Review: Doomed (Damned #2) by Chuck Palahniuk

Title: Doomed

Author: Chuck Palahniuk

Genre: Novel, Contemporary

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Doubleday

Release Date: October 8th 2013

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

       Doomed is the sequel to Damned. With reading the first book I had an idea of what to expect with this one, but there was no way in HELL to predict it's entirety.  Basically you're reading a modernized version of the rapture.  Madison Spencer was stuck on Earth after not making it back to Hell on Halloween. I was already in love with this main character from reading the first book. A witty, literate (she makes that very clear),  sassy young dead girl, who in this second book takes you on a journey by "blog." That's how the "chapters" are presented, posts, with time stamps and "gentle tweeter[s]."  I think this way of presenting the story was effective, but the repetitive "gentle tweeter," didn't appeal to me as I don't "tweet." This was an easy, quick read.  There were also points in the book that were just as disturbing as "Damned." Which is really what draws me to Chuck Palahniuk's writing to begin with, his satire, his limitless obscenity, and crude disgusting scenarios/characters. As a person who does believe in God and religion (to an extent) I still enjoyed this book. Makes you look at theology a little different too. 

Highlights and Thoughts:

• This story starts out as a warning to the living; for example, "Bad Memories are better than none." "When you die, trust me, the most difficult person to leave behind is yourself." (Pg. 9)

• The sexual references will make you smile/huff through your nose or completely appall you.

• Madison makes reference to having "Postmortem Depression" and that couldn't be more spot on with her character.

• This book weaves characters from the first book in and out very well.

•  K-Holes let you communicate with the dead in case you wondered. That was a new interesting character introduced, the ghost bounty hunter, whose trick was overdosing on ketamine so his soul could speak to Madison.

• Based off of events from book #1 Madison has accidentally created her own following and religion, or at least what she believes to be accidental. ""Boorism," an entire international religious movement founded on potty humor and rude behavior." (P64)

• Madlantis was a hard concept, or continent I should say, to grasp.

• Madison claims that one way to get through death is to basically remember all the horrible things and bad times and that life wasn't always good.

• There is a Doomsday. You'll turn every page while reading the grande finale. Than wonder how it could finish where it does. I hated the ending.

RAD MOUTH