(book review)

An American writer with Ukrainian roots, Chuck Palahniuk gives readers another fantastic novel with elements of gothic humor.

The story is about thirteen-year-old Madison Spencer, who unexpectedly went to hell. In life, the girl was very different from her flamboyant rich parents. She felt like a stranger in her earthly surroundings, let alone in Hell. Madison finds herself in a horrible world ruled by disgusting and cruel demons, ruled by His Majesty Satan. His subjects mock and punish sinners without any pity. However, the list of sins is sometimes strange; on the list of mortal sins: using foul language, violating traffic rules, smoking cigarettes, sneezing without covering up. But while the people who got here know what they did and are now serving an eternal punishment, Madison is trying to find the truth about his hellish nightmare.

The plot dynamics are impressive, as the novel is full of stories, experiences, and emotional tension. The description of Hell and the immortal force of evil, Satan, is worthy of note. With each story, the author brings the reader to the truths of life that lie on the surface, although sometimes people do not notice it.

If you are a fan of Chuck Palahniuk’s works, you should definitely buy ‘The Damned.’ And for a debut acquaintance with the author’s style, this novel is a good choice. The book will appeal to those who like to plunge into the world of the other world with great interest, to imagine the realities of the unknown and to understand the meaning of many things that have been worrying humanity for centuries. My rating for this fantastically horrific novel is 9/10.