Matt, Becci, Sophie and Nathan are a bit of a foursome, even though Matt and Sophie are a real couple, and Becci only wishes that Nathan would notice she's not just Matt's little sister. They're all looking forward to the themed fancy dress party they're going to, getting in to the Christmas spirit, laughing, drinking...They've got futures, dreams, lives ahead of them...Nothing can spoil their fun tonight. But icy roads and a moment of lost concentration sees their bright futures shake and crumble.

Damage is a cautionary story, poignant yet unsentimental, that articulates the grief, guilt and trauma experienced by victims of a tragic accident. As the title suggests, the novel not only deals with the physical damage caused by fatal accidents but more importantly, Sue Mayfield explores, with a light touch, the emotional and psychological damage caused to individuals and families when tragedies occur. Despite the serious theme, the story unfolds with a sensitive yet optimistic tone.

Powerfully narrated in first person by multiple narrators, Mayfield allows the reader a privileged intimacy with individual characters who give compelling accounts of their understanding of events and their emotional responses. The story unfolds through these narrations and the reader pieces together the fragments of the wreckage. What binds each narration is an effective omniscient account of the teenagers’ drive home from the party, which provides the novel’s most graphic descriptions. Consequently, Mayfield creates a non-judgmental, yet emotive caveat.

2007-12-30