Cryer's Cross Review and Giveaway

Author: Lisa McMann
Release Date: February 8, 2011
Pages: 240 (ARC)
Publisher: SimonPulse
Most Appropriate For Ages: 12+
Where I Got It: For review from Around The World Tours

The small town of Cryer’s Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.

When a second student goes missing—someone close to Kendall’s heart—the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall’s not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school—messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there—Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions.

Something’s not right in Cryer’s Cross—and Kendall’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

I fell in love with Lisa McMann's stories and writing with her Dreamcatcher Trilogy, and Cryer's Cross definitely didn't disappoint me one bit.

Cryer's Cross was, what I like to call, deliciously creepy. I didn't exactly know how much this book would freak me out...and I have to admit, it did it's job pretty well in certain places. But that wasn't all Cryer's Cross had to offer, it also had a pretty awesome romance with two characters that I was easily able to sympathize with and enjoy reading about.

I feel the need to point out how I found it kind of interesting that Kendall, the main character, had OCD. I've never read a book about a character with OCD, and exactly how much it affects people who have it. For some reason, this made Cryer's Cross stand out a little more in my mind.

In fact, I enjoyed the entire cast of characters. It was nice to see a functioning family instead of a miserable broken one, as well as some good friends and neighbors.

And, OK, in case you're wondering: I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I did the Dreamcatcher Trilogy. I can't quite put my finger on why though. But I did really enjoy this one.

Book Report:

Plot: Creepy, mysterious, and grabbing.

Characters: Unique and easy to connect to.

Writing: Lisa McMann. So, yeah, awesome.

Ending: Wraps things up very nicely.

How kid friendly is it? Pretty. While there was swearing, there wasn't any drinking, drugs, or sex.

Should I read it? Yeah, you really should.

Overall: 

So, thanks to the awesomeness of the people at Simon and Schuster, I have one ARC of Cryer's Cross to give to one lucky winner! Due to me (extreme) lack of money, this contest is only open to people living in the US and Canada. Contest ends December 16 at midnight. Fill out THIS FORM to enter! Good luck.