The Crossroads

BEST BOOK EVER!

This book is amazing! Sometimes you may get confused, but you' ll have a great 'AHA!' moment as you finish. Great book for mystery/action lovers. May be a little sad or creepy for some readers.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

awesome

This book may have a slow start, but it's still a pretty great book. The whole time reading it seem to always have me guessing and waiting to see what might happen next. I would recommend to this book to anyone.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Recommended

This book starts off slow and doesn't get exciting until most of the characters are introduced. Once all this occurs, you start getting sucked into this very interesting plot and it seems as if you can't put the book down. Overall, I gave it four stars because of the slow beginning..but still it's a very exciting book that keeps you guessing.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Author Chris Grabenstein passes on More Rave Reviews

"If Grabenstein's first YA book were to receive a one-word review, the word would be Coooool, a term that applies in a variety of ways¿from the book's cover image (a face peering out of the bark of a tree) and its hitchhiking, hot-rodding ghosts to its creepy atmosphere, believable story, and suspense that engulfs readers from the very first page. Even the characters are cool, including contemporary, doo-wop, and even Dickensian. Grabenstein, who has won the Anthony Award for his adult mysteries and whose writing career encompassed work for the Muppets, brings a great sense of timing to this mystery-fright ride. Zack Jennings, a kid uprooted following his mother's death and his father's re-marriage, sees a leering face in a gnarled tree in the park near New York City's American Museum of Natural History. A move to Connecticut doesn't extricate Zack from evil apparently lodging in trees. Readers soon learn that at a crossroads just behind Zack's new home there's an oak tree capable of branching out into murder¿and a number of dissatisfied ghosts that prey on passing motorists. An absorbing psychological thriller (the ghost of Zack's malevolent mother plays a part) as well as a rip-roaring ghost story, this switches points of view among humans, trees, and ghosts with astonishing elan. Expect lots of requests."
¿Connie Fletcher, BOOKLIST STARRED REVIEW

"Grabenstein does a wonderful job bringing this ghost story to life. He includes the urban legends so many kids enjoy scaring themselves with ¿the motorcycle cop who died, but came back to prevent another accident, the woman hitchhiker who disappears. He adds his own creative ghost story, one fifty-years-old, and adds humor. There are explosions and fire, kidnapping, ghosts, and wild chase scenes. The Crossroads is a perfect book for summer escape reading. And, if you can pry it from your kids' hands, it's enjoyable summer reading for adults as well."
¿Lesa Holstine, USA Today.com

"The Crossroads is a heart-pounding, page-turning ghost story that will keep even the strong-willed awake long after the last page has been turned. Clint Eberhart is pure evil, and the spirit and perseverance of one young boy is all it takes to face off against him. The book flows quickly with short chapters to keep the action constantly moving."
¿Teens Read Too, (read the full review here)

"A truly frightening ghost story with plenty of action and a mystery at the heart of it all."
¿Mystery Scene

"This book is incredibly appealing¿it really grabs you quickly and takes you for quite a wild ride. A creepy, haunting tale that made it difficult at times to read at night. This is a great psychological thriller that has surprising twists and turns. You'll love it."
¿Knights Read Books Blog!

"Chris Grabenstein is an author of adult mysteries, but his first book for younger people will not disappoint. While he is known for his humor, readers should be prepared for many scary twists and turns in this very dark story, which will tie together secrets across grandparents, fathers and sons. Zack is funny and curious but finds his true heart in his battle with evil from living people and ghosts."
¿KIDSREAD.COM

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

There's a tree that stands watch over the crossroads of County Route 13 and Connecticut State Highway 31. There's a memorial on the tree. Someone leaves a dozen fresh roses there every Monday. And the tree is at the back edge of Zack Jennings's new yard.

Zack, his father, and his new step-mother have left the city and moved to Connecticut. Zack lost his mother to cancer, and now that his father has remarried, the family is making a new start in Zack's father's hometown. They have a brand new house, Zack got a new dog, Zipper, and things with his step-mom might actually be okay.

But there's something strange going on in the town. Zack has a new friend, Davy. They have great adventures together, but it always seems like Zack is the one doing the hard work while Davy comes up with the plans. Judy, Zack's step-mom, gets a flat tire on the deserted highway and a Greyhound employee comes to offer aide. Though like with Davy, he can tell her how to fix it but he just can't do the work himself.

At the same time, the 50th-anniversary of a horrific bus accident at the intersection is about to occur. At the heart of the accident is Clint Eberhart. Trying to finish business with his first wife, the bus goes off the road and bursts into flames. The Thunderbird that Clint was driving smashes into the same tree that now holds a memorial dedicated to him.

Through the shrine that is kept at the tree, all the participants of that awful night fifty years ago are kept bound to the earth. It seems Zack has been the one chosen to help them release their souls. The only problem -- Zack doesn't know he's been chosen, nor does he even know that the spirits exist. At least he doesn't in the beginning...

THE CROSSROADS is a heart-pounding, page-turning ghost story that will keep even the strong-willed awake long after the last page has been turned. Clint Eberhart is pure evil, and the spirit and perseverance of one young boy is all it takes to face off against him. The book flows quickly with short chapters to keep the action constantly moving. The book is easy enough for most readers, but because of the ghosts and some of the scary content, I selected the older age group as a recommendation for readers.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Awesome

The author came to my school today. He was very funny.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Awsome book

Finished it a while ago, very good book especially the end was very tender. I highly recomend this book

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A must read

Read this book

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Long book but worth it

It was a three month long book but i guess thats what makes it the best SOOOO GOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I like cheeseburgers, too.

That Clint Eberhart has good taste.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great ghost story!

I think this was written for kids but it's an entertaining read for all ages. I highly recommend it!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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