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A review by stormywolf
The Damned by Renée Ahdieh
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is the first sequel The Vampire Book Club has picked thus far, so I was pretty excited to enter this world. I caught up on The Beautiful earlier this week and really enjoyed it, finding it a fun and well-crafted mix of familiar modern and classic stories. With that experience fresh in my mind, and a bombastic ending to boot, I was eager to continue the story and see just where Bastien and Celine got to next.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I wish this story had focused more on the characters' growth and less on transitioning. It felt like it wanted to completely disconnect from the themes of the first book, reworking its characters into something entirely new so they could start again in the next book. And while I appreciated that as a theme of the story—the characters choosing to move away from the old ways of doing things, opting to take steps toward better understanding, mercy, and equality—the execution of it in the plot was too rushed, leaving the characters feeling hollow and stagnant. Though this book didn't live up to my expectations, I'm still willing to give it another shot with the series' next installment (releasing late 2021), so I'll be back to let you know if it was worth it. Because as it stands now, I don't think I can recommend this continuation unless you're already ride or die with these characters.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I wish this story had focused more on the characters' growth and less on transitioning. It felt like it wanted to completely disconnect from the themes of the first book, reworking its characters into something entirely new so they could start again in the next book. And while I appreciated that as a theme of the story—the characters choosing to move away from the old ways of doing things, opting to take steps toward better understanding, mercy, and equality—the execution of it in the plot was too rushed, leaving the characters feeling hollow and stagnant. Though this book didn't live up to my expectations, I'm still willing to give it another shot with the series' next installment (releasing late 2021), so I'll be back to let you know if it was worth it. Because as it stands now, I don't think I can recommend this continuation unless you're already ride or die with these characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and War