Rating: 
Summary: I love this book. It is a great read.
Review: The most striking thing about "Damages" is its effulgent honesty. The harsh events, the unusual secrets, and the complex yet inspiring thoughts of one man's life are all revealed in this book. The author has a gift of storytelling. This story is gripping from the very beginning. His unconditional love for his adoptive mother is illuminating, and his search for his biological mother heartbreaking.I fell in love with the main character while reading his true story and so many times wished I could reach out and hold him. This story is different from most true stories I have read. The author's writing is full of passion and rich in description of his fight to find his true identity and freedom. He suffered incredible hardships yet still made it out alive and overcame the ignorance of the society. I learned more about the history of the troublous Balkans after reading this book then I ever did in school. He leaves no stone unturned in narrating his personal history replete with his adoptive and biological family, friends and enemies, prisoners and transvestites, government officials and informants, army recruits and lovers, ruffians and bigots, etc. It's jaw-dropping tale, and betrayal is a true occurrence in the author's world where no one could be trusted. I can't possibly fathom half of the experiences he had in his childhood and adolescence. The eroticism that is discussed here is intense and unique, and the sexual encounters were mostly acts of rebellion. Arenas lived life with the same urgency that comes through his uncompromising extraordinary writing. This book opened up my eyes. This book taught me how to enjoy my life fully. Do yourself a favor and read this book!
Rating:
Summary: A book full with power and life
Review: This book is an amazing saga of an extraordinary character who is caught up in a hostile environment. He is the true example of the grace-under-pressure principle. To live life to the fullest in the face of adversity is an art and Bazhe handles it as a wonderful human being. Athentic and strong - it is a book worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: This is a true story more unique than fiction on so many levels that can only be fact. Sensitive and frank, a young man comes of age on his own terms, with a new country, in an unyielding and inflexible society in transition, while embroiled in a personal tragedy.
A study in courage, conviction and sacrifice as this sheltered and sensitive individual comes of age in an inflexible culture amid the ruins of the former Yugoslavia.
A candid account, sometimes humorous, sometimes painful - but also the tenacious and loving tale of a young man, unwilling to take no for an answer. A young man and a story easy to invest in emotionally. A book which makes you say, "just one more page."
Rating:
Summary: Forceful, honest, and entertaining
Review: This is one of the best books that I have ever read. I found it very honest and sincere. Bazhe's writing creates a tie between reader and author that leaves one feeling the strength of each experience. His writing is so compelling that you can sense his rage, hurt, pain, and compassion as well as his ardent sense of survival. Bazhe's devotion to his adopted mother, the scandal at the center for National Security, and the will to find his real parents, made every chapter of the book breathtaking. Also, this is a book with immense cultural and historical significance. For people who want to develop a better understanding of the human experience, it is a necessary read. It is real story of man survival against all odd.
Rating:
Summary: damage undone
Review: this was one of the best books i have read about a person who has overcome tremendous odds and triumphed over adversity. i could not put the book down, and marvelled at the author's depth of honesty...and ability to engage his audience in his experiences. i would highly recommend this to anyone going through difficulties, and trying to see a way out.
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