Croak

By: Gina Damico

Narrated by: Jessica Almasy

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Fed up with her wild behavior, 16-year-old Lex’s parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort’s true occupation is much dirtier than shoveling manure. He’s a Grim Reaper. And he’s going to teach Lex the family business.

She quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. But Lex can’t stop her desire for justice - or is it vengeance? - whenever she encounters a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again. Will she ditch Croak and go rogue with her reaper skills?

©2012 Gina Damico (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Smart and Funny

In Croak, we first meet Lex, a troubled teen who doesn't fit in...until she discovers her calling as a reaper. This is a great series start. I can't wait to see if Lex seeks revenge or redemption in Scorch.

unexpectedly wonderful

the story is the right blend of fun and funny, dark and silly, and the narrator is perfect for the story.
I loved it, and the resident 13yo is eating it up....

There must be a sequel?

With this ending, there must be a sequel. Really enjoyed the story, though slightly overdone in regards to obnoxious teenaged behavior lol!

I recommend this Series!

Gina Damico's dark imagination is terrific and narrator Jessica Almasy nails the narration and is a perfect fit for this Series!

I loved this book!

The story was much different than the usual fare out there for this genre. The main character is extremely well written. She is definitely not your typical Mary sue type character, she's witty, charming, with more than a few rough edges and perfectly brought to life by a superb narrator.

Finally something different!

I love YA Fantasy and I have read so much that they seem to blur together after a while. But this one made me actually Laugh out loud so often I had to share it with my teen aged son and his girlfriend who also cracked up! It has everything I've been needing, a different storyline read by a super talented narrator who brings the laughter, sarcasm, whit, sadness, and thirst for vengeance to life! Two thumbs way up!

Glad I survived

This was difficult to listen to for me. The main character is a very angry person and the narration of the book is done in a sort of angry way which is hard to take hour after hour. Makes the main character feel very one dimensional and it made me feel a bit tense. Although I imagine that a younger audience might like this quite a bit (and I'm by no means old). In terms of narration and tone, it was a bit similar to Divergent which I also was not a big fan of. The premise was unique and some of the other characters were pretty likable, namely, Uncle Mort. However, that's not enough to make me want to continue with this series. Does not help matters that I predicted the ending long before I reached it.

Smarta** Reapers

This book has some great banter between characters keeps you laughing and during this you forgive the learning curves of the world that can slow down other first books in a series. What the author lacks in mature characters she makes up for in fast and funny coming joke i recommend this for a car ride with kids.

NOT appropriate for its intended audience

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. This book is aimed at teens and young adults. I had hoped it would be interesting for an adult (mid 40's) as Hunger Games was. It's not, so I would not recommend it to another adult. But sadly, this book does glorify and condone underage drinking; so not only would I not recommend it to a teen, but I will actively let all my friends who are parents know this book glorifies and condones underage drinking.

What was most disappointing about Gina Damico’s story?

That it glorifies and condones underage drinking. I was aghast at how the adults in town seem to ENCOURAGE the teenagers to drink. I was aghast at the description of the first drink - how it tasted so amazing, how it made her whole body feel tingly and warm, etc. I was horrified at how carefully it's spelled out that because of the "magic" of the town they live in, she won't suffer a hangover and therefore she can indulge to the point of active intoxication. I was ESPECIALLY DISTURBED by the fact that the main character almost has a sexual encouter as a result of having lowered inhabitions due to the alcohol!!!

What three words best describe Jessica Almasy’s performance?

Irresponsible, irresponsible, irresponsible. I understand the narrator did not write the book, but I feel the narrator should have respectfully declined this reading assignment due to the glorification of underagae drinking.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Not on your life.

Any additional comments?

I can only be happy for the author that she has apparently never suffered a personal loss due to alcohol. Any person who has lost a mother, father, sibling or, most horribly, a child, to alcohol can attest that there is nothing "cool" about underage drinking. For this author to have been so cavelier and celebratory in writing about is just plain disgusting.

Fun, but be careful it is a series.

I got this one as a special, it was a great buy. Very easy to listen too and great pace. A little predictable but still a good book. it is a series so expect unsolved issues. you will not get closure out of this one.