Book Review: Croak by Gina Damico

Croak is an amazing book by Gina Damico. This book makes you wish it was real, and if it couldn't be real, then let it be a movie or TV show.

In Croak the main character Lex is someone who most girls wish they could be; smart, edgy, cool and she doesn't take any bull crap from anyone. As far as romance goes, this book is not lacking.

These are troubled times, and suspicion rises, but there are still people who believe in Lex. This book makes you hope that there will be a place where kids with discipline problems will be wanted, even needed, and understood. Lex is one of those kids and she has the power to transport your soul. Knowing her problems, would you let her transfer yours?

I say, "Let's go misfits!" If you want a little trouble in your life, you need to read Croak by Gina Damico!
**Review by Iyanna**

More About Croak:

Fed up with her wild behavior, sixteen-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?

More About Gina Damico: 

I grew up under four feet of snow in Syracuse, New York. I received a degree in theater and sociology from Boston College, where I was active with the Committee for Creative Enactments, a murder mystery improv comedy troupe that may or may not have sparked my interest in wildly improbably bloodshed. I have since worked as a tour guide, transcriptionist, theater house manager, scenic artist, movie extra, office troll, retail monkey, yarn hawker, and breadmonger. I live in Boston with my husband, two cats, and a closet full of black hoodies. (From Damico's website)



 

Rate Your (book) Date!

During February we ran a fun event called Blind Date with a Book and many students took a leap of faith and grabbed a book without knowing what it was about at all! Part of the program was that if you went on a date and wrote a mini-review you got to pick a book off the free book shelves. I was pleased to get several reviews back! Here are a few snippets:

The Fairy Ring
By: Mary Losure

Frances was nine when she first saw the fairies. They were tiny men, dressed all in green. Nobody but Frances saw them, so her cousin Elsie painted paper fairies and took photographs of them "dancing" around Frances to make the grown-ups stop teasing. The girls promised each other they would never, ever tell that the photos weren’t real. But how were Frances and Elsie supposed to know that their photographs would fall into the hands of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? And who would have dreamed that the man who created the famous detective Sherlock Holmes believed ardently in fairies — and wanted very much to see one? Mary Losure presents this enthralling true story as a fanciful narrative featuring the original Cottingley fairy photos and previously unpublished drawings and images from the family’s archives. A delight for everyone with a fondness for fairies, and for anyone who has ever started something that spun out of control.

Rate you date!  "Sad, beautiful yet complex. At first I thought it was just another fairy story, but when I read it I was inspired by the two girls."

Dear Blue Sky
By: Mary Sullivan

A timely, eye-opening novel showing how war affects families on both sides

Ever since her brother Sef left for Iraq, Cassie has felt like her life is falling apart. Her parents are fighting over her brother having gone to war. Her smart, beautiful sister is messing up. Her little brother, who has Down syndrome, is pretending he's a Marine. And her best friend no longer has time for her. In her loneliness Cassie turns to a surprising source of comfort: Blue Sky, an Iraqi girl she meets through her blog. The girls begin a correspondence and Cassie learns that when Blue Sky says "I want my life back," she means something profound, as she can no longer venture out in her destroyed city. Cassie takes strength from Blue Sky's courage and is inspired to stop running away from the pain, and to reclaim her life. (from goodreads.com)

Rate your Date!  "The story is about a modern day war in Iraq. The girl's family is falling apart but she finds out about Blue Sky. It is a good story."

Go On a Blind Date with a Book

It's almost Valentine's Day and here at the library we are celebrating by going on a blind date... with a book. Stop by any time this week to take a chance on one of our new titles. You won't know exactly what book you are picking up, but we've given you a little snippet on the cover to catch your attention. If you take out a book on a blind date and return it with a mini- review, you can pick out a book to keep off of the Freebie shelf.

So...

Take a chance,

Take a look,

You may just find,

Your perfect book!