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A review by bookph1le
Rogue by Gina Damico
4.0
Why do I read books like this that make me feel things? I was a little worried after the second book, but this book redeemed the series. More complete review to come.
Complete review:
The Croak trilogy and I have had a lot of ups and downs. I adored the first book, was angry at the second, and spent a portion of this book still being mad. However, things did ultimately come together in a way that was not only satisfying, but which I also found moving. This book definitely redeemed the series for me. Some spoilers to follow, especially if you haven't yet read books 1 & 2--after all, it's a little impossible to discuss the last book in a trilogy without giving away what happens in the books before it.
My major beef with [b:Croak|13738462|Croak|Gina Damico|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1340706143s/13738462.jpg|16791637] was that I didn't think Lex suffered any very serious consequences from her actions. Her Damning was so over-the-top horrific in and of itself that I expected a good bit of social shunning, especially since it is so frowned upon by the Reaper society. But then when Lex's actions result in the deaths of innocents who were supposedly her friends, and the horribleness that becomes of Driggs, I kind of wanted to throw the book at the wall. I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book because I was so mad about it. I don't expect my main characters to be perfect, but when they do something so epically bad, there needs to be some kind of reckoning.
At first, I didn't think I was going to get that reckoning, and I was ticked at this book. Slowly, though, it all started to come into play, and it became more obvious that Lex did have some uncomfortable feelings about what she'd done. Still, I wasn't buying it at first. Her feelings seemed directed more outward than inward, more the sort of "I did a bad thing and it sucks that I'm suffering the consequences" than Lex feeling bad about what she did. Gradually, though, and with the help of Driggs, Lex does come to understand why what she did was so heinous. It's not that I wanted endless angsting, but I think I would have been more satisfied if Lex had suffered a bigger crisis of conscience once she absorbs the magnitude of her actions.
I also feel the need to critique the actions of her friends. Elysia is far too sanguine about what Lex has done and absolves her too quickly, which I think contributes to Lex's thinking that what she did wasn't all that big a deal. I was glad that both Driggs and Ferbus took her to task for it, but it seemed to me that Driggs went a littler easier on her than he'd have been entitled to act. He's a good boyfriend and a character with a lot of great qualities, but sometimes I think he's a little too understanding.
The revelation about his past does explain this a little, and it did give me more insight into why he didn't react the way Ferbus did. Driggs has some idea of what it's like to be in Lex's shoes, but I think the difference is that Driggs feels responsible for his actions in a way Lex doesn't. It felt like he learned a lot more of a life lesson than Lex had. Lex is a little too willing to absolve herself of guilt and to make justifications for her own actions. She does have a point that Driggs shouldn't flagellate himself as that's not healthy either, but at least Driggs feels the full brunt of what he did. This is in no way meant to minimize what he went through, because it was inexcusable, but it does show how that, even if you are justified in taking a certain action, it doesn't mean you won't have to face the consequences of your choice.
As for the main thrust of the story, I still felt the villainy tended a bit too much to the cartoonish, but I liked the twist the story took and the implications it had for the larger Reaper world. It's an interesting question to complicate, whether a person could give up their familiar and comfortable way of life in the interests of the greater good. Mort showed some growth thanks to this choice. I liked him before, but felt he was too flip at times. It was nice to see that he had depths.
A whole lot of bad things happen in this book, and I did admire that Damico did what she felt needed to be done. I imagine some of her choices may not be very popular with some readers, but that's what makes them bold choices. I cried more than once while reading this book, I was so affected by some of the fallout from the central battle. And that ending! It was the definition of tear-jerker, and I thought it was an excellent end to the series, though I'm confident in saying some people will probably hate it with a passion.
All in all, this was a satisfying conclusion to what was a fresh, innovative, and fun series that also managed to tackle some serious issues and pose some good philosophical questions. I look forward to reading a fresh new world from Damico.
Complete review:
The Croak trilogy and I have had a lot of ups and downs. I adored the first book, was angry at the second, and spent a portion of this book still being mad. However, things did ultimately come together in a way that was not only satisfying, but which I also found moving. This book definitely redeemed the series for me. Some spoilers to follow, especially if you haven't yet read books 1 & 2--after all, it's a little impossible to discuss the last book in a trilogy without giving away what happens in the books before it.
My major beef with [b:Croak|13738462|Croak|Gina Damico|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1340706143s/13738462.jpg|16791637] was that I didn't think Lex suffered any very serious consequences from her actions. Her Damning was so over-the-top horrific in and of itself that I expected a good bit of social shunning, especially since it is so frowned upon by the Reaper society. But then when Lex's actions result in the deaths of innocents who were supposedly her friends, and the horribleness that becomes of Driggs, I kind of wanted to throw the book at the wall. I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book because I was so mad about it. I don't expect my main characters to be perfect, but when they do something so epically bad, there needs to be some kind of reckoning.
At first, I didn't think I was going to get that reckoning, and I was ticked at this book. Slowly, though, it all started to come into play, and it became more obvious that Lex did have some uncomfortable feelings about what she'd done. Still, I wasn't buying it at first. Her feelings seemed directed more outward than inward, more the sort of "I did a bad thing and it sucks that I'm suffering the consequences" than Lex feeling bad about what she did. Gradually, though, and with the help of Driggs, Lex does come to understand why what she did was so heinous. It's not that I wanted endless angsting, but I think I would have been more satisfied if Lex had suffered a bigger crisis of conscience once she absorbs the magnitude of her actions.
I also feel the need to critique the actions of her friends. Elysia is far too sanguine about what Lex has done and absolves her too quickly, which I think contributes to Lex's thinking that what she did wasn't all that big a deal. I was glad that both Driggs and Ferbus took her to task for it, but it seemed to me that Driggs went a littler easier on her than he'd have been entitled to act. He's a good boyfriend and a character with a lot of great qualities, but sometimes I think he's a little too understanding.
The revelation about his past does explain this a little, and it did give me more insight into why he didn't react the way Ferbus did. Driggs has some idea of what it's like to be in Lex's shoes, but I think the difference is that Driggs feels responsible for his actions in a way Lex doesn't. It felt like he learned a lot more of a life lesson than Lex had. Lex is a little too willing to absolve herself of guilt and to make justifications for her own actions. She does have a point that Driggs shouldn't flagellate himself as that's not healthy either, but at least Driggs feels the full brunt of what he did. This is in no way meant to minimize what he went through, because it was inexcusable, but it does show how that, even if you are justified in taking a certain action, it doesn't mean you won't have to face the consequences of your choice.
As for the main thrust of the story, I still felt the villainy tended a bit too much to the cartoonish, but I liked the twist the story took and the implications it had for the larger Reaper world. It's an interesting question to complicate, whether a person could give up their familiar and comfortable way of life in the interests of the greater good. Mort showed some growth thanks to this choice. I liked him before, but felt he was too flip at times. It was nice to see that he had depths.
A whole lot of bad things happen in this book, and I did admire that Damico did what she felt needed to be done. I imagine some of her choices may not be very popular with some readers, but that's what makes them bold choices. I cried more than once while reading this book, I was so affected by some of the fallout from the central battle. And that ending! It was the definition of tear-jerker, and I thought it was an excellent end to the series, though I'm confident in saying some people will probably hate it with a passion.
All in all, this was a satisfying conclusion to what was a fresh, innovative, and fun series that also managed to tackle some serious issues and pose some good philosophical questions. I look forward to reading a fresh new world from Damico.