read this is because Austin is depressed because of his father’s death and that could relate to the reader in some way. When the author states “Austin is a likeable guy, lately though he doesn’t like his life or anything else that much”. He also says “I don’t know why I hate my life so much”. If I had to rate this I would probably rate this at a 4 because if you are a student with these problems this story could really relate to you.

[Jordan W · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Damage by A.M. Jenkins is a story wrritten in second person about a star football player Austin 17 handsome and popular, yet he must force himself to go through the motions of daily life. This story was a great read for the first time i enjoyed reading mainly because this was a fantastic book.
I liked Damage because it had football involved and thats my life. Besides that I also likied Damage because i could connect with the story and the main character. Damage was a very realistic non fictional book. My favorite part of the book was when A.M. Jenkins describes the drill bull in the ring with Curtis in the middle becasue he messed up during the game and how Austin is undecided to help his bestfriend up or go line up for sprints as the coach said.The point of view definitely hindered my enjoyment of the novel.
There were not many things that i didnt like about the book Damage by A.M. Jenkins.But I would have preferred a first person story. I would have felt the logic of closeness with the characters and I would have been able to agree and confirm Austin’s feelings and experiences as his own without feeling the want to discuss or reject their authority for me.
I would highly recommend this book to junior high and high school males who enjoy good fast pace sports books.This book deals with an important problem and is somewhat heartrending. By far my favorite and most enjoyable book ive ever read.

[Jayson Barnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Damage by A.M. Jenkins
This book is about a high school kid named Austin Reid. Austin seems like a typical kind of kid, he has lots of friends, he is on the football team where he is one of the best players, and he just got a girlfriend who is one of the prettiest girls in his school.
Something that I found appealing is that, his girlfriend’s dad had recently committed suicide. Austin’s girlfriend keeps the suicide note in one of her drawers in her room; Austin finds it and becomes curious about her dad. His girlfriend, who thought of her dad as being selfish and not caring about his surroundings, does not know about the recent thoughts that have been running through Austin’s head. He has depression and has been thinking about suicide lately after some fights he had been going through with his girlfriend. It is appealing that something about Heather (Austin’s Girlfriend) must make people have the thought of suicide.
Anybody that is suffering from depression or knows somebody that is, or just wants to more about the thoughts that go through their head should read this book. It is interesting how someone can think so negatively about themselves that they would ever come to the point of suicide.
I would give this book 2 stars because although it is interesting to read about depression, nothing really happens in the book that ever really spices the story up. It is somewhat anticlimactically.