Criss Cross

Written by Evie Rhodes

Narrated by JD Jackson

An award-winning gospel songwriter, Evie Rhodes crafts chilling tales of supernatural suspense. Years ago when Micah Jordan-Wells was born, a rift was created between two worlds. Today, Micah is a detective in New Jersey-a local hero for bringing the merciless killer Silky to justice. But Micah's world is about to be turned inside out by a monster from another dimension, one with whom Micah shares a terrifying link.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 4, 2008
• ISBN: 9781440797576

Reviews for Criss Cross

[foggidawn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book follows a group of friends on the cusp of adolescence, as they explore new ideas, find new interests, and form first crushes. The plot structure is very loose and episodic; the content is rooted in nostalgia. There are occasional illustrations that don't do a whole lot for the story. Set in a small town in the 1970s, I found myself wondering what sort of appeal this book would have for young readers today. It won the Newbery Medal in 2006, inexplicably. This reads like a book for adults who grew up in the 1970s, and not a book for children at all. The writing is good, and the characters are interesting, if not always fully realized (I had trouble distinguishing some of the boys, particularly, and Debbie's best friend Patty has no personality to speak of), but there's so little action that I really had to push myself to stay engaged. I wouldn't recommend this for kids, but adults who were teenagers in the '70s might find it a nice walk down memory lane.

[kerilynned · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This one was just ok. It was pretty slow and I expected WAY more to happen given the synopsis and tag on the book. It is a middle grade which I usually have difficult time getting thru anyway but this was just so mundane! I mean pretty much just changing perspectives of about six 14 year olds during the start of summer. I could see how it would be a good read for that age group.

[fingerpost_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Criss Cross views the lives of a handful of young teens in a small town in what I imagined to be the early 70s, though the era was not completely clear. It's not entirely about young love, or romance, or small town life, or coming of age, or friendships... but it is about all of those things. The characters are all likable - Debbie and Hector are absolutely lovable. it is not a plot-centric book. Rather, it rambles in and out of the lives of the various characters, touching down on points in their live that may or may not be revisited later in the book. Perkins writes with a wonderful humor. Some sections are laugh out loud funny, with brilliantly funny wording scattered throughout the novel.

[alaina.loescher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is beautifully written with a lot of different rhetorical devices and prose styles used within it. This book has some content that borders on a bit too mature for the age I want to teach (a lot of it is about dating and love), but within this is also a coming of age story. Typically having an unclear plot is a weak point of a book, but with the theme of this book being centered around the fleeting nature of moments, this lack of a well defined plot worked beautifully. Also, some of the gender norms as well as the use of chewing tobacco being normalized for teenagers within the book make it a bit antiquated, as an adult, I loved the story. All in all, great book for me, but perhaps not the best book to recommend to all of my students, depending on maturity level.

[klburnside · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book is the 2006 Newbery winner. It is about a group of teenagers dealing with the struggles and joys of growing up. There isn't one consistent storyline, rather the narrative alternates between the characters. Not a lot happens, it's mostly little disconnected stories about everyday life, and the thoughts and feelings of the characters. It became a bit confusing for me at times, because I read a few pages here and there over the course of several months, and forgot who was who.

I struggle with these Newbery books. I feel like the committee chooses some books that they think kids should be reading, but that kids would actually hate, and others that kids will love but adults may hate. This book did not appeal to me as an adult. It was a little bit melodramatic. At the same time I felt like maybe it could really appeal to teenagers who are into cool guys with guitars who write songs and people who have all these deep, original thoughts about life. It reminded me a bit of a John Green book, but this book didn't really make me want to roll my eyes like his books and actually had some genuinely touching moments. I think if I'd read it more continuously I might give it another star.

[vlcraven_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Boy, young adult books have come a long way since I was a ‘young adult’! Light-hearted yet hyper-realistic, these loosely-connected vignettes follow the hopes and worries of a group of teens in a small town, as well as the journey of the necklace one of the girls loses. The characters experience everything from having a crush on the cool kid to being accepted by your older sibling’s friends; from discovering your talents to the wonder of learning about the power of music. Though it takes place in the real world and the characters seem like people you bump into every day there’s also an air of other-worldliness, everything is cast with a shimmery glow. Perkins so accurately conveys what it is to be young today I had to look her up to see how old she is (she’s a grown up). Unassuming without being sentimental—this is the sort of book adults as well as teens will enjoy.

[paradiseporch · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What was the last book you read in which a main character was named “Debbie”. Ah-ha! I thought so: it is—or never was—a popular name for heroines.In this novel for young people Debbie is a fourteen-year-old in 1973, waiting for something to happen in her life. Hector, 14, is also waiting. Together with three other teenagers they gather weekly in one teen’s father’s truck to listen to a radio show called Criss-Cross.Ultimately, this is a sweet but unmemorable story. It won the Newbery Medal for Best Children’s Literature in 2006, but I’ve read stronger winners.Read this if: your name is Debbie & you’re participating in a reading challenge like Semi-Charmed’s Summer Event; or you’d like a gentle, realistic tale that will take you back to the early 1970s. 3 stars

[andreablythe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a book about way people, lives, moments, and fates cross and the ways they don't. It begins with Debbie wishing for something good to happen. To her. Soon. It then branches off to multiple other characters, weaving together the lives of friends and not friends, adults and teenagers in to a slice of life narrative set in the 1960s. There was a couple of points where the multiplicity of characters became a bit confusing, because I couldn't remember who so-and-so was, but the chapters (each of which reads a bit like a short story) work together well. And while not much seems to happen and there's not much in the way of resolution, you do get to see the characters grow. You don't quite get to see the "final result" of them (because change is ongoing), but you get to see the potential for who they might become, which is very cool.In addition to a collection of interesting character (none of whom is presented as perfect or a villain), the story also offers some really wonderful writing. For example:"Debbie and Patty stood inside a thriving mountain of rhododendrons, flowering with primeval abandon against a withered, sagging garage that was slowly subdividing into raw materials, basic elements and individual atoms on the edge of an oily, pothole-dotted forgotten cinder alley."

[aliciarollins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a girl named Debbie who lives in a small town called Seldem. Debbie can hardly wait for her summer vacation. Debbie and her friends do pretty much the same thing all the time which is hang out at the Tastee Frezee and listen to the radio show called "Criss Cross." Until she meets Hector. Personal reaction: I thought this was a great book. It was a really a bit long so I figure the audience is most likely teenage girls. I think most teenage girls can relate to this book. Definitely a great read.Classroom extension:1.) Journal entry over if there was ever a time you could relate to this book. 2.)Make a list of all the important memories from this year and put it in a time capsule. 3.) Class discussion over memories and some great times ahead.

[satyridae · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book won the 2006 Newbery Medal, and I am for once in complete accord with the Newbery Committee. Perkins' prose is spare and clean. Some of the passages simply glow, especially when they are highlighting the ways in which we try to communicate and fail. Characters who love each other are at cross purposes with the best intentions in the world. The characters are sympathetic and believable, there are no emotional pyrotechnics, no huge tragedies these kids have to recover from, they are ordinary, singular, delightful young adults who learn some things worth knowing. Illustrated, which I confess put me off at first, but done so well I began to look forward to each intriguing illustration. I recommend this book without reservations.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Lovely prose but BORING!!!

[eenee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book a lot. But I'm not convinced that the "young adults" it is supposedly meant for would really like it all that much. It is quirky in a way that I don't think would resonate too much with the young folks.

[jessica_brianne_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Funny and true-to-life story about young teenagers making steps to grow into themselves. It takes you back to that time in your life when you were first figuring out who you were going to be -- the random happenings, the awkward moments, the slight misses of connections. Funny, heartwarming, realistic. Definitely worth the read.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's a lazy summer in the 1970s, and fourteen-year-old Debbie, Hector, and many more characters whose lives intersect are changed in small ways over the course of the summer. The book's format is different: interspersing more straightforward text are chapters written, say, with just a character's name (or initials) and their dialogue, or rendered in haiku.The story starts with Debbie wishing something would happen. Frankly, I often wished something would happen in the story. I have to admit, I tried to read this five years ago when it won the Newbery Medal, but the experimental format really threw me for a loop. In audio, some of the odd devices were not as in-your-face. The haiku chapter actually had a nice ring to it, read aloud. One of my co-workers - who loves the book - said that it reminded her of her summers growing up. I think that's what the main draw of the book is: the nostalgia. Perhaps I'm not yet far enough removed from lazy summers in which a lot happens, but ever-so-slowly and almost imperceptibly to those involved, that I want to read a book about them.

[gmac_11 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Teenagers in a small town in the 1960s experience new thoughts and feelings, question their identities, connect, and disconnect as they search for the meaning of life and love.

[sylvatica_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a really great book about what it’s like to be 14 going on 15 – the first ideas about romance, first forays into defining oneself and others. It is interestingly placed sometime in the 1960s or 1970s, so while the general experience is probably fairly universal, modern teens could be confused by the cultural references and the freedom of movement of the characters. Also, since the time period is not defined, I was frequently “popped out” of the story by trying to figure it out. Be that as it may, this read very poetically and very truly. (pannarrens)

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the quirky nature of Ms. Perkins writing in this Newberry award winner. Ms. Perkins intersperses pictures, drawings, poems, and unconventional page layout to tell this story of childhood friends exploring the world of growing up, of understanding life and love, and of making connections.

[thornestaff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are few books that I can say really reflect my experiences as a pre-teen/teenager. Criss Cross is the notable exception. As I read, I kept thinking, "Yes, I understand that completely. It sounds like my experiences!" For this reason alone, I give the book five stars. And I can also see why it was chosen as a Newbery winner.Though there are really two main characters, we also see short glimpses into others' lives. The characters are teenagers still discovering who they are and what they want from the world, and it is touching to see how they gain more self-awareness (and awareness of the world around them). Then, there are the relationships: a sister who takes her brother to a concert that inspires him to learn to play the guitar; a girl who helps out her elderly neighbor; a sweet but short-lived sort-of romance between a girl and her neighbor's grandson (who is only visiting and lives across the country); friends hanging out listening to the radio, enjoying each other's company without the awkwardness of making conversation. Lynne Rae Perkins excels at describing adolescence in almost a dreamy, reminiscent way, like she is recalling the best moments of a summer of her teenage years, perhaps before angst and conflicts with parents/friends/significant others complicate life. But she is also quite adept at picturing those moments of almost-but-not-quite connections between two people. If their timing was right, these almost-connections might result in something quite special, but the moment passes, and they are left savoring the question, "What if?"

[anneofia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A brief but fascinating look into the adolescent mind is accomplished with small vignettes of the ordinary lives of several teens. Their paths cross and re-cross in this unique coming-of- age story. Not much plot but still, realistic fiction at its best!

[debnance_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a contrast between a contemporary Newbery and an old Newbery! Where the main character in Smokey the Cowhorse has adventure after adventure, facing death over and over, the main characters in Criss Cross do almost nothing. The kids sit around and talk and sunbathe and listen to the radio and think. That’s about it. It’s Perkins’ unique way of looking at the world that gives this book its surprising fun feel. And the pictures are great, too.

[lilibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Small town teenagers question their identities in the 1960s.

[youthgpl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kearsten says: At first, this was one of those books where I felt I was missing something. Not a whole lot happens - several teenagers in a small town (most of them in the same wide social circle) spend the summer wondering about themselves, and what they wish for. It wasn't until I discussed the book with members of a teen book group that I got a better understanding of the characters, and what the author was trying to do. After the discussion, I realized I liked this book A LOT.The reader sees the world from almost all of the characters' point of view, which can be rather disconcerting and/or confusing at times, but the ways in which they interact is fascinating. So many of the characters are thinking *very* similar things, but either they don't act on the thoughts, or think things at different times, they lose possible *moments* - those moments in movies, for example, where the boy looks into the girl's eyes and REALIZES. Then they kiss.Criss Cross is a very lovely illustration of when the boy and girl happen to gaze meaningfully at each other AT THE WRONG TIMES. Sounds weird, but feels very real. Read this one, then try to figure out which character best mirrors you and your life. Betcha find one!

[chiarabeth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliantly written. The characters are so real, you feel as though you might bump into them on the street one day, and if you did, you'd recognize them in a second. Their teenage voices are pure and spot-on; I remember as a teen thinking some of the same thoughts the girl Debbie expresses during the book, except that she expresses my thoughts better than I knew how to express them at the time. An all out joy to read and to get carried back to your teenage days with.

[madelinelbaker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This novel is a good example of realistic fiction because the characters (Debbie, and Hector are the main two) in this story are not real people, but the events that take place in this book are trying to illustrate the ways that our lives are all related and intertwine with each other.

[rbelknap_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is a good example of a realistic fiction novel because it is not set at a historic time and the characters are believable and could be found anywhere. The book centers around four friends as they grow up and into teenagers.Age Appropriateness: MiddleMedia: black and white photos, and sketches

[elissajanine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this sweet, quiet book about adolescence because of the beautiful shining moments of perfectly capturing the feeling of transformation that happens as children turn into young adults. I also really enjoyed the way the author played with form and media. The story is almost entirely character-driven; you'd be hard pressed to come up with a real plot summary, but nonetheless, there are so many small events that change the characters as they criss and cross each other all around the small town of Seldem--all of them barely missing each other on one level and encountering each other meaningfully in the most mundane of moments on another. It's a complicated book despite its simple appearance, and the omniscient narration that jumps among the many characters as they interact really adds to those layers of meaning, though it does make the book a bit more difficult at first to connect with.I do feel like this book would appeal more to adults than to adolescents. It feels so nostalgic, like a look back at childhood's end from the perspective of someone who has already experienced the transformation.

[teresawoolvett · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Throughout this realistic novel personal memories of my own adolescent summers ran constantly through my mind. This is a book with a very simple plot. Characters spend a great deal of time hanging out with each other, going to the town fair and even reading books. I think this is what will appeal to young adult readers. In reflecting about the book, I began to understand all that had actually happened while I was waiting for something to happen in the book.

[kayceel_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was one of those books that I felt I was missing something. Not a whole lot happens - several teenagers in a small town (most of them in the same wide social circle) spend the summer wondering about themselves, and what they wish for. It wasn't until I discussed the book with members of a teen book group that I got a better understanding of the characters, and what the author was trying to do. After the discussion, I realized I liked this book A LOT.The reader sees the world from almost all of the characters' point of view, which can be rather disconcerting and/or confusing at times, but the ways in which they interact is fascinating. So many of the characters are thinking *very* similar things, but either they don't act on the thoughts, or think things at different times, they lose possible *moments* - those moments in movies, for example, where the boy looks into the girl's eyes and REALIZES. Then they kiss.Criss Cross is a very lovely illustration of when the boy and girl happen to gaze meaningfully at each other AT THE WRONG TIMES. Sounds weird, but feels very real. Read this one, then try to figure out which character best mirrors you and your life. Betcha find one!

[df1a_christier · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Debbie, who wishes that something would happen so she'll be a different person, and Hector, who feels he is unfinished, narrate most of the novel. Both are 14 years old. Hector is a fabulous character with a wry humor and an appealing sense of self-awareness. A secondary story involving Debbie's locket that goes missing in the beginning of the tale and is passed around by a number of characters emphasizes the theme of the book. I really liked this book better than I thought I would.

[babbryan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ordinary people doing ordinary things. There are a few passages that are delicious. For the most part, I didn't connect at all. I thought maybe I am just too far removed, but when I asked several of my advanced 6th graders, they didn't like it at all either. Nothing remarkable, character development was lacking. I always tell kids to go for the Newberry winners...not this time.