Sunday, April 3, 2011

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Title: Cryer's Cross
Author: Lisa McMann
Publisher: Simon Pulse; February 8, 2011
Pages: Hardcover-233 pages
Genre: YA-Horror

Cryer’s Cross had an eerie haunting quality that was compelling and delightfully scary in that way where you’re still thinking about the story days afterward wondering—what if...

Cryer’s Cross is a small town where everyone knows everyone-literally. It has one restaurant, one intersection, a few stores, a big indoor farmers’ market-which also doubles for the town’s larger functions and a one-room schoolhouse. The students have all known each other since they were old enough to start school-some even earlier, like Kendall our main character and Nico.

Kendall and Nico live in neighboring farms right across the road from each other. They have been the best of friends since they can both remember. Nico knows about her idiosyncrasies and walks to school with her early everyday so Kendall can go through the rituals she must perform everyday in order to curb her anxiety. Part of her ritual is straightening out the desks so that they sit just so. It’s the first day of senior year and Kendall can’t help but notice with a twinge of sadness and a bit of fear, the empty desk of the little girl, Tiffany that went missing over the summer. Kendall notes that this is the desk that Nico will sit in and, as always, right next to her. There’s one thing to look forward to this year; the arrival of two new students, one of them a senior like Kendall and Nico. The minute Jacian Obregon walks in she is stunned by his extreme good looks but can feel his hostility across the room, his little sister, Marlena, it the exact opposite, friendly and outgoing. The addition of the Obregon’s, Old Mr. Morales’ grandchildren, plays an integral part in Kendall’s life, especially Jacian but what part will he play? He’s hostile, isolative and was questioned and dismissed about Tiffany’s disappearance just shortly after he arrived in Cryer’s Cross. Certainly he has a right to be angry…

Cryer’s Cross has just enough students to form a soccer team and with the addition of Jacian and Marlena, both of whom are almost as good (one of them better), as Kendall, they stand a real chance of playing and winning against the neighboring towns teams. It's the one thing that really unites the students and the town. Things look good for a week or two but then one of their own goes missing again; someone near and dear to Kendall’s heart and she knows that there is more at work in Cryer’s Cross then a deviant person. No, Kendall knows there’s much more at work, something sinister and malevolent but will anyone believe her before another friend or even Kendall herself becomes a victim of unspeakable evil?

Ms. McMann wrote the Wake series which held me just as enthralled as Cryer’s Cross and I had the pleasure of asking Ms. McMann a question: I asked her why the change from The Wake series less then eerie undertones to Cryer’s Cross more haunting eerie story and she responded that it was just an idea she had one day about a desk; a desk that had seen a lot of things. I thought that was a great answer! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a haunting love story that is romantic, supernatural and creepy!

Mild Expletives only

6 comments:

  1. Great review! I've just started this!

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  2. Thanks, Vicky. Get ready to read it in one sitting!

    It's so eerie and fascinating. I couldn't put it down but I find that with all of Lisa's books. Enjoy!

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  3. Isn't there just something about it? It just draws you in---I couldn't put it down until I finished it.
    I found it to be really eerie and haunting---a horror novel. Some might disagree, though.

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  4. yeah, i couldn't put it down either. i got at my school library and had finished by the end of school.

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  5. Hey! Thank you for stopping by the blog last week! I have found a local store that sends books internationally. This store can send you a copy of Deadlands - The Book Lounge

    Hope that helps!

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