Lex has become a problem for school and her family; she's been going around pounding on people, and in desperation, her parents decide to separate her from her twin sister Cordy and send her off to summer with the mysterious Uncle Mort. Lex is sure the summer before her senior year will be dull and awful working on a "farm", but imagine her surprise when she finds herself a resident of Croak...and becoming a Junior Grim, trained by her uncle to be a Killer. Given a scythe and paired with Culler Driggs, Lex's new job is to scythe into someone's life at the exact moment of death, "kill" the person with a touch, releasing the spirit so the Culler can capture it and take it on to the next plane. Now imagine her surprise that she actually loves what she does, and loves the town of Croak with its death-sensing jellyfish, odd inhabitants, and the first real friends Lex has known in ages. Her only regret is that she is separated from Cordy, but even that is eclipsed when mysterious deaths begin happening with frightening regularity and Lex and the other Juniors begin investigating. All of which leads to the chilling climax, and a loss Lex cannot bear.
I totally loved this book! It doesn't take itself seriously at all, and the author's awesome sense of humor is evident in every page. Of course it's a bit over the top, but it works without trying hard at all, and I could absolutely believe that a town such as Croak really exists, despite the sense of whimsy and teenage angst that permeates the story. For once it's a breath of fresh air to read a story that knows it's fun but yet still engages with its characters. Seriously, if this is what exists after we die, we should all be excited. Great fun!~taminator40
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