Winter damage by Natasha Carthew

Bloomsbury, 2013. ISBN 9781408835838.
(Age: 12+) 'The moor in winter is no place for a girl travelling alone. It's cold out there. There's snow, but it's the wind that grabs hold of your heart and freezes it. Ennor is fifteen. She thinks she knows where she's going and what she's looking for. She doesn't know anything.' Blurb
Winter Damage is a very interesting book. Set in Cornwall, it uses the icy, freezing moors to evoke a sense of hopelessness throughout the novel. The story is quite original, with Ennor as a young, strong girl going off to look for her mother in the moors during winter. One of the best things about this book would have to be the setting of the Cornish moors - they are so wonderfully, vividly described they seem to become as important a character in the book as Ennor is. Actually, the entire setting of Winter Damage is enthralling - the county of Cornwall is described in vibrant, meticulous detail that draws the reader in page by page. But above all, the most important thing about Winter Damage is the main themes - self-discovery and the importance of family and friends. One complaint about the novel would be the pacing, as in some parts (the beginning, significantly), it drags quite a bit.
Winter Damage is a very promising book. It is an enjoyable and enveloping read, with the freezing moors of Cornwall beautifully described throughout. For a debut novel, this is a great first effort.
Rebecca Adams (Student)