CRYER’S CROSS BY LISA MCMANN: BOOK REVIEW

Lisa McMann
Cryer’s Cross

Review brought to you by OBS staff member Dawn


I loved McMann’s Wake series. I was very excited to read her new material in hopes that she’d come out with even more brilliance.

Students are going missing in the small town of Cryer’s Cross. Kendall Flecther is freaked out, her OCD is off the chart. In school, while sitting at the desk of one of the missing, Kendall thinks she can hear them calling to her. Then she sees messages scratched into the desk.  Is she going crazy?

Kendall is your average teen aside from her severe OCD. She plays soccer to calm her brain down. She is extremely close with her boyfriend Nico, until he goes missing as well.

Kendall is a likeable character. I identified with her OCD and appreciated that she wasn’t the typical YA character.
What I liked:
  • It’s a quick read and I got into it quickly
  • Kendall as a unique but strong female lead, as well as her home life. It was refreshing to read about a girl who respected and loved her parents. She worked hard on their farm.
  • The suspense
  • I enjoyed the shell of the supernatural element
  • Marlena’s character, her friendship was great for Kendall. I enjoyed reading about 2 girls who became friends (as opposed to being toxic for one another.)
What I didn’t like:
  • Too much time spent playing soccer.
  • I would have liked more development of the characters and the supernatural element. I still don’t fully understand it.
  • The suspense didn’t fully play out, it kind of petered out. I felt there were many instances that could have been used to scare the shit out of a reader.
I felt disappointed when I finished the book. It’s not a bad book, not at all, but it’s not a great one either (in my opinion.) I felt there were many missed opportunities to draw me in. Maybe I expected too much after reading the Wake series. Give it a try and let me know what you think.