REVIEW: WE’RE ALL DAMAGED, BY MATTHEW NORMAN

Andy Carter was happy. He had a solid job. He ran 5Ks for charity. He was living a nice, safe Midwestern existence. And then his wife left him for a hand-some paramedic down the street.

We’re All Damaged begins after Andy has lost his job, ruined his best friend’s wedding, and moved to New York City, where he lives in a tiny apartment with an angry cat named Jeter that isn’t technically his. But before long he needs to go back to Omaha to say good-bye to his dying grandfather.

Back home, Andy is confronted with his past, which includes his ex, his ex’s new boyfriend, his right-wing talk-radio-host mother, his parents’ crumbling marriage, and his still-angry best friend.

As if these old problems weren’t enough, Andy encounters an entirely new complication: Daisy. She has fifteen tattoos, no job, and her own difficult past. But she claims she is the only person who can help Andy be happy again, if only she weren’t hiding a huge secret that will mess things up even more. Andy Carter needs a second chance at life, and Daisy—and the person Daisy pushes Andy to become—may be his last chance to set things right.

 

We’re All Damaged is full of past and present moments, and our protagonist Andy is a likeable character who is struggling.

I was annoyed with most of the other characters, especially Andy’s right wing mother who is so judgmental that you just want to leave the room when she speaks.

But then something happens along the way, and we realize that nobody is exactly who they seem to be, and there might be good in all of them. Even Daisy, who seemed like someone to enjoy…and then her big secret is revealed. A four star read.

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