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karen_perkins's review
5.0
Stevie likes girls, and the younger the better – as long as they are legal. He's in his mid-thirties, and he won't sleep with a girl if she is 15 and 364 days old, but once she's passed that 16th birthday, she's legal and fair game.
Stevie's story is narrated by Morgan, a Director for a local community centre, and Stevie's friend. She wants to protect her girls from the likes of Stevie – whether they want to be protected or not – a difficult task, especially when 16 year old Jessica catches Stevie's eye – or is it the other way round?
Jessie and Stevie get closer until he springs his trap and she's caught – their desire his bait and her innocence his prize. Nearly a year after their first meeting, Jessie introduces him to her parents as her prospective boyfriend, expecting tolerance from her mum Sadie, early 60s, and father, Earl, nearly 80. Stevie feels quite confident, and Jessie is convinced everything will be ok – that her parents will give her 'anything she wants'. But this time, they say no, and Stevie is sent packing. He consoles himself with his ex – Jillie – despite that, after 5 years, she is now too old at 21.
Jessie is not willing to submit to her father's will, and not only continues her relationship with Stevie, but consummates it. They continue to meet behind her parents' backs, but the inevitable happens and they find out. Refusing to give up Stevie, Jessica is thrown out of her parents' home and moves in with her lover.
For his part, Stevie breaks things off once again with Jillie and basks in his young girlfriend.
The introduction of Jessie to his friends results in their first row, and, frustrated by her immaturity, he turns once again to Jillie. Who becomes pregnant. As does Jessica. And Stevie's life gets very complicated. He reacts by feeling sorry for himself and shouts the news of his other pregnant girlfriend at Jessie, who has nowhere to go, no one to turn to. She is 17, pregnant to an unfaithful, selfish, older man and trapped.
'Damaged Girls' is an astutely observed social commentary on unequal relationships – especially those between a middle-aged man and a teenaged girl. Just because something is legal, does that make it acceptable?
As Stevie, Jessie and Jillie, plus the two Lil Stevies struggle to find a path through life, Janice Ross explores the lives and motivation of the three adult participants in this relationship extremely well:
Stevie, the selfish, arrogant Adonis who thinks he can have everything he wants – physical youth and innocence, teamed with an emotional maturity far beyond a teenager's years, and which he does not himself possess, despite his age.
Jessica, the love-struck, stubborn teenaged girl who forces those around her to give her what she wants, and has no concept of consequence.
And Jillian, the 21 year old still in love with the man who took her virginity at 16 and is willing to settle for any situation or humiliation to have that man in her life and bed.
'Damaged Girls' is a fascinating look at how this three-way relationship develops with time – with each individual's role changing and shifting around the persecutor/victim/rescuer cycle. Janice Ross explores the psyche of her characters remorselessly as emotions and reactions escalate until they reach a climax from which there may be no turning back and I'm looking forward to reading book 2 to find out what happens to them all.
Stevie's story is narrated by Morgan, a Director for a local community centre, and Stevie's friend. She wants to protect her girls from the likes of Stevie – whether they want to be protected or not – a difficult task, especially when 16 year old Jessica catches Stevie's eye – or is it the other way round?
Jessie and Stevie get closer until he springs his trap and she's caught – their desire his bait and her innocence his prize. Nearly a year after their first meeting, Jessie introduces him to her parents as her prospective boyfriend, expecting tolerance from her mum Sadie, early 60s, and father, Earl, nearly 80. Stevie feels quite confident, and Jessie is convinced everything will be ok – that her parents will give her 'anything she wants'. But this time, they say no, and Stevie is sent packing. He consoles himself with his ex – Jillie – despite that, after 5 years, she is now too old at 21.
Jessie is not willing to submit to her father's will, and not only continues her relationship with Stevie, but consummates it. They continue to meet behind her parents' backs, but the inevitable happens and they find out. Refusing to give up Stevie, Jessica is thrown out of her parents' home and moves in with her lover.
For his part, Stevie breaks things off once again with Jillie and basks in his young girlfriend.
The introduction of Jessie to his friends results in their first row, and, frustrated by her immaturity, he turns once again to Jillie. Who becomes pregnant. As does Jessica. And Stevie's life gets very complicated. He reacts by feeling sorry for himself and shouts the news of his other pregnant girlfriend at Jessie, who has nowhere to go, no one to turn to. She is 17, pregnant to an unfaithful, selfish, older man and trapped.
'Damaged Girls' is an astutely observed social commentary on unequal relationships – especially those between a middle-aged man and a teenaged girl. Just because something is legal, does that make it acceptable?
As Stevie, Jessie and Jillie, plus the two Lil Stevies struggle to find a path through life, Janice Ross explores the lives and motivation of the three adult participants in this relationship extremely well:
Stevie, the selfish, arrogant Adonis who thinks he can have everything he wants – physical youth and innocence, teamed with an emotional maturity far beyond a teenager's years, and which he does not himself possess, despite his age.
Jessica, the love-struck, stubborn teenaged girl who forces those around her to give her what she wants, and has no concept of consequence.
And Jillian, the 21 year old still in love with the man who took her virginity at 16 and is willing to settle for any situation or humiliation to have that man in her life and bed.
'Damaged Girls' is a fascinating look at how this three-way relationship develops with time – with each individual's role changing and shifting around the persecutor/victim/rescuer cycle. Janice Ross explores the psyche of her characters remorselessly as emotions and reactions escalate until they reach a climax from which there may be no turning back and I'm looking forward to reading book 2 to find out what happens to them all.
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