The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when Tiffany, a high-school freshman, disappears without a trace. Plagued by OCD, sixteen-year-old Kendall is freaked out by the empty desk in the one-room schoolhouse, and is relieved when her boyfriend Nico takes the seat. And then he goes missing too. An increasingly anxious Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk: If she sits there, will she also vanish? But instead of vanishing, something appears: eerie graffiti messages on the desk’s surface that could only be from Nico. Desperate to help him, Kendall stumbles upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. And she’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried….
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"Whoa! I read this one all in a gallop. It's been years since I read a straight-up "horror" book, though I used to be a reliable Stephen King kind of girl. Cryer's Cross, Montana, has a little problem with missing teenagers. What kind of evil lives on there? "
— Kim (4 out of 5 stars)
“A brilliant, engaging, scary piece of fiction. Every word had me sliding closer to the edge of my seat and gripping the cover tighter and tighter. There are books in the world that make you question your reality and the things that go bump in the night—this is one of them.”
— Heather Brewer, New York Times bestselling author of The Chronicles of Vladmir Tod“Cryer’s Cross is an eerie, gripping, totally addictive, breathtaking whirl of a book with an ending that left me haunted for days. Lisa McMann has done it again—this book is unputdownable!”
— Alyson Noël, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortals series“A spooky small town thriller with a fascinating (and infinitely sympathetic) main character.”
— BarnesandNoble.com, editorial review“Atmospheric…McMann handles the buildup of the story’s tension well...Ages 14–up.”
— Publishers Weekly“This horror/suspense offering never really gets a full shiver going…What doesn't fall short is the solid characterization of Kendall, a senior who tries to keep control of her OCD even after Nico, her best boy-friend since infancy, goes missing…Discerning readers are unlikely to suspend disbelief, but they may find character and setting help redeem the book.”
— School Library Journal“Part mystery, part ghost story, and part romance, this book has enough to satisfy a variety of readers and will find popularity with McMann’s established fan base and new readers alike.”
— Booklist“McMann’s page-turning thriller is made exceptional by her skillful portrayal of Kendall’s OCD, inspired by her own daughter’s experience with the disorder. The reader quickly learns to treat the affliction as Kendall does, as something that is part of her but makes her no less a ‘normal’ teenager.”
— Children's Literature“Fans of supernatural thrillers will enjoy this…The present-tense narration gives the story a sense of immediacy, and the budding romance between Kendall and sexy newcomer Jacián boosts its teen appeal.”
— Kirkus Reviews" I love Lisa's prose, which is similar to that in her Wake trilogy, even though I prefer YA books in first person. It's a fast read and a great page turner. I read it in one day because I couldn't put it down. "
— Stina, 5/24/2011" I'm not sure how Lisa mcmann can keep my attention when not much happens in any of her books but all four of the books she's written I couldn't put down! "
— Brenna, 5/20/2011" Read it in one week because I couldn't put it down, wish it was a series! "
— Angela, 5/18/2011" I loved this book. It was great but Lisa needs to make a sequel to it so all her readers of this book can find out what really did happen to Nico... "
— Isabella, 5/17/2011" Gave me chills as I was reading it. A great book. However, I wouldn't shelf it in my 6th grade classroom library because of the use of the F word. "
— Laura, 5/16/2011" Reading this book reminded me of my X-Files days. It also made me realize that my interests/tastes have shifted over the past few years. I still enjoyed the story and the characters, but it didn't hit me like it might have several years ago. "
— Natalee, 5/15/2011Lisa McMann is the New York Times bestselling author of the middle grade dystopian fantasy series The Unwanteds, the YA paranormal Wake trilogy, and several other series and books for kids and teens. Check out Lisa’s website at LisaMcMann.com or learn more about The Unwanteds Series at UnwantedsSeries.com.
Julia Whelan is a novelist, screenwriter, lifelong actor, and multiple award-winning audiobook narrator. She graduated with a degree in English and creative writing from Middlebury College and Oxford University. She is a former child actor who has appeared in multiple films and television shows.