This book is horror excellence and none of y'all are ready for it. It's queer and it's funny and it's completely unputdownable!

This was a very fast-paced story that kept me engaged throughout the whole book. I liked the blend of regular high school story with the supernatural elements and the inclusion of Filipino folklore in the mix. That made it feel unique and interesting.

Don’t know if it captured a Buffy-vibe more so than the main character being a young woman and the setting being a smaller town.

Usually, I’m not much for romance in stories but I thought the love story in this book was alright. Maybe because it wasn’t the main storyline of the story.

I felt like the narrator - Amielynn Abellera – did a good job. Good voice, fitting for the story as I think she managed to get the tone right throughout the book.

I appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation in this book. I feel like the fantasy elements were compelling and interesting, but the book dragged on a bit too much for my liking. I really like the "theatre kid" motif. Glad I picked it up, regardless, but I also found some of the characters' voices in the audiobook to be incredibly annoying (Sal).

Thank you to NetGalley for this audiobook.

First of all, the description of this book is very misleading. This is neither horror nor comedy. It’s more of a heavy drama about child abuse and trauma with some supernatural elements. I’m not sure if I liked this book or not. It had its moments, including a sequence featuring some Carly Rae Jepson lyrics, but overall the narrator was a bit too juvenile for me. The plot twists were fairly predictable but that may be because I’ve simply devoured too much teen supernatural media over the years.

This wouldn’t be at the top of my list of recommendations. It was fine but other books have done what this was going for better than this.

Damned If You Do (audiobook) Review✨

First off I would like to thank netgalley for this gifted audiobook!

Read if you…
• like YA Horror
• are looking for a diverse book with lgbtq+ representation & cultural representation.
• are looking for a book about a bunch of kids fighting demons

The blurb (and I think it’s spot on!): “Queer Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Filipino folklore in this horror comedy about a high school stage manager who accidentally sells her soul to a demon.”

My dad is from the Philippines but never really shared much of the culture with us. Besides the food and calling his Filipino friends Uncle and Auntie. Everything else I’ve learned from… can you guess it? Yup, Books! So reading this really helped me see things I’m familiar with (the food was a happy little surprise for me). I also learned a little bit about Filipino folklore that I didn’t know about. And I love learning new things about my culture. Thank you Alex Brown for sharing this story!

The audiobook was so fun! I loved all the different personalities that were shown through the narrator, Amielynn Abellera. Fred was probably one of my favorite characters, he brought comedy relief and a weird comfort to the story. There was so much emotion that shines through the story. My only complaint was that the high schoolers sounded like 10 year olds and not seniors in high school (in the audiobook). Other than that I loved Cordelia and her group of friends. I had fun trying to figure out who the Aswang was! Overall such a good story to listen to!

A delightful horror comedy that is both laugh out loud funny and bone chilling. This book masterfully balances the genre blending as well as emotionally resonant threads about parental abuse, familial duty, and young sapphic love. The yearning, the monsters, the not so subtle buffy references... this book is a damn fun time!

This book has trigger warnings for abuse and trauma.

I had a really hard time getting into this story, the overall picture of a town created by a demon and a girl who gets caught up in demon drama due to calling a demon during a tragic event is interesting.

However the characters are really really hard to like and takes a long time to adjust. The narration isn’t bad in the audiobook but some of the voices are painful and it might be that personally I just disliked characters which maybe means they did a phenomenal job!

I would recommend this book but for people who don’t mind a slow start.

I enjoyed this! The ending pulls the story together well and I enjoyed all the characters. Overall, this was a unique and entertaining story that I would recommend. Special Thank You to Alex Brown, RB Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a complimentary copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Recorded Books for sending me a copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

Comedy horror? Filipino folklore? Sapphic? Say less!

Yes this delivers on every single part of that, and I couldn't have been happier for it! This was horror in the way that it made me think existentially, but it was comedy in the way that it made me feel like I was back in high school just being so chaotic again. I loved both parts, the depth and the levity, the sorrow and the joy. It made the characters and their stories so much more relatable and real to me.

There were times where it felt immature, but I attribute that to high schoolers simply being immature and full of chaos. I really loved Cordelia and the way that she struggled with who she was and what she wanted in light of everything that had happened to her. It was a journey that I didn't think we would go on based on the description, but I'm so glad we did. It made the book hit that much harder.

Be sure to check trigger warnings! But if you love a diverse, spooky read, this is the book for you!

This was a delight! A super campy horror that definitely gave the Buffy vibes that were promised. The characters were fun and believable, and the lore was really entertaining. Underneath however, is a meaningful exploration of what happens when you grow up with an abusive parent.

My only small complaint is the narrators voiceing of some of the male teenagers, but it was minor enough it didn't bother me.

This was a super interesting listen, and I learned a huge amount about Philippine lore, culture and heritage.

The book moves a little slow, and it was especially apparent in audio, but it was worth the long listen in the end as the resolution was engaging and well deserved for our characters.

The romance was an interesting subplot, but I found the heavier themes of grief, guilt, and forgiveness to be much more powerful and engaging

As soon as I heard of this book I knew I needed to read it. I didn’t care about anything except the part that called it “horror.” For whatever reason I have been in my horror bag lately, so it doesn’t matter what it’s about lol If it’s labeled as horror and its diverse, then I’m good. And so I was super happy to see that I was approved for it via Netgalley. Super happy to report it didn’t disappoint.

Don’t ever let anyone tell you that horror is just a throw away genre. I learned things about the Filipino culture from this book. Granted they were mythical creatures, but they were still cool and I’d never heard of them before. I even doubled back and did some extra research so I would know what to say if I was asked by my co-workers when I started recommending this book. This is why I was so hype for this tho. Learning about other’s folklore is so amazing.

I was a little hesitant about the plot tho. Most of the horror books I’ve read lately have been about demons or possession. But I shouldn’t have worried. I was so into this. I remember reading it non-stop while I was supposed to be in webinars and everything. It was so good. I haven’t read Alex Brown’s work before, but I went back and added all her work that was coming out or the anthologies she was already in already. Brown definitely made this trope her own. I quickly realized I had nothing to worry about.

In that same vein, her writing style was great too. I loved her plays on words lol Like how Florida was hell? That was hilariously accurate. And the way she handled the religion in her story. I thought it was a bit religion heavy because the demons, but at no point did it feel preachy. Normally I don’t like religion in books, but it helped that this wasn’t all the book was about. And the dact that this was called horror comedy made me question what it was in book form, but I thought this worked really well. But because it was also funny, it just wasn’t scary at all lol

I did want more from the fight scenes tho. It was like a few paragraphs long and that was it. It was just like not long enough. And when it got to the main one, it was just like the others. I just wanted more. I mean they did all of this with the theater kids. And like I’m all for the arts. but I didn’t really believe they could win against those things lol

The last thing about this I wanted to talk about is the main character. As a character driven reader, I was trying to figure out why I didn’t like her but I was still so into this book lmao I think it was the love interest I actually liked, because the main character got on my nerves. I wanna say it was because she just did things. That was exactly what got her into this mess, so I couldn’t imagine why she was doing the same thing lol It was just like she didn’t learn anything. It was weird lol Her character growth was entirely too slow for my liking.

I was at war with trying to figure out how to rate this. I went back and forth on many different ratings. But that’s how I know I’ve stumbled across a really good book. If I have to actively think about things, I know it’s one I really enjoyed.

This is a captivating blend of queer Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes with a unique twist—enter demons instead of vampires, coupled with Filipino folklore. Cordelia's character shines, and my heart resonated with her past struggles. I really really loved Fred! He was such a hoot! The twist was also good as I wasn't expecting that. The story is a gripping journey, made even more immersive by Amielynn Abellera's exceptional narration, bringing the characters to life in a wonderful way.

Perfect for fans of young adult, and supernatural elements.

A special thanks to RB Media and Netgalley for the complimentary ALC.

This book was such a quite combination of laughter and horrible, I can definitely see the comparison of Buffy. This book was so enjoyable.

This book was aptly marketed. It really did feel like a Buffy-esque story, except maybe with a bit more drama. I loved seeing a stage manager as an MC in a book like this (maybe a bit partial to the theatre since it’s my job). The romance sprinkled in the story felt very Willow, and it was pretty of cool to see a character that was not white inhabit both those personas. This book was preeeettty dark and dealt with some seriously heavy themes so make sure you check the TW before you dive in! <spoiler> I was a bit disappointed in how easily the characters moved on from the death of a major influence and honestly think it was glossed over, like Blake’s death was a plot point that pushed it forward and not dealt with as an actual casualty. The bit at the very end where he was memorialized even felt as though it was rushed. <spoiler> overall, I enjoyed the story and would recommend to others. It was a solid, enjoyable read, but I would have preferred a different narrator. The voices were a bit repetitive and too often the character had no range, the same tenor and cadence no matter the emotion the character should be feeling.

There’s a myth of Cordelia’s town, in which a person can make a deal with a demon and have their wish come true. The whole town was created that way. So when Cordelia finds herself face-to-face with a “good” demon (if that can even be true) who needs her help defeating the one who controls her town, she must choose who to side with and the repercussions that come with it.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! The overall storyline was very interesting and kept me captivated most of the time. I feel as if we spent a good amount of time getting to the characters and situations, though sometimes it felt like the characters themselves would get over things too quickly. I know in its blurb it is compared to other popular stories, but I just read and enjoyed it without thinking about the comparisons.

Overall, this would be a book I reccomend to other readers who want to have an enjoyable time with warnings of some darker elements.

First off, many thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book as an audio ARC! I greatly appreciate it!

I have rather mixed feelings about this one. The writing style is pretty good, but the plot feels like a CW teen show. It gets pretty corny, especially towards the ending, which is just not my thing. Still, it was a good time more often than not. I never even considering DNFing it, which is always good.

I was less impressed with the characters. Cordelia's pretty interesting, especially with that backstory! Poor thing! She's stubborn and determined, and I like that. I liked Fred a lot, though his calling Cordelia "little one" feels super predatory to me. Dustin was a lotta fun, too! Everyone in this book takes themselves so seriously, it was refreshing to have characters like him and Fred to balance it out! Sal felt super forced, though. Like, we see them very briefly at the beginning, then suddenly at the climax they pop back in again. I forgot they existed, which is a shame, as being nonbinary myself, I was really excited to see them at the start! The priest was also interesting, and he went in a direction I didn't expect! Nice!

I also really, really wasn't a fan of the narrator and her stilted performance.

Overall, a pretty good book! 3.5 stars out of 5!

DNF at 30% I truly cannot stand the narrator...at all..they truly make this title unreadable and I don't think I've encountered this issue before.
I'm kind of interested in the story because I was promised a sort of Buffy with Demons vibe but I hate this right now and I cannot keep going.

Okay, we've all seen this before.

A young girl has to face and overcome the forces of darkness with her quick quips and her sharp intelligence.

Buffy.

It's Buffy.

Without the vampires and the super strength.

I was 13 years old when the television series started and have fond memories of the cheesy movie. I was a huge Buffy fan. I watched every episode; I read the books; I got the calendar. There is still a part of my brain that stores this knowledge to this day.

I spent too long connecting the book back the Buffy series.:
* The main character of the novel is named Cordelia,
* She's informed of the supernatural by an older male mentor,
* Her love interest turns out to be a demon,
* Her mother is unaware of her actions,
* She calls her friend 'Harmonica',
* She has a red weapon,
* The final show down takes place at the school play and
* She saves the day with the help of her friends.

Ultimately, as much as I hate to say it, I may just be too old for this novel. If you are a young adult and have not spent years watching Buffy then I'm sure this would hit differently but it didn't really do it for me.

The narrator for the audiobook was great at the main character's voice but the voices for the male characters took me out of the story. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5 Stars
I liked how this referenced Filipino folklore and the effects of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. I listened to the audio of this and I had to skip the karaoke part because I couldn't take it seriously lol. This was a really cool concept, it dragged on a bit for me though and I wish the romance was more developed as well.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!