So, I am a complete wastrel when it comes to blogging.  Why this is a shock to me is anybody's guess.  I have about 30 journals squirreled away and nary a one is filled cover to cover. 

Sigh.  But I have read too many truly awesome books to not share with the world.  Or the 2 people who inadvertantly stumble across this blog while trying to find TV clips of a certain 80's TV show which I probably shouldn't name.  Ahem.

I was crippled by the thought of which book to talk about first.  That's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it.

So, here goes.  Definitely a downer for the start of 2013, but an amazing, crisp, insightful read.  Not a lot of fluff.  Okay, so I always think of Hemingway when I think of "spare" writing styles, so be prepared for that reference to come up a lot in the future. 

Damage by A.M. Jenkins.  It's a YA novel about depression and as someone who struggled with depression as a teen, I found this novel so spot on.

What makes this novel unique is the title character, Austin Reid.  He comes across as the guy that has everything going for him.  Popular.  Football Star.  What more could a high school guy ask for?  What could he possibly have to be depressed about? 

And that's what makes this a great read.  You get into this kid's head and you feel his pain.  You feel the cloying weight of his depression.  You can feel his exhaustion at the day-to-day struggle to look "normal" to everyone else.  Jenkins makes you feel so deeply for this kid that seems to be living the teenage dream in many ways.  And that, to me, is writerly magic. 

Loved it.  Loved the characters.  Loved the writing style.  Just loved it. 

If TJ Booker were handing out tickets for writing violations, this bad boy of a book would have a clean slate -- no criminal record.  A.M. Jenkins hits it out of the park and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

http://www.amazon.com/Damage-A-M-Jenkins/dp/0064472558/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top