Cryer's Cross

3.0

3.5 (8)

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Author(s)

Lisa McMann

Publisher

Simon Pulse

Genre(s)

Paranormal

Age Range

14+

Release Date

February 08, 2011

ISBN

1416994815

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Kendall loves her life in small town Cryer's Cross, Montana, but she also longs for something more. She knows the chances of going to school in New York are small, but she's not the type to give up easily. Even though it will mean leaving Nico, the world's sweetest boyfriend, behind.

But when Cryer's Cross is rocked by unspeakable tragedy, Kendall shoves her dreams aside and focuses on just one goal: help find her missing friends. Even if it means spending time with the one boy she shouldn't get close to... the one boy who makes her question everything she feels for Nico.

Determined to help and to stay true to the boy she's always loved, Kendall keeps up the search--and stumbles upon some frightening local history. She knows she can't stop digging, but Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried...

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Some secrets are best left buried

February 24, 2011

Overall rating

3.0

Plot

N/A

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Havoc is unleased when a freshman girl goes missing in the small town of Cryer's Cross, Montana. Though Sixteen-year-old Kendall Fletcher wasn't friends with the missing girl, the tragedy wreaks havoc on her OCD.

Then someone close to Kendall goes missing. The angst causes her OCD to go almost out of control. Kendall goes through her familar routine of fixing her small classroom and notices a message scratched on the desk where both missing teens had been sitting in. She also starts hearing pleas for help. Kendall not sure if she's going crazy.

Something isn't right in Cryer's Cross and Kendall can't help but feel she has to find out what secrets are being hid by the townspeople or she'll never forgive herself.

The idea of a mysterious desk holding the secret behind some missing teens in a small town is very intriguing. Add to that a heroine who deals not only with OCD but is close to one of the missing teens, well, I had to read this story.

Kendall's OCD were described in a realistic way. I know a couple of people with OCD and just the littlest thing can trigger off anxiety to the point of needing some serious help. Kendall's daily routine of keeping the classroom in one way and her downward spiral, I felt, was very real.

I did feel that the story could have been a tad bit scarier. I admit I was hoping for a spookier tale. At the beginning I was confused over who 'We' were in this story. It took awhile before I figured that out. Also I almost wished that the mystery behind the boy's reform school had been fleshed out a little more. Wouldn't the town whisper about the past? It's hard for me to believe that everyone in Cryer's Town would have been silent, especially those who knew about the reform school's past. It seems someone would have spoken out or at least mentioned it. But that's just me.

I did like Jacian and how he set off emotions in Kendall, including guilt for even thinking of liking another boy. The emotions Kendall struggles with guilt for betraying her lost friend and how she feels around the cute new boy also trigger off her fears and anxiety. I liked how the author shows this. The chemistry between both Jacian and Kendall is one you believe in unlike with Nico which even Kendall admits has always been 'just a friend.'

The climax of this story had me sit up. Wow, I totally didn't see that coming! I loved the final revelation. I just wished there had been more suspense at the beginning. Also why did everyone just assume the new boy Jacian was behind the disapperances?

This is a quick, fast read. Not too scary but with a big twist at the end.

Kim Baccellia, Staff Reviewer Top 10 Reviewer 878 reviews

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User reviews

8 reviews

5 stars

25%

4 stars

25%

3 stars

38%

2 stars

1 star

13%

Overall rating

3.5

Plot

3.3(8)

Characters

3.7(6)

Writing Style

3.5(6)

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This book is pure perfection!

September 30, 2015

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

5.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

So gripping and haunting. Not the kind of book you'll soon forget. Book you can savor.
I love Lisa McMann's writing. I really do. She knows exactly how to capture the reader and keep them drawn in wanting more. And this book is exactly that. I couldn't put it down. If I had to do something, the book went with me so I could keep reading. Ended up finishing it in a day, wishing it wouldn't end! The characters are all wonderful and I love how you get to bond with each of them and how tight-knit they all are. I honestly started out hating Jacian, and I was so mad at Kendall for falling for him. But at the end, I couldn't help but to smile... Except for the very last page.
I was just like..."WHAT?!?!"

Ash Top 500 Reviewer 17 reviews

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Cryer's Cross review by A Blog about Nothing

December 21, 2012 (Updated: December 21, 2012)

Overall rating

2.7

Plot

2.0

Characters

3.0

Writing Style

3.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

I’m a fan of Lisa McMann’s Wake trilogy, they were some of the first YA books I read and I loved that her writing is very easy to get lost in, it flows easily and you can read her books really fast, most in just one sitting. I was happy to see that it hadn’t changed in Cryer’s Cross. I finished this book in a day, Lisa McMann doesn’t waste a lot of time with useless details, her books get to the plot of the story right away, and Cryer’s Cross didn’t waste time getting to the creepy parts.

I liked that it takes place in a very small town, I really enjoy those type of settings since I always lived in a big city I often wondered what a small town life would feel like. Even though I can’t relate to the farmer type of life that Kendall lives, I understood her ambitions very well. Unfortunately all of that comes to an end when her classmates begin to disappear, something unheard of in the quiet and small town of Cryer’s Cross and it made me feel so bad for poor Kendall when her little world starts crumbling down.

In between the chapters on Cryer’s Cross there were these very creepy lines from another source in the novel that made the reader very curious to find out who they were and how they were taking these kids. Those little snippets between the chapters made the novel much more creepier and me wanting to know more about them. Like I said this was a very fast read but by the end I had mixed feelings about it, I liked it but didn’t love it. I was a bit disappointed to see that the ending wrapped up way too easy, the climax of the story only took about two pages in the book and it left me wanting to know more about these “ghosts”, if that’s what they were. I still enjoyed it and I’ll definitely read more by Lisa McMann, because even though I didn’t love the easy ending I enjoyed about 80% of the book and Lisa knows how to write some pretty engrossing thrillers.

Cynthia A. Top 1000 Reviewer 2 reviews

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Cryer's Cross (A Room with Books review)

August 16, 2012

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

3.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Sadly, this book was pretty boring for most of it. I didn't have incredibly high expectations or anything, but I was at least expecting a little something as suggested in the synopsis. The story didn't even reach the most intriguing part of the synopsis until halfway through. I was really losing hope at that point too. And though it was a bit slow-moving when it comes to catching my interest, the actual story seemed to move much too quickly. Things went from nothing to sinister in about two sentences.

The story ended up being rather original and quite creepy. That's about as good as it gets though. I was incredibly unimpressed by the writing. "But" seemed to be nonexistent and was instead replaced by disjointed sentences that made me want to cringe. The language didn't really seem to suit the characters. It was much too "stereotypical farmer" while the characters didn't seem to fit that sentiment at all.

The characters themselves were hard to get into and relate with. I found myself not caring about trying to put details with the character and instead just imagining them as generic images to help move the story along without any effort.

Final thoughts: The story was pretty good though it took quite a bit to get into. Nothing is spectacularly great about this book but because of its size it's a pretty quick read.

Jasmine Top 50 Reviewer 326 reviews

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Creepy Desks Abound

June 12, 2012

Overall rating

3.3

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

2.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

I don't know why I decided to read Cryer's Cross, it's not the sort of book I normally read and I was uncertain about whether or not I would even like it. Fortunately I did! I thought Kendall was an interesting character to follow, and the story was intriguing. When I first began it was a little bit slow and boring, but as I got to know the characters and the story developed I found myself more and more pulled in by it. The one thing that disappointed me, was I expected to be scared more than I was, there were definitely some scarily thrilling parts, but until the very end they were very tiny and barely fear-inducing. The biggest creepy part of the book, though, I loved! It was written in a way that had my heart pounding and I enjoyed every minute of it! All in all, I enjoyed this book and it's given me new incentive to read Lisa McMann's Wake Trilogy.

Hope Top 100 Reviewer 43 reviews

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WHY?!?!?!

May 06, 2012

Overall rating

1.0

Plot

1.0

Characters

1.0

Writing Style

1.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

First of all, I need to point out that this is NOT a dystopia. The reason I picked the book up was because I had seen it described thus somewhere, but it isn't. Cryer's Cross is actually more of a psychological thriller/fantasy/horror story. I wish it had been a dystopia.

Last year, I read Lisa McMann's Wake Trilogy, which I sort of liked at first, but later came to almost abhor. Her writing drove me crazy. It's so incredibly fragmented. Everyone told me that the writing was matched to Janie's thoughts and not a sign of McMann's inability to compose a complex sentence. Well, that excuse really does not fly here. The story is told in third person and yet, oddly enough, the syntax remains choppy and composed largely of sentence fragments. This will, hopefully, be my last foray into McMann.

All that so grumpily said, Cryer's Cross was not a terrible read. I think I liked it more than I disliked it. The ending was a bit too mystical for my taste, but there was a major redeeming factor. The one thing McMann does really well: she writes really attractive, atypical male leads. And some pretty hot scenes with them, even if they remain PG, as is the case here.

I recommend this for reluctant readers, although I doubt boys would be too interested. For a book with a lot of menace lingering about, there is very little action.

Christina Franke, Staff Top 10 Reviewer 677 reviews

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Creepy...Eerie...Shocking...AMAZING!

August 10, 2011

Overall rating

4.7

Plot

4.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

My Review:

Let me start by saying the mystery of the novel ended up being slightly disapointing, but there are tons of things that the marvelous author Lisa McMann did to make Cryer’s Cross one of the best books of 2011!

The first thing i thought when i read the blurb i thought: Kendall, the same protagonist, but this time she’ll be shy and has a problem that she feels pity constantly about. She’s going to be disjointed and never talk, like Bella with a mind problem. But the minute i opened the book, i realized how much Mrs. McMann knows about the mental disorder OCD. Kendall is by far one of my favorite main girl characters in a book because Mrs. McMann really delves into the compulsion but doesn’t constantly talk about it.

The second thing i loved about Cryer’s Cross was that the mystery was literally unsolvable. I couldn’t even begin to guess what was happening because i didn’t fully grasp the term “paranormal.” I began the story and instantly made bets on different characters who kidnapped Tiffany Quinn, but i could not support it at all!

The third thing i absolutely LOVED about Cryer’s Cross was the secondary characters. I read WAKE by Lisa McMann but did not continue because it had mature themes beyond my years, but i did notice how the secondary characters seemed to be well-fleshed out. Well, Cryer’s Cross does an EVEN BETTER JOB! Jacian, who i thought upon his introduction would be an Edward-Cullen-esque guy character, ended up being a lot different! And Marlena was a great friend, she listened and also had her annoying factors that everyone has!

Good Points

The Main Character - Kendall, with her OCD, was painted to be helpless when i read the plot! But once delving into the story, the creepy, amazing story, Kendall turns out to be one of the most amazing protagonists EVER! She is so confident in a way that is not disrespectful and stuff!

The Romance (And the Romanceer) - Jacian, in the first chapter, was painted to be an Edward Cullen-knock off, but once you really got into the story you realized he is really different! His emotion is well worded and well played out, and the romance is not sufficating, because Ms. McMann knows how to work with it so it is not all love-story!

The Writing Style - Ms. McMann has one of those ecletic writing styles. It can be jerky to some, but i think it is lyrical. It is poetic as she slides from one scene to the next. I LOVE where she describes the movement of a character and uses sentences without the subject! "Kendall falls down. Begins to cry." it's not from the book but it's an example!

HD Tolson Top 500 Reviewer 6 reviews

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Writing on the desk...

March 14, 2011

Overall rating

3.0

Plot

3.0

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Reader reviewed by Lia

Cryer's Cross starts out with a girl who has just gone missing from a small town, throwing the whole town into chaos. After months of searching for the girl or any leads to what happened to her, the town starts going about their business again. Then another student disappears, Kendall's best friend Nico. After no traces of Nico are found, the town eventually also give up on finding him, But Kendall's OCD won't let her accept that her friend is simply just gone. She searches deeper and deeper to uncover what happened to Nico at the cost of losing herself.

Cryers's Cross is not only a mystery but it also has some supernatural elements that I wasn't expecting. This book was majorly creepy, especially the whispering desk with the "old new" creepy messages written on it. One aspect of the book that bothered me was that it was written in the third person point of view and in the present tense, it made the writing seem choppy somethimes. The plot though was good, as were the characters.

a reader #1 Reviewer 19910 reviews

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A suspenseful read with some bumps in the road

February 20, 2011

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Reader reviewed by Meghan

Having just finished the book, its story fresh in my mind so I could review it, I find myself staring at the blank canvas of the text field. What to say about this novel?

Kendall Fletcher is a teenager growing up in the small town of Cryer's Cross. She has a best friend named Nico. Boyfriend, he'd say. She can't bring herself to call him her boyfriend, she doesn't like the commitment of the word. The reason is because Kendall has OCD. Counting her steps, racing thoughts, checking and rechecking locks, rearranging desk, making sure the markers in the one room high school are arranged the Roy G Biv way. This year would be a different one for Kendall, as a fellow student had disappeared May of that year. Tiffany Quinn. The town Sheriff lead a search party to no avail. Tiffany wasn't found.

Enter stage left as two transfer students move to the small town just before Tiffany disappeared. Jacian (Hah-see-AHN, not JAY-se-un!) and Marlena. Rumors start spreading that Jacian might have had something to do with her disappearance. He is afterall, not friendly to anyone. Marlena passes that off as teenage angst in responce to moving. So which is it?

Now, when suddenly Nico disappears after acting really strange, people start wondering if it was Nico that had to do with Tiffany's disappearance. But when Kendall starts getting messages on Nico's desk - which was coincidentally Tiffany's desk the previous year - she realizes something much more sinister might be going on.

I want to start off saying that this was overall a very good book. Most of the characters had personalities - even some of the smaller ones - which usually doesn't happen in a book. Lisa McMann does well in making her characters have voices. And when she writes romance, boy does she write it. Seriously, Jacian was hot!

However, the reason this book doesn't merit a 5 out of 5 are some small nitpicky things that add up for me. First, some of the dialog was just kind of awkward, almost rushed. It felt like filler conversations to push the page count of the book, not to further the story. Second, although Kendall's OCD was apparent sometimes, I wish it would have been made more apparent. There were times I'd get done reading a chapter and then Kendall would go back to school and do her "school routine" involving rearranging the desk, turning the waste basket just so, and arranging the markers, and I'd remember that she had OCD. There'd be a lot of Kendall thinking about how much her OCD consumes her, yet that wasn't made as apparent as I would have liked.

Don't let the previous paragraph or the semi-slow middle of the book throw you off from reading this book though, once you hit the final count down of the book, Lisa McMann pulls you in and doesn't let you up for air until she's done with you. She then leaves you in a speechless sort of haze, not quite knowing what to think yet while you still digest the end of the book you read in a hurried slurr, because you couldn't get enough. Once I took a step back from this book after reading it, I found it was a very enjoyable read with some minor bumps in the road. Another satisfying read from Lisa McMann.

I give this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

a reader #1 Reviewer 19910 reviews