The Damage Done by Michael Landweber ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Violence is a thing of the past—but do new horrors lie in wait?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

March 2022; Crooked Lane Books; 978-1643859477
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); dystopian

Imagine a world without violence.  Imagine reading the news and finding no mention of violence - no shootings or stabbings, a world where fists can no longer hit and bombs no longer explode.  With everything going on in the world right now, this is an exciting thought to ponder but is there a downside to the loss of violence in the world?

The author gives us seven very different characters and shows us how the attempts at violence no longer work.  Dab is a schoolboy who is amazed when the punches from his bully do not harm him...in fact, he doesn't even feel them.  Ann, a social worker, can no longer be physically hurt by her husband's abuse.  Julien, a white supremacist has plans to shoot children in a Jewish school but his bullets just hang in the air and don't do any damage.  These are three of the seven disparate characters who illuminate the changes in our world. As we read more about them we realize that despite the impossibility of violence that harms or kills people, this doesn't affect the racism, hatred, and terrorism that still exist and it doesn't stop people who still think about harming other people.    Cruelty is still alive and people who want to be violent are still considering ways that they can accomplish their destruction. The Damage Done is a thought-provoking book about love and loss, violence and reconciliation, and the possibility of a new world.

I thought that this book had an interesting premise but a lot got lost with too many characters who are unable to hurt other people.  I would have preferred fewer characters and more depth into their stories.  That said, this is definitely a story that will keep you imagining a world without violence.

 

Buy The Damage Done at Amazon

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina with her husband of over 50 years.  She grew up in Michigan but now calls North Carolina home. She enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and historical fiction. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us. Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.