I’ve said it before and, as I apparently have absolutely zero problem repeating myself, I might as well say it again: I will absolutely miss Gina Damico’s Croak Series, having finally finished the last of the trilogy, Rogue. Why is this such a sad parting? Ms. Damico’s done what I’ve found many YA authors to really, really struggle with (and mostly fail): balance. She had an amazing concept that was unique and interesting; a protagonist who’s out of control wild in some aspects, yet grows through the course of the series to have greater self and social awareness; humor and levity; sarcasm and respect; independence and parenting. The list goes on, but in terms of a wonderful YA series, well, it’s hard to move past this one.
In terms of this, the final installment, I’m not going to say much about the book itself because there’s not much I can really say without essentially ruining the book (and if you’ve not yet started it, the series). But in terms of interesting ideas that are being mixed in this series, there are many worth mentioning!
Though Lex, our protagonist, is not your average teen (pretty much ever, in an of the capacities in which we know her), we see her grow tremendously from the beginning to the end. There’s a clear arc here, and while I (somewhat) shudder to tritely reference this as a (duh!) bildungsroman, it’s certainly one of the best examples that I’ve seen. Lex’s growth from beginning to end is palpable, but it’s believable: she doesn’t overnight magically become a saint, nor does she lose herself in light of the decisions that she’s making. In every sense of the word, though, we see her grow up in this trilogy, which is definitely an aspect that I’ve repeatedly found lacking with many other YA series in which time passes, stuff happens, but there seems to be little or no change or growth in the protagonist.
In terms of story telling tropes, this story in some ways was reminiscent of a fairy tale to me. I don’t say that to suggest that there were fairies or princesses or knights on white horses, but to reference the fact that, from a very formally analytic view, there are a number of fairy tale elements there. I am no fairy tale expert, but I think Lex could easily be seen as a fairy tale lead: a young girl on the cusp of adolescence, seeking to learn about herself and a truth of the world around her, you have an ongoing question of who’s good and who’s not (note that this is modernized to reflect that no one being can be completely one or the other, which is a wonderful modern spin on this concept). Lex has numerous helpers along the way, the whole story is fantastical in concept and occurring in places that are laced with “magic” of one sort or another, and there is a clear conflict that Lex is working to resolve throughout the course of the books (actually, there’s more than one). She spends a good portion of the series on a quest to resolve the issues, aided with a team of friends, who share their many talents (and their lives) to accomplish this goal. We end the series with . . . well, if not a happy ending, then at the very least an ending that provides closure and makes us aware that there are things like greater goods and that sometimes, it’s ok to acknowledge fears, weaknesses and changes.
I really liked that the story included a well-rounded set of elements; we’re not just focused in on romance, on friendship, on fighting the bad guys, etc. It’s a rounded look at a teen coming into herself, and all of the vastly many facets that go along with it.
I’m sure there are probably other types of stories that this is quite similar to, but as I’ve been MIA reading endlessly long books and articles on fairy tales for class, that’s what you all get. 🙂 I’m sad to see this series end, but already have Ms. Damico’s Hellhole cued up on my ipod for when I’m not listening to thousand page classics (again, for class. . . sigh. . .)
Anyone out there enjoying these?
The Alpha and the Omega: The Endless Ramblings of a YA Lit Lover 