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wordnerd153's review against another edition
3.0
A tad hard to follow in the beginning because of all the characters and jumping between their stories, but once it was clear how everything was connected the plot picked up speed and I couldn't put the book down.
lizdesole's review against another edition
4.0
Cute middle grade ghost/ murder mystery story. I preread it for my kids and thought it was just creepy enough. Not babyish and not over the top. Just right for 12 year old who likes scary but not too graphic
labraden's review against another edition
4.0
The Crossroads is a scary book about a boy named Zach whose family moves into his father's hometown in order to start a new life. Their new house is located right in the crossroads of the town where a bus accident in 1958 took the lives of all but one of the passengers. Zach makes friends with Davy, a boy who lives on a farm nearby and begins to feel that their move might work out, but Zach's stepmother starts to research some of the strange incidents that begin occurring in and around the crossroads. This is a really creepy story that should interest anyone who likes scary mysteries.
under_the_ferns's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars - It's a decent combo of Grabenstein's typical humor and goofy characters but this just wasn't my thing. Audiobook reader is decent.
I can think of some kids right away who would enjoy this book even if it wasn't for me.
I can think of some kids right away who would enjoy this book even if it wasn't for me.
sunflower1812's review against another edition
3.0
I first read this book in elementary school, but it was still pretty enjoyable years later. It's a solid mystery that was suspenseful enough to keep me reading; the horror aspects were intense, but I think still appropriate for the intended audience. I particularly enjoyed Zack's sweet relationship with his stepmother, and I thought the book touched on grief and abuse in a way that felt real and important to the story. Obviously, this book is meant for children, so I didn't like the humor and writing as much as I did before, but it was still a good read.
library_brandy's review against another edition
2.0
Definitely not what I was hoping for. It's not as creepy as Booklist & SLJ wanted me to believe, for starters. Our main character is supposed to be 11 but reads about 8, and the rest of the characters are straight out of central casting. Brief chapters are probably supposed to increase suspense but instead just break up the story into choppy fragments.
It doesn't really go out in my library, and now I know why.
It doesn't really go out in my library, and now I know why.
bellachang's review
5.0
This was such a great book. I really enjoyed it. When I first started it I thought that it would be to boyish or it would be boring, but the whole time I was really into it and really enjoyed it.
critter's review
4.0
Zack and his family have recently moved into a house in his dad's hometown. However, this town has a terrible past. Nearby their home, a killer caused an accident that took the lives of 40 people. The killer died soon after when his vehicle hit a tree. When that tree is struck by lightning, the killer's spirit is released and Zack finds himself targeted by the ghost.
The Crossroads is a very suspenseful read with a great atmosphere. It was delightfully creepy at times. I loved the relationship between Zack and his step mother. It is a fast paced read that gripped me with every twist and turn. It's a great beginning to this series.
The Crossroads is a very suspenseful read with a great atmosphere. It was delightfully creepy at times. I loved the relationship between Zack and his step mother. It is a fast paced read that gripped me with every twist and turn. It's a great beginning to this series.
depizan's review
3.0
While it was a reasonably enjoyable read, and parts of it - particularly some of the atmospheric bits in the first part of the book - were quite good, it felt a little like it was trying to be too many things at once by the end. Horror, action, family drama, ghost story, even a touch of the police drama. And I can't help thinking that kid me would've been put off by the fact that the story happened almost more to and around the main character than as a result of his actions. (Barring parts of the climax, though even then, the idea wasn't his.)
On the other hand, the main characters were likable and, again, some of it was quite good. I don't know, something was just...missing. Of course, it's the first of a new series, so the series could well come into its own in later books.
On the other hand, the main characters were likable and, again, some of it was quite good. I don't know, something was just...missing. Of course, it's the first of a new series, so the series could well come into its own in later books.