Review : Cryers Cross
There is a voyeuristic component to Cryer's cross. The narrative envelops you into two worlds. there is the world of WE mysterious voices , trapped , tormented seeking warmth. Then there is the world Kendall. A senior in the one room classroom that houses the entirety of the Cryer's Cross education system. Kendall is returning to school after a summer of mystery and slight obsession. A sophomore: Tiffany Quinn has disappeared and despite a search by the small knit farming community she remains missing.
Kendall is grateful for the return of school the security of expectation and order. Order is very important when a great deal of your world is controlled by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
It is a unique choice for Lisa to create a heroine with such a disability. It's one of her many strengths as a writer to explore characters with diverse backgrounds and conditions.
To present young adults with characters outside the cookie cutter mold that currently flourish in the majority of YA fiction was one of the many enjoyable parts of this book.
As the book unfolds we are deftly weaved into the daily pace of Kendall's world: Her early morning forays to school to move everything to it's correct position, her passion for soccer and dancing, and her best friend Nico, a boy who has known and loved her for her entire life.
Tiffany's disappearance is still prevalent in the town and Kendall's thoughts when tragedy strikes again and Nico disappears.
While Kendall reels from Nico's loss she also begins to notice strange writing on Nico's former desk, the same exact desk Tiffany sat at before she moved.
After days at home Kendall returns to school driven by her new safety buddy Jacian Obregon. The two don't mix well initially though Kendall develops a wonderful friendship with his sister.
These changes in her schedule, Jacian's brooding temper and the constant underlining stress over the missing students cause Kendall's OCD to escalate. Her nervousness increases and thoughts of Nico whirl over and over in her mind. The tenacity of the OCD causes Kendall to notice similarities between the two students: both sat at the same desk before they disappeared. Kendall decides to calm the compulsive thoughts and to to sit at Nico's former desk. Once she sits at the desk strange voices and compulsions come over Kendall. The writing on the desk continues , desperate pleas for help only she can hear. Voices directing, pleading and leading her to a starting revelation about the missing teens and her small town.
I read Cryer's Cross in a day! I couldn't put it down . The story unfolds quickly but the revelation of what is going on in the town keeps you riveted! I Just kept following Kendall's journey with all the chills and thrills it entailed. The voyeuristic feeling intensifies the tension and terror as we see Kendall walk through the steps of the two missing teens feeling what they felt and discovering their fate. A very thrilling read balanced with a sweet budding romance between Kendall and Jacian.
This One Thing
There frequently is talk in the reading community about diversity in books. What exists and what is needed. I really enjoyed that both the males at this forefront of the book were ethnically diverse: Nico who is Spanish and Dutch and Jacian who is Hispanic. I hope this books success will encourage more writers and publishers to make choices that reflect our diverse world.
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