Cryer's Cross [Hardcover]

Lisa McMann (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 8, 2011

Kendall loves her life in small town Cryer¹s 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....

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7-10-This horror/suspense offering never really gets a full shiver going, even though McMann infuses her story with a 50-year-old wooden school desk and a menacing collective of tortured souls possessing it. Even when the desk-spirits seem to explain the bizarre disappearances of two of several high school students in the tiny Montana town of Cryer's Cross, the intended creep factor intended falls short. What doesn't fall short is the solid characterization of Kendall, a senior who tries to keep control of her OCD even after Nico, her best boy-friend since infancy, goes missing. Weird carved messages show up on the desk he was using before his disappearance, and Kendall thinks she hears his voice when she sits at it. Luckily, she has the distractions of soccer, a new boy from Arizona who slowly warms up to her, and her family's potato harvest to keep her from obsessing about Nico's loss and the eerie desk-until they just become too compelling. Then she, too, faces danger from the trapped entities that inhabit the desk. The mystery of why and how the desk is possessed and urging teenagers to harm themselves is given a quick and illogical gloss over when explained. Discerning readers are unlikely to suspend disbelief, but they may find character and setting help redeem the book.-Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Kendall is a senior in a one-room high school where last spring Tiffany, a freshman, disappeared. Now it is the start of a new year, and Kendall�s boyfriend, Nico�the only one who truly understood Kendall�s OCD� has gone missing, too. While compelled to straighten the desks before class one morning, Kendall discovers that Nico�s desk was also Tiffany�s desk. This seems like more than a coincidence, but Kendall is afraid that people will think she is crazy. The town�s dark past is a well-kept secret, and though she doesn�t want to admit it, Kendall will need the help of brooding newcomer Jacian if she is going to find Nico. Kendall is a unique character, and the details of her OCD compulsions are well drawn. Haunting passages from another world, which provide just enough detail to intrigue and disturb readers, are intertwined with Kendall�s story. Part mystery, part ghost story, and part romance, this book has enough to satisfy a variety of readers and will find popularity with McMann�s established fan base and new readers alike. Grades 8-12. --Shauna Yusko

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse; First Edition edition (February 8, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416994815
• ISBN-13: 978-1416994817
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,397 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hi, I'm Lisa McMann, New York Times bestselling author of fiction for young adults and children.

My fantasy series is for ages 9 and up, called THE UNWANTEDS. It's about a society where 13-year-olds are sorted into groups. The strong and intelligent kids are Wanted and they get to go to university. The creative and artistic kids are Unwanted and they are sent to their deaths. Follow 13-year-old twins Aaron and Alex as they are forced down opposite paths. Book 2 in the series, THE UNWANTEDS: Island of Silence, comes out Sept 4, 2012.

I'm also the author of the WAKE trilogy, about a seventeen-year-old girl named Janie who gets sucked into other people's dreams. I have two stand-alone thrillers, CRYER'S CROSS and DEAD TO YOU. Coming soon: CRASH -- it's the first book in the VISIONS series.

I grew up in Michigan and now I live in Arizona with my husband, two teenagers, and two cats. Have a question? Find me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/McMannFan or Twitter @lisa_mcmann.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars McMann shows her sinister side March 25, 2011

By Sara VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I adored Lisa McMann's first three novels, WAKE, FADE, and GONE, but had no idea what to expect of CRYER'S CROSS. The verse is absent, but there is still a certain cadence to the writing that identifies it as a McMann novel... It's entirely different from her first three, but no less impressive.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this novel is the main character's OCD and the role it plays. To my knowledge, there aren't very many YA books that deal with OCD and there definitely aren't any that handle it this particular way. Kendall's disorder is both a blessing and a curse and McMann sends this message in an entirely new, brilliant way.

CRYER'S CROSS has a sinister feel, but it's not so scary that it'll keep you up at night. Instead, it's more of a slow, steady buildup to the revelations at the end of the novel... When I reached that point, all I could say was 'Wow.' For me, the novel reached it's most intense near the very end, but it wouldn't have packed the same punch if not for the slow journey to that point.

I'll admit that I still favor McMann's trilogy over CRYER'S CROSS, but this novel proves that she's fully capable of doing something completely different and still blow readers away. I'll definitely be reading McMann's next novel, THE UNWANTEDS... I'm curious to see what she'll show readers next!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Fell Short, But Intriguing At Points April 15, 2011

By YA Book Queen VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I wanted to love Cryer's Cross because the summary sounded so eerie, but it fell short of my expectations. I was expecting a full-on thriller/mystery, but received a contemporary in the beginning with a supernatural twist and thriller-mystery in the latter half.

Kendall's life runs according to routine, which helps keep her OCD tendencies in check. Her best friend/possible boyfriend Nico helps to keep her put together too, so when Nico mysteriously disappears like a girl previously did earlier in the year (this isn't a spoiler, as it happens very early on and it's entirely predictable), the town and Kendall are in a panic. One huge aspect of her life is gone, and it hurts more than Kendall could have ever imagined. But the two new students who come to town, siblings Marlena and Jacian, are a welcome distraction to her. Marlena is fiery and kind, while Jacian is slightly bitter and upset at the move. Both characters help Kendall in different ways. The storyline moves smoothly from missing Nico to Kendall adjusting with being on her own, as well as her budding relationships with Marlena and Jacian. Interspersed throughout the story are short little unusual paragraphs narrated by "WE", a mysterious entity that is revealed in the end (after a very surprising conclusion).

HIGHLIGHTS: Kendall having OCD was interesting, because it made her different from other YA characters out there. She stands out, in a good and unique way (I want more realistic protagonists like her in YA). The ending scenes were surprising, the small-town life was nicely shown, and the budding relationships were fun to watch unfold. The writing itself, while sparse, was quick and addictive to get into. T

LOWLIGHTS: I wasn't under the impression that this was a supernatural story (the book & publisher's summary I read didn't allude to that). Almost the entire book is written like a contemporary novel - an interesting and sometimes eerie contemporary novel. But the horror aspect never showed up completely until the latter half of the story, which was disappointing because I was expecting a thrilling horror. The supernatural twist also did not show up clearly until the latter half, and while it was intriguing it also seemed like a cop-out. I wish it hadn't even been included because I lost all sense of realism in the story at that point. Another issue was that while I loved Jacian's sister, Jacian himself seemed cliché and predictable.

Despite my dislike of many parts of the this story, I always recommend to read the first few chapters to see if it's for you - I may not love this book, but you might.

RATING: 2.5 out of 5*

*Rating explained: 2.5 means "It was okay, I've read worse stories, but I'd never read it again"

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Creepy Unputdownable Book! March 5, 2011

By Lori Lawson VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I just want to start off by saying Lisa McMann has still got it! I know that some people were just a tiny bit disappointed with Gone (that's probably because we didn't want the series to end!) but she proves in Cryer's Cross that she's more than just the Dreamcatcher series! Much more!

When I opened the book, I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but I was surprised to learn that this book is creepy! I'm not talking silly corny creepy. No, I mean, perfectly executed horror, creepy. I was sucked into the and by the last 30 pages I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat. It is definitely a MUST READ!

Kendell was very engaging as a main character. She was completely likable and her OCD added so much to the story! Her relationship with Jacian was fantastic. McMann is the master of writing these romances that sneak up on you. They may not seem like much but you find yourself falling madly in love with the relationship these two characters have.

Lisa adds the spookiness to the story by having these short paragraphs between chapters titled 'WE'. They definitely add a lot to the story and are especially creepy once you figure out what WE is doing.
Please don't let the fact that I called this horror turn you off to reading it. I would say this is horror for people who don't like horror. Lisa manages to capture the emotion of the characters, something that is often forgotten in horror. At it's heart, it's a book about friendship.

Please, please run out and get this book on February 8th!! You will have it read by February 9th and you just might sleep with the lights on.