Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann - Book Review

Title ~ Cryer’s Cross
Series ~ Single Title
Author ~ Lisa McMann
Release Date ~ February 8, 2011
Publisher ~ Simon Pulse
Source ~ Reading Angel

GOODREADS SUMMARY

The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

REVIEW

Cryer’s Cross is all out creepy. Like creep to the creepity creep – CREEPY! I felt as though I were sitting in a movie theater watching a horror movie the entire time I was reading. And hoping nothing was going to jump out from behind and scare me.

The desk. Oh the desk. Both Nico and Tiffany sat at the same desk in their classroom. Now, they have both gone missing. There has got to be a connection to the desk, but what? The creep factor goes into high gear when mysterious messages like “save my soul” and “touch me” appear scrawled on the empty desk. BOO!  I would have been scared out of mind if I were in that classroom!

Speaking of scared, Kendall is terrified by what is going on. Kendall has a serious case of OCD and is literally trapped by her obsessions. She must order, number, organize, and analyze in order to get through her day. It literally drives her insane when things are not just so. But Kendall finds a hint of value in her OCD when she uses her superior ability to focus to help solve the mystery of her missing classmates. Guess what?  It involves that creep-tastic desk!

I adored that Jacian, the guy with a crush on Kendall, has depth. Sure, he’s the bad boy who newly arrived in town. But he has a story of his own to tell. And he’s not just a cute boy who is oh so sweet. Instead, Jacian’s character has layers to his personality and he has a backstory. It took a while for Jacian to grow on me, he's not an easy guy to like, but that was what made him so delicious. 

I am in love with Lisa McMann’s writing style. She has this edgy way of writing that is choppy and jarring. There is absolutely no unnecessary fluff. Every single word has a distinct purpose. It is so different that it grabs your attention and squeezes tightly without letting go. To make things even creepier, Lisa includes dialogue from a mysterious force at the end of every chapter. Your heart will jump out of your chest when the mystery is solved. Beware of an absolutely OHMYGAWD ending!