Scorch

August 1, 2012
Teenage grim reaper Lex and the rest of the underworldly inclined residents of a magical upstate-New York town return for this entertaining follow-up to Croak (2012). Still reeling from the murder of her twin sister, Lex's guilt and agony is assuaged too neatly when she's able to visit Cordy in the Afterlife--a cleverly imagined ethereal space where a dour Edgar Allan Poe and his raven, Quoth, must endure practical jokes played on them by other historical figures. Zara, the rogue Culler of souls responsible for Cordy's death, is still on the loose, looking to force Lex, her Uncle Mort and her boyfriend, Driggs, to reveal the location of a legendary book she needs. Along the way, there are dastardly plots carried out both by Zara and by others, resulting in the unpredictable deaths of major characters and the revelation of powers that will undoubtedly feature heavily in the clearly foreshadowed coming war. If this is a bit too convenient at times--Driggs' pal Ferbus exclaims at one point, "Bullshit! Your stupid girlfriend Damns the ever-loving crap out of our collective grandfather, and you just so happen to be able to fix it?"--it also mostly succeeds in building a suspenseful setup for the next outing. An amusing blend of whimsy and humor with serious drama and blood. (Fantasy. 14 & up)

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April 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-Lex is shattered after her twin sister is murdered by Zara, a fellow Junior Grim who stole Lex's power to Damn. But while her friends welcome Lex back, the other residents of Croak are suspicious of the Juniors-especially Lex, Zara is also escalating her terror, Damning innocents until Lex finds and hands over the Wrong Book, a tome of dark knowledge. As Croak grows more inhospitable toward the Juniors and Zara closes in, Lex and her friends flee to DeMyse, another Grim town. But Zara isn't far behind.... Scorch is even darker than Croak (Houghton, 2012), the stakes raised with Zara loose in the wider world and the Grimsphere crumbling. Many will die, including major characters. But once again, Damico uses clever, self-aware humor to keep things from becoming too dire. Characters are always as clever as we wish we were. More of the Grimsphere is revealed as Lex researches the Wrong Book and the Juniors travel to DeMyse, and readers will be held rapt as final action scenes hurtle characters toward a climactic ending with death, vengeance, discovery, and a set-up for another installment. An irresistible blend of impending doom, irreverent humor, hormone-fueled make-out sessions, and creative world-building make this sequel even stronger than its predecessor and will leave readers dying for the next book.-Gretchen Kolderup, New York Public Library

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