Customer Reviews

Crosses

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I first came upon Crosses in my local library. It caught my eye because of it's description. When I got to the 4th line in the summary of the book, I thought someone had written a book about me. This book goes into the cutter's mind and not only gives reasons, but stories followed by them. I could not put this book down. I could feel the pain in the character as I seemed to live her life myself. I could relate to nearly all of her stories, and felt I was reading my diary from years, months, even days ago. Her feelings and thoughts seemed to intertwine with mine and felt I was going through this depressing and sometimes uplifting journy with her the whole time. Unfortunatly I continue to cut myself, and I do not intend on getting help until I feel I am ready, but for all of the other people suffering from this terrible, depressing, confusing disorder, you're not alone. I highly suggest this wonderful descriptive book to all cutters around the world. Not as an answer, a relief of any sort, but to let you all know that you are not alone

I got into reading this book when I was in high school ditching oneday and couldn't put it down. I was dating a girl who was a cutter and even though she didn't get into the drugs part of it like a few I have met since then. It got to the point that she would cut in the middle of class while we were in Colinary arts. I never really thought to much about it until I got this book and I realized what was really going on and that she needed some help or something could happen to her. She promised me she would get help and I beleived her so I never told her parents about it. she ended up killing herself from cutting to deep one night after we got into a fight. This book although takes it a little far sends out a powerful message that this is serious and if you know someone who cuts help them get help becuase sadly to say people do end up dying from this sickness. This powerful message is something all teens should read I know my kids will

As a teeneager, I found this book to be compelling and honest. At times I was frustrated and in other instances I was bawling. Crosses was written to not be forgotten. This is an excellent oppurtunity to see inside the life of a teen and the struggle to be ourselves.

i read this book a year or 2 ago, and i was glued to the pages. i also related to the main characters quite a bit. for anyone who has problems with self mutilation, pleasepleaseplease go get help. i wouldn't say i'm a success story, but i can say that you're not alone, and the more you read, study, and watch about it the more you understand, and the more it could help you. empower yourself. don't become a victim.

recommended material: bodies under seige (lots by dr. favazza). movies: all over me, foxfire. there is also another book i own about an ice skater who cuts herself, but i've forgotten the title. it's by dr. steve levenkron. he also does another book about self-mutilation.

The protagonist of this story which is set in Babylon, Long Island is an angry young punker named Nancy. Her alcoholic parents have little to recommend them and are generally despicable and odious. Nancy describes the abuse she suffered from her mother throughout the book. She "crosses" her parents out of her lif.

Nancy is suffering from more than adolescent angst. The story opens in 1985 when the then 15-year-old Nancy tires of conforming and presenting a seemingly wholesome image. She adopts the punk trappings of the 1980s, yet she offers a softening contrast to the hardened, nihilistic 1980s look with her love for 1970s rocker, David Bowie. She meets a classmate named Katie with whom she finds many common bonds. Both love David Bowie; both have turned to recreational drugs and both have a terrifying secret: they cut themselves.

Katie, at 5'10" cuts an imposing figure indeed. Raised by her single mother, the 15-year-old is left to her own devices. She and Nancy share cutter stories; both explain that since they have nobody else to inflict harm on or vent their anger on, they turn on themselves. Nancy is an outcast at Babylon High School; when a classmate sees her cutting herself, that classmate ostracizes her as do most of the other kids. Katie is the one friend Nancy feels she can depend on. But can she? Katie's cutting escalates to an extreme level and Nancy has to recognize what coping mechanisms she has. She also has to learn to recognize whether or not Katie is a friend or a "cutting buddy," somebody who triggers the desire to cut herself.

A gritty, painful book that will leave readers with a lot to think about.

I thought Crosses was great! It real goes into the mind of a hurt person and her decisons,it shows the meaning of friendship in a totaly different light. Also how people can be so easily influenced into the wrong things. Some parts of this book seemed a little off because not all cutters are like that! All in all I suggest you read this book.

I read this book for a paper I am writing in a grad class focusing on juvenile lit. I found this book terribly offensive (as an individual who has been self-injuring for over 17 years...and is finally going through recovery for it at 29). I found several aspects of this book to be over-done, I found the characters to be reprehensible, boring and hard to believe, I thought the plot was overwhelming stereotypical. I also question WHY the author received an award for this book; it was inadequately researched (as is obvious from the total lack of attention paid by the author to what the reality behind self-harming is...), and relies completely on stereotypes and generalizations to build up the empty, boring "plot" it contains.
First, this book felt like a slap in the face regarding self-harmers as people. NO, they not ALL do drugs. NO, they do not all have COMPLETELY degenerate families. NO, they are not all pathetic losers who do poorly in school and seek to impress their friends with their outlandish behavior. NO, they are not all sluts. NO, they are not all doing it for attention. NO, they are not ALL suicidal. NO, they are not all weak little females.
While self-harm does usually accompany other issues (such as an eating disorder, depressive disorders or familial problems) there is SO much more to it than this book gives credit. Anyone who knows about self-harm (either from personal experience, either with a friend or because they harm, or clinical experience) can tell you that on the outside, most people who self-harm are just like anyone else. They have families, they work at regular jobs, go to school, they dress like anyone else, they just seek to have "normal" lives, and want people to understand that they are not freaks, weirdos, or sickos..they just want some peace and normality in their lives. They do what they do in an attempt to find some peace, some solace from the anger, frustration and pain that they don't know how to deal with..and feel it's the only way to maintain their outward facade of being the average person...at least, that's how I feel.
While I know that their is usually a myriad of other problems accompanying self-harm, the fact that this book centers ONLY on those problems and minimally on any other aspect the character herself, is what makes this book an unrealistic and unreliable depiction of self-harm. Most people who self-harm do not share it with their friends, they do not act as nonchalant as Nancy and Katie act, they generally speaking don't do it for attention either. It is usually a very private thing. There is a lot more to a person than their self-harming and/or self-destructive behaviors...and this book does not recognize that fact.
I believe that the story of these two girls would have been more believable if perhaps they hadn't been portrayed as snotty, whiny little teenagers who sought only to out-do their next self-destructive feat. The girls are not likable...and it is very hard to muster any type of sympathy for either of them or their situations.
Beyond the characters being horribly outlandish, the story is completely hollow. It lacks any depth beyond the description of two girls who apparently seek nothing more than to get back at their (of course) dysfunctional families.
I believe Crosses is potentially damaging to those seeking to recover from cutting behavior as it leaves the reader with little to hope for (just like the characters are left in the same predicaments that they started in..sometimes even worse)...it is also damaging to those who believe that this nonsensical piece in any way is a representation of people who deal with this very real, and very serious, illness. It is more of a character assassination of those who harm than a depiction of an individual who is suffering from this not-so-uncommon issue.
If anyone is planning on reading this book on their quest toward information about cutting and self-harm, either for their own road to recovery or just so they can understand this illness better...I STRONGLY urge you to look elsewhere. I highly recommend Cut by Patricia McCormick (a WELL RESEARCHED account of a young woman dealing with self-harm, not stereotypical, focuses very much on the central character's acts of introspective thought).I also recommend Cutting by Steven Levenkron which is a non-fiction piece focusing of the psychology of self-harm. Levenkrons piece explores the illness as just that, an illness. Beyond his extensive exploration of the psychological motivations behind and caused for self-harm, he discusses the recovery process, which makes this a well-rounded book that is a valuable resource for self-harmers, families, and other supporters of self-harmers and anyone else seeking real information on this issue.
However, if you are looking for a book that is full of drug-use, sex, alcohol abuse, teen-angst, ridiculous behavior stereotypical "teen" behavior, and other traumatic situations..AND you don't mind your books lacking a plot, or your characters lacking any depth..than this is CERTAINLY the book for you. If you seek something with depth and a plot... SKIP this BOOK.

Most people love reading Go Ask Alice, and I enjoyed it as well. But I think I liked this book more. It's worth reading, and really interesting. I especially enjoyed it because I used to cut myself, I was a punk, and I was a teenager. You won't find another book like this.

i've read this book about a million times in the past 3 years. but right now it's really easy to relate to. except the drugs and reckless behavior towards family and friends and school. but the main issue sticks with you. it finally feels like someone understands you. but it's not a game. the characthers sometimes say it's fun. it is not fun. and i don't particularly love the end and how Nancy's atitude magically changes. that is not reality.

And what a massive letdown that was! I mean, for a book that's supposed to burst stereotypes, it certainly does a great job of doing just the opposite, and reinforcing negative generalizations. It had so much potential as a book to be powerful and moving and everything a good book needs, but it was wasted on a bunch of fake gothy teens sitting around doing drugs all the time. Just...seriously, a waste. The ideas for a good plot were endless, and yet, what comes out as the end result is a story with no plot at all. No resolution, nothing near resolution, no happy, no sad, just boring teens with boring unrealistic lives that makes you have NO sympathy. There are so many effective ways to portray a story like this, where did Stoehr go so horribly wrong?