Review of "Damsel Distressed"

“No one cares about the stepsisters’ story.”

     So claims the protagonist of Kelsey Macke’s emotional novel Damsel Distressed. When Imogen Keegan’s father announced that he was remarrying, to say she was angry would be an understatement. When he told her she’d be getting a stepsister as part of the union, she was furious. And when said stepsister, Carmella, turned away in scorn during one of the most terrifying moments in Imogen’s life, she knew beyond a doubt which part she would play in Ella’s little fairytale. Now, the day of Carmella’s return has arrived. As the wicked girl begins settling in down the hall, Imogen grows determined to avoid her at all costs. But with eating problems, depression, and a cute best friend who’s totally not into her to worry about, that’s easier said than done. Carmella is here to stay. The question is: what is Imogen going to do about it?

     The cast of this novel is exquisitely crafted. First there’s Carmella Cinder, who goes by “Ella” to play up the princess angle. She’s as wicked as any fairytale villain could hope to be, pulling no punches in her attempts to humiliate her overweight stepsister. Then there’s Grant, Imogen’s best friend and secret crush, who is easy to like and possesses a fully rounded-out personality. Alongside him are Brice and Jonathan, high school sweethearts who are fully devoted to their friends. Together, these friends have spent years working hard to bring Imogen out of the darkest corners of her mind.

     And they are dark corners indeed. Imogen has always had self-image issues, even if she doesn’t always realize that’s what they are, and Carmella’s presence in her life is enough to bring those thoughts back to the surface. While Imogen is well aware of the consequences that arise from giving in to these unhealthy emotions and desires, she also knows that the odds of her ending up with a happy ending are slim to none. She’s the ugly stepsister, after all, no matter what her friends and therapist say. No one cares about her. No one understands. In the end, the only one who controls that blade is her—which means she has to decide whether she wants control or love more desperately. Because unless she gives up one, she can’t have the other, now or ever.

     With a premise as ambitious and internally-focused as this one, it would be easy for the plot to plod along for a great while before it found some sort of life. Not so with this novel. From the beginning, where we’re introduced to Imogen, her therapist, and her problems, it’s clear that there will be plenty of structure to guide this story forward. For one thing, she works the sound booth for the school theater productions. For another, Carmella is determined to make her life miserable. And if that wasn’t enough, something big is about to go wrong in the school play—and only Imogen can fix it. But everything has consequences, even heroics. Only by figuring out who she wants to be and deciding to go for it will she ever truly find happiness.

     Sensitive readers may wish to be careful around this novel, due to the somewhat delicate nature of Imogen’s difficulties. Foremost of these is the manner in which she attempts to regain control of her life; suffice to say she once kept a collection of razor blades close at hand. In recent years, she has learned to curb the habit, but it’s always lurking just under the surface, ready to strike when she’s most vulnerable. Then too there is her trouble with food. For years, Imogen’s instinctive reaction to crises has been to eat as much junk food as she can, though the aftermath of such indulgence repulses her to a point where she almost becomes sick. However, these internal antagonists, as they were, are portrayed honestly and without reserve, making them feel more realistic and less fragile. Readers should also note that Brice and Jonathan are both boys, and play vital roles in the plot.

     I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a teenaged story of love, redemption, and the struggle to find hope in a world full of darkness. Imogen has her problems, yes, but she also has a support system of friends who read as though they’re living, breathing people rather than words on a page. Carmella, her enemy, is rotten to the core, and her attempts to ruin her stepsister’s life are, unlike in many tales, quite wicked. This is a narrative full of deep, complex emotions battling for control of a girl’s life, a struggle sure to capture the hearts and sympathies of the readers who dare peer inside. Be warned: Kelsey Macke’s Damsel Distressed is as heartwarming as it is saddening, with a heroine worth cheering on. It deserves five stars.