Destroyed by Jane Sterne

“Jackie was not the sort of game any child would have wanted to play.” These are the words of Jayne Sterne. Now a woman, Jayne had suffered many frightful events including aggravated sexual assault, endured and witnessed violence, peer pressure, and bullying as both a child and as a young adult.
At about the age of nine, Jayne and her family had moved locations to live with a man, Graham. Little to one’s acknowledgement, he was the devil in disguise. Late one night, Graham sneaked into Jayne’s room and sexually assaulted her. It was only a few weeks after this non-repetitive incident that Jayne’s family had moved, yet once again, to another house. It was here where the full extent of Graham’s abuse had taken place.
Unfortunately, this is not the only thing that Jayne had encountered. She battled against abuse from her first partner, John, who beat her so badly that she“...fell on the floor choking on [her] own blood.” While her older brother, Stuart, was coming to grips with his past anger issues, thus becoming intolerable to his future wives; leading to a shock ending!
“Destroyed” is an incredible recount of an amazing girl’s journey throughout her early to mid life. And although I would like to suggest this book to anybody who enjoys a good read, I understand that it is not everybody’s ‘cup of tea’. Furthermore, I must make note that there are so many more themes, twists and turns and although I have discussed bits and pieces, this does not give justice to the style of writing Jayne Sterne has conceded. In saying this, as a conclusion, you must read the book to feel the full extent of awe that I had experienced once in completion of reading the novel. Furthermore, the way in which this novel has been written leaves one with such images that it comes to grips with you, and makes you realise exactly what type of lives some people are leading.
Sara