Criss Cross

“I know I'm still young and there's a lot of time for things to happen, but sometimes I think there is something about me that's wrong, that I'm not the kind of person anyone can fall in love with, and that I'll always just be alone."

So let me tell you a story about this book. It currently sits at and has, since I first read it in 2006, in the position of my third favorite book in the world. And as someone who considers herself an avid books reader, being in third place is a big deal. Along with several of my other favorite books, Criss Cross is one of the books that I re-read each year. With Criss Cross it's at the first sighting of fireflies each year. Now sit down, are you sitting? Let me try to explain to you, as much as I can though I promise I won't be even touching on it, how much I love this book.

The most common complaint I have seen about Criss Cross is that is has no plot, that nothing really happens. But can't you see that is where the beauty if at? Lynne Rae Perkins did a fabulous job of capturing life for what it really is. And that is my favorite thing about this story, that it is life, and I think there's nothing more beautiful than reading about a human life. And for people who do point out how simple it is, they don't really see it, they don't really understand the true essence of this book. Criss Cross is such a wondrous piece of literature that is upset me so much that people can't see what's it's really about.

Every little moment in this book is a beautiful little kindling, a little spark, but together it's a fire-something great and wonderful and amazing. Hector's satori and Debbie's wishing, Lenny's brain overflowing with information, and Dan's donkey self, all the comparisons of people that ring so true to life. This books captures the very essence of adolescence, it captures the in between feelings of life. I read this book for the first time when I was thirteen years old and even now, seven years and twenty years old, I can say how much this book still resonates within me. It knew how it felt then and I can still feel it now. This novel is so deep in such a subtle way that it's easy to miss it, easy just like in life. People just don't see how so many seemingly insignificant moments can mean so much.

Now let's talk about the description. The description of this story is so wonderfully written that it melts my heart. It's simple, and not overcomplicated but yet so wonderful. But even it's simplicity you can see everything, you can feel it. And it's all so unique, unique in the way that you just want to take the scene in your head and gobble it up. It's beautiful.

Okay I'll stop rambling now, there's so much more I could say and never really enough. Never enough to show how much this book really means to me and how much it has helped me in life. It's incredible. It has my heart. 

Fin.

-Keshia