Condemned

by Christopher Renna

"The tale marries classic tropes of the exorcism genre with heartfelt issues of adolescence, which provide the story with an unexpected emotional depth. (An) entertaining tale of friendship with elements of horror and suspense." — Kirkus Reviews

"Fast-paced and breathless, this psychological horror thriller is a must-read." — The Prairies Book Review

"An entertaining supernatural tale that pays tribute to classic horror such as The Exorcist in its own way." — Readers' Favorite

"Renna crafts a layered novel that’s part horror, part psychological suspense, and all thrilling. The book is so well written, and so effective . . . I was truly moved by this story." — BookSirens

"This author knows how to write seriously get under your skin creepy tales." — Goodreads

In Newman, Connecticut, the upper-middle class lifestyle is carefully cultivated and maintained. It's a charming suburb filled with career-driven parents and high-achieving children. The locals are used to shielding their family affairs from the prying eyes of outsiders, keeping their secrets safe within their pricey Colonial houses.

Conner, Trevor, and Adam are inseparable friends who are making the most of their final year in high school. As they juggle academics and sports with ease, they're driven to achieve success and secure their future in college. However, following the unexpected passing of their former friend Jared, they are faced with a new obstacle - a fascination with the alleged cause of his demonic possession.

Whispers and rumors swirl, threatening to expose hidden truths. A renowned paranormal investigator arrives in town in search of demons and recognition. Conner and his friends are forced to face their own secrets and confront the mounting media attention while addressing the rumors head-on in order to honor Jared's memory. Ultimately, they must come to terms with the reasons behind their fractured friendship with Jared. After all, the devil is in the details.

Genres: Young Adult

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 28, 2025

About the author

Christopher Renna is an author. He's also a Developmental Editor with a focus on the work of young writers and indie authors. He lives in New York with his husband, two children, and their rescued dogs.

Reviews

[Deana The Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.

Best friends Connor, Trevor, and Adam are looking forward to their senior year in high school but have felt a bit scattered since their former bestie, Jared, began acting strangely and ghosted them at the beginning of the year.

Now Jared is dead, and the rumors have started; rumors that Jared was possessed by a demon and died during an exorcism. At first the boys strongly tamp down any such nonsense, but as they each compare their own stories of interactions with Jared, they begin to wonder if the whispers could be true. After connecting with a couple of paranormal investigators who sweep into town to chase the same rumors, the guys become determined to get to the heart of the matter as they struggle with how everything began going wrong one hot summer night.

I truly enjoyed this book. Author Christopher Renna crafts a layered novel that’s part horror, part psychological suspense, and all thrilling. I read late into the evening to finish because I just needed to know what everything MEANT.

I love the characters Renna conceived; each guy has his own personality specific to himself. And while ironically Jared - around whom the book’s mystery swirls - has the least amount of page time, I feel I came away with a genuine understanding of him, as well.

What I would like to have seen more of is sensory language, that which describes the touch, taste, sound, smell and feel of the book’s everything. What I did not get was a clear sense of what everyone looked like. While there were some physical descriptions thrown in, it was not enough for me to be able to visualize each character clearly. The book is so well written, and the story so effective, that I believe it can only be improved with enough added sensory details to make me feel as if I were right there with them.

Overall I was truly moved by this story. Renna writes a story that hits one’s primal fear centers in a deep way.

So if you need something to take you through the spring thaw and aren’t afraid of a few shadows in the corners, then grab this one up.

Now.

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sudden death of a healthy high school boy brings a flurry of attention to the town when it sparks rumors that he died during an exorcism. His former friends set out to find the truth, and grapple with the guilt of not having made enough of an effort to remain friends with Jared when they first noticed the strange changes to his personality that may have marked the beginnings of demonic possession.

The beginning of the book was a little slow and seemed more like a mystery than a horror. It took a while for anything scary to happen and I was anxious for it to pick up speed and get to the good stuff. Some of the actions and reactions of the parents seemed unrealistic but the friendship between the boys felt genuine to me.

There were some creepy happenings revealed when the boys look back at a week they spent together in a cabin on the lake which was the beginning of the end of their friendship with Jared. It was not until that point that I felt fully invested in the story. I think at it's heart this was a story of good against evil, deep and abiding friendship, and the sacrifices someone may be willing to make for those they love.

I received an advance copy for review.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a page-turner of a book. I started reading one night and woke up the next morning and immediately started reading to see how the story ended.

I got this book as an ARC and I was excited that I might be the first person to review. But I'm not. In a way I'm glad because I read the first review and it made me realize something about Condemned. All the characters have a bridge to cross.

I think I've read all of Christopher Renna's other books and I'm officially a fan. Each book has a unique spin on the plot. For instance, I thought Condemned was going to be a demonic possession and exorcism story but it's more than that. Actually the possession and exorcism aren't big parts of the story. The kid that suffered the possession, Jared is in flashbacks so the the novel is really about his friends Conner, Adam and Trevor.

There were a couple creepy moments but I don't consider this a horror novel. I guess thriller is a better category.

The main characters are likeable and interesting. Each one seemed to have a little bit of a secret so that was intriguing. And I like how the character of Hailey kinda put a different spin on the plot between her and Conner. And once everything came together the whole possession theme made sense.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a thriller about demonic possession without the possession being the main plot.

[BooksCoffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seamlessly blending the elements of psychological horror and thriller, Renna crafts a haunting tale of supernatural horror.

Jared had always been Connor, Trevor, and Adam’s best friend until he stopped being one. His transformation from a cheerful, friendly teenager to troubled, lonely soul unsettles the trio but they decide to move ahead anyways. But when Jared dies suddenly, leaving vile rumors about him being possessed by the devil, the friends must do everything to get to the bottom of the truth.

Renna’s ability to evoke psychological horror via understatement and foreshadowing combined with his nuanced characterization and skilled worldbuilding keep the reader turning pages. The tension stays ripe with plenty of twists and new revelations unfolding at a steady pace while the uncanny elements and small-town, fantastical setting add to intrigue.

Renna skillfully blends the intricacies of teenager drama with the foreboding mystery of Jared’s tragic death while exploring the themes of anxiety and depression in teens, friendship, and family ties.

Fast-paced and breathless, this psychological horror thriller is a must-read.

[Brittany Richmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

DO NOT MISS THIS PAGE TURNER OF A BOOK, COMING TO YOU MARCH 23, 2021!

This was SO good! I usually do not read much horror/suspence, but when I do, they do not disappoint. When I read the author's note at the end, I was really entranced by his idea that he didn't want to create a story about the exorcism, but of the wounds afterwards. It's more about the people that were affected and I think Renna did a beautiful job at it. He dug into this idea that love trumps all, especially in a population (teenage boys) where you would think that love is not so evident in the U.S. culture.

I would have loved to see how the main and side characters fared in the end because I don't think their stories were completed all the way. Even just a page or two would suffice for my closure on this novel. Overall though, I thought the pacing and the development of setting and characters was so realistically and beautifully executed.

I definitely want to read more of his work after reading this! 4/5 stars!

**I received this advanced readers copy for free, and am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Heather Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Christopher Renna's "Condemned". As intriguing as possession stories told from the viewpoint of the possessed are, I appreciate the perspective from the outside here. Seeing how the friends were affected was compelling, and unravelling the tale alongside of the boys was an effective tactic in my opinion. The focus is more emotional and atmospheric, versus visual horror imagery. It works. The story didn't feel drawn out, and I appreciate that. It seemed thoughtful for a horror tale. If you're looking for a horror tale grounded in emotion with the possessed playing a secondary role, than this will be a good fit. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Karen Bullock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacularly creepy!
What a fantastic scary read that I started two days into the epic Texas Winter storm; with my own lights flickering and a biting frosty chill in the air, it matched completely to the tone of this story!
The overall descriptions once uncovered sent goosebumps up my arms(even when I was wrapped in layers), and the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end.
This author knows how to write seriously “get under your skin” creepy tales.
Might be sleeping with the lights on for a few nights & will definitely be checking shadowy corners.
Thank you BookSirens for the opportunity to read and review this.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a story about demonic possession, friendship, and the divine. Sounds simple enough, right? Been done a million times before. Even though this book stuck to the simple and familiar plot line, there's something very unique to this book that made me read it all in one sitting. I think that it's a fundamental understanding of what makes the audience stay reading. This author wasted no time making us care about his main characters and, even though the shifts in perspective were jarring at times, I think that was what primarily what made me want to find out what was happening to them. I think that the best part of this book was how the author came up with new and exciting things to happen within the familiar storyline--like the incident at the school and the ritual involving the tree, both of which I've never seen before, and which intrigued me immensely. However, I wasn't fully immersed in the storyline for two reasons: the first is that there were characters and events that I felt weren't fully fleshed out or explained (like Hailey and her significance) that left me wanting more and wondering why I'd invested time in the character and their plot line, and the second is the exorcism scene near the end (it was terrifying up until the talk about Jesus near the end of the scene--it went from scary to almost feeling like a joke when I was reading it--I felt like it should've been omitted because it really undermined what had felt real and serious and made it feel less subtle). Other than that, however, it was an enjoyable read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it as a fun read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Linda Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is as must read book! At first I thought it would be just an okay book, since the main characters are high school students. But I was wrong!! This is a great book that I am for sure going to read again. I started reading it last night, and I ended up reading 80 % of the book and it was 4 am. It's that good!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

But I would of bought the book anyways!

[Chelsey DiBacco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I truly thought this was going to be more of a horror book (which is what I prefer to read).

I enjoyed that this was through a teenage male perspective which you don’t see too often.

When a group of friends lose one of their own, the whole town starts questioning what happened. A diagnosis of cardiac arrest in a teenager is possible but not common. When rumors start circulating around town that Jared was possessed by a demon, paranormal investigators come to question all associated with Jared.

I did like this book, but I just wanted some more spooky thriller like vibes from it.

[Sam Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've got this book via BookSirens so thanks1

A good, fast and eerie story about possession of Devil and love with and quite unusual ending for this subgenre of horror. This is my first reading of Christopher Renna so I look for more of his works.

[Renee Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever idea and good story! I received an advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Justin Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Renna is a fantastic author who knows exactly what his fan base is looking for. Condemned is an original and creative take on the possession genre, leading you through the aftermath of a tragic event in the lives of a group of teenage boys.
If you want something that'll keep you turning pages, then look no further.

[Patty Mele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was very well done and I read this book from the very beginning to the very end.

The storyline was very well done in my honest opinion.

The characters were very well placed in the story in my honest review.

I got this book for free, and am leaving an honest review freely given.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wildly imaginative! Wonderful characters. Interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Simply a GREAT read!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The overall premise of the book was intriguing to me and the story was good. However the way it was told bothered me, in the beginning I had a super hard time following which character point of view I was reading. As the book went on it got a bit better but it was a struggle to get through about the first third or so. Additionally I think there were just way too many view points, even now I'm not sure who you would say the main character was? Maybe Conner? The relationships between the characters were definitely built up but they seemed very mediocre and cliche, the relationship between the boys and them being brothers and everything was really over the top. Also, the last scene with Conner and Adam in bed was extremely confusing and the random touches of sexuality thrown into the book seemed unnecessary to me. I get that they are high school boys but it seemed cliche and over played.

Lastly, as I mentioned the first third was hard to read trying to keep track of point of views, the last third or so was hard to read because of typos and general grammar issues.

Overall, interesting story, not super great writing.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.