Sweet Damage    by Rebecca James Order:  USA  Can Bantam, 2014 (2014) Hardcover, e-Book     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Tom Ellison is not a go-getter. Life slips by him as he works in his father's restaurant and lives with his sister. The highlight of his life is when he is able to surf. He realizes his days of mooching off his sister are nearing an end. He reads of a room for rent and applies immediately. On arriving at the address in the ad, he discovers that the bedroom for rent is one of many in a beautiful, old mansion that boasts a ballroom! Gorgeous. The catch is that his landlady, Anna London, is a very young woman who suffers from agoraphobia (fear of the outside). She has a brother and sister team, both lawyers, who apparently look after her affairs. In spite of himself, Tom finds himself becoming involved with Anna and her so very restricted lifestyle. He is sympathetic to her problem but wonders what on earth could have caused this condition. Anna finally reveals things about her life before Tom. While he reels from hearing of her past, terrifying things happen at the house. Things that go bump in the night. As time passes and Anna struggles with her addiction, more facts are placed in front of Tom. But not before he fears for his sanity. Sweet Damage by Rebecca James is presented as a psycho-mystery thriller! And that it is. It has been shortlisted for the 2014 West Australian Young Readers' Book Award. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews