Cryer's Cross

The small town of Cryer's Cross, Montana, has had a rough year. A sophomore girl from the lone school has disappeared, and no one knows what happened. And then, another student goes missing. Kendall loves her home; however, she can't help but want more. The second person to disappear is her best friend and boyfriend, Nico. Kendall is desperate to find out what happened. She notices new graffiti on the desk that Nico sat in at school, and where the sophomore girl sat, as well. Determined to find her boyfriend, she comes across a history that is disturbing. Kendall must put all of the pieces together to solve the mystery. CRYER'S CROSS started off pretty slow, with not much happening. It actually slowed me down on the reading for quite a while. But once the middle of the story hit, things really started picking up speed, and there was just this intense storyline coming out. It was fantastic. I couldn't put the book down - I had to know what was going to happen. I didn't expect the twist that showed up, so I was very surprised. It was a pretty great story, and I loved the ending. I definitely think others will enjoy this.show more

I like long and detailed narratives which are rich in detail and subtlety. As well as that, I'm cheap and I like value for my money! If I can get a huge doorstop of a book or a featherweight paperback for the same price, then I'll probably be drawn to the longer read just for value's sake! Therefore, I usually go for audiobooks which are fairly lengthy. At the end of last month, however, my darling dearest gave me the complete set of Harry Potter audiobooks, read by Stephen Fry! That is a total of 124 hours and 56 minutes of tremendous storytelling. I was beyond delighted with the present, yet knew that it was going to dramatically reduce the number of book reviews I'd be able to do this month as I would be absorbed in one of my old favourites. Thinking that I'd be able to read a few shorter books in between terms at Hogwarts, I opted to get Cryer's Cross with this month's Audible credit. I can hardly believe how much Lisa McMann managed to squeeze into 5 hours and 27 minutes! Kendall is an interesting character who struggles with the events unfolding in her life. Her OCD is dealt with in an interesting way, though I thought at times that it was a little too "easy" for her. Much more conflict was produced by her developing feelings for the cold and brooding Jacian. She has to struggle with how he makes her feel and fight the temptations aroused by these feelings while she's still unsure of what has happened to her more fraternal boyfriend, Nico. I thought McMann dealt with this powerfully. I don't think I've ever wished a good guy would end up dead so that the love between two other characters could blossom! I felt bad for wishing it and Kendall, the protagonist, felt bad too! This created a lot of empathy which held me firmly gripped. The antagonist of the text, "We", was an unusual choice which I was dubious about, at first. I won't give too much away but I shall say that by the end of the story, I had suspended my disbelief and allowed the idea to sit well with me. I allowed myself to think that some stains just don't scrub out, so maybe I could believe what McMann wanted me to about the antagonist. Overall, I thought Cryer's Cross was a great book which really lived up to that old adage about quality being more important than quantity. The quality of the writing and the rounded characters made this an entertaining read which is just perfect for those of you looking for something short to take to the beach with you this summer. I took mine to the gym which was a lot more hard work!show more

Cryer's Cross gives us an intimate and chilling look into the mind of Kendall's OCD. She is a well set up character. She has her disease, but she has ways to cope, she has friends, and I like her family. I am pretty confused about the WE chapters/poetry, but it slowly all added up and started to make sense. Jacian comes in with intrigue and mystery. Nico is set up well as the best friend and boyfriend, and I am on edge when he starts acting strange. I don't know if it was their history and familiarity, or just the way Kendall's OCD was a non-issue but I was a fan of him immediately. Kendall is so heartbroken when he is found missing, and my heart goes out to her. I like Marlena right away, she is the other girl in Kendall's grade and she takes the time to explain her brother, and be friendly to K. And Lisa writes it beautifully- as Kendall begins to have some understanding and like Jacian a bit, so do I. All these things really bring hope into the story. It is chilling and I had no idea where everything was leading, I just knew it was dark. The ending is just as creepy as the book! But I like it. My big complaint is that I want more- the backstory, the resolution. Cryer's Cross is fast paced, plot driven, and never left me bored. If you are in the mood for a dark book with a bit of horror/mystery this is for you.show more