City News

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins is a coming-of-age story detailing the lives of five early teens taking place somewhere between the sixties and seventies. In order of significance, the main characters are Debbie, Hector, Lenny, Patty, and Phil. Their paths “criss cross” in various ways, most notably during their weekly get-togethers to listen to a comedic radio series called “Criss Cross” in Lenny’s car. Criss Cross reads like an epistolary novel, focusing more often on the small moments in their lives rather than the big picture, such as Hector learning the guitar and Debbie helping her elderly neighbor. Yet this writing style only highlights the realities of life, since it is often the small memories that truly affect someone’s character. While it is classified as a young adult novel because of its simple yet insightful themes relating to the sometimes painful, sometimes beautiful process of growing up, it reads more like a middle-grade novel, and has won the 2006 Newbery award for children’s fiction.

My first impression of Criss Cross was the sweet smell of fresh-cut grass on a summer evening, sitting on a rustic porch in the countryside and watching lightning bugs zoom across the sky while reflecting about adolescence–in short, it’s highly poetic. Because of that, I must note that this book is not for everyone. Readers could easily find its poetic prose and creative, roundabout ways of describing ordinary scenes frustrating, as well as the abrupt shift of perspectives jumping from character to character and the lack of a coherent, traditional plot. While certain lengthy and overly-poetic excerpts dragged on, I personally thought these qualities enhanced the story on the whole, giving Criss Cross an inimitable charm conveying nostalgia of early adolescence. The time period also adds a nice touch, since electronics do not complicate the plot, while still maintaining its relatability to current teens. Furthermore, I would recommend Criss Cross to quiet, thoughtful readers who have an appreciation of poeticism and coming-of-age tales.

The author describes teen troubles in such a beautiful and gentle way, from losing friends to first love to the disconnect between parents and their children. My favorite part was the way the author described first love, how it does not really last, and the struggle of feeling worthy of love, things that many people go through. Each character has a distinct and well-rounded voice, even the “antagonists,” which helps readers to understand that everyone’s thoughts and actions come from life experiences. I believe that Lynne Rae Perkins did an excellent job in portraying young teens accurately, from their annoying idiosyncrasies and strong desire to fit in to their surprisingly profound insight on life. These characters are not perfect. They make mistakes and act rashly, as teenagers typically do. But they are also kind and caring, and eventually grow into more understanding human beings. Criss Cross is a prime example of art imitating life.

Altogether, the way each of the characters matured over the course of the book was written realistically in a very insightful way that made Criss Cross an enjoyable read. Debbie, Hector, Lenny, Patty, and Phil are lasting, memorable characters that will remain with me for a long time.

Check out Criss Cross from NBPL!