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Parents' Guide to

The Damned: The Beautiful, Book 2

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

More angst and romance in series' twisty middle installment.

Book Renee Ahdieh Fantasy 2020
The Damned: The Beautiful, Book 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

THE DAMNED starts soon after the events of The Beautiful: Bastien has transformed from human on the verge of death into a newly made vampire, making him hungry for blood and distraught at having lost Celine. Meanwhile, Celine, under the constant care of Michael, the New Orleans detective secretly from a family of werewolves, cannot remember anything other than she was attacked and then woke up in the hospital. She doesn't know she was once in love with Bastien and that she bargained with his powerful uncle to turn Bastien into a vampire in exchange for her memories. Bastien enters a time of self-destructive partying, and his world is turned upside down when Celine make her way to his family's nightclub/restaurant and has a spark of recognition. Afterward, the moment drives Celine to find a way to reconnect with the handsome young man who keeps haunting her dream. Bastien, desperate to go back to his mortal life and court Celine once again, researches the fable of a fey sorcerer with the ability to transform an immortal back into a mortal. Eventually Bastien's and a still memory-less Celine's paths continue to cross, leading them on a dangerous path.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Classic middle installment provides more exposition, more twists, more romance, and more obstacles to the paranormal love story at the heart of Renée Ahdieh's lush and atmospheric vampire saga. Romance fans may not care about much other than the inevitability of Celine and Bastien's relationship; readers who picked up on the love triangle attempt in the first novel will see how Michael, however kind, caring, and attractive, is no match for brooding and fiery Bastien. Ahdieh seems uninterested in Teams. This is no Edward-Bella-Jacob or Gale-Katniss-Peeta dilemma; it's hard to imagine a reader believing for one minute that Celine could truly love anyone but Bastien given the intensity of their chemistry. If anything, there's more tension between Celine's best friend Pippa, who's engaged to a safe and rich New Orleans scion, and Arjun, Bastien's confidant, than there is between Michael and Celine.

Although a quick read, the 400-plus-page The Damned introduces more supernatural lore and lots more immortal creatures. The world-building expands to otherworldly dimensions and teases a future that's sure to come into play in the next book. Readers used to Ahdieh's duologies need to know that this is just Book 2, so there are a host of unanswered questions, plot twists, and just when one issue seems resolved, another possibly devastating challenge is thrown onto Celine and Bastien's path. The book swaps multiple points of view, but aside from the central duo, the ones that stand out most are Odette's, Arjun's, and Jae's -- those immortals all have fascinating teased out backstories. Ultimately, those perspectives add even more international flavor to an incredibly diverse cast, but in the end, this is definitely a love story.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in The Damned. How does it compare to the violence in The Beautiful? Is supernatural violence less impactful than realistic violence? Which violent scenes made the biggest impact on you as a reader?

  • Which characters, if any, do you consider role models in the book? What character strengths do they display? Why are courage, empathy, and teamwork important? How are they depicted in the story?

  • Discuss the love story and its development in this second book. Why are love triangles so common in supernatural YA books? Did it resolve as you expected? What do you think will happen next?

Book Details

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