The Damned by Renee Ahdieh - HIGH

The Damned (Beautiful, #2) by Renee Ahdieh,  401 pages. Putnam  (Penguin), 2020. $19.  

Content: Language: R (20 swears, 2 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG-13.  

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH  

Sebastian has now been turned into a vampire, and in an attempt to distract himself from his deplorable situation he engages in all the vampire activities. His most recurring thought is about Celine, the girl that sacrificed her memories of their relationship so that he could live.  Celine is trying to live life but knows that she is missing memories.  When Celine runs into Sebastian, she feels that he has the answers to her questions and keeps drawing closer to him, even as he tries to push her away.  Regardless of both of their attempts, the other evils in play around them force them to work together.  

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a vampire story, and this series is good.  I love the chemistry between the characters and the conflict is well paced.  The minor characters are as interesting as the main characters.  I totally enjoyed this read, but the content includes descriptive sexual content (close to on-page sex) and bloody battles. The ending is open, so there will be more in the series.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson