A book review by Alexander Castiglione
Well, the old adage, “If you have nothing nice to say don’t say it at all,” that’s getting thrown out the window. Now, anybody that reads my reviews knows I am a huge fan of Mr. Palahniuk, but his new release and sequel to Damned falls short of the mark.
Then again, maybe my expectations are too high, since most of his books I’ve read multiple times, equally enamored each time around. Maybe it’s the fact that the protagonist is an undead tween, donning a skort, battling obesity and dealing with a serious inferiority complex; and as a twenty-something male, I find that a tad hard to relate to. My ability to relate aside, points to Palahniuk for being able to create and maintain a unique alienated teenage voice for near 600 pages between the two novels.
Of course the book has its vile twists and turns and sordid sub-plots (no Chuck book would be complete without them), but save for the end, I found this entire piece weighed, measured, and found wanting. A gut feeling tells me it’s part of a trilogy, and I truly hope so.
Damned, well, it was pretty damned good. A truly twisted tale of Hades, Hell, the underworld; whatever name you put on it. With candy as currency and pools of bodily fluids making up the landscape, it was as hilarious as disturbing. However, it’s sequel left something to be desired. Doomed, just like its prequel, ends with a question mark (IE The End?) and I truly hope this is prophetic of a 3rd installment, as this one left much to be desired.
Doomed comes out October 8th, 2013 via Doubleday. Grab a copy and decide for yourself.
Nevermind The Posers 