Under a Blood Red Sky

Scorch, following on the heels of Croak, picks up with heroine Lex still feeling guilty over the death of twin sister Cordy at the hand (literally) of fellow Grim Zara and knowing that she has to do something to stop Zara from Damning people wildly. The upside? Lex can still visit Cordy in the Afterlife (even though Cordy's taken up with a very impressive historical personage). The downside? Too many to mention actually, but the biggest is that the entire town of Croak has turned against her (with a few exceptions)...and also against Uncle Mort, the mayor. With the knowledge that she must stop Zara torturing her, Lex is further dismayed to learn that Zara's also looking for a mysterious text known as the Wrong Book, and the consequences will be very dire indeed if she finds it.

Scorch is just as quick a read as Croak, though it's more violent at times. Lex is still a moody teen but the loss of her twin has only made things worse; her relationship with fellow Junior Driggs continues with lots of physical encounters (that Uncle Mort tries repeatedly to discourage). Lex is a great anti-heroine; she's rude and angry, but she also wants to make things right in whatever way she can. Though there's a lot action, there are also lots of secrets which aren't revealed until we're far into the book. The final two chapters throw major kinks into the story and it's going to be interesting to see how everything plays out. The writing, while at times a bit silly, still engages and captures the imagination. I'm hooked and I can't wait to see what happens next.


~taminator40