Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

The small town of Cryer's Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn't that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.

When a second student goes missing—someone close to Kendall's heart—the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall's not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she's losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school—messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there—Kendall decides that crazy or not, she'd never forgive herself if she didn't act on her suspicions.

Something's not right in Cryer's Cross—and Kendall's about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

Review:

Looking for a scary, thrilling, and fast-paced book that will keep you up well into the night? Well, look no further because Cryer's Cross is the book for you!

A few months ago the small, sheltered town of Cryer's Cross had a tragedy bestowed upon them- the disappearance of a freshman. While Kendall Fletcher wasn't close to the girl, this tragedy wrecked havoc on her OCD ways, causing her to become even more particular in the way she does things. And just when things are back to normal, tragedy strikes again but this time it's close to her than ever before. The victim- her best friend, Nico. Now it's up to Kendall to find out what exactly occurred but what may be behind it all may be even more sinister than she expected. Will she be able to handle it? And what about the new boy Jacian? Is there more to him than meets the eye? Time will tell in Lisa McMann's first standalone novel.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the plot because not only was it scary and creepy but it forever kept me on my toes with the new twists and turns Ms. McMann kept producing. I truly didn't know what had happened to Nico and the freshman girl until the final few chapters, and that is great because as I've said time and time again I love unpredictability. Better yet, when everything was revealed it was even more unusual than I expected, and I give Lisa props for that because it was such a great idea.

Furthermore, I really enjoyed the main characters in Cryer's Cross. Kendall is a girl who even with her OCD ways is strong and fearless in her own ways, and talking about her OCD, I really enjoyed how Lisa not only tied it into the novel but how she presented in a realistic way, giving insight to a disorder I really don't know much about. Adding to this, I really enjoyed Kendall's friendship with Marlena, the new girl in town, as well as Jacian, Marlena's brother. With Kendall's friendship with Marlena the reader gets to see a new side to Kendall, one where Kendall protects her unlike Kendall friendship with Nico where he constantly protected her. I liked how this aspect to their relationship allowed Kendall to grow as a person. Lastly, simply adored Jacian. He was sweet, charming, and a bit hot-headed, and him and Kendall were great together!

Lisa McMann's writing was spectacular in this, but what else can you expect? This is Lisa McMann we are talking about. I loved the way she constantly managed to bring chill and fear into me for the mystery at hand and how she played the secluded setting in such a way that it caused even more scariness.

In all, Lisa McMann's Cryer's Cross shows that Lisa's not only skilled in writing amazing series but standalones as well. I simply can't wait to read more by her!

Grade: A-

Cryer's Cross will be released February 8, 2011.

Source: Simon and Schuster's GalleyGrab program