Just Odd Enough to be Awesome

Happy sunny Wednesday! At least, it’s sunny here. Hope your Independence day was filled with friends, family, and appreciation for the freedom and principles that this nation is built on. Anyways, this week’s book blurt is about Criss Cross, a novel by Lynne Rae Perkins. Apart from reading several reviews on the book, and having it mentioned on several reading lists I look at, this was another one of those books that I glanced through when I was shelving books as a page. The book has also been awarded the John Newberry Medal, so I figured I would actually sit down and read it.
This book tells the stories of Debbie and Hector as they go about their lives in a very normal summer. Debbie and Hector have known each other for a long time as they have been going to the same schools as long as they can remember. The book goes back and forth from telling Debbie’s story, to telling Hector’s story, and then telling something that might happen to both of them. The book also concerns itself with Debbie and Hector’s families and friends. While reading through the book, there is no huge happening that jumps out at you. This book just looks at growing up from Debbie’s and Hector’s perspectives. It also deals with fate, destiny, chance, and moments and chooses that can change your life, or keep your life exactly the same.
This book is just odd enough to be awesome without being too odd that it is hard to read. The book doesn’t keep within the “normal” way of writing a novel. Instead of having longer chapters, this book has some long chapter, and some chapters that are only half a page. Instead of just having prose throughout, sometimes there is poetry, or a stanza of a song. In addition, there are small illustrations that start some of the chapters, or are mixed in with the words. The characters themselves are also a little off base. They don’t think normal thoughts. Instead, the characters think and feel very realistic, which means random. Instead of following one thought to its conclusion, sometimes the characters jump from topic to topic just like we do in our own minds. There are also some very odd thoughts that made me laugh out loud because I could totally see myself thinking or saying that same thing. The normal subject matter, coupled with the odd writing style makes for a very fun, interesting, and entertaining read.