12 must-read new YA books to cool off with this July

The Damned by Renée Ahdieh

Renée Ahdieh took readers to the vampire-ridden underbelly of New Orleans in The Beautiful, but the book’s ending exiled Celine from that world while immersing Sébastien Saint Germain even further into it. Ahdieh’s sequel, The Damned, will show readers what’s become of both characters following the tragic events of book one — and those events are likely to impact both of them in more ways than they expected.

To add to the troubles Celine and Bastien are facing personally, there’s also war looming between the Fallen and the Brotherhood. This will pit Michael and Bastien against one another, and while it promises to present readers with answers to the questions they had reading The Beautiful, this scenario is also likely to put Celine in an uncomfortable situation.

That’s not to mention the bizarre dreams Celine has been having, and it seems they’re warning her about what’s to come. Could there be worrisome powers lurking somewhere in New Orleans? The synopsis for The Damned certainly seems to suggest as much:

"“Forces hiding in the shadows have been patiently waiting for this moment for centuries. And just as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.”"

Ahdieh set up a stunning and dark world in The Beautiful, and fans of vampire stories will be eager to see her expand upon it in The Damned. will be availableThe sequel in print, ebook, and audiobook format on July 7.