Rambling Reads | Damned Review

Let me just start off by saying that I am a huge Chuck Palahniuk fan. Invisible Monsters and Survivor are, hands down, two of my all time favorite books. Damned was lukewarm and here's why.

Chuck Palahniuk and Hell? Sign me up, I thought. Palahniuk tells us the story of Madison Spencer, a thirteen-year-old girl who finds herself in Hell after an apparent marijuana overdose. Yeah, I didn't buy that either. Eventually you find out how she really died, and it definitely lives up to the Palahniuk  graphicness.

As we go on this adventure through Hell with Madison, we see her evolve from a meek little girl who is still hoping she will (maybe) see Heaven, to a hellish goddess stomping her way to complete and total power of the underworld. While I thoroughly enjoyed the latter part of Madison's journey, it was incredibly frustrating reading about her inner turmoil. Let's just say, Palahniuk got the annoying, angsty thoughts of a thirteen year old almost too right. Palanhiuk would write reflective moments like this after Madison has explained something:

"Yes, I know the word absentia. I'm thirteen years old, not stupid- and being dead, ye gods, do I comprehend the idea of absentia."

While this isn't annoying now, imagine it repeated in different forms throughout the entire span of the book. That's what Palahniuk did in Damned. Yes, I understand that it's in the nature of a thirteen year old to be snarky and repeat themselves, but I don't particularly want to be annoyed when I'm reading, maybe that's just me.

Another part of the book I wasn't exactly on board with was the chapter where Madison, and her hellish friend Archer, get into some graphic shenanigans. A female demon eats Archer, leaving only his severed head, and in order to weaken the demon, Madison comes up with the disgusting idea to use Archer's severed head to pleasure the demon. Basically, this book isn't for the repressed. But, if you are picking up a Chuck Palanhiuk novel, you should already know that.

I did find the different friends Madison makes in Hell to be interesting. My personal favorite was Archer. He really stuck by her side, and forced her out of her comfort zone (if there even is one in Hell.) He is right by her side cheering her on when she rips Hitler's mustache off, steals Catherine de Medici's crown, and cuts off Caligula's testicles. We truly see the evolution of little Maddy Spencer in Damned, and it will be interesting to see where Palahniuk takes her in the sequel Doomed. 

At the very end of the book, Madison finds herself at a difficult crossroads when she is told she has the option to go to Heaven, or even back to the living. While she has grown to find herself in Hell, a part of her still yearns for the comfort of her loving, yet highly unstable, parents. Her inner turmoil with the decision is one of my favorite quotes:

"I can go back to earth, to be with my parents, to live whatever lifetime I have allotted. I'll be able to menstruate and have babies and eat avocados." 

Okay, so maybe it's my favorite because avocados are mentioned. But for real, you can really feel how pulled Madison is in the direction of going back to the living. We are not given the answer of whether she will join her movie star parents back on earth, or stay in Hell at the end, which just makes me want to read Doomed. Thanks Palahniuk.

I enjoyed the book because I will always love the way Palahniuk writes, but it wasn't one of his best, in my opinion. Plus, he seems to have something against gingers:

"Perhaps a trace number of politicians ascend to Heaven, but statistically speaking, 100 percent of them are cast into the fiery pit. As are essentially 100 percent of journalists and redheads.”  

Welp, I guess I'm going to Hell, guys. Whatevs, all the fun people will be there anyways.