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author, book, book reviews, books, characters, Croak, Croak by Gina Damico, fantasy, fiction, Gina Damico, Grim Reaper books, Lex, literature, main character, novel, plot, read, reader, review, Rogue, Scorch, stories, story, Uncle Mort, write, writer, writing, young adult
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Grim Reapers
Pages: 311
Point of View: Third person. (Lex mostly. Omniscient POV at times)
Released: 20th 2012
Series: Croak
Predictability: 4 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)
Mood: Funny, Dark at times
Source: Borrowed
My Rating: 7/10 Stars
Warnings: Child abuse (most of the Juniors suffered some sort of abuse in their pasts and they have the scars to show for it)
My Summary:
Lex is a juvenile delinquent. Her parents fed up with her antics send her to her uncle Mort’s farm for the summer.
But it turns out Uncle Mort isn’t a farmer, he’s a Grim Reaper and so is Lex.
My Review:
I liked the book, but disliked the main character. She’s mean! I think it would help if you pretend she’s a villain. In real life she’d have been kicked out of school a long time ago. She hit, stabed, bit, and caused harm to basically everyone around her! I know she was supposed to be a delinquent, but it was a bit much.
All of the characters (other than Lex) were fine. The only one I really liked was her crazy inventing Uncle Mort. Now he was a character!
The romance didn’t really do anything for me, but it wasn’t bad if you excuse Lex’s personality and briefly his. (Sorry a guy shouldn’t hit a girl even if she hit him first. Not that she should hit him either.)
I wanted to see more of the relationship between the sisters, but Cordy wasn’t in the book much. (They’re named after civil war battles Lexinton and Concord.)
The author has a tallent for names. I particuarly like that the Grimms helpers were called Excetras and the death puns in town of Croak.
Lex craned her neck and spotted a handful of oddly named stores: a flower shop called PUSHING DAISIES, a mattress place labeled THE BIG SLEEP, and a grocery store with a giant sign reading BOUGHT THE FARM.
The world building is what made the book for me. The author was very creative and added enough cute touches to make it seem plausible. The mystery of missing laundry being a result of Grimms cutting in and stealing it, and the way death works. I particularly liked the black widow spiders being involved. (With their hourglass markings.)
The Okay:
The mystery was predictable, but still interesting enough. I didn’t really laugh at the comedy, but this would’ve been a dark book without it.
The bad:
The only bad besides the main character was the occasional omniscient POV, the way it tried to act like a kid. That just makes it obvious the writer is really an adult and not someone who is really still a kid.
And a quote in case I’m not making very much sense:
As all kids know, it’s difficult enough to trust any adult, much less a deranged, life-endangering importer-exporter.
The main storyline was left unfinished so I had to read the next book! Tricky authors!
Book 2: Scorch
My rating: 6/10
The Bad:
What was a good sympathetic, intelligent villain in the first book has turned into just a mad killer.
There are numerous deaths and I didn’t feel anything from any of them.
The good:
The relationship! So often when a couple get together they get boring or sappy, but not here. They’re still their joking fighting selves. Although they do spend way too much time making out if you ask me.
I also liked the new characters. The plot did meander a bit though and I’m not a fan of falsely accused. So overall, okay but not great.
Book 3: Rogue
My rating: 5/10
The awful:
The plot in this book makes no sense! First they can’t crash (think teleport) because it’s too dangerous, so they go through all kinds of security to break into Grimm headquarters, (and a good chunk of the book) then they get out and there’s no choice but to crash?! (Seriously?!)
The rest of the plot was just as bad and I could rant forever about that ending! (But I won’t, because spoilers.)
Also they’re running for there lives and Lex and Driggs stop to have a moment not once but TWICE.
The good:
The ONLY thing that saved this book was watching Uncle Mort banter. That was brilliant!
So am I glad I read it? Not really.
How do you feel about happily ever after? I read books to make me happy, so I don’t usually read sad books and I NEED my happily ever after!
Woven Magic Books 
I’ll pass on this trilogy. I’m annoyed by the MC just by reading this review. I have a problem with delinquents/bullies, so I may need to steer clear of this. Great reviews!
Me too! I’m glad I’m not the only one. Most of the reviews I read for this series liked her were so I was surprised. Thanks!
I’ve heard about this series, but haven’t read it. The world-building sounds amusing!
I like some happily ever afters, but not if they feel forced. I want a book to make me feel something. Sometimes it’ll make me feel sad, but if it’s done well enough, I don’t really mind. I’d rather have a well-written sad ending than an unrealistic happy one!
The idea behind the boom was awesome! I just wish I liked the characters as much as the world.
I have to agree with you, a false happy ending isn’t good either, but I think if properly plotted it can still be at least partially happy. Sometimes if feels anticlimactic when no one dies in a huge war, but I don’t want everyone to die either.
Aww, this is sadness. I hate when a series gets progressively worse 😦 I agree, it is basically impossible that Lex would not have been expelled long ago. And the hitting? That would have turned me off immediately, unless she grim-reapered him on the spot. But she sounds awful too. So basically, the second book should have been everyone getting therapy or going on Dr. Phil or something. And I am really sorry that the ending was so bad. That makes the whole thing even worse. I really hope the next book you read is MUCH better!
I hate it when a series goes downhill too. (Mostly because I can never stop) Yeah, she would’ve been kicked out after the first or second incident, so unrealistic! They tried to play it off as he only hit her because he knew she wouldn’t respect him otherwise, but I just don’t like physical violence between couples. haha yeah everyone in this book needs therapy! Thanks! The next book was SO MUCH better! 🙂
HEA is sooo important
I agree! I need my happily ever after!
I wouldn’t like the whole guy hitting a girl thing either and I would certainly have a hard time with them being romantic after that as well!
Wonderful thoughtful review Molly!
The author tried to make it he only hit her because he knew she wouldn’t respect him otherwise, but it just didn’t work for me. I don’t like physical violence between my love interests like that! Thank you!
Okay, so I read the first two books a few years ago, and I don’t remember a ton about them but I loved them. I never read the last though so I’m sad to hear it’s not the best! Though, after your reviews I do really want to go back and reread them and finally find out how it ends. Again I don’t remember a ton, but I loved Lex, I know that. Honestly, I think part of why I loved them is because they’re dark and the dark humor, done right it’s my kind of thing.
Anyways, I’m sorry you were disappointed by the last one(though it makes me want to read it more to see just how everything gets so crappy). Great reviews, Molly!
Oh and I can deal with sad endings, when their done right but I mostly need my happily ever after and I definitely can’t stand just plain stupid endings(sorry, I can’t think of a better way to describe it!). =)
I’m glad that you enjoyed the Croak series. (Lots of people did, I’m the oddball here.) I’m curious what you’d think of them now, especially that last one. Dark humor is usually my thing too! Thanks! Yeah, the last one was pretty terrible.
I totally know what you mean by stupid endings and I totally agree!
Oh many books! I have Croak for years but I haven’t read it yet I confess. I shouyld get to it one day, I’m curious to see if we would feel the same.
I know what you mean, so many book so little time! I’d say there’s no rush to read Croak. I am curious what you’d think though. SO many people loved it, so you never know.