2021 EDIT: Last book in the 'Croak' series I've skimmed after rereading the first.
'Rogue' is better than 'Scorch', but that's hardly praise, and by now it's too little too late.
All I have left to say is that I won't be missing these miserable, despicable characters (but Pandora is awesome). There is SO MUCH secrecy and manipulation suffocating these morose books, for the sake of adding mysteries and intrigue, I don't even.
I am NOT a fan of the main teen romance, at all.
I'll remember to mention here that there are A LOT - and I mean A LOT - of fridged women in this series, and A LOT of women who suffer gruesome, horrific deaths, while men are often met with a less cruel demise, or are inexplicably shown mercy and spared. No such forgiveness and pardon is given to female characters. In light of the abundant slut shaming, girl-hate over a boy, "crazy and deadly with power" females, and competent-females-actually-subordinates-to-male-masters in the previous books (do NOT get me started on Zara and Sofi), I'll let you draw your own conclusions there. I swear every girl and woman gets paired up with a male, even when they're dead. As if that weren't disturbing enough, 'Rogue' also employs the Bury Your Gays trope (poor Pip, he was another of my favourites).
I am very disappointed that Norwood and Ferbus don't die. Maybe there is an intentional point to be made there? That the worst people in the world who may indeed deserve death don't always die? But more nuanced and morally grey (read: human) people do? (What sense does that make?) And life (and death) isn't fair?
Whatever, I'm tired. I don't care anymore.
Also:
Why are all the dead US presidents idolised? And comic relief? WTF?
What the hell happened to Lex's parents? How the hell are they going to live through what happened at the end? They're merely brushed aside, never mentioned again in the epilogue, allowing the readers to make up their own minds about them. In my opinion, it's a gigantic cop-out.
I now hate the ending. I seriously don't like that suicide is presented as the ultimate and right decision at the end - and it's the suicide of a fucking teenager, at that. I can't even begin to articulate everything wrong with this; it's even worse in context. Suffice it to say, it's disconcerting to see in a YA series finale.
Positives: 'Croak' is a YA series with astronomically high stakes. The action is intense, dire, and the plot mostly moves forward at a fast pace, never boring. The characters are memorable, distinct and (darkly and variably) colourful, at least. Perhaps deep down I do have a nostalgic soft spot for these books, and that's why I'm not rating them any lower than I should?
No final, witty words, no lasting impression - this is it, I'm out of here, for good.
Final Score: 3/5
Original Review:
This will be a short review of the Last of a Book TrilogyTM, because it'll be difficult to get into detail without revealing spoilers.
But all one ought to know about 'Rogue' - the finale of the great, funny, deliciously demented and daring 'Croak' books - is that it is dark. As in Dark. VERY Dark.
Its ending, while a little rushed and controversial (but hey, what ending isn't?), is nightmarish. Yet it's heartfelt and hopeful at the same time. Horrific. Outrageous. Bittersweet. Loving. Brave. Bold. The mix of emotions and tones are what made me fall in love with the books to begin with, and 'Rogue' did not disappoint in delivery.
Our lovely protagonist, teen Grim Reaper Lex Bartleby, is a mass murderer. She Damns people before their time, when it is not her choice to take their lives, no matter how much they might deserve it. Because of her recklessness, she is partly to blame for everything going wrong in ‘Rogue’, including war within the Grimsphere. The author never lets the reader forget this.
But Lex is still funny, likable and sympathetic enough in her choices and actions, especially given her circumstances with death. She now has a mission to save/rewrite the whole Grimsphere society. And the Afterlife itself.
I love that Lex isn’t overtly angsty. She is ever the witty anti-heroine - something rarely seen in any form of media because a patriarchal society dictates that any woman who takes charge and leads is a bitch and so shouldn't be taken seriously. Lex tries not to be emotional or think too much about how hard her life has become so suddenly. She assertively keeps a level head throughout, to help fix the things she broke. The young delinquent will learn from her mistakes, and will take selflessness, bravery and self-sacrifice to a new level unseen and inconceivable in anything before...
As for the other characters: Lex's boyfriend Driggs has changed drastically since the previous book, 'Scorch', but only physically - he still connects brilliantly with Lex with their banter, and a shocking secret from his past is revealed. Indeed, like Lex, nobody's perfect. Uncle Mort is an evasive and manipulative mad genius, whose arc ends perfectly in my opinion. As in 'Scorch', I remain indignant in my hatred for Ferbus. He's a begrudging bastard; absolutely no friend of Lex’s, even though there's no indication that he wouldn't do what Lex had done if he had her Damning powers. He does very little in the story, aside from being a pain. And he treats Elysia, another girl, like shit (they're a couple, seriously?!). Speaking of Elysia, she is a saint; a loyal, unwavering and lovable female friend to Lex. Although as part of the main Grim Junior group in ‘Rogue’, Elysia is rather useless in action (I guess that's one thing she and Ferbus share in common). Little Pip is barely worth mentioning except for his =huge spoiler= near the end. I really like Bang for her important contribution to the plot, in spite of never saying a word of dialogue. And old, snappy Pandora is full of surprises...
Others - such as Broomie - get bit parts, unfortunately. Even the villains - such as Norwood - to an extent.
But this is worth saying: you will hate Grotton. He's the ghost of the first Grim, and the one who started the whole mess from the very beginning (this becomes more meaningful as the book progresses to one of its twisty revelations (only one of which is very predictable, I might add)). So Lex isn't entirely to blame for everything (got that, Ferbus? You useless, passive-aggressive arsehole).
All in all, the 'Croak' series by Gina Damico is a YA trilogy that's worth every penny. For anyone looking for anything original and/or "more" than your standard YA fare, I recommend it. Whether you'll like the conclusion or not depends on your own individual tastes and experiences, but the series is wickedly funny, heartbreaking, courageous, and ironically sweet and charming too. You care for the characters and their plights, and if not then they’re still interesting, endearing and memorable. Above all they feel human, with the colossal responsibility of guiding souls to the Afterlife, while not damaging it in the process.
The books are cool, hugely creative, and immensely readable.
Books about death that are addictive? You may well believe it in 'Croak'.
Final Score (for 'Rogue'): 4/5
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