Customer Reviews

Damaged

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In Washington, D.C. ten years old Camille Logan is placed with her latest foster family as part of a swinging door system that ignores the welfare of the child once placed because the social services' workload is overwhelming. Over the next few years, she is abused and sexually molested. The system never bothers to take a look at Camille or her care providers as she is out of sight and therefore out of mind.

Drug dealer Chu is disgusted with what he sees happening to Camille and takes her into his home. He takes care of her until he is murdered in a drug deal. Camille desperately decides to become a hooker working for a nasty abusive pimp, which makes her wonder if she has other options to get off the mean streets of DC.

Damaged is a dark, gritty and profound look at life in DC when a poor youth is caught up in the foster care system and consequently the streets. The cycle seems inevitable though Camille hopes to break out. Although the climax fails to live up to a moving character driven story line that captures the essence of surviving in America's urban jungle, fans will appreciate Kia DuPree's powerful inner city hustle; the perfect capitalism system as anyone is for sale on the open market with no tax or surcharge; just supply and demand.

Harriet Klausner

Not only was this an enjoyable read but a definite page turner! The character developments were wonderful and the author gives enough information on the characters to feel emotions for/with them. Without giving away any of its plots -- Damaged isn't just about prostitution, drugs, guns, materialistic things and getting paid. It's a telling of how street life, in general, can change the lives of the most innocent. This book is the story of how life can throw you curve balls and how you can make the best (or worst) of them. This is the second book by Ms. Kia DuPree that I've enjoyed reading and I look for her to keep them coming!! ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!

I won't give the story away but all i can say is WOW. Certainly an easy read and a page turner. Ending was also good. Check it out for yourself.....

I enjoyed this read, Camille was abondoned by her mother, and sexually abused by her foster father, she falls in love with Chu who would do anything for her. She falls in the hands of a violent, brutal pimp who is deranged, some how she finds a why to leave the streets but before she goes she needs to payback the people who mistreated her. I would recommend this book to others you won't be disappointed.

I think Damaged is a book worth picking up. The story line was interesting, but the main character really didn't come full circle in the novel. Although, she went through more than any child should have to go through, she didn't seem to come out on the other side a better person. Perhaps that could be because she was still a child at the end of the novel, but she still had no clear direction on where her life was going. She was still living off of the gains of another person. I would also have liked a little more background on her life before foster care. There also were still a lot of questions left unanswered for me. What happened to Joe? I definitely didn't get bored with this book, but there were a lot of things that could have been done differently to make this a stellar read.

This book was riveting. This is not normally my genre of books but I was so intrigued by the description on the back that I decided to read it. I'm so glad that I did. The book was VERY very good and I literally could not put it down. I read it in two days, and it would have been shorter if I didn't have to work. If you are considering this book I DEFINITELY recommend it.

That's how fire I thought this book was.I am normally a pretty slow reader and if you knew me you could tell by the amount of tbr books on my bookselves.But with that said.I got this book yesterday along with several other's and something just told me don't just put that on your book self leatha you better read that girl.And it's a good thing I listtened cause this book is so good I read it in one day.I fell in love with Chu's and Camille's.And Nut well let's just say it's a good thing I dont know him cause murder is the case they would give me j/k.All jokes outside I love this book and will be looking forward to whatever Kia Dupree has in store for us in the future.

Life isn't perfect, and neither are the people we encounter in it. People's backgrounds and motives are too complicated to judge a person without knowing them. Kia DuPree's upcoming novel "Damaged" takes the reader into the life of Camille Logan, a.k.a. Nectar, a teenage prostitute working the streets of Washington, D.C.

Camille narrates her story from the 1st-person perspective. Starting from her joining the Brinkley family as a foster child, Camille begins a tale of sexual abuse by her foster father. Camille accepts the abuse in exchange for the gifts Mr. Brinkley buys her.

Throughout the novel, Camille allows herself to be used sexually in return for monetary benefits. She comes off as a gold digger - and that hurts her ability to be a sympathetic protagonist. She also doesn't seem to have any direction in her life; no goals, no talents, nothing that makes her unique.

That's excusable, because the novel takes place through Camille's teenage years. She's barely an adult by the end of the novel. Having no plans and being materialistic are quite reasonable traits for a teenage girl to have these days.

But that's part of the novel's charm: none of the characters are perfect, and everybody has some flaw that reflects the society we live in. Camille's boyfriend, Chu, is depicted as a lovable and great guy - except he's a drug dealer. And not just peddling weed, but hardcore drugs.

Unfortunately, the narration isn't as realistic, and Camille makes references that seem inconsistent with her voice or experiences. The novel isn't as graphic as perhaps other novels in the same genre (like Sapphire's Push) - which isn't necessarily bad. The details of the sexual abuse and day-to-day life and experiences of a hooker fit the novel well.

There's little growth in Camille shown in the novel. It cuts off almost abruptly just when Camille decides she has a future that can be different from her past - however, she doesn't seem to have a plan as to what that future entails. She does save money while working as a hooker by overcharging her clients and pocketing the difference, but at the end she finds escape through the forethought of another person.

(via [...])

Ten year old Camille Logan moves in with her new foster family The Brinkleys. The Brinkleys look like the ideal family until Mr. Brinkley decides to make late night visits to both his foster daughters. Camille and foster sister Danica adapt til the abuse and it just becomes normal for them. Camille finds handsome Chu a drug dealer who loves her so much and will do anything for her. Everything is going great for the young couple until Chu is murdered.

Chu's friend Nut preys on Camille and soon has her turning tricks for a living. Camille goes through a lot in this novel and has a hard time trying to get out of her situation.

This book had great potential but a lot of unfinished storylines made it somewhat disappointing. I didn't get enough details on her family background and I didn't know what the main character or most of the other characters looked liked. I think this was a good effort, but it was just all over the place. Better luck next time with your next book.

I loved this book. Ms. Dupree has an incredible way with words! I could not stop reading this wonderful book. Please keep them coming Ms. Dupree! Get this one asap, you will not be disappointed!