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    We're All Damaged
    We're All Damaged
    We're All Damaged
    Audiobook8 hours

    We're All Damaged

    Written by Matthew Norman

    Narrated by Scott Merriman

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Andy Carter was happy. He had a solid job. He ran 5Ks for charity. He was living a nice, safe Midwestern existence. And then his wife left him for a handsome paramedic down the street.

    We’re All Damaged begins after Andy has lost his job, ruined his best friend’s wedding, and moved to New York City, where he lives in a tiny apartment with an angry cat named Jeter that isn’t technically his. But before long he needs to go back to Omaha to say good-bye to his dying grandfather.

    Back home, Andy is confronted with his past, which includes his ex, his ex’s new boyfriend, his right-wing talk-radio-host mother, his parents’ crumbling marriage, and his still-angry best friend.

    As if these old problems weren’t enough, Andy encounters an entirely new complication: Daisy. She has fifteen tattoos, no job, and her own difficult past. But she claims she is the only person who can help Andy be happy again, if only she weren’t hiding a huge secret that will mess things up even more. Andy Carter needs a second chance at life, and Daisy—and the person Daisy pushes Andy to become—may be his last chance to set things right.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateJun 1, 2016
    ISBN9781531835972
    We're All Damaged
    Author

    Matthew Norman

    Matthew Norman is an advertising copywriter. He lives with his wife and daughter in Baltimore. Domestic Violets is his first novel.

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    Reviews for We're All Damaged

    4/5

    109 ratings12 reviews

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    • 3/5
      The humor was good, funny, but substantively a bit lacking.
    • 4/5
      Not the type of book I would normally pick up, but this turned out to be a pretty good book. The book is full of quirky characters. The budding relationship between Andy and Daisy was sweet. I loved the randomness of his dad's fight with the squirrels. Andy has come home because his grandfather is dying, and while at home, he tries to repair old relationships. The results are satisfying. Overall a nice little book.
    • 5/5
      The CD, read by Scott Merriman, was so well done! His voice was just perfect for the character of Andy. The story was just plain fun---well put together, going up and down and side ways!!
    • 3/5
      While DOMESTIC VIOLETS had a pretty broad appeal, this second novel - with its repeatedepisodes of puking, punching, drunk driving, and truck wrecks - would make a great traditionalmale movie.Yes, in many different ways, we are ALL damaged - but refusing to go into recovery, get therapy,or simply move on - definitely ends up with recursive behaviors. In this case, not only that,but no characters to really care about in a pretty improbable plot.Plugs for DOMESTIC VIOLETS...hmmm...
    • 4/5
      Title: We're All DamagedAuthor: Matthew NormanPublisher: Little AReviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: FourReview:"We're All Damaged" by Matthew NormanMy Thoughts...What a read that will give you a little bit of 'hilarity and seriousness' that will keep you turning the pages as you read about some people who are 'heart wrenching, heart rending, heart breaking, witty, and hilarious people. As you read through "We're All Damaged" I was let wondering if Andy Carter will finally get his life together and find happiness in a world that seem to thrown definitely down a 'gauntlet against such simple wants' because it seems like Andy can't catch a break by fooling around in his life after his wife leaves him for a paramedic, he loses his job, he relocated to NYC, leading him to a sad drunken existence...then a trip back home to Omaha whose grandfather is...well, I will stop here and say pick up this good read to see how this author presents it so well to the readers. With all that has happened to Andy over the last past year will he finally get a 'righteous rainbow' arrive for him? What a story that is about 'family, hope and dreams.' The list of characters where some are all well developed, quirky, portrayed and some even being multi-dimensional...from Andy, to his mom[Nancy], his brother [Jim], his ex wife [Karen], his dad, his grandpa, best friend, [NEAL] and then there is Daisy [what a character!] to name a few that will keep you turning the pages to see what is coming next. If you are looking for a well written read that has 'perceptions, dysfunction, love and even second chances' then this is definitely a read for you to enjoy.
    • 5/5
      Andy is just a regular guy trying to eek out a living as a bartender in NYC when his family insists that he come home because his grandfather is dying. Although we are not privy to much information in the beginning, we discover that Andy has strongly avoided returning to Omaha since he separated from his ex-wife and had an unfortunate "incident" at his best friend's wedding. Additionally, Andy's mother just happens to be the Rush Limbaugh of radio talk show hosts and is being targeted by the gay mafia for her intolerant views on homosexuality and gay marriage. While in town, Andy is stalked by a strange girl who may or may not be having a relationship with his grandfather. As his cherished grandfather's death gets closer, Andy is forced to deal with the mess he left behind and the weird characters that comprise Andy's family and friends.I thought this book was hilarious and there were many times when I burst out with laughter reading about Andy's situation. I had never read this author's work before but absolutely loved it. Very funny and lighthearted. I highly recommend it.
    • 2/5
      Based on the editor's description I originally thought this was a book about marriage, but that proved not to be true. It's really about broken relationships. It does describe a few relationships that are restored, sort of. It's really hard to discuss "restored relationships" when the restoration comes as a result of a punch to the face or a prank that ends with hospitalization. Overall, it's just a meandering tale of Andy Carter and the messed up relationships in his life. Further reducing my enjoyment of the book were the embracing of ungodly lifestyles and the persistent and unnecessary use of foul and blasphemous language. I nearly stopped reading two or three times, but I just wanted to know if the book would redeem itself as the story wrapped up. It did not. Pass on this 'damaged' book.
    • 4/5
      This was a light-hearted & humorous quick read. Andy, having fled to New York after a divorce that he's still reeling from, returns to his hometown of Omaha after his mother informs him that his grandfather is dying. It turns out that his family is pretty dysfunctional, and of course his ex-wife still lives in town with "the new guy". Matthew Norman has been compared to fellow author Jonathan Tropper, and without having read anyone else's reviews, that is immediately who came to my mind while I was reading this book. This novel is strikingly similar in many ways to Tropper's This is Where I Leave You. However, while I did enjoy this book & found it humorous, in the end it wasn't nearly as laugh-out-loud funny as Tropper's book. Had I not read that one, I may have enjoyed this one more, but I couldn't help but make comparisons. This book was enjoyable (squirrels!), but I doubt that it will be memorable to me in the long run.
    • 4/5
      This a short, amusing novel that has it's moments of poignancy. There is political commentary, marriage turmoil, failed and rekindled friendships , suburban satire and a blind date. For a quick read, the dialogue flows and the timing between lines and scenes is nearly perfect. Norman's writing is so tight I can see this as a screenplay. There are even cute little squirrels with obscene paw gestures. If you want to read something that will put a smile on your face but is also heartwarming, this is a good pick. Copy provided by publisher
    • 5/5
      A few years back I read Matthew Norman's hilarious novel, Domestic Violets, which made my list of the Most Compelling Books of 2011. It tells the story of a man stuck in a soulless copywriting job, the son of a Norman Mailer-like father, married to a woman he fears will leave him, father to a young daughter.He is writing a novel, but he will always be compared to his successful father, an alcoholic with a wandering eye who comes to stay with his son. It is a family story, a workplace comedy (ala The Office), and so much more.Norman's newest novel is We're All Damaged about Andy, a young man who has fled to NYC from Omaha after his wife tells him she wants a divorce. He is living in a hovel, working as a bartender, with a cat his only friend.When Andy's mom calls him to tell him he must come home to Omaha because his beloved grandfather is dying, Andy reluctantly goes. He hasn't been home since his divorce and doesn't want to face his ex-wife, whom he still loves.Once again the cast of characters is terrific. Andy's mom is a right-wing radio host whose latest rants against legalizing gay marriage have caught the attention of Fox News and may result in a gig on the network. Dad is a retired accountant who spends his day working on his motorcycle and shooting pesky squirrels with a paintgun.Andy's brother Jim is a stereotypical finance guy who thinks he's Master of the Universe and every interaction with Andy is fraught with macho sibling brutality. Neal was Andy's best friend and is the twin brother of his ex-wife. Andy's ex-wife already has moved in her hunky paramedic boyfriend and wants nothing to do with Andy.All this depresses Andy, and when he goes to see his grandpa, he meets a mysterious woman named Daisy who is passing herself off as his sibling so she can visit his grandpa. What is her story?Daisy makes it her mission to bring Andy out of his funk, and she succeeds to some extent. She refuses to let Andy hide in his old bedroom, and forces him to face reality.We're All Damaged has its humorous moments, like the three gay men who "prank" Andy's mom by throwing hundreds of Ken dolls on her lawn and glitterbombing her car. The leader of the group has a hilarious scene with Andy, who describes his meeting with them by saying he wonders "if this is what Tupac felt like right before the bullets started whizzing."Andy constantly watches a YouTube video of an epic best-man fail that when explained later in the story is sad and funny at the same time. It becomes a crucial element of the story.Norman is a somewhat more poignant this time around, as when he says maybe "all marriages end in a box in the basement" as he goes through all of the detritus of his former married life. His characters (Daisy, his mom, Neal) are multi-dimensional, not easy to put in a box and I appreciate that in a novel.I love novels that give me insight into the male psyche and We're All Damaged certainly fills that bill. Andy has quickly become one of my favorite fictional characters, one I root for to get it together. I was also happy to see the shout-out to Curtis Violet from Domestic Violets. It made me smile so!I highly recommend We're All Damaged, for the terrific characters and engrossing storyline. I also liked the setting of Omaha, we get a real sense of place there in this novel. If you are a fan of Jonathan Tropper, you'll love Matthew Norman.
    • 5/5
      Matthew Norman takes typical life circumstances - relationships, breakups, family dynamics - and presents them in a way that feels both new and familiar. The story is told in first person, from Andy's perspective, and his view is often humorous and ironic. This is done with such ease that it's nearly impossible not to laugh along with him.While the approach is light and comical, much of the content has surprising depth and complexity. We witness how easy it is to drown in despair. We see how time changes us and how, sometimes, we choose to ignore those changes.The characters are all so much fun. Each is thoroughly unique and perfectly believable. We have a bit of mystery within some of the relationships, which unfolds in unexpected ways as the story progresses. In the end we find that, yes, we're all damaged, and maybe it's time we accepted that about ourselves.
    • 5/5
      Outstanding. It is funny, sensitive, timely, not preachy, and all of the characters were easy to believe. This was a really fun book to read.