DNF. The dialogue was inadvertently comical and wooden, I couldn't get into it at all. "What in the name of the Yankee Candle's semi-annual sale is going on here?" was my final straw.

Very interesting premise, though. Points for that.

Many thanks to Netgalley, RB Media and the author for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows a 17 year old high school student Cordelia Scott who is the stage manager for the upcoming school production. All was well until her new guidance counsellor Fred until he comes to ask her for a piece of her soul and apparently he is not joking because 7 years ago on the infamous deal day the deal Cordelia had offered was actually accepted by him. Fred had 'taken care' of her abusive father and erased memories of that incident from her mind, which now has been returned to her. Now she has 2 options give Fred a piece of her soul or help Fred with something life-threatening instead of it.

Inspired by Filipino folklore, with a bit of magic, some fantasy some queer romance and a good bit of horror, fun and humour, this YA book was a quick listen. It was alas quick paced, though sometimes the narrative deflections felt a bit childish and silly. The found family with being in love with best friend also added a good bit of fun while dealing with a good bit of triggering topics like domestic abuse, child abuse, physical assault, etc.

Please check Trigger warnings before you read this book.

If you are looking for an interesting take on folklore, particularly one that isn't visited particularly often, I'd definitely recommend "Damned If You Do". It´s an interesting idea with queer rep and a relatable protagonist. Cordi may not always make the wisest decisions, but that's partially what makes her so real. She is grappling with her trauma, but still manages to stay strong and compassionate.
The writting, likewise, was good, flowing well and containing enough fun moments to keep me entertained.
That said, while I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the book, the audiobook isn't something that receives that same approval. The voice actress was certainly talented, but I found some of the tones she adapted for certain characters incredibly grating. It made the book much harder to get through.

I received this audiobook through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

What was your first read of August? Comment the title and author please, so I can check it out!

My first read of the month was Damned if You Do, a queer young adult horror novel, which is a little outside my usual reading comfort zone. I quite enjoyed the story, though, and I am very glad I gave it a chance!

Today is my stop on @tbrbeyondtours’ book blog and Instagram tour for Damned if You Do by Alex Jones (@madethisforlu)! I'll be sharing my review to celebrate, but be sure to check out the full tour schedule (link in bio) for content from all the other hosts!

As I mentioned earlier, young adult horror is not a genre that I typically read, but I made an exception for Damned if You Do for two reasons. Firstly, because I am willing to give anything a chance if it has got sapphic representation. Secondly, the main character in Damned if You Do is a stage manager for theatre, a job that I personally have experience doing. This got me very excited about the book, as there are very few stories out there centering theatre technicians, let alone stage managers. These two reasons were what made me pick up Damned if You Do, but I stayed for the cinematic storytelling and the excellent character writing! The pacing of the story is quick and keeps you engaged through the whole book!

In addition to reading a physical copy of Damned if You Do, I also listened along to the audiobook. At first, I was not completely enjoying Amielynn Abellera’s narration style, specifically the voices she did for the male characters. However, as the story progressed, I adjusted to her narrative style and ended up really enjoying the audiobook! It would be a great one to listen to on a road trip or while at work!

My Recommendation-
If you love Buffy the Vampire Slayer, books about theatre people, or exciting young adult novels, you should grab a copy of Damned if You Do! This book would be great for anyone needing a thrilling novel to capture their interest right now!

Cordelia is a 17- year-old high school stage manager, doing the typical high school things. Until one day she has a new guidance counselor, Fred. He's essentially telling Cordelia she needs to improve her grades (something she has been told many times by her mother, the theater teacher, and her principal). This time however, it was a bit different. Fred tells her he wants a piece of her soul. They both laugh it off until Fred says he's not kidding. The fun kind of starts from there. I enjoyed this book so much because while it is a horror novel, there is quite a bit of humor to offset the dark subject matter. I would suggest checking the trigger warnings because it can be a triggering topic for some. I appreciated the queer representation and learning about some Filipino folklore. This book had one of my favorite tropes of all time, found family. We don’t get to choose the family we are born into and sometimes things that happen to children are unfortunate and unfair, but I loved that Cordelia found a solid group of people to offset that. Thank you so much to Alex Brown, RB media, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Damned If You Do is a solid YA that manages to walk the line of comedic, heartfelt, and horrifying.

As we embark on a journey to learn more about this quaint all-American town, we learn about the all too familiar ways that quaint all-American towns are built on a foundation of lies, secret deals and blind eyes and deaf ears toward the sounds that come from behind our neighbours closed doors.

Damned if you do is a Young Adult Urban fantasy novel following Filipino American teen,

Cordelia Scott. When her guidance counselor turns out to be a demon, Cordelia learns that when she sent her abusive father to hell...literally...she lost part of her soul. In order to get it back she has to help Frank get rid of a rival demon in town.

This book was fun!!
The theatre production was a good touch.
The DEMONS were a good time!!
I loved it all. Especially watching Cordelia attempt to profess her crush to her best friend Veronica. I also loved the Filipino folklore that was present. I’m a sucker for mythology and it’s siblings so this one did not disappoint on that front. In fact, I need a sequel where Cordelia vanquishes more awful demons and befriends mythical creatures.

This is one you won’t be able to put down once you start. I also love Cordelia’s group of friends and her stubborn personality.

Damned if You Do was full of teen angst and the woes of being in high school. With a heavy dose of queer pinning and quirky characters, Brown’s novel was enjoyable but not incredible.

I think that if it had been pitched differently I would have enjoyed it more because the feeling of Buffy the Vampire Slayer didn’t really come through for me. The story was indeed rich with elements of Filipino folklore, particularly with the introduction of the monster aswang which wreaks some havoc on Cordelia and her mission. This is by all means a black comedy but with a large amount of drama that I wasn’t expecting. I wouldn’t necessarily call it horror.

I would recommend it to the right person but not broadly and I still plan to look into any future books by Brown.

I couldn't find the plot intriguing enough to make it further into this story than the initial 38%. Though I love angst in romance, I found this overwrought - likely because I am not a fan of slow burn.

This was such a FUN YA horror/thriller that sees a queer Filipino American teen forced to become a demon hunter when she discovers she accidentally made a deal with a demon and he's come to collect.

If Cordelia Scott wants to get her soul back and help save her town she has to figure out how to banish her demon's rival all while dealing with complicated romantic feelings for her friend and trauma over the father she got sent to hell. Great on audio and perfect for Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review! This was a perfect #SpookySeason read with diverse characters and a great balance of humor and horror! I would definitely read more by this author in the future!!

I thought I was going to enjoy this one much more than I did. The premise is so strong! Queer Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Filipino folklore sounds exactly up my alley, but Damned If You Do unfortunately didn't live up to my expectations.

My main complaint is the narrative voice. It felt very childish. I love young adult literature, and many times I feel YA books can provide a compelling story even for an older audience, but this was not one of those times. Maybe I would have liked this book more if I was younger, but I can't say I would recommend this story to anyone past high school age.

Something I thought this book did really well, however, was balance the heavier topics with humor and lighthearted moments. This story tackles issues of abuse and alcoholism, but it does so in a way that is accessible and appropriate for a young adult audience.

Overall, I was hoping for a lot more out of this story, but I could definitely see it being entertaining for a younger audience!

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the ALC of this audiobook and Page Street YA for the gifted copy of the print book.

Seven years ago, Cordelia Scott made a deal with a demon to take care of her abusive father and requested that her memory be wiped of the incident. When her new guidance counselor turns out to be that demon, the memories come rushing back. He needs her help and offers the piece of her soul back in return. But how do you capture a demon? All while running from a monster and trying to figure out romantical things with your best friend and stage managing the upcoming school production?

A little bit horror. A little bit fantasy. A lotta bit YA. This one was a lot of fun. Full of mystery, intrigue, action, and Filipino folklore, I didn’t lose pace with it for a second. I was in it with these characters from start to finish. I listened to most of it while pupsitting last month, and I really enjoyed having the audiobook on our walks. It was so hot outside, and this book was the perfect distraction from the discomfort. There’s also queer rep, which is always a bonus. Definitely recommend for a fun, quick-moving book.

It was fun and a good read. The story is good and the characters are fun and engaging for me but the whole premise just is in there but didn't landed well for me.

The précis for Alex Brown’s Damned if You Do describes it as "Queer Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Filipino folklore". It’s been years since I’ve seen Buffy but I remember a bit of tongue in cheek humor blended in with some pretty graphic stuff, and that’s a good idea of what Damned if You Do is.

I’m going to start out this review by saying that I enjoyed the story just fine. I feel Brown truly captures the essence of high school life, with the social dynamics and events the characters are going through. There’s some intense family drama, and Brown does a good job exploring how the main character feels as she tells us her tale.

Unfortunately the narrator in the audio version of Damned if You Do really didn’t work for me. If I was reviewing the book alone, I’d probably go for four stars, but factoring in the narrator’s performance levels it out to three stars for me.

This was just so good! A horror with all the demons was everything. I laughed and was on the edge of my seat for all the action. I loved all the pop culture references. The characters are so awesome. I got such Buffy Vampire Slayer vibes. I really hope this will be a series. I need more. Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for this audio ARC.

I did not love the narrator’s voice. My ears found it to tinny. I could not get passed 3%. I will be buying the physical book to read instead.

Please, listen and make your own decisions.

I loved the horror-comedy (light on the horror) aspect of this book and the fact that one of the main monsters came from Filipino folklore, which I knew nothing about and was excited to learn.

The concept of the story was fun too. A small town was founded 100 years ago by a pact with a demon and now every year on Deal Day the demon makes a deal with another town resident. The only problem is that the town's people are paying with more than they realize. So on this 100th year, another demon comes to town with the express goal of stopping the town's demon and enlists high school stage manager Cordelia Scott to help.

If I had read this book myself, I probably would have rated it four or even five stars, but I listened to the audiobook and found the narrator to be very distracting. I didn't enjoy the voices that were used for the different characters. The inflection that was used to distinguish one male student was so flippant that it undercut a lot of emotion that was written into the story. Otherwise, I thought the book itself was fun and funny and I will recommend it to teen readers.

Damned if you do

Seventeen year old Cordelia Scotts abusive father suddenly left her and her mother 7years ago, leaving her mother emotionally guarded, and Cordelia into pouring all her energy into her position as a stage manager at her school. Pining for her best friend still leaves a feeling of something that’s missing. Maybe her school counsellor, who's in fact a literal demon, is able to help? He just needs something in return. Again.

Do I like this book? Yes, it’s a very fun read, but it does have its faults. But honestly, a lot of those faults lie mostly in its official description. There are definitely some notes and a slight taste of modern Buffy and a lot of humour throughout. There are so many fun quips and our mc being like ‘nope, not doing this today’.
But some of the friendly school relationships feel a bit too romanticised, and slightly superficial, compared to the dark theme of the story. Cordelias relationship with her mother is also lacking and feels flat, even more so during the books ending.
But it, being sold on incorporating Filipino folklore? That's stretching it too far. There’s a family who's Filipino and a creature. That’s it.

Overlooking, that it’s not really a horror book per se, I do still recommend this book as an enjoyable and fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audiobook.

Damned If You Do was a fun and entertaining story. I appreciated the Filipino Folklore/Mythology elements in this story. I didn't know much going in but I enjoyed this a ton. It was fun-faced and more comical than I expected for a supernatural story. There are also heavy elements to the story so please check trigger warnings.

Thank you NetGalley for another ARC,

Damned If You Do, by Alex Brown, is a YA horror/fantasy lightly inspired by filipino folklore, about Cordelia’s Scott deal with a demon and the consequences of it.

I felt like I was promised so much, but got so little. I’m a very easy person to please when it comes to films and books, but Damned If You Do committed the ultimate sin, in my opinion…the main character is annoying and reckless, two things that I cannot forgive, like, ever.

The redeeming quality of the book is the audiobook, Amielynn Abellera is a very good narrator and made the whole experience bearable.