whenlexiemetbooks's review against another edition
2.0
I liked reading about the bond with Judy and Zack but this book was a little too weird for me. I am confused by the whole world the author is trying to create. It wasn't the book for me with ghosts that kill people but can't really kill people.
jbojkov's review against another edition
3.0
This was a nice creepy read. I think this is most appropriate for late elementary into middle school- unless you had a highschooler with a very low reading level. I liked the main character and the story was "believeable" in the horror sense of the word. Worth the time.
healingtothemax's review against another edition
1.0
A shame. I enjoyed Mr. L's Library and look forward to its sequel, so I was excited to try CG's YA horror series, especially in audio format. Yet the voice didn't work for me, either to my ear or on the page. I agree with the mixed reviews. I found attitudes, scenes and situations too intense for its targeted age group. The core mystery was of interest, however more energy was being spent on the good-vs-evil war, so I bailed. Rare that I stop 1/2-way through a book, but this didn't hold my interest unlike others in same genre (see: the GILDA JOYCE PSYCHIC INVESTIGATOR series).
_shanze97_'s review against another edition
4.0
A great children's book, especially for those who are interested in reading horror with a touch of fun and excitement in it.
hisaacson's review against another edition
5.0
Full review at:
http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/2008/07/crossroads-by-chris-grabenstein.html
http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/2008/07/crossroads-by-chris-grabenstein.html
lynburn's review against another edition
4.0
Loved it! I will definitely read more of this series! Fun!
givnuapeacesign's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant horror story for pre-teens. Absolutely ADORED this one. Eleven year old Zack Jennings's abusive mother has just died of cancer. He still hears her berating him, and feels fault on many levels. His father works out of town a lot, but just married a cheery woman, Judy, who is eager to be a nurturing step-mother to Zack. They move back to Mr. Jennings's hometown to a new construction at the crossroads of Hwy 31 and Hwy 13. This crossroads and the enormous Oak tree is the center piece of the story. Enter Gerta Stratling, an ancient spinster who still grieves for her fiance, dead fifty years. Her roadside memorial at the crossroads is kept fresh each week with roses; the memory kept fresh with prayers in the chapel in her home between visits. From there, the tale unwinds, leaving the reader turning pages as fast as possible. Short chapters add to the magic of this tale, making it easy to race forward. Bravo!
critter's review against another edition
4.0
Zack and his family have recently moved into a house in his dad's hometown. However, this town has a terrible past. Nearby their home, a killer caused an accident that took the lives of 40 people. The killer died soon after when his vehicle hit a tree. When that tree is struck by lightning, the killer's spirit is released and Zack finds himself targeted by the ghost.
The Crossroads is a very suspenseful read with a great atmosphere. It was delightfully creepy at times. I loved the relationship between Zack and his step mother. It is a fast paced read that gripped me with every twist and turn. It's a great beginning to this series.
The Crossroads is a very suspenseful read with a great atmosphere. It was delightfully creepy at times. I loved the relationship between Zack and his step mother. It is a fast paced read that gripped me with every twist and turn. It's a great beginning to this series.
kalena_reads's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very good thriller book, and the characters were great.
mackle13's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this up on something of a whim one day at the library. I was browsing around, not really sure what I was looking for, when the cover caught my eye. Being that crossroads are elements of lots of supernatural stories, and creepy trees are always good, and the blurb sounded interesting, I decided to give it a go.
At first I was a little tured off by the simple, straight-forward writing. I know it's an MG book and all, but even books written for the 9-12 set can have some embellishment, ya know?
But as I settled into the story it bothered me less. It even worked in some regards to help with the suspense in that it didn't try to sell you on the suspense, it just set things out as they were. In other senses, though, the characters never felt entirely real and I never felt fully engaged. Interested, yes, but not pulled into the story.
Anyway - to the characters. I liked Judy a lot. The not-wicked step-mother to offset a truly terrible mother, who helped Zack in a lot of ways. I also liked that, when confronted with an indisputable ghost sighting she was a believer and started looking into more. While I understand a healthy dose of skepticism, I get tired of people in books and shows confronted with obvious supernatural things only to patently refuse to believe them. It can be very annoying.
I liked the pairing of Zack and Davy, though I felt the author tried a little too hard with Davy (and Clint, for that matter) to emulate the slang of their time period.
It had moments of suspense and tension, of pathos and charm, and a bit of adventure. Overall it was a pretty decent story, probably just the right amount of scary for some kids - though perhaps not enough for some others - almost more of an adventure story than a true horror one. And perhaps a mystery story, as Judy had to piece together the story of Clint and Gerda and get to the truth of what happened.
Speaking of Clint and Gerda, my biggest complaint, perhaps, is that they both started off kind of intimidating, in their own ways, but both became more cartoonish and ridiculous as the story progressed. I would've liked a bit more depth to all of the characters, and a lot less slapsticky over-the-topness from these two in particular.
Might not be something that would bother younger readers, though, and I think they'll enjoy the overall spookiness, but not terror, of the story.
At first I was a little tured off by the simple, straight-forward writing. I know it's an MG book and all, but even books written for the 9-12 set can have some embellishment, ya know?
But as I settled into the story it bothered me less. It even worked in some regards to help with the suspense in that it didn't try to sell you on the suspense, it just set things out as they were. In other senses, though, the characters never felt entirely real and I never felt fully engaged. Interested, yes, but not pulled into the story.
Anyway - to the characters. I liked Judy a lot. The not-wicked step-mother to offset a truly terrible mother, who helped Zack in a lot of ways. I also liked that, when confronted with an indisputable ghost sighting she was a believer and started looking into more. While I understand a healthy dose of skepticism, I get tired of people in books and shows confronted with obvious supernatural things only to patently refuse to believe them. It can be very annoying.
I liked the pairing of Zack and Davy, though I felt the author tried a little too hard with Davy (and Clint, for that matter) to emulate the slang of their time period.
It had moments of suspense and tension, of pathos and charm, and a bit of adventure. Overall it was a pretty decent story, probably just the right amount of scary for some kids - though perhaps not enough for some others - almost more of an adventure story than a true horror one. And perhaps a mystery story, as Judy had to piece together the story of Clint and Gerda and get to the truth of what happened.
Speaking of Clint and Gerda, my biggest complaint, perhaps, is that they both started off kind of intimidating, in their own ways, but both became more cartoonish and ridiculous as the story progressed. I would've liked a bit more depth to all of the characters, and a lot less slapsticky over-the-topness from these two in particular.
Might not be something that would bother younger readers, though, and I think they'll enjoy the overall spookiness, but not terror, of the story.