Review Detail

From the moment I looked at the cover, I knew that I was going to love Croak. I mean, seriously. Take a good long look at it. There is a girl, who looks like she's got serious spunk, with a scythe slung over her shoulder. As soon as I opened the book and met Lex in the flesh, I knew this was going to be fun. And it was.

Lex has issues, according to her parents and just about everyone she knows. Two years ago she was the perfect student, and now she gets into random fights for no reason. So her parents send her off to her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a couple of months out in the country will help her "get better". But, where Lex was expecting to be shovelling cow manure all summer, she discovers that her Uncle Mort's job is much more sinister. He is a Grim Reaper, and apparently Lex is one too. And just as she thinks she might be adjusting to the shock of having someone tell her "Okay, so, we take souls off dead people and chuck them in the afterlife. Here's a scythe. Get to work.", it turns out there is a rogue reaper around. They are killing people who aren't supposed to be dead. And, of course, since this only started when Lex arrived, people are getting a bit suspicious, and Lex has got to get to the bottom of this.

The elaborateness (is that a word?) of the world of the Grim Reaper was so well thought out. The Smacks, the scythes, the Etceteras, the Cullers, absolutely everything. There was so much depth to this world it's hard to believe the author made it up. (Or did she.... da da da dahhh...)

Now, let's talk characters. First, we have the main character, Lex. Or rather, Lexington. At the start of the book I thought she was a little too hard-headed (I was like, "Two words. Anger. Management"), but then she really grew on me. She had a hilarious, dark humour that was so funny.

I liked all the side characters too. Uncle Mort, the expert, Driggs, the guy who finds peace in a room full of black widow spiders (full, as in the walls are literally crawling with them), Elysia, the talkative one, and all the rest, they all really grew on me.

Let me just warn you though, if you are not a fan of a) sardonic characters b) Grim Reapers or c) teenagers with anger issues, maybe Croak isn't the best choice for you. If you don't meet any of those though, I really suggest it. I can't wait to read the next one!!!