Criss Cross
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 6-9–The author of the popular All Alone in the
Universe (HarperCollins, 1999) returns with another character study
involving those moments that occur in everyone's life–moments when a decision is
made that sends a person along one path instead of another. Debbie, who wishes
that something would happen so she'll be a different person, and Hector, who
feels he is unfinished, narrate most of the novel. Both are 14 years old. Hector
is a fabulous character with a wry humor and an appealing sense of
self-awareness. A secondary story involving Debbie's locket that goes missing in
the beginning of the tale and is passed around by a number of characters
emphasizes the theme of the book. The descriptive, measured writing includes
poems, prose, haiku, and question-and-answer formats. There is a great deal of
humor in this gentle story about a group of childhood friends facing the
crossroads of life and how they wish to live it. Young teens will certainly
relate to the self-consciousnesses and uncertainty of all of the characters,
each of whom is straining toward clarity and awareness. The book is profusely
illustrated with Perkins's amusing drawings and some photographs.–B. Allison
Gray, John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, NY
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