Destroyed cover

Destroyed

by Jayne Sterne

When eight-year-old Jayne returned to England from bomb-torn Northern Ireland, her family stayed with relatives and a distant cousin began a campaign of abuse so horrifying that her world was shattered forever. When the family moved again, Jayne thought the nightmare was over. She was wrong. Her cousin came too. And, as her parents had to work nights, Jayne's abuser became her 'carer'. Raped repeatedly by him, beaten, abused and battered, Jayne's life was a living hell. One thing kept Jayne sane: the love and care of her older brother, Stuart. But he had demons of his own, and Jayne watched in helpless despair as the boy who had always protected her turned into an adult consumed by rage. Out of control and on the edge, Stuart went on to commit one of the most terrible crimes of recent years.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?