Review: Croak by Gina Darmico
PUBLISHER:
The YA world has a variety of paranormal themed series. So it would have been very possible for Croak to be just another trilogy. It isn't. Croak is one of the most enjoyable debuts I've read this year.
I fell in love with Lex Bartleby from the very beginning. Though she isn't very easy to love. After years of exemplary behavior Lex's grades and attitude has sharply declined. It's the violence however that is getting her into trouble. She has punched eyes, broken limbs and basically terrorized her classmates.
In an effort to shape her up Lex is sent to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer in the town of Croak.
As she settles into her uncles home Lex is immeditely gven some unbelievable information: Mort is a Grim Reaper , a person with the ability to remove a persons spirit from their body upon death. With a partner called a culler who encases the soul in a vessel where it is returned to the bank of Croak for transportation to the afterlife.
Lex learns that all her anger and murderous thoughts mark her as a potential reaper, so she is immediately put into training along with her partner Driggs.
It turns out that Lex has quite the talent for Killing, a little too much talent as her heart burns to punish murderers which is against the Grim code. As the summer months fly by Lex finds her mood swings calming and enjoys something she hasn't had in quite some time: friends.
Things don't go Lex's way for long however as a strange series of murders are on the rise and even her Uncle Mort has no explanation for them.
Lex and Driggs seek out clues but it is Lex who discovers the deadly answer and it follows her home.
This book just works! From the realistic portrayal of a troubled teen , to the interesting introduction of the Grim universe and bits of flat out humor, Croak really stands out in the world of YA fiction. Gina doesnt waste any time throwing the reader into the Grim world. There is lots of action and the charactrs voices really ring true, I became very attached to them. the added humor elements were also enjoyable. Highly recommend it!
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