Damage (Jenkins novel)

Last updated
Damage
Damage book cover.jpg
Author A. M. Jenkins
LanguageEnglish
Genre Young adult novel
Publisher HarperTeen
Publication date
October 16, 2001
ISBN 9780060290993

Damage is a young adult novel written by A. M. Jenkins, published October 16, 2001 by HarperTeen.

Contents

In 2001, the book was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature. [1] The following year, it was named one of the top ten Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association. [2]

Plot summary

Austin is depressed with the potential for suicide. His best friends are Dobie and Curtis. They all are football players. Austin has issues about the routine he takes to get him to go to school. Their favorite hang out is Dairy Queen. Austin meets Heather. Austin's friends discuss their feelings about heather, how his first date with Heather came about and why they are together.

In chapter 5 they talk about Austin's first away game, and how it plays out.

Chapters 6–9: In this section they go to many places. In chapter 6 they go to a movie and

dinner together, Aus. Austin is there thinking about Heather and asks God to forgive him. In chapter 8 he is at home in his bed dreaming about himself and Heather. Then he goes to school and has practice. After practice they are in a locker room talking. Austin takes Curtis home then takes Heather home because she was waiting for him after practice on the truck. In chapter 9 he is at home and Curtis comes over.

Austin talks about how things are now that he is with Heather. He would drive Dobie rides home after practice, but since he started to date Heather, Curtis now drives him home. Austin after practice now takes Heather to the Dairy Queen instead of his friends and they place their usual order. While eating, they talk about things including what happened between Curits and Kat. Austin tires of Heather always brushing her hair before leaving, but he sums it up as, "This waiting for hair to be brushed – is the price of dating Heather". They sit in the car just hanging out for a while. Heather thinks Austin is mad at her when he really is not and she gito please him also in hopes that he will not be angry any longer. Two weeks later they have sex.

In chapter 11 Austin plays in his sixth game, and Curtis ended messing up. Curtis gets bothered by this and he does not speak for a while. They are gonna go out that night and they invite Austin, but he's going to be to busy with Heather. In chapter 12 Curtis happens to be in the Bull-in-a-Ring since he messed up the game in chapter 11. After Bull-in-a-Ring Austin does not know if he should help his best friend up or do as the coach said and go get ready to do sprints. He goes to do sprints.

In chapter 13 Austin sits in Heather's room and watches her get dressed. They just talk about the usual stuff. Heather asks Austin to pass her a clip when he goes to find it he opened the wrong drawer and she gets mad, Austin stared at the note, it was from her father. Austin tell's her its okay to talk about her father to him, but she does not seem to want to open up. Soon Austin has to leave.

In chapter 14 Austin and Heather get into a little argument, and then when they make up they go off to Dairy Queen. After that Austin wants to "please her" but she takes it the wrong way and goes off on him, and tells him all these mean things that make him depressed. Chapter 15 talks about his ride home; lonely. When he arrives he goes suicidal in the bathroom and is thinking about cutting himself, but Becky his little sister comes to the door with the phone, and it happens to be Heather on the line. She wants to talk so she asks him to go over. He drives back over to her house.

Chapters 16–19: In this section they are still going places. In chapter 16 Austin is at Heather's house and they are talking about what happened the other night. They talk about their pass and Heather cries about her past. In chapter 17 he was just leaving Heather's house they were holding each other and talking at 3:00 in the morning. At the game they won. Austin goes home and cannot sleep. It is Sunday and its 4:30 but he does not have to get up til 8:00. In chapter 18 he is at school and has football practice again. He takes Dobie home, then Heather. Austin goes to Heather's house and she tells him it is over with them. In chapter 19 he is at home in his truck thinking. Then he goes to Curtis' house and talks about himself and Heather.

Characters

Reception

Damage received positive reviews from Kirkus [3] and Publishers Weekly. [4] The book also received the following accolades:

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References

  1. "2001 Los Angeles Times Book Prize - Young Adult Fiction Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-25. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
  2. 1 2 "Damage | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. 2002. Archived from the original on 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  3. "Damage". Kirkus Reviews. May 20, 2010. Archived from the original on 2019-08-05. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  4. "Children's Book Review: DAMAGE by A. M. Jenkins, Author". Publishers Weekly. 2001-11-12. Archived from the original on 2021-09-19. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  5. 1 2 3 "Damage". HarperCollins. Retrieved 2021-09-19.