A review by givnuapeacesign
The Crossroads, by Chris Grabenstein

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!