Review: The Damaged by Simon Law

The Damaged by Simon Law

My Rating:


I received a free copy of The Damaged in return for an honest review.

The Damaged is a dark and twisted tale centered around the two characters of Matthew and Tammy, who despite their inner conflicts manage to portray a semblance of normality to the world around them. But things are far from normal. Behind the scenes the two characters struggle to come to terms with previous events in their lives that have made every day a constant battle to appear normal and survive. The disturbing ways that the characters cope in secret and the way that things escalate once the two characters come together really makes for a gruesome and bloody story.

The Damaged stood out character wise for me. Too many books have nasty or mean characters who do horrendous things without rhyme or reason but that is not the case here. The characters are laid bare and I could easily understand why they did what they did. They are very well fleshed out and you get to know everything about them, their hopes and dreams, their fears and their innermost thoughts. The author does a wonderful job of making them both vulnerable and likable despite the gruesome events that occur, especially with Matthew's character. I couldn't help but like Matthew and feel sorry for him despite the things he found himself doing.

The Damaged is written well. The pacing is consistent, nothing is rushed or skipped and no questions are left unanswered. It is one of the the most complete stories that I have read in a while. I will admit to one episode of confusion while reading but that was cleared up in the conclusion of the book and there was one inconsistency that I came across although it's one that is easily overlooked and so small that it's nothing really.

The Damaged is an enjoyable story that at it's heart is a tale of love, betrayal and loss but in the most twisted and gruesome fashion.

Definitely one I would recommend for fans of horror and psychological thrillers.




Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
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