This book is from a Canadian author and takes place in a fictional town close to Toronto Ontario. I was absolutely enthralled by the first part of the story and by Ros herself. She tried so hard to be somebody she wasn't that it was embarrassing at times but I still felt sorry for her. She just couldn't seem to stop lying in order to make herself appear more interesting. That all changed after Megan disappeared during the ice storm in January 1998. We pick up the story again in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic and Ros, now the mother of an 11-year-old, has just come back to Ontario from California to help out her mother who's recovering from a broken leg. She is estranged from the father of her child and has just learned that he's been accused of historic sexual assault. I wasn't nearly as invested in the second part as I was in the first half. Although Ros is nearly 40 now she doesn't seem to have matured much and still cares way too much about what people think. The resolution of the sexual assault allegation was rather anti-climactic and the end of the book was meh.

The writing was fine and I must say that I do love that cover but my reaction to the book as a whole is mixed. 3.5 stars rounded down.

My thanks to Random House Canada via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: July 25, 2023

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is set at Regis University in 1997/8 where Rosalind's roommate goes missing during an ice storm, and then in 2020 when Rosalind's ex is accused of sexual assault. I thought the writing was good, and although I found Rosalind extremely unlikeable, her character and her justifications were all too believable in the 1997/8 sections. However, she didn't seem to have matured at all by 2020, and her actions and reactions were less convincing, I felt. On the one hand she took a very firm stance on #metoo and women being believed, but she still seemed willing to agree with and accept anything her ex and her appalling former university 'friends' threw at her. Her lack of self-awareness or even of any sense of identity made for uncomfortable reading, and I'm not sure whether at the end Rosalind really would have made any changes.

My first of this author and I think it was her sophomore book.

Something about dorms and school thrillers that normally get me quickly and keep me interested. The dynamics of the top cat in the school and the hierarchy of groups always lead to crazy storylines.

This book centres around the ice storm that led to the MC (Rosalind-told from her first person account) roommate's disappearance. It’s split up into two parts that show the lead up to Megan missing and then 20+ years later during Covid.

The first part was slow for me. I hated the way Roz was acting. Megan was open, inviting and kind. And Ros was a twit who cared about the fast line of jerks who pulled others down. I will note, that this is clearly something that annoys me. So my lens of life is clouding my review of this piece.

The second part of the book was where the book lost me. It was where the reader sees the missing Megan file a sexual assault case against Dutch who also had a child with Ros over the missing years between each part.

It felt confusing and discombobulated for me. I just couldn’t connect to the story at all. It wouldn’t flow for me.

Don’t let my review discourage you, it could be a me thing but it didn’t work for me.

The Damages by Genevieve Scott was not at all what I was expecting it to be. From the synopsis, I was getting a suspenseful vibe (missing roommate, numerous lies being told, etc.), and while there was definitely the initial mystery of what happened to Meghan Maine, I quickly realized that The Damages was not a suspense novel. While I'm not too upset about this fact, I did feel a bit mislead - but that might just be my own personal interpretation of the synopsis! Just thought I'd include it here in case anyone else feels the same.

As for the content of the book itself... while I enjoyed the multiple timelines, I much preferred the 1997 narrative over the 2020 one. Perhaps this is because it's more relatable to me as a recent university graduate, but whereas the first half of the novel had mystery and excitement, the second half fell a bit flat for me. Throughout the entire book, though, the writing was easily digestible, and I loved reading about various Canadian settings and references.

Ultimately, I think that The Damages is a culturally relevant novel that makes you rethink your perspective on the #MeToo movement and what constitutes SA.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy of The Damages to review. All thoughts are my own and are not influenced by any third party.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this eBook. I loved this somewhat subtle story by Canadian author Genevieve Scott. I found it topical and relevant and of particular interest to me since I am also Canadian and I went to university right around the same time as the characters in the book. I liked the familiar settings and references to Ontarian cities and towns. I like how she subtly dealt with the rise of the #metoo movement in a way that resonated with me and brought up some of the internal conflicts that people raised in the 80s and 90s might feel and experience.

I picked this as a "most anticipated" choice for our newsletter at Ben McNally Books. The writing was strong and it was a nuanced take on a "me too" issue. While it is definitely a page turner the author really fleshes out her characters and makes you feel how the wife is torn between believing the accused and believing the victim.

The Damages written by Genevieve Scott is a really well written novel that explores how our lives can be shaped by our past experiences.

Originally, I chose this novel because the description sounded interesting, but what I hadn't bargained for was how much I would resonate with the main character Ros. The character development was such that I felt taken back to my high school and university days as I was reading the story. The characters felt as though they could be real people - or even past friends of mine.

The story itself was an interesting portrayal of how the flawed thinking in the 1990s contributed to a lot of stunning realizations about inappropriate interactions and the importance of teaching our children about consent.

As I was reading this story it felt like a 5 star story, but in the end I awarded 4 stars because I felt that the story ended a little abruptly with - what I felt like was - not enough resolution for the characters.

But in all, if you're a kid of the 90s (or even if you're not) this can be a bit of nostalgia or a crash course on what life was like in the 90s. And I highly recommend it.

I want to thank Netgalley and the publishers for access to this advance copy. I am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.

The first part of this novel follows the interactions of Rosalind in her first year of college. She’s trying to be cool by hanging out with the cool kids. She’s really a mean girl who makes fun of people behind their backs in order to feel better about herself. She says she’s not close to her roommate Megan because Megan is not cool. But when Megan goes missing, Ros ends up shouldering the blame. I thought it was crazy that during an ice storm the college’s solution to student safety was to make drunk college kids responsible for each other!

I enjoyed the first section, even though it was a very slow burn. The hook didn’t happen until about a third of the way into the novel. Twenty years later, there is a sexual assault allegation, and the he-said-she-said story is told entirely from the POV of someone who wasn’t even there. This is completely pointless. And none of the characters are even likeable. I wish I had DNFd at 50% when my gut told me to.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of The Damages by Genevieve Scott. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to read this book written by a Canadian author with the setting in Ontario where I have lived my life. I really enjoy being able to relate to books and having an understanding of the places mentioned. Not only does it talk about actual historic happenings (the ice storm of 1998 as well as the Covid era, and #MeToo movement), but it is very relatable. The book is very relevant and helps to explain how things that were acceptable in the 90's are now considered to be "violations" as they should be. I really enjoyed this book and rated it with a 5 star rating. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to review this book.

When I got my hands on this one, I was intrigued by the plot and imagined a bit of a dual timeline, multiple POV style story. However, this was not what we got.

Ros is the sole narrator of this novel, and this is challenge because for much of the book she is largely unlikeable. I think this was done purposefully, showing the struggle of identity vs fitting in and the role that plays in the lives of so many college students, and in particular, young women. Unfortunately, in the second half of the book, I still didn’t really like her, but this time because she is just so ordinary and dull - it’s a character ‘development’ that fell flat.

This book touches on serious and important issues - in particular, SA and the #metoo movement, along with the social, cultural and political shifts that occur across decades and influence our actions and beliefs around difficult topics.

The Damages follows Ros, whose roommate went missing during a winter ice storm from their university's dorm room. The story goes back and forth between the events of 1998, and then 2020.

The storyline was pretty good, but I found that I didn't love the main character, which made it a bit more difficult for me to enjoy the story. Young Ros was horribly self-conscious, and would do anything to "be cool", and while I get it and have to an extent experienced those feelings myself when I was younger, I found her to be quite mean and sad.

I like how the author included the ice storm (I remember hearing about it in the news) and covid, and also the #metoo movement. I won't spoil anything but I also liked how she handled and explained the disappearance of the roommate. I would likely read more from this author in the future!

This is my favourite book of the year so far. Not because of the subject matter, (That part gives me a sicky feeling in the pit of my stomach) , but because the writer does an excellent job of dealing with the subject matter in a then and now kind of scenario. Basically it shows you how we dealt with sexually assault, sex, and other things, in the nineties compared to the #metoo era. It was an amazing to see a writer stretch the ink on their computer, typewriter, hand , or however the author writes their books. It was raw, dirty, and felt like real people reacting to the news because Genevieve Scott created a very human book.

I like to start with the bad of every review that I do because I want you to see if you are going to like it enough to pick it up. If you are not a fan of stories about such a dark subject, then this is not for you. If you are not a fan of unlikable main characters or side characters, then this book will not be for you. Other than that, everyone should find something they like in this book.

What I liked about this book, is that the writer was able to bring me back to the land of Fruitopia, party of five, and how we talked about sex in that time period. I also really liked the fact that the writer did a great job of making me despise Ros so much, but understand how human her reactions were. to the events in her past and future. I thought it was a very remarkable read, even if I had to read so little at a time because the world she created was so deep and real.

If any new writers out there want to learn how make a book about unlikable people stick with you, then this is the book they should pick up and learn from. Hell, they could also learn how to drop enough reference's in there to not feel like a magazine Ad, but enough to get you to flash back to that time.

As you can tell I really enjoyed this book and because the author did such a good job, but will warn you that this not for everybody. On a side note, if anybody has Sarah Pooley's contact information, this might be the perfect book for her to adapt into a feature film.. Cough, Cough! One of us can dream, okay both of us can dream.....

Keep reading but remember to stay out of trouble!

Chris Humphrey

*Thank you Penguin Random House Canada and Genevieve Scott for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

This book is (in a word) lovely. It is poignant and relevant currently, making you think about "what would I do" or what has happened. I will say you should look up trigger warnings prior to reading this book (SA, pandemic).
Part takes place in 1998, and part in 2020. Due to 2020, it references COVID pandemic quite a few times - and I know some people find that less than desirable in a book because it's too real. It discusses the #MeToo movement ass well and its importance, the naysayers.

The 1998 references were making me smirk - between the music, the posters, the mindsets... I was instantly transported back.

I didn't LOVE the main character, but I don't really think we are supposed to. She is a fairly annoying mc and not many redeeming qualities for the first... 90% of the book, haha, but it also is a good tale of "surround yourself with those who make you be better". As a fellow Canadian I also appreciated the Canadian landscape and references in this book. Genevieve Scott is a great storyteller, and her writing style is beautiful and descriptive, drawing you in. I still thoroughly enjoyed this story and it's a solid read. It won't make you feel good and fuzzy, but it will sure make you think.

Hmmm what to say.

While I appreciated the sentiment and Canadian setting/history aspects the story itself felt very forced.

In an era of many Me Too story lines this one felt very aggressive and unoriginal without a real emotional component, it didn’t help that the FMC was very unbearable and a generally pretty awful person for a big chunk of this book. I would of loved more from Megan the victim in this story and her side of things.

I do think there is an audience for this book and will fall into that angsty, feminine sub genre.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley all opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Canadian author, Genevieve Scott presents a story that takes readers from 1998 and a missing student to the COVID era where the main protagonist's ex-husband is at the center of a #MeToo allegation. I really liked that it was a Canadian setting( Toronto, to be exact) and the premise was attractive enough to have me clicking the request button.

However, this book was a struggle for me. Ros, our main protagonist was extremely unlikeable. Maybe that was the point but I sure would have enjoyed some various perspectives. Maybe it is because when Ros is describing her time at school, I recognized the toxic culture that was also part of my post-secondary institution in the early 2000s. Maybe there was some growth in Ros between part one(1998) and part two(2020), but it was hard to care. And the ending just left me saying "meh."


Expected Publication Date. 25/07/23
Goodreads Review. 06/07/23

If you’ve read I Have Some Questions For You, you will immediately see the similarities.
College setting, girl goes missing, and a sexual assault allegation. Our MC Rosalind, is also dating an artist, who becomes the centre of a Me Too era allegation.
… its literally almost identical to the plot of IHSQFY. And I hated that book.

Rosalind is also a pretty unlikeable MC, much like Bodie. Although I did empathize a bit more with Rosalind experience of being a self centered 19 year old wanting to fit in and find herself, build herself into the “cool girl”.

I enjoyed the layout of this book - being told in a “Then” vs. “Now” timeline instead of constant flashbacks. I actually loved the past college timeline and hearing about her experience with her friends and her eventual ostracization.
BUT, it almost made the current timeline less interesting. The person she ends up with - just felt so blah. Especially considering she didn’t have a good college experience, it’s shocking to me that she would end up with someone who legitimately FORGOT about her after their college experience.

The Me Too of it all, and experience of women is really shoved down your throat at every turn. The details of Rosalind’s relationship with Lukas is also poured over again and again. I felt myself wishing that Rosalind was a stronger character and not just a “poor me” figure who things happened to. The end gives almost no resolution, and Rosalind is left feeling like people still want to “get rid of her” until nearly the last page.

Poor Ros needs some emotional intelligence, therapy, and to grow up.

This read was a bit of a struggle for me. I liked the idea and the book moved along but I wasn't really invested in any of the characters. I appreciated the connection between the past and the present and how the ice storm was highlighted and the integration of our new COVID reality but something was lacking for me. The conclusion left me wondering if this was worth my time to have read....

This book works on a few levels. It reads quickly, and the author pulls you along throughout, with no missteps. The shift in time is not intrusive and is easy to follow. The incremental reveal of background information keeps the reader conscious of the complexity of the situations and issues, rather than feeling manipulated.

The compulsive content was a result of the narrator's vulnerability; she was easy to identify with, but complex enough that her reactions were sometimes questionable. This novel is a good example of generational dynamics as well as the fallout that can echo throughout our lives from a single event in late teens - also an examination of the changing cultural perspectives over the last 4-6 decades.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: July 25, 2023
“The Damages” is the second novel by Canadian author Genevieve Scott. Modern, thought-provoking and engaging, it centres around the lies people, especially women, tell themselves, and how they can literally be life-altering.
In 1997, Rosalind is excited to be starting over in university, desperate to finally find a place where she belongs. She is paired with young, naïve Megan Main as her roommate, but Megan is not the type of person Ros wants to be seen with, so when she manages to become friends with Sue and Dutch, two of the university’s most popular freshman, she pretty much ignores the fact that Megan exists. Until the night Megan goes missing.
Now, in 2020, the country is in the middle of a pandemic and Ros is raising her young son alone, while trying to maintain a cordial relationship with her ex-partner Lukas. When the rise of the #metoo movement brings accusations and charges against Lukas, Ros is conflicted by her memories from her university days and begins to wonder how well she knows her partner, and herself.
Scott’s book is clever, provocative and relevant on so many levels. As someone who was brought up in the nineties, I connected to the plot deeply. The rise of the “feminist” #metoo movement means different things to different people, depending on the era in which they were raised, and this resonated in a big way. Things that were deemed “acceptable” even twenty years ago are now considered “assault” and “violations” (and rightly so), and the internal conflicts remaining after reading Scott’s book will likely not sit easy- but it’s worth it.
The novel is broken down into parts and begins with Ros’ first-year experience at university. Ros is not terribly likable during this period of the novel, but that can be chalked up to her immaturity and naiveté. Ros is an adult in the second part of the novel, where the accusations against Lukas come to light and Ros must battle with her internal conflicts. Ros it the sole narrator and protagonist, and although I was slow to warm up to her, her humanity and realism helped develop rapport, and I was rooting for her by the final pages.
“The Damages” ends in a hauntingly realistic way, which is the overall vibe this novel emits. Scott’s novel will make readers uncomfortable and will have them doubting their lifelong ways of thinking, in a good way. This is one of those novels that will be talked about for months to come.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for giving me my copy of The Damages by Genevieve Scott via NetGlley.

When I read the premise of this novel, I was expecting a fast paced story that goes back and forth between past and present. It didn't go back and forth as the author decided to do Part One and Part Two on the timeline. It was generally fast paced throughout the whole 1998 storyframe but for some reason the "present" storyframe dragged on a little. I was sad with how the case ended as I was really getting invested about it. What I did not expect was a character that I would hate to my core but also feel a little sympathetic. I feel like the author was trying to show some character growth for Ros at the end as she is finally understanding that everyone has different thoughts and opinions but I feel like it was not executed properly. Ros is still not likeable to the very end. Storytelling wise, I think it's good. Relaying the message, not so much. I would still recommend this for anyone who wants a quick and infuriating read.