Review: Cryer's Cross

Book Details

Title: Cryer's Cross
Author: Lisa McMann
Genre: YA
Page Count: 240
Publishing Info: Simon Pulse, February 8, 2011

My Review
Why I read it: ARC Tour
The Plot: Cryer's Cross is a very small town, so when a teen girl disappears the town is shaken.  Who would do something like this in a town where everyone knows everyone else?  She is never found, and weeks later another teenager disappears.  This time it's main character Kendall's best friend.  Kendall starts finding new messages carved into the desk next to her, and when she touches the desk, she can hear voices.  Something weird is going on, and Kendall (who has OCD) fears she may be going crazy.  The story is told in third person present tense, which brings a sense of urgency to the story, but can also, at times, be annoying.  When the mystery was revealed at the end, I found it unbelievable and almost laughable.  I was hoping for a little bit more. 
The Characters: Kendall isn't bad as far as girl characters in YA books go.  She's not a silly, whiny girl who everyone seems to be in love with, so there is that.  That being said, of course there is a love interest, and he's not bad either, but you can see it coming a mile away.
The Setting: Cryer's Cross is an interesting little town, and it was really the only setting where this story could have worked.  It's a farming community with a tiny population.  So tiny that there is a one room high school with about 24 students total.  I found the setting interesting, and would actually have liked to read a different type of story set here.  Maybe one with less horror and more with a fun, small-town life feel.
Who Should Read This? Fans of the authors previous books will probably enjoy this, Although I didn't like it as well as Wake and Fade, it was miles better than the mess that was Gone. 
Final Thoughts: I really didn't love this one, and I wasn't sure what to expect because I feel like this author has gone downhill with her writing.  I was mostly underwhelmed, especially with how it ended, but it was a quick read, and interesting enough to keep me going, so not a total loss. 
Grade: C-
Cover Thoughts: The cover is pretty creepy, and fits the story well.