Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby has sucker-punched her last classmate. Fed up with her punkish, wild behavior, her parents ship her off to upstate Ne...
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Feb 09, 2012
Michelle
rated it: 
actual rating: 3.5 stars
blogged at Chronicles of a Book Evangelist
Despite some recent trilogy burnout, I must admit that I often like a series as much as or more than a stand-alone novel. I especially like book series where each book has its own story arc and can be read as a stand-alone, but still fit in to the overall series story arc. If you can find such a series, it is like literacy promoting gold. Get a kid hooked with one, and they will keep coming back for the More...
blogged at Chronicles of a Book Evangelist
Despite some recent trilogy burnout, I must admit that I often like a series as much as or more than a stand-alone novel. I especially like book series where each book has its own story arc and can be read as a stand-alone, but still fit in to the overall series story arc. If you can find such a series, it is like literacy promoting gold. Get a kid hooked with one, and they will keep coming back for the More...
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Feb 18, 2012
Jana
rated it: 
::: Also posted on: http://jana-thebookgoddess.blogspot.com/
Let's have a look at that gorgeous cover for a sec. The girl's pose, that thing she's holding, what she's wearing, the bold font - everything just screams WHAT AN AMAZING AND PROMISING BOOK THIS WILL BE. But don't be mislead by the cover (just as I was) because I must tell you, this is a book that I did not finish (and won't consider continuing or reading the two sequels).
The concept was interesting, in lack of bette More...
Let's have a look at that gorgeous cover for a sec. The girl's pose, that thing she's holding, what she's wearing, the bold font - everything just screams WHAT AN AMAZING AND PROMISING BOOK THIS WILL BE. But don't be mislead by the cover (just as I was) because I must tell you, this is a book that I did not finish (and won't consider continuing or reading the two sequels).
The concept was interesting, in lack of bette More...
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Feb 13, 2012
Bonnie
rated it:
Expected Publication Date: March 20th 2012
Croak was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!
When sixteen year-old Lex starts to become a problem child, her parents decide to send her away for the Summer in hopes that her behavior will be changed while spending time with her Uncle Mort on his farm.
"I know it's a rather odd decision, but we think that a few months of fresh More...
Croak was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!
When sixteen year-old Lex starts to become a problem child, her parents decide to send her away for the Summer in hopes that her behavior will be changed while spending time with her Uncle Mort on his farm.
"I know it's a rather odd decision, but we think that a few months of fresh More...
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Feb 03, 2012
Rhiannon
rated it:
When Croak came winging itself through the mail box last week I knew I had to dig in ASAP. The cover alone screams Giving me the Creeps, but the big surprise bonus was how funny it was.
Lexington Bartleby is a delinquent of epic proportions, and with her parents and her twin sister finally at the end of their patience she's being sent off for the summer. Uncle Mort has kindly offered some hard work at his farm to try and straighten her out. Now imagine Lex's surprise when she arrives More...
Lexington Bartleby is a delinquent of epic proportions, and with her parents and her twin sister finally at the end of their patience she's being sent off for the summer. Uncle Mort has kindly offered some hard work at his farm to try and straighten her out. Now imagine Lex's surprise when she arrives More...
Jan 05, 2012
Rachael
rated it:
Lex Bartleby is the definition of rebel without a cause. Her increasingly erratic and extreme behavior, everything from talking back to shoplifting to beating up classmates, has been known to land her in a world of trouble, and her parents are finally fed up. So they send her to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for a summer of good old-fashioned farm work—or so they think. What they don’t know, and what Lex is quick to find out, is that Uncle Mort is actually a Grim Reaper and he’s a
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Sep 15, 2011
Isamlq
rated it: 
There were plenty of modifiers in this one, but there was also a lot of snark. Does the second cancel the first one out? It's incredibly descriptive given all those modifiers, so while bit long winded, things were eventually clear. It's also very contemporary. The writing, the people speak was all very relatable and at times simply hilarious:
Lex's story reads like a young version of Charley Davidson's (minus the sex, mostly because Lex like Charley has a colorful vocabulary and a sha More...
Lex's story reads like a young version of Charley Davidson's (minus the sex, mostly because Lex like Charley has a colorful vocabulary and a sha More...
Jan 30, 2012
Tiffany (Tiffany Reads)
rated it:
Croak was a wonderful start to what I'm sure will be a great series.
Our protagonist Lex was snarky and sarcastic and obviously that made me really like her. Lex starts off as a really harsh character that doesn't really care much about anything or anyone but it was great to watch her slowly change over time. Once she went to stay with her Uncle Mort in Croak she slowly made friends and started to feel like she actually belonged somewhere and that was really great to watch.
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Our protagonist Lex was snarky and sarcastic and obviously that made me really like her. Lex starts off as a really harsh character that doesn't really care much about anything or anyone but it was great to watch her slowly change over time. Once she went to stay with her Uncle Mort in Croak she slowly made friends and started to feel like she actually belonged somewhere and that was really great to watch.
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Sep 14, 2011
Diana
rated it:
Lex is an amazingly unsympathetic character and I had a hard time getting into her story. She is so unpleasant and mean that she has no friends except for her twin sister Cordy (yeah, their Revolutionary War aficionado dad named them Lexington and Concord). Sent off to spend the summer on a farm with her uncle, Mort she discovers that it was all a ruse, on Mort's part to get her to a small town where the main drag is named Dead End and all the inhabitants are Reapers as in Grim Reapers. Turns ou
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Aug 18, 2011
Tina
rated it:
Originally published at Nose in a Book.
Man, Lex is a character who’s hard to relate to. She’s violent, impulsive, stubborn, and in the throes of full-on teenage rebellion (and trust me, ten years ago I was the queen of teenage rebellion). She punched people all the time, she terrorizes her classmates in high school, she swears a ridiculous amount (and in this book, so do the adults). I’m not offended by profanity, but it really felt like this book was trying too hard to be edgy or More...
Man, Lex is a character who’s hard to relate to. She’s violent, impulsive, stubborn, and in the throes of full-on teenage rebellion (and trust me, ten years ago I was the queen of teenage rebellion). She punched people all the time, she terrorizes her classmates in high school, she swears a ridiculous amount (and in this book, so do the adults). I’m not offended by profanity, but it really felt like this book was trying too hard to be edgy or More...
Feb 12, 2012
Paige
rated it:
Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.
Enough is enough. Lex Bartleby's parents can't take anymore of her bad attitude and the multitude of fights she gets into at school. With no other options left, they send her to stay with Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping some time artificially inseminating cows and cleaning up manure will help her clean up her act. Then it turns out she won't be doing farmwork after all because she will learn how to be a Grim Reaper. Almost as soon as she arri More...
Enough is enough. Lex Bartleby's parents can't take anymore of her bad attitude and the multitude of fights she gets into at school. With no other options left, they send her to stay with Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping some time artificially inseminating cows and cleaning up manure will help her clean up her act. Then it turns out she won't be doing farmwork after all because she will learn how to be a Grim Reaper. Almost as soon as she arri More...
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Feb 20, 2012
Suzanne (Paranormal Book Fan)
rated it:
This is an awesome book. While not what you could call action packed, the narrative was funny and enjoyable throughout while also having its serious moments.
Lex's behaviour has taken a serious downturn in the last couple of years. She has gone from being a straight A student to constantly being angry and beating people up, much to the bewilderment of her parents, her twin sister Cordy, and herself. She doesn't know why she acts this way and she doesn't want it to continue. She is on he More...
Lex's behaviour has taken a serious downturn in the last couple of years. She has gone from being a straight A student to constantly being angry and beating people up, much to the bewilderment of her parents, her twin sister Cordy, and herself. She doesn't know why she acts this way and she doesn't want it to continue. She is on he More...
Nov 06, 2011
Karyn The Pirate
rated it:
Lexington Bartlby is having a bad day. Well make that a bad year. Okay, make that a bad two years. Since she turned 14, two years ago, Lexi has been working very hard to turn her squeaky,clean image into one of a troubled, trouble-making teen. The problem is, Lexi just can't figure out why she is doing the things she does. Lexi's parents have put up with the fighting, swearing, and even petty thieving that have become everyday occurrences around the Bartlby house. But with her senior year s
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Feb 14, 2012
Liliana ღ's Mythology
rated it: 
Review on Lili Lost in a Book
Lex's parents are tired of her rebellious attitude, which is why they decided to send her to her Uncle Mort's farm during the summer. Lex, of course, doesn't want to go. She rarely hears from her uncle...and seriously, a farm?! Lex can do nothing except listen to her parents and go spend the summer with her uncle out in the country. Her parents for some reason think that feeding cows and cleaning stables will somehow improve her attitude. But once she arr More...
Lex's parents are tired of her rebellious attitude, which is why they decided to send her to her Uncle Mort's farm during the summer. Lex, of course, doesn't want to go. She rarely hears from her uncle...and seriously, a farm?! Lex can do nothing except listen to her parents and go spend the summer with her uncle out in the country. Her parents for some reason think that feeding cows and cleaning stables will somehow improve her attitude. But once she arr More...
Dec 06, 2011
Princess Bookie
rated it:
My Thoughts: When I started reading Croak, I wasn’t too sure about it. Sure, it has an interesting plot line (reminds me of Dead Like Me tv show) and it sounds like it could have a little bit of romance on top of the interesting plot line.
To sum it up, Lex gets shipped off to her uncle’s house thinking it’s going to be a boring uneventful summer. Boy, is she wrong! Not what she was expecting at all.
First, lets talk a little about the characters. First, there is Lex. Lex i More...
To sum it up, Lex gets shipped off to her uncle’s house thinking it’s going to be a boring uneventful summer. Boy, is she wrong! Not what she was expecting at all.
First, lets talk a little about the characters. First, there is Lex. Lex i More...
Jan 02, 2012
Althea
rated it:
The premise is what drew me to pick up this book: a rebellious teen discovers that her true calling is to become a Grim Reaper. Awesome, right?
Well, it is fun. The author aims for a Terry-Pratchett-esque style and sense of humor (It specifically calls 'Mort' to mind), but it often feels obvious that this is the work of a new writer. The characters can feel a bit flat, and some act more juvenile that they might, given their stated ages.
The book also ends with many unanswered questions More...
Well, it is fun. The author aims for a Terry-Pratchett-esque style and sense of humor (It specifically calls 'Mort' to mind), but it often feels obvious that this is the work of a new writer. The characters can feel a bit flat, and some act more juvenile that they might, given their stated ages.
The book also ends with many unanswered questions More...
Feb 14, 2012
Meli
rated it:
I obtained an advanced reading copy courtesy of NetGalley. Release date is set for 3/20/12
I was impressed with this book. I've read the Madison Avery books by Kim Harrison, but this is totally different. But in a good way.
Lex is a very rough around the edges character, it took me a while to even like her, but once I got into the book I couldn't wait to see what happened next.
I was impressed with this book. I've read the Madison Avery books by Kim Harrison, but this is totally different. But in a good way.
Lex is a very rough around the edges character, it took me a while to even like her, but once I got into the book I couldn't wait to see what happened next.
Sep 20, 2011
Heather
rated it:
This book was so much fun! Snark and humor abound in this dark comedy about a girl getting into the family grim reaper business. Similar in tone to Heather Brewer's Slayer Chronicles, CROAK gives you the humorous inside track on a reluctant protagonist's introduction to the paranormal.
Dec 27, 2011
A fast-paced comedy with a wickedly dark undertone, a snarky heroine with a dangerous power, and a town full of secrets. Fans of DEAD LIKE ME will really enjoy this one.
Feb 05, 2012
Maureen
rated it:
I liked Croak! It was a sort of Dead Like Me (which I LOVED).
Croak started a bit slow and I found it hard to connect with Lexington; she was such an awful brat who likes to hit and bully. However, as the story progressed I began to like her and respect her tough attitude. Uncle Mort was cool! The mystery aspect of the book was my favorite part.
What I DIDN'T like was how Lexington suddenly became the most popular well love reaper in class (Twighlight anyone?) That part More...
Croak started a bit slow and I found it hard to connect with Lexington; she was such an awful brat who likes to hit and bully. However, as the story progressed I began to like her and respect her tough attitude. Uncle Mort was cool! The mystery aspect of the book was my favorite part.
What I DIDN'T like was how Lexington suddenly became the most popular well love reaper in class (Twighlight anyone?) That part More...
Jan 29, 2012
I'll admit, I got intrigued by the cover first. Then I read the synop. Then I was like WANT. So now I'm like WANT NOW.
Feb 11, 2012
Tina
rated it:
I absolutely loved the humour and the wordgames, but the end hit me hard. Still, looking forward to book 2.
