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Jennifer the Damned
When a sixteen-year-old orphan vampire adopted by an order of nuns matures into her immortal, blood-sucking glory, all hell literally breaks loose. Yet with every rapturous taste of blood, Jennifer Carshaw cannot help but long for something even more exquisite: the capacity to experience true love. As she struggles to balance her murderous secret life with homework, cross-country practice, and her first boyfriend, Jennifer delves into the terrifying questions surrounding her inhuman existence, driven by the unexpectedly human need to understand why she is doomed by a life she never chose.
Bridging the gap between the literary tradition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the modern teen vampire romance made popular by the Twilight series, Jennifer the Damned reexamines the legendary monster as a conflicted and complex being. Jennifer is at once the quintessential vampire, embodying an unholy union of life and death; yet she is also a sympathetic young woman full of spiritual anxieties, gifted with a limitless sense of ironic humor, and possessed of a beautifully persistent hope in the love she yearns for.
Bridging the gap between the literary tradition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the modern teen vampire romance made popular by the Twilight series, Jennifer the Damned reexamines the legendary monster as a conflicted and complex being. Jennifer is at once the quintessential vampire, embodying an unholy union of life and death; yet she is also a sympathetic young woman full of spiritual anxieties, gifted with a limitless sense of ironic humor, and possessed of a beautifully persistent hope in the love she yearns for.
378 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
10 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
About the author
Karen Ullo
3 books92 followersKaren Ullo is the award-winning author of Jennifer the Damned, Cinder Allia, and To Crown with Liberty. She's the editorial director of Chrism Press and holds a MFA in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California. She lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with her husband and two teenage sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 9, 2016
I can't recall how this book got on my radar but it immediately piqued my interest. A teenage vampire, adopted by nuns, who goes to Catholic school, and yearns for the chance to take Communion ... with many reviews at Amazon praising it as "literature, rich with vampire lore and intertwined with Catholic doctrine." I was thrilled when the author offered me a review copy.
Sixteen year old Jennifer Carshaw, isn't living in a world where vampires are taken as a matter of fact. The nuns had no idea why their adopted charge would only eat raw meat.
With her unusual background, Jennifer's got full knowledge of good and evil. She also, which is more important, longs for the capacity to experience true love and closeness to God. All of which are impossible for someone without a soul. This provides a rich background for a fast-paced horror novel which is also funny, intelligent, and spiritually deep.
It is a YA novel so when we meet Jennifer she's worrying about the usual high school problems. This is no sparkly vampire tale. When Jennifer matures into a full-fledged vampire the true horror unfolds as she spirals out of control, pinging between good and evil desires.
This is also when the true horror unfolds for the reader. We've learned to like Jennifer by this point and watching her become evil is hard to take. The lack of a soul has real consequences and we see the devastating trail of destruction.
In fact, there was one point where I put the book down, distressed by my inability to reconcile Jennifer's decisions with the character I loved. It took me months to pick it up again. However, I am very glad that I finally did. The author opens the door for the reader to really grapple with evil, deliberate sin, the consequences of lost hope, and redemption. This is all done with full belief in Catholic dogma but without ever hitting the reader over the head with religion, believe it or not.
I didn't love some of the book's more obvious YA elements such as all the romances and some of the high school bits at the beginning. However, I'm not the book's prime audience and I've ignored much worse in pursuit of a good story. Since this is an excellent story, they are indeed minor quibbles.
To give you a sample, here is the bit where I knew I was really in for a unique ride.
Sixteen year old Jennifer Carshaw, isn't living in a world where vampires are taken as a matter of fact. The nuns had no idea why their adopted charge would only eat raw meat.
With her unusual background, Jennifer's got full knowledge of good and evil. She also, which is more important, longs for the capacity to experience true love and closeness to God. All of which are impossible for someone without a soul. This provides a rich background for a fast-paced horror novel which is also funny, intelligent, and spiritually deep.
It is a YA novel so when we meet Jennifer she's worrying about the usual high school problems. This is no sparkly vampire tale. When Jennifer matures into a full-fledged vampire the true horror unfolds as she spirals out of control, pinging between good and evil desires.
This is also when the true horror unfolds for the reader. We've learned to like Jennifer by this point and watching her become evil is hard to take. The lack of a soul has real consequences and we see the devastating trail of destruction.
In fact, there was one point where I put the book down, distressed by my inability to reconcile Jennifer's decisions with the character I loved. It took me months to pick it up again. However, I am very glad that I finally did. The author opens the door for the reader to really grapple with evil, deliberate sin, the consequences of lost hope, and redemption. This is all done with full belief in Catholic dogma but without ever hitting the reader over the head with religion, believe it or not.
I didn't love some of the book's more obvious YA elements such as all the romances and some of the high school bits at the beginning. However, I'm not the book's prime audience and I've ignored much worse in pursuit of a good story. Since this is an excellent story, they are indeed minor quibbles.
To give you a sample, here is the bit where I knew I was really in for a unique ride.
What happens during Mass — more specifically, during Holy Communion — is one of the most contentious issues between Catholics and Protestants. Catholics believe that, during the Eucharist, bread and wine are transformed into the actual Body and Blood of Jesus, in accordance with the words He spoke at the Last Supper. Most Protestants believe Jesus was speaking in metaphor and Communion is merely a symbol. Centuries of holy wars could have been avoided if people had just invited a vampire to Mass. If the Catholics were right — if the Eucharist was really the Blood of the Son of God — then it would send us into a frothing, rabid rage.It is rare to find a book of this calibre. Having just finished rereading Dracula for the umpteenth time before I finished this book, I've had "the blood is the life" resonating in my head for days.
Which, of course, it does.
My mother had discovered this truth for herself nine hundred years ago. She was walking past a tiny, rustic church in France when a scent slammed against her olfactory nerves, so overpowering that she burst through the doors and killed six people just by throwing them out of her way. As she snatched the holy chalice from the altar, one single purple drop still glistened in the golden cup.
"I am only alive today, Jennifer," she said, "because I found the strength not to drink it. That one drop would have satisfied a thousand years of thirst ‚ and that one drop would have killed me."
July 18, 2016
Mixing religion and fiction is extremely tricky. Karen Ullo shows she (almost always) has the deft hand needed to pull it off. This is horror the way the genre was meant to be: the genre of the sacred, viewed via its negative. (In much the same way, crime fiction is the genre of morality.)
In most other stories of this genre, Catholicism becomes a mere decoration to the horror--a crucifix here, a creepy Gothic church there. Ullo follows the Catholicism-vampire nexus to its logical conclusions. Yes, it culminates in the blood of the Eucharistic wine. No, it is not cheesy or embarrassing.
A few caveats: the dialog is sometimes hard to follow regarding who is speaking or to whom. Some of the suspense near the end should have been managed for greater effect. Finally, this is a YA novel in form and theme but, while the protagonist is chaste throughout, some of the violence is strongly sexualized. (And did I mention the violence? It's shocking, and the protagonist is implicated.) I had hoped to read this with my 14 year old daughter; now I'm going to let her mature for a few more years before she reads it.
For those who aspire to write genre fiction with religious themes, Ullo shows it can be done right and it can get published. Hooray!
In most other stories of this genre, Catholicism becomes a mere decoration to the horror--a crucifix here, a creepy Gothic church there. Ullo follows the Catholicism-vampire nexus to its logical conclusions. Yes, it culminates in the blood of the Eucharistic wine. No, it is not cheesy or embarrassing.
A few caveats: the dialog is sometimes hard to follow regarding who is speaking or to whom. Some of the suspense near the end should have been managed for greater effect. Finally, this is a YA novel in form and theme but, while the protagonist is chaste throughout, some of the violence is strongly sexualized. (And did I mention the violence? It's shocking, and the protagonist is implicated.) I had hoped to read this with my 14 year old daughter; now I'm going to let her mature for a few more years before she reads it.
For those who aspire to write genre fiction with religious themes, Ullo shows it can be done right and it can get published. Hooray!
November 2, 2020
Part angsty teen vampire story with requisite immature romance, part existential examination, and subtle part Catholic theology of the Eucharist, Jennifer the Damned is a novel in a class of its own.
Jennifer, an orphaned vampire under the guardianship of a Catholic religious order of sisters, matures into her soulless fate, her craving for human blood destroying her relationships with the beloved sisters, classmates, and her newly acquired boyfriend.
Running from both her past and her future, Jennifer longs to love and be loved, despite being condemned to soulless immortality.
There is a lot in Jennifer the Damned to chew on (pun intended), from the meaning of love to culpability to the capacity for change and conversion.
Due to content and language, I recommend it for mature readers only, but beyond the superficial vampire trappings (and some well-placed humor), there is a lot of depth ripe for discussion in Jennifer the Damned.
Jennifer, an orphaned vampire under the guardianship of a Catholic religious order of sisters, matures into her soulless fate, her craving for human blood destroying her relationships with the beloved sisters, classmates, and her newly acquired boyfriend.
Running from both her past and her future, Jennifer longs to love and be loved, despite being condemned to soulless immortality.
There is a lot in Jennifer the Damned to chew on (pun intended), from the meaning of love to culpability to the capacity for change and conversion.
Due to content and language, I recommend it for mature readers only, but beyond the superficial vampire trappings (and some well-placed humor), there is a lot of depth ripe for discussion in Jennifer the Damned.
July 29, 2017
Not only is this book beautifully written, in terms of language and style, but the story is a wonderful blend of the occult and the sacred. I loved the way the author address theology and doctrine through the lens of the damned and mythical. LOVED IT!
October 22, 2015
I don't read stuff like this. The truth is, I would have never have picked up Jennifer the Damned if someone from my church had gotten not hold of an advanced copy and asked me to check it out. Holy Crap! Am I glad I did.
Forget what you know about old-school Dracula and those sparkly, sex-crazed teenage vampires of late. First-time author Karen Ullo is about to set the vampire world on it's head. Jennifer Carshaw is a sixteen-year-old who has gone to Catholic school all her life. In fact, for the last five years, she's been raised by nuns in a convent. She's also been hiding a secret.
She's a vampire. And when she feels the urge to make her first kill (during math class no less) her world spins out of control.
Caught between the nuns who have raised her and loved her like her vampire mother never could, and her thirst for life-giving blood, Jennifer is thrust into a world of her mother's choosing. But don't be fooled. This is no Young Adult read. This, my friends, is literature, rich with vampire lore and intertwined with Catholic doctrine.
Jennifer battles her own demons as she struggles with her need to kill and her yearning for a soul.
Ullo is at her best in Jen's kill scenes. Dark, horrifying, and at the same time beautiful. She give us reason to be repulsed, while reflecting on our own morality and the savagery that can be part of our world. She walks a fine line without ever becoming preachy.
Jennifer the Damned is a rich story with a lesson about love and forgiveness that even the most blood-thirsty can learn from. If I could give it six stars, I would.
Forget what you know about old-school Dracula and those sparkly, sex-crazed teenage vampires of late. First-time author Karen Ullo is about to set the vampire world on it's head. Jennifer Carshaw is a sixteen-year-old who has gone to Catholic school all her life. In fact, for the last five years, she's been raised by nuns in a convent. She's also been hiding a secret.
She's a vampire. And when she feels the urge to make her first kill (during math class no less) her world spins out of control.
Caught between the nuns who have raised her and loved her like her vampire mother never could, and her thirst for life-giving blood, Jennifer is thrust into a world of her mother's choosing. But don't be fooled. This is no Young Adult read. This, my friends, is literature, rich with vampire lore and intertwined with Catholic doctrine.
Jennifer battles her own demons as she struggles with her need to kill and her yearning for a soul.
Ullo is at her best in Jen's kill scenes. Dark, horrifying, and at the same time beautiful. She give us reason to be repulsed, while reflecting on our own morality and the savagery that can be part of our world. She walks a fine line without ever becoming preachy.
Jennifer the Damned is a rich story with a lesson about love and forgiveness that even the most blood-thirsty can learn from. If I could give it six stars, I would.
March 23, 2016
I literally read this book in one sitting straight through, not kidding. I could not put it down. I wanted to know, no, needed to know what happened next. It was that engrossing. Well written, well thought out, character driven... Who would have thought that a vampire cared about their soul, let alone whether or not they could be saved.
The publisher does this book a disservice by comparing it to Twilight. Twilight is awfully written rubbish. Jennifer the Damned, if I may, has a Soul. Craftily mastered. I cannot wait to read what the author writes next!
The publisher does this book a disservice by comparing it to Twilight. Twilight is awfully written rubbish. Jennifer the Damned, if I may, has a Soul. Craftily mastered. I cannot wait to read what the author writes next!
June 29, 2025
One of the best books I've ever read. Jennifer is a well-developed, three-dimensional, relatable protagonist struggling with feeling unloved and unwanted by God, in a way that's very real and poignant relatable to me at this point in my life. The story isn't afraid to go dark, presenting darkness with gravitas and realism without getting lost in excessive gore or self-indulgent 'look how dark and edgy I am'. This is accomplished well by the writing style: narrative voice, description, and metaphors are on point, managing to be both lyrical and concise when suits the story. Jennifer, too, commits many heinous crimes and yet is still sympathetic in her lost teenage ways, and her remorse and religious struggles are presented with great emotional impact and relatability. The plot at the end may seem a bit rushed to readers who don't quickly get attached to a character introduced 2/3 of the way through the book who ends up being very important to the Climax. But other than minor plotting issues, I highly recommend this book for Jennifer and her journey.
October 8, 2015
Jennifer the Damned Review
A lot of supernatural fiction is about good and evil, alienation and despair, and an elusive hope. When and if that hope is acted upon, there is a sort of redemption. So, the title of this book is telling.
Karen Ullo’s, “Jennifer the Damned,” is the story of a teenaged vampire, who is raised by an order of loving nuns, and as a result, the girl recognizes good and evil. Jennifer does not want to be a vampire. What she wants is to be accepted as a normal teenager—except she’s anything but normal because she believes she has no soul. The second half of the novel unravels her belief and builds toward the final twist in the redemption of the protagonist.
Anne Rice once said of her own vampire series, “I think I am always seeking redemption; the vampires represent those of us in society who feel damned and I am always seeking a way for them and those of us who identify with them to be saved.”
Fans of vampire books may identify Jennifer and her very ‘un-vampire-like’ desire for salvation, but even those not favorable to vampires in fiction will surely find something different in this well-written and thought provoking debut novel.
I would recommend a question/answer guide with an explanation of symbolism in the book due to its juxtaposition of Catholicism with the idea of vampires.
A lot of supernatural fiction is about good and evil, alienation and despair, and an elusive hope. When and if that hope is acted upon, there is a sort of redemption. So, the title of this book is telling.
Karen Ullo’s, “Jennifer the Damned,” is the story of a teenaged vampire, who is raised by an order of loving nuns, and as a result, the girl recognizes good and evil. Jennifer does not want to be a vampire. What she wants is to be accepted as a normal teenager—except she’s anything but normal because she believes she has no soul. The second half of the novel unravels her belief and builds toward the final twist in the redemption of the protagonist.
Anne Rice once said of her own vampire series, “I think I am always seeking redemption; the vampires represent those of us in society who feel damned and I am always seeking a way for them and those of us who identify with them to be saved.”
Fans of vampire books may identify Jennifer and her very ‘un-vampire-like’ desire for salvation, but even those not favorable to vampires in fiction will surely find something different in this well-written and thought provoking debut novel.
I would recommend a question/answer guide with an explanation of symbolism in the book due to its juxtaposition of Catholicism with the idea of vampires.
October 27, 2015
This is the first book that I've had the privilege of reading before its publication date and what a book to have as my first! I am no stranger to vampire books (yes, I'm ashamed to admit that some of those books involved vampires of the sparkly persuasion) but Jennifer the Damned is different.
Maybe it is Jennifer's youth, maybe it is because she is raised by nuns (yes, nuns), maybe it is her humanity, her need to love and be loved, maybe it is because despite how many times I might despise Jennifer, I find equal opportunities to sympathize and even identify with her (aside from the vampire aspect, of course!).
The author has a beautiful writing style that is so refreshing particularly in comparison to the pop-culture juvenile dross that has become so popular. It is this writing style that draws the reader into the book and I found myself losing hours at a time in pure reading pleasure. While some of Jennifer's choices and actions truly disturbed me (there is one scene I don't think I'll ever be able to get over), I enjoyed reading this book and I hope to see more from this author.
Maybe it is Jennifer's youth, maybe it is because she is raised by nuns (yes, nuns), maybe it is her humanity, her need to love and be loved, maybe it is because despite how many times I might despise Jennifer, I find equal opportunities to sympathize and even identify with her (aside from the vampire aspect, of course!).
The author has a beautiful writing style that is so refreshing particularly in comparison to the pop-culture juvenile dross that has become so popular. It is this writing style that draws the reader into the book and I found myself losing hours at a time in pure reading pleasure. While some of Jennifer's choices and actions truly disturbed me (there is one scene I don't think I'll ever be able to get over), I enjoyed reading this book and I hope to see more from this author.
October 27, 2015
This is not your average vampire tale. Refreshingly, there are no sparkly vampires here! At an early age, Jennifer is placed in a Catholic school. This has profound, unexpected consequences throughout Jennifer’s life. The nuns instill a system of morals and values that put Jennifer at constant odds with herself. Her struggle for redemption is deeply felt, and you really want her to succeed. Despite some of Jennifer’s decisions, you can empathize with her character. Some of the scenes are truly frightening, such as the story of how Jennifer became a vampire. *Shudder*. I really enjoyed reading this book and the author’s expressive, intellectual dialogue and scenes. I am looking forward to more from this author!
August 5, 2024
You know how teenagers are always overdramatizing their lives? Everything they do is fraught with peril for themselves or for others, most likely for both. One wrong move and someone dies. Or falls in love. Or suffers a humiliation that will never be lived down for the rest of their lives. Or eat something horrible. Social life is a minefield for teenagers.
This book presents Jennifer, a teenage orphan living with nuns in their Louisiana convent and going to their strict Catholic high school. She has a strange diet, only raw beef (the nuns sear it a little bit to make her dining more palatable to them). She is about to go through a big change. Jennifer's mom (who vanished when she was a pre-teen) was a vampire and so is Jennifer. She hasn't fully matured (which takes sixteen years according to this book) but she is on the cusp of wanting only to drink human blood. Jennifer has not adopted the nuns' Catholic faith but has bought in to the truth about human souls and the afterlife. Only Jennifer, as a vampire, has no soul and she will live forever (so no afterlife). Once her vampirism kicks in, she becomes more miserable as she tries to follow her mom's advice on how to hunt and to stay off the radar of law enforcement and other people. Her life gets very messy very quickly.
The book provides some nice twists on the vampire lore. The delayed maturation has a nice parallel with puberty (though she becomes more beautiful and glamorous as a vampire) though that is not the main focus of the book. The main interest is Jennifer's moral struggle and depression about her state in life. Without a soul, she has no prospect of going to Heaven. She recognizes that she will have a very difficult life and she does not enjoy killing even though drinking blood gives her great pleasure. She recognizes the Eucharist as real and the most potent Blood she could ever drink. But her mom warned her against it. Sure, movies and TV shows have a lot of wrong ideas about vampires but coming into contact with the truly divine is truly deadly for vampires. What Jennifer really wants most of all is redemption but she has a long and seemingly hopeless journey ahead of her.
The book is written almost exclusively from her perspective and she has the teenaged angst and hyperbole I mentioned above. But she really is in life and death situations; she does not know how to handle infatuation with boys; her new vampire strength gives her plenty of opportunities to excel and to get revenge on abusive classmates (even the ones who are only jerks). She has a larger life due to her extra-special circumstances. It's hard not to root for her to find a way to do the right thing. I found the book very enjoyable and very interesting.
Recommended, highly for vampire fans.
This book presents Jennifer, a teenage orphan living with nuns in their Louisiana convent and going to their strict Catholic high school. She has a strange diet, only raw beef (the nuns sear it a little bit to make her dining more palatable to them). She is about to go through a big change. Jennifer's mom (who vanished when she was a pre-teen) was a vampire and so is Jennifer. She hasn't fully matured (which takes sixteen years according to this book) but she is on the cusp of wanting only to drink human blood. Jennifer has not adopted the nuns' Catholic faith but has bought in to the truth about human souls and the afterlife. Only Jennifer, as a vampire, has no soul and she will live forever (so no afterlife). Once her vampirism kicks in, she becomes more miserable as she tries to follow her mom's advice on how to hunt and to stay off the radar of law enforcement and other people. Her life gets very messy very quickly.
The book provides some nice twists on the vampire lore. The delayed maturation has a nice parallel with puberty (though she becomes more beautiful and glamorous as a vampire) though that is not the main focus of the book. The main interest is Jennifer's moral struggle and depression about her state in life. Without a soul, she has no prospect of going to Heaven. She recognizes that she will have a very difficult life and she does not enjoy killing even though drinking blood gives her great pleasure. She recognizes the Eucharist as real and the most potent Blood she could ever drink. But her mom warned her against it. Sure, movies and TV shows have a lot of wrong ideas about vampires but coming into contact with the truly divine is truly deadly for vampires. What Jennifer really wants most of all is redemption but she has a long and seemingly hopeless journey ahead of her.
The book is written almost exclusively from her perspective and she has the teenaged angst and hyperbole I mentioned above. But she really is in life and death situations; she does not know how to handle infatuation with boys; her new vampire strength gives her plenty of opportunities to excel and to get revenge on abusive classmates (even the ones who are only jerks). She has a larger life due to her extra-special circumstances. It's hard not to root for her to find a way to do the right thing. I found the book very enjoyable and very interesting.
Recommended, highly for vampire fans.
Read
June 4, 2019Jennifer is a Catholic schoolgirl, raised by nuns since her mother disappeared four years ago, who is dealing with normal teenage angst--and also turning into a vampire. She must murder in order to survive. Because she has no soul, she believes God can’t love her. She longs to taste Holy Communion but thinks it would destroy her. The author (who is Catholic) appears to be using vampirism as an analogy for the shame and destructiveness of sin, and it works well. It is especially effective that being a vampire is ruinous not just to the protagonist, but also to those whom she loves. She can’t successfully compartmentalize the pursuit of evil.
The first half of the novel includes some pretty macabre stuff, but it worked philosophically. I thought the second half muddied the waters and weakened the theme. Maybe the problem is just me--maybe I’m just so misanthropic in my dislike of romance novel tropes that it clouds my judgment. However, I think some of these tropes actually feed the sins the author is trying to fight. The specifics are spoilers, so I’m hiding that paragraph.
I also didn’t care for the scenes in which the protagonist kisses and “makes out” with various male characters. Even if the characters don’t go “all the way,” trashy-romance-novel style language is designed to titillate. Maybe the author intended these scenes to feel gross--especially when they involve murder--but to me the language seems to send mixed signals. It also limits the audience to which I’d recommend the book.
The concept is intriguing. The writing is snappy and humorous. If you already like vampire novels, this Catholic version might be right up your alley.
The first half of the novel includes some pretty macabre stuff, but it worked philosophically. I thought the second half muddied the waters and weakened the theme. Maybe the problem is just me--maybe I’m just so misanthropic in my dislike of romance novel tropes that it clouds my judgment. However, I think some of these tropes actually feed the sins the author is trying to fight. The specifics are spoilers, so I’m hiding that paragraph.
I also didn’t care for the scenes in which the protagonist kisses and “makes out” with various male characters. Even if the characters don’t go “all the way,” trashy-romance-novel style language is designed to titillate. Maybe the author intended these scenes to feel gross--especially when they involve murder--but to me the language seems to send mixed signals. It also limits the audience to which I’d recommend the book.
The concept is intriguing. The writing is snappy and humorous. If you already like vampire novels, this Catholic version might be right up your alley.
January 13, 2024
Ok so, I love Dracula, I've never read or want to read Twilight Zone I hate romances and a vampire romance just sounds gross so to start with I knew I was probably only going to half like this book but Catholic horror
I didn't mean to read it, I bought if for my sister and was gonna finish all the other books I'm in the middle of reading. I used to be able to read a book in a day but lately I've been lucky to finish one book in a year. Maybe part of that is I read books faster when I have a physical copy and can read it in the bathroom (don't judge) But anyway I was having a sort've rough time and picked up the book and got hooked (and I feel kind've guilty about that I have no many books my friends are waiting for me to finish so we can talk about them together😅)
WARNINGS
It not more gruesome than FNAF (which I love) but it's got a lot of sexual overtones through the first half. I almost put the book down just because of that I would have if I was a person who experienced sexual attraction but I don't so it was just gross and uncomfortable and would not have been good for 16 y/o me. That said, it was thematically powerful how the author incorporated the sexual overtones and I think she should keep that just...chapter 14 was the hardest to get through if you get past that the sexual overtones aren't visceral after that. That level of description was not something I needed I really want to say tone it down but I get that that moment was a turning point and I appreciate her not pulling punches.
The swearing however was horrific, it was not needed, I've read so much horror that still got it's point across without that it added nothing to the story. Yes it fit Jeremy's character but I didn't need that in the dialogue you can just say he said some colorful things. I absolutely draw the line at taking the Lord's Name that was very offensive to me I can't believe I didn't put the book down.
For those two reasons alone I'm giving it 3 stars although I want to bump it to 3 and a half because the plot and the concepts were so good.
OVERVIEW
In most fiction you're told "if the protagonist can walk away, it's a bad plot" but in horror the opposite is true: if your character can't leave at any moment before the climax it's poor horror because horror is about addiction, obsession and guilt. The character can leave but is so obsessed with what they think they need they won't and believe they can't.
This was established really well in Jennifer the Damned. And you got overtones of a wide variety of addictions: drugs, sex, perversion, porn, blood, etc. All of it was very well interwoven in the story in a way that hit the themes and follows Catholic theology (a lot better than the original Dracula - which I still love) Jen believes she's damned - as a vampire - and that she has no soul and that...hits, it can symbolize mortal sin, Original Sin (or what many Protestants believe in: Total Deprivation) and it can really be...relatable to people with addition or depression; believing that salvation is impossible for them that they're too alien and other and broken to be loved by Papa. I think that hit pretty close to home for me and I guess that's one of the reasons I kept reading.
And then how vampire superstition was incorporated in the story was very good and how the Host was shown: it's especially symbolically powerful to use vampires in Catholic writing because "The blood is life" (Gen 9:4, Lev 17:11); it's very very Christian to see that: we had animal sacrifices in the Old Testament, but it was never enough to cover our sins, it wasn't until Jesus came and sacrificed Himself so blood sucking is a very underutilized Catholic theme. That she's searching for a soul to be a part of God's Life is very potent.
And Ullo does not pull any punches I give her that and that kept me reading,
Every single scene was relevant and pulled you closer to that aching search for God and that desperation that comes from addiction. It's a book to destroy you and then pull the pieces together in a brokenly hopeful way.
In conclusion, I love this book UNDER PROTEST VERY STRONG PROTEST WHY DID YOU HURT ME LIKE THIS!?!
Additional thoughts
And another thing!
I appreciate Jen was asexual-questioning, I kinda wanted her to be ace because I've never seen that written from a Catholic perspective and it's a different sort of complication to romantic relationships that nobody really explores.
How to solve a love triangle
Actually started right after Our Lady of Prompt Succor feast day
I could not stand Jeremy until
Jeremy is my favorite character and I will die mad about it 😠
The jock is a NASA nerd this sparks joy.
Jeremy can say f#%@ but he shouldn't😑
Epilogue?? More resolution???? Something nice after you ripped my bleeding heart out!?!????
*It was an accidental I read the whole in a week by accident*
I didn't mean to read it, I bought if for my sister and was gonna finish all the other books I'm in the middle of reading. I used to be able to read a book in a day but lately I've been lucky to finish one book in a year. Maybe part of that is I read books faster when I have a physical copy and can read it in the bathroom (don't judge) But anyway I was having a sort've rough time and picked up the book and got hooked (and I feel kind've guilty about that I have no many books my friends are waiting for me to finish so we can talk about them together😅)
WARNINGS
It not more gruesome than FNAF (which I love) but it's got a lot of sexual overtones through the first half. I almost put the book down just because of that I would have if I was a person who experienced sexual attraction but I don't so it was just gross and uncomfortable and would not have been good for 16 y/o me. That said, it was thematically powerful how the author incorporated the sexual overtones and I think she should keep that just...chapter 14 was the hardest to get through if you get past that the sexual overtones aren't visceral after that. That level of description was not something I needed I really want to say tone it down but I get that that moment was a turning point and I appreciate her not pulling punches.
The swearing however was horrific, it was not needed, I've read so much horror that still got it's point across without that it added nothing to the story. Yes it fit Jeremy's character but I didn't need that in the dialogue you can just say he said some colorful things. I absolutely draw the line at taking the Lord's Name that was very offensive to me I can't believe I didn't put the book down.
For those two reasons alone I'm giving it 3 stars although I want to bump it to 3 and a half because the plot and the concepts were so good.
OVERVIEW
In most fiction you're told "if the protagonist can walk away, it's a bad plot" but in horror the opposite is true: if your character can't leave at any moment before the climax it's poor horror because horror is about addiction, obsession and guilt. The character can leave but is so obsessed with what they think they need they won't and believe they can't.
This was established really well in Jennifer the Damned. And you got overtones of a wide variety of addictions: drugs, sex, perversion, porn, blood, etc. All of it was very well interwoven in the story in a way that hit the themes and follows Catholic theology (a lot better than the original Dracula - which I still love) Jen believes she's damned - as a vampire - and that she has no soul and that...hits, it can symbolize mortal sin, Original Sin (or what many Protestants believe in: Total Deprivation) and it can really be...relatable to people with addition or depression; believing that salvation is impossible for them that they're too alien and other and broken to be loved by Papa. I think that hit pretty close to home for me and I guess that's one of the reasons I kept reading.
And then how vampire superstition was incorporated in the story was very good and how the Host was shown: it's especially symbolically powerful to use vampires in Catholic writing because "The blood is life" (Gen 9:4, Lev 17:11); it's very very Christian to see that: we had animal sacrifices in the Old Testament, but it was never enough to cover our sins, it wasn't until Jesus came and sacrificed Himself so blood sucking is a very underutilized Catholic theme. That she's searching for a soul to be a part of God's Life is very potent.
And Ullo does not pull any punches I give her that and that kept me reading,
Every single scene was relevant and pulled you closer to that aching search for God and that desperation that comes from addiction. It's a book to destroy you and then pull the pieces together in a brokenly hopeful way.
In conclusion, I love this book UNDER PROTEST VERY STRONG PROTEST WHY DID YOU HURT ME LIKE THIS!?!
Additional thoughts
And another thing!
I appreciate Jen was asexual-questioning, I kinda wanted her to be ace because I've never seen that written from a Catholic perspective and it's a different sort of complication to romantic relationships that nobody really explores.
How to solve a love triangle
Actually started right after Our Lady of Prompt Succor feast day
I could not stand Jeremy until
Jeremy is my favorite character and I will die mad about it 😠
The jock is a NASA nerd this sparks joy.
Jeremy can say f#%@ but he shouldn't😑
Epilogue?? More resolution???? Something nice after you ripped my bleeding heart out!?!????
*It was an accidental I read the whole in a week by accident*
May 7, 2024
A little too angsty at times, but it's teenage vampires (at the beginning). Scenes made me uncomfortable, but a ala Flannery O'Connor: fallen man at his (or her, in this case) worst searching for the better person buried within, monumental task in the case of a soulless vampire. The overall theme of redemption made it well worth the read. The writing in itself was exceptional and definitely has convinced me to seek out more of Ullo's work.
July 28, 2017
It is not often, more accurately never, that I stay up until 3AM because I just can't put a book down. Jennifer the Damned not only turned me nocturnal, but it really moved my Holy Spirit. Beautifully written by Ullo, she shares her ministry through the twisted words of this fiction. Crossing my fingers for a sequel.
November 6, 2025
Vampire Crime and Punishment and Prodigal Son, with many promising passages and structural elements - but stumbly prose and trashy romance tropes make it a little bit of a letdown. I'd be very interested to read more from this author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2020
Still thinking about this one. Maybe more of a review later. Suffice it to say, I consider it well worth the read.
April 17, 2025
Wow. This novel left me speechless with its gripping character development, twists and turns, and strong theological foundations. Ullo successfully takes a trope that is typically seen as an antithesis to Christianity and instead brings it to a certain fulfillment in the light of the sacrifice of Christ. Incredibly well done.
August 27, 2025
If Flannery O'Connor had been alive to respond to the Twilight Saga, it might have looked something like this.
April 25, 2017
This was a Catholic vampire novel. How could I not? Jennifer the Damned was hilarious. I was losing my mind over everything that happened regarding vampires and transubstantiation ahahaha.
I heard Karen Ullo speak at the Catholic Writers Guild online conference and her topic was Horror: the Genre of the Sacred. Her talk was incredible. In writing monsters, we stretch the limits of our empathy, and can love better, and be better Christians. Her talk is the the reason I read this book. And I also feel validated for my love of horror stories now. ;)
I heard Karen Ullo speak at the Catholic Writers Guild online conference and her topic was Horror: the Genre of the Sacred. Her talk was incredible. In writing monsters, we stretch the limits of our empathy, and can love better, and be better Christians. Her talk is the the reason I read this book. And I also feel validated for my love of horror stories now. ;)
August 28, 2019
I loved this book! Ullo pulls no punches as she delves into the ethical dilemma of a teenager who discovers she is a vampire. Even though it's Catholic fiction, the issues of faith that arise are organic to the story, and I was relieved that Ullo didn't feel like she needed to make a tidy bow out of the character's faith. Real struggles are everywhere throughout the novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 21, 2017Review posted to my blog >> http://www.randianderson.com/karen-ul...
FINALLY.
(Like seriously, I should not have finished this book before the holidays -- but I COULDN'T STOP MYSELF.)
FINALLY.
(Like seriously, I should not have finished this book before the holidays -- but I COULDN'T STOP MYSELF.)
February 2, 2025
When I read Dracula a few years ago for the first time, as a Catholic, the obvious connections leapt off the page at me. Use of the Eucharist to ward off vampires because evil recognizes Truth and the Real Presence of God? Yes!
However, Dracula doesn’t bring these themes to their full potential. I assume this is because Bram Stoker was not Catholic. It was like I’d read a great, classic novel that left me with my mouth open, mute, unsure what was unfinished…
Jennifer the Damned is not for the faint of heart. A modern-day vampire story is going to necessarily be written in a different style than a hundred-year-old horror novel. And I think that’s a good thing, because if we want to get Truth into the hands of today’s young adults, sometimes it takes more modern language, more showing than telling, more in-your-face style narrative.
Raised by nuns who don’t know that she was turned into a vampire at her birth, Jennifer flinches at God’s presence by her very nature. What I love about her is that she struggles with her conscience. She assumes she has no soul—it was stolen by her vampire mother as she took her first breath, after all—but she truly wants to give and receive love. She grapples with moral choices to which many teens and young adults can relate. Catholicism permeates this novel, but never in a contrived or preachy way. The characters come across as so very real, in all their mistakes and victories. I appreciated that the Hollywood star character was given depth far beyond a typical stereotype, making him a layered and complex person.
The ending was the kind I like: it didn’t answer all our questions. But it left us with hope for Jennifer’s soul and time to ponder more deeply on the humanity and spirituality of the person.
However, Dracula doesn’t bring these themes to their full potential. I assume this is because Bram Stoker was not Catholic. It was like I’d read a great, classic novel that left me with my mouth open, mute, unsure what was unfinished…
Jennifer the Damned is not for the faint of heart. A modern-day vampire story is going to necessarily be written in a different style than a hundred-year-old horror novel. And I think that’s a good thing, because if we want to get Truth into the hands of today’s young adults, sometimes it takes more modern language, more showing than telling, more in-your-face style narrative.
Raised by nuns who don’t know that she was turned into a vampire at her birth, Jennifer flinches at God’s presence by her very nature. What I love about her is that she struggles with her conscience. She assumes she has no soul—it was stolen by her vampire mother as she took her first breath, after all—but she truly wants to give and receive love. She grapples with moral choices to which many teens and young adults can relate. Catholicism permeates this novel, but never in a contrived or preachy way. The characters come across as so very real, in all their mistakes and victories. I appreciated that the Hollywood star character was given depth far beyond a typical stereotype, making him a layered and complex person.
The ending was the kind I like: it didn’t answer all our questions. But it left us with hope for Jennifer’s soul and time to ponder more deeply on the humanity and spirituality of the person.
April 15, 2023
This book is way out of my comfort zone. I read very little fantasy, and no vampire books sit on my shelves. YA books are also a rarity for me. However, I heard the author speak during an online conference for Catholic writers. She addressed the challenge of writing fiction with truly disturbing themes (e.g. vampires murdering people) while also including the themes of mercy, virtue, and redemption. I was curious enough to get her book.
I was skeptical at the beginning, but got drawn in quickly. The manner by which Jennifer becomes a vampire was horrific, so I nearly quit reading but I am glad I persevered. The author had me cheering for Jennifer at times when she seemed so human, then crushed when she had to go "hunt." The story became especially gruesome midway and, interestingly, the profanity ramped up during the most intense scenes...just like it often does in real life.
There were several characters who were endearing. Some died, some survived. The ending had some unexpected turns which I appreciated. Not everything ended wrapped up with a bow. Again, we're talking vampires. I would have been annoyed or even angry had it ended too nicely.
I am impressed by how the author wove Catholic elements through the story, but I think non-Catholics who want to see good win out over evil might also enjoy this book. If you can handle vampires.
I was skeptical at the beginning, but got drawn in quickly. The manner by which Jennifer becomes a vampire was horrific, so I nearly quit reading but I am glad I persevered. The author had me cheering for Jennifer at times when she seemed so human, then crushed when she had to go "hunt." The story became especially gruesome midway and, interestingly, the profanity ramped up during the most intense scenes...just like it often does in real life.
There were several characters who were endearing. Some died, some survived. The ending had some unexpected turns which I appreciated. Not everything ended wrapped up with a bow. Again, we're talking vampires. I would have been annoyed or even angry had it ended too nicely.
I am impressed by how the author wove Catholic elements through the story, but I think non-Catholics who want to see good win out over evil might also enjoy this book. If you can handle vampires.
October 9, 2021
This is not at all the kind of book I usually read. I don't touch horror or vampire fiction at all. It is a testament to Karen Ullo's skill as a writer that I stuck with this book beyond the first 2 chapters - and more than that, couldn't wait to keep reading. Normally I think of horror books as about as anti-Catholic as they can be, with religion either anathema or afterthought or, at best, superstition. But this is a very, very Catholic book, dealing with themes of conscience, our immortal souls, and the overarching power of the sacraments. The many sides of the title character are well explored: Jennifer as vampire, Jennifer as teenager trying to fit into that world, Jennifer as a child abandoned by her mother (and clearly traumatized by the facts of her own situation and what her mother has taught her), Jennifer as a young woman raised in a convent by religious sisters who don't know the whole story.
July 30, 2024
The core idea, in which vampirism is about getting an incredible rush of intimacy by consuming the victim's life as well as blood, is tremendously compelling. That makes the choice of a YA protagonist natural and compelling as well, and sets up the fantastic meditation on how the Eucharist would actually destroy a vampire.
Unfortunately the plot is kind of chaotic, multiple Chekov's guns related to the "mother" are left unfired, the choice of "the most popular young actor of the era" as her second boyfriend is stereotypically bad YA, and the author really did not stick the landing. The ending--both climax and denouement--is rushed, confusing, and disappointing. I was monitoring my Kindle and really could not believe we were doing An Alabama Family Christmas at 91% of the way through this dark, morbid, troubling book.
I couldn't help thinking that if this were rewritten and the problems ironed out, this could be the first book (or two) of a series a little bit like I Am Not a Serial Killer in which Jennifer and her "brother" hunt down other vampires. (Jennifer would of course need to get her freaking act together to even approach the effectiveness of John Cleaver...that would be really satisfying character development.)
Unfortunately the plot is kind of chaotic, multiple Chekov's guns related to the "mother" are left unfired, the choice of "the most popular young actor of the era" as her second boyfriend is stereotypically bad YA, and the author really did not stick the landing. The ending--both climax and denouement--is rushed, confusing, and disappointing. I was monitoring my Kindle and really could not believe we were doing An Alabama Family Christmas at 91% of the way through this dark, morbid, troubling book.
I couldn't help thinking that if this were rewritten and the problems ironed out, this could be the first book (or two) of a series a little bit like I Am Not a Serial Killer in which Jennifer and her "brother" hunt down other vampires. (Jennifer would of course need to get her freaking act together to even approach the effectiveness of John Cleaver...that would be really satisfying character development.)
April 21, 2021
I don’t think I’m the demographic. I’m not a devout Catholic. I read it because it was the next book in our book club. I did like some of the phrases and wording in here, but some of it I felt was too flowery? Too poetic? I also got really bored of the mundanity. Some of the vampirism laws of the book didn’t make sense to me like okay so Jennifer’s transformation takes years, so does Jeremy’s, but Carter and his father’s only takes moments? That’s strange. Also she goes from being a nervous insecure pubescent vampire to suddenly like Bourne Identity level Vampire Teen. Also the four years later in Hollywood thing was a weird turn. Also bleaching damages hair wouldn’t it be ineffective on dying Vampire hair? I know I’m spoiling a lot here.
I like how it ended, I think this book could’ve been a lot of better if it had been cut down more? Great idea, not sure about execution.
I like how it ended, I think this book could’ve been a lot of better if it had been cut down more? Great idea, not sure about execution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2025
I'm so dissapointed. I went into this thinking it was something when I was wayyyyy off.
I thought this was going to be a gothic book. Which... not wild to think bc it's a book about a vampire living with nuns. I was getting ready to read about religious trauma, blood, lewdness, toxicity, and much more angsty and problematic stuff that comes along with gothic lit. And there are some of the aforementioned elements in the story but it is very YA. Not the good kind of ya.
I really am not trying to be mean but vampy media is my favorite and to see it be reduced to this was a huge let down. I think I would love this maybe 5 years ago, when play palette wasn't as refined. I, also, would have enjoyed it more if I didn't come into this thinking it was going to be like the show Midnight Mass.
I give it points for being a short book and for having good pace. Plot was cute, I guess.
I thought this was going to be a gothic book. Which... not wild to think bc it's a book about a vampire living with nuns. I was getting ready to read about religious trauma, blood, lewdness, toxicity, and much more angsty and problematic stuff that comes along with gothic lit. And there are some of the aforementioned elements in the story but it is very YA. Not the good kind of ya.
I really am not trying to be mean but vampy media is my favorite and to see it be reduced to this was a huge let down. I think I would love this maybe 5 years ago, when play palette wasn't as refined. I, also, would have enjoyed it more if I didn't come into this thinking it was going to be like the show Midnight Mass.
I give it points for being a short book and for having good pace. Plot was cute, I guess.
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December 30, 2023Didn't finish the book. It started out interesting for me, but when it got to the point when she murdered the shop keep, it just felt really weird to me (I know I know it is fiction, but we've gotta acknowledge our own consciences). I kept reading, and lost interest when she was trying to have a normal date, etc.
I'm aware now that I am not the target audience for the book, and that is okay. I might go back to it another time.
Also don't be surprised if you start craving rare steak as you read... 🤭 😜
I'm aware now that I am not the target audience for the book, and that is okay. I might go back to it another time.
Also don't be surprised if you start craving rare steak as you read... 🤭 😜
May 20, 2024
Wow. Not even sure what to say about this book. A soul, repentance & reconciliation are a happy ending, but I had still been holding out for HEA with Connor - even though I knew it was impossible. The first 1/2 or more was very brutal - I almost stopped reading due to all the killing - especially Matt and then that father & son. Truly horrifying. I guess that makes redemption all the sweeter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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