Customer Reviews

The Crossroads: A Haunted Mystery

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"Have you ever seen a face hidden in the bark of a tree and known that the man trapped inside wanted to hurt you?" It's the perfect opening for Chris Grabenstein's ghost story, The Crossroads.

Grabenstein, author of the John Ceepak/Jersey Shore mysteries, and the Christopher Miller holiday thrillers, has tried his hand at a book for young readers, ages 9 to 12. And, he captures boys and ghost stories beautifully.

At eleven, Zack Jennings is moving to his father's hometown, North Chester, Connecticut, with his father and new stepmother, Judy. None of them know that their house sits on a haunted crossroads, an intersection where 41 people died in a collision with a car, a bus, and a police motorcycle. There are stories about the intersection and the killer trees at the crossroads, but newcomers have to discover the horrors themselves.

Zack is haunted by the memories of his mother, a woman who died of cancer. Because she blamed him for her life, he blames himself for her death. He'll discover a new life in Connecticut - a fun stepmother, a dog, a best friend unlike any friend he could imagine. And, he'll meet the woman who still tends the memory of her dead fiancé by bringing roses to the tree at the crossroads. When Zack's father said they'd move for a new life, he had no idea what Zack was getting into.

My compliments to the author for avoiding stereotypes. Judy, the stepmother, is a wonderful character, a children's author who enjoys Zack and his imagination. And, as a librarian, I appreciate the Mrs. Emerson, the public librarian. She does her job well, but she also shows spunk. And how many adult readers picture librarians going to "submarine races"?

Grabenstein does a wonderful job bringing this ghost story to life. He includes the urban legends so many kids enjoy scaring themselves with - the motorcycle cop who died, but came back to prevent another accident, the woman hitchhiker who disappears. He adds his own creative ghost story, one fifty-years-old, and adds humor. There are explosions and fire, kidnapping, ghosts, and wild chase scenes. The Crossroads is a perfect book for summer escape reading. And, if you can pry it from your kids' hands, it's enjoyable summer reading for adults as well.

Zack Jennings is a fairly average kid. He's just moved from the city to Connecticut with his Dad and a fabulous new stepmom. Now he can even have a dog. It's a chance to start over after the death of his mother, except there is this mean, nasty ghost who has been waiting for fifty years to get revenge on those who played a roll in his death, and the Jennings family happens to be on his list.

While there is nothing particularly special about this horror novel, I found I enjoyed it much the way I enjoyed the movie, The Frighteners. That's the one where Michael J. Fox has developed psychic abilities after his wife is killed in a car accident. The movie is not exactly a comedy, but comedic moments are skillfully thrown in to mitigate any scene being too scary, and Grabenstein has applied this same device to The Crossroads. Whether it be the over-the-top country-boy accent applied to Zack's friend Davy, the freakish burger cravings of a possessed plumber, or the crazy, dangerous antics of a lady too old to physically hurt a fly, The Crossroads makes for a fun summer read. Oh, and the best part is that the stepmom and a librarian provide the key clues to solving the mystery of this ghost. Who says stepmoms are evil and librarians are boring?

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Chris has written an excellent adult series, a fabulous series for those older kids and young adults and now he has followed up with this new story that is perfect for the younger readers out there. The story is fast moving and exciting and guaranteed to catch the attention of even those kids who do not like to read. Great book!

Author Chris Grabenstein weaves a hauntingly wonderful story in his 2008 book, The Crossroads (Haunted Places (Quality)). Zack is eleven years old. His mom, who blamed him for everything that went wrong with her life, has died of cancer. He is haunted by the horrible words she spoke to him on a daily basis. When Zacks dad remarries and the new family moves from New York City to Connecticut, Zack soon makes a new friend and in the process, a ghost story 50 years in the making unfolds with Zack at the centerpiece.

This is a great book for readers who enjoy suspense, action and most importantly, ghosts. The short chapters might be good for a reader who is intimidated by long chapters. It makes getting through the book less daunting of a task. I love the theme of family that runs through the book. Zack had a horrible mother and has now been blessed with a wonderful, loving stepmother. The storyline between the two of them is very heartwarming. There is also a strong theme of redemption that runs throughout the story. Zack has never been an overly confident child, but finds out that he is very important, and was chosen to set free the souls of the trapped victims of a tragic bus accident.

In this thrilling ghost story for middle-graders, 11-year-old Zack Jennings, who has quite an active imagination, is moving from New York to North Chester, Connecticut, with his dad and his decidedly unwicked new stepmother, Judy, who writes the "Curiosity Cat" children's books. When they arrive, Zack finds, to his surprise, that he also has a new dog, a Jack Russell terrier named Zipper.

The titular crossroads is an intersection where a fatal bus crash occurred 50 years earlier, on June 21, 1958. The accident has resulted in an abundance of local ghost legends. At the crossroads is a gigantic oak tree, on the Jennings' property, that's haunted by a malevolent ghost. An unpleasant woman named Gerda Spratling brings fresh roses there every Monday to adorn a roadside memorial to her long-dead fiance, Clint Eberhart.

The book begins with many seemingly separate story lines that are all eventually linked together. There are lots of interesting characters, alive and dead, good and evil, likable and unlikable. Among the likable ones are a boy named Davy, who becomes Zack's first local friend, and the helpful librarian, Mrs. Emerson.

There are quite a number of deaths in this story, and it may possibly be too dark for some young readers, but kids who go in for scary stories will love it. And the darkness is lightened by plenty of humor. I certainly enjoyed this book, and I expect many other grown-ups will too.

There's a tree that stands watch over the crossroads of County Route 13 and Connecticut State Highway 31. There's a memorial on the tree. Someone leaves a dozen fresh roses there every Monday. And the tree is at the back edge of Zack Jennings's new yard.

Zack, his father, and his new step-mother have left the city and moved to Connecticut. Zack lost his mother to cancer, and now that his father has remarried, the family is making a new start in Zack's father's hometown. They have a brand new house, Zack got a new dog, Zipper, and things with his step-mom might actually be okay.

But there's something strange going on in the town. Zack has a new friend, Davy. They have great adventures together, but it always seems like Zack is the one doing the hard work while Davy comes up with the plans. Judy, Zack's step-mom, gets a flat tire on the deserted highway and a Greyhound employee comes to offer aide. Though like with Davy, he can tell her how to fix it but he just can't do the work himself.

At the same time, the 50th-anniversary of a horrific bus accident at the intersection is about to occur. At the heart of the accident is Clint Eberhart. Trying to finish business with his first wife, the bus goes off the road and bursts into flames. The Thunderbird that Clint was driving smashes into the same tree that now holds a memorial dedicated to him.

Through the shrine that is kept at the tree, all the participants of that awful night fifty years ago are kept bound to the earth. It seems Zack has been the one chosen to help them release their souls. The only problem -- Zack doesn't know he's been chosen, nor does he even know that the spirits exist. At least he doesn't in the beginning...

THE CROSSROADS is a heart-pounding, page-turning ghost story that will keep even the strong-willed awake long after the last page has been turned. Clint Eberhart is pure evil, and the spirit and perseverance of one young boy is all it takes to face off against him. The book flows quickly with short chapters to keep the action constantly moving. The book is easy enough for most readers, but because of the ghosts and some of the scary content, I selected the older age group as a recommendation for readers.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

Eleven-year-old Zack Jennings knows that not everyone senses the spirits trapped in trees that he does. Luckily he, his father and new stepmother are moving out of New York to North Chester, Connecticut, where his father grew up. Little does Zack know, however, that he also will be encountering sinister spirits all over in the country.

Not only does he think he is moving away from the nasty tree, he is happy to part ways with the ghost of his dead mother in his old apartment. His mother was a mean-spirited woman who suffered a great deal before dying in a makeshift hospital bed in the dining room. Zack can still hear her telling him to stop being silly and making up stories. He is ready for a new start.

While a few of the local boys seem just like some bullies he knew in New York, the strange-speaking Davy is a lot of fun and helps direct Zack on how to build a tree fort. His father even buys him a great dog named Zipper. His stepmother, Judy, is an author of children's books and likes stories. She also wears purple on her wedding day and acts like Zack is a pleasure to be around. Things seem to be looking up for him.

There is still a scary tree on Zack's new property, and a cranky old lady comes every week to leave flowers at the cross nailed to it. She yells at Judy and Zack, warning them not to defile her shrine to "her beloved Clint," even though it is on their property. Davy seems to live in a field and is always appearing without warning. The boys see a group of army men and other strange people around the tree. Bad things start happening there, and the boys begin planning to get rid of the tree.

Judy spots some strange folks herself, including a mysterious man helping her change her tire at night. She decides to investigate what happened to Clint and learns that a bus and car accident years ago killed 40 people at the crossroads by the tree. The bus driver, who lost his life, had the same name as the individual who changed her tire.

The spirits are getting restless as the anniversary of the accident approaches, and the villain in the story wants to become a live person again so he can get his revenge on families of those he thinks wronged him. Others would prefer to let sleeping spirits lie, while Zack and Judy wishes for the tree and all it represents to go away. They might be the only ones who can help both the living and the dead move on.

Chris Grabenstein is an author of adult mysteries, but his first book for younger people will not disappoint. While he is known for his humor, readers should be prepared for many scary twists and turns in this very dark story, which will tie together secrets across grandparents, fathers and sons. Zack is funny and curious but finds his true heart in his battle with evil from living people and ghosts.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

The Crossroads
and...
The Hanging Hill
These books are so fun to read, and are the essence of Entertainment. There is also a deeply insightful character development, which brings he characters to life, in a way few authors are able to. His background in Performing Arts clearly gives Chis the ability to get "into" his characters, and results in a brilliant protrayal of the character's personality.
I look forward to the publication, in August, 2010, of...
The Smoky Corridor
Thank You for reading...
Gary
in Tampa

I love Grabenstein's adult series and this book is just as good. Kids and adults will love it. Great characters, fast pace, great story telling. Another winner Chris!

I was looking for an audio book for my kids - ages 8 & 9. I just quickly pulled this from the shelf at my library. My kids were away that night so I listened to it without them. Let me tell you, it's scary. It's too scary for my kids, but I loved it and continued listening to it after they went to bed. I'm going to keep it in mind for when my kids are a little older. I think it would be great for 6th grade and up.