My thoughts on Criss Cross

''Posted on the Squeetus Blog June 03, 2006 03:45 PM PST. ''

Criss Cross, by Lynne Rae Perkins, won the Newbery Medal this year. A glance at the customer reviews on Amazon.com shows what vastly different reactions this book is producing. It's always this way with a book that wins a major award, I think. This was a small, quiet book before the award. When the ALA shines that brilliant golden spotlight on any book, the attention tends to expose it not only to wider readership but also to harsher criticism. That's the way it goes, I guess.

I'll admit I was nervous to read it. I'll be meeting Lynne Rae this month, and it's so uncomfortable to meet a writer if you can't honestly say, "I loved your book." But then again, it feels disrespectful to me to not bother at all. So I did read it. And I'm so relieved to report:

I LOVED IT.

This is a story that felt fresh and refreshing. It interweaves the stories of several young people in a small town, presumably in the 1970's, though the time period isn't really important. The narrator is omniscient and so gentle with her characters and their lives, she made me want to be extra caring of those around me, too. The prose was delicate and thoughtful, and sometimes truly funny. There's no mother with cancer, no date rape or abused child, no major trauma that often gives impetus to contemporary novels. And no adventure or magic, no real tragedy or heroism. The quietness makes every day events so much more precious, curious, lovely.

I think this is a book that might not be for everyone, or perhaps it's a you-have-to-be-in-the-mood kind of a story. The structure is episodic, there's no strong arcs of action. It's a hammock read. As much as I enjoyed it, I don't think I would like reading two books like this back-to-back. I think I understand why some people just don't dig this novel, and I think it's a completely legitimate reaction. No book is for everyone. But as for me, I thought it perfect.

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