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Damned If You Do

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Damned If You Do is a young adult horror comedy where queer Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes meet Filipino folklore. Cordelia Scott, a high school stage manager, accidentally sells her soul to a demon. Seven years after her abusive father suddenly left, Cordelia learns during a session with her demon guidance counsellor, Fred, that a piece of her soul is missing. She once made a deal with Fred to make her father disappear and erase the memory. Now, Fred offers her a new bargain: help him stop a rival demon threatening her hometown, or be doomed to eternity in Hell alongside her father.
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Format: Hardback
$3499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for young adults who enjoy horror comedy with queer representation and cultural folklore, especially fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural style paranormal adventures.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
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. Seven years ago, Cordelia Scott's abusive father left without a word, and life has been normal ever since. The seventeen-year-old spends her days stage managing the school play (which is going great, if anyone asks), pining over her best friend, Veronica, and failing one too many pop quizzes. She's never been sad that her father left, but she knows something is...missing. When her school guidance counselor, Fred, reveals during a session that he's actually a demon, she learns that something is indeed missing: a piece of her actual soul. Why? She unwittingly made a deal with him to make her father disappear - then bargained to have the memory erased. To make matters worse, Fred is here to make another bargain: Help him with a "little" demonic problem, or she's doomed to spend eternity in Hell with her father. The deal? Help Fred neutralize a rival demon, who means to do more harm in her hometown than your average demon deal.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Publishers Weekly praises the book for its Filipino cultural elements and heartening found family dynamics balancing dark themes of abuse. BookPage highlights Brown's skillful blend of light and dark tones, mixing complexity with humour, friendship, and love. Booklist notes the novel’s fast-paced paranormal adventures with a strong infusion of Filipino folklore and a prominent queer romance. Kirkus Reviews appreciates the black comedy, quirky plot, and sardonic humour amid gory violence.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781645679998

Publisher: Page Street Publishing Co.

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 01 August 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Page Street Kids

Audience: Teenage

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 36.0mm

Width: 150.0mm

Height: 219.0mm

Weight: 502g

Pages: 345

Collections

Children's Fiction Children’s, Teenage and Educational Fiction LGBTQ+ Young Adult

About the Author

Alex Brown is a queer biracial Filipino American writer who was the showrunner's assistant on the final season of Supernatural and the upcoming Resident Evil TV adaptation for Netflix. Alex was one of the inaugural recipients of the SCBWI On-The-Verge Emerging Voices award, was a Tin House Scholar for their YA Winter '21 Workshop, and a finalist for the 2021 Walter Grant. She is also the co-creator of the narrative podcast, The Bridge, which has well over a million downloads.

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