Reflections on "Criss Cross"

Art, whether it's writing or photography or a movie, is a little slice of life. Photos, for instance, capture moments -- like the moments before your date arrives for prom, or someone's first kiss after getting married, or when your new puppy sees his home for the first time. These little slices have a built-in editing system: you don't take pictures of the boring stuff, like doing laundry or doing your algebra homework. 


The same thing can hold true for movies and writing. In movies and books, we meet characters and we follow them on their adventures, but writers edit their characters' stories to make them exciting. There are parts of our characters' lives that are left out because... well, they're just not that engaging, or they aren't relevant to the main point of the story. It's because these stories are "slices of life," pieces put together to tell a story or a teach a lesson-- they're not like exactly like real life.


 I was thinking about this because in an interview with USA Today, Lynne Rae Perkins, author of Criss Cross said that when she was growing up, she needed assurance that "life doesn't always happen like it does in movies and books, but that's OK."  Criss Cross seems to reflect that idea. It's about a group of 14-year-olds coping with the everyday concerns of teenagers: boyfriends, girlfriends, parents, clothes and feeling different. One review of the book criticized it for not having enough plot. "Nothing happens at all," writes one reviewer. Other readers appreciated the pace and the fact that these teenagers weren't living thrilling, glamorous lives, but more realistic ones. (Read a more positive review here .) 


The "slices of life" in Criss Cross are put together, maybe, with the point of showing that the average teenager's life isn't like a perfect snapshot, or like an epic movie with a grand soundtrack. Sometimes, things don't happen to all of us. 


I just wonder if that makes the book more enjoyable or not. What do you think? Sometimes I like escaping to books that don't mirror my life at all. That's part of the fun with art: those slices and snapsots and film clips have the ability to whisk you away and show you something new. So, what do you think about books that stick closer to reality? 


Let me know what you think.
Happy reading!
~Meredith 

First review!

Here's a book review of Criss Cross from Mary S., the wonderful Americorps member who worked at Mainely Girls before me. Check it out! -Meredith

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

Everyone has read at least a novel or two about teenagers whose lives are changed suddenly when they have to move across the country during freshmen year, or decide to become a high school soccer star. While I generally find these stories entertaining and critically important, I have often felt that those of us without some life-altering change during our teenage years are in need of some relatable plots and characters as well.

Enter, Criss Cross. Have you ever been introduced to a cute boy or girl for the first time and then realized afterwards that you missed their name completely? Have you tried to prevent an argument by allowing your mother to buy you some piece of hideous clothing, and then ended up stopping along your walk to school to change your outfit? Do you sometimes wish that something really interesting would happen to you…something different, and soon, just anything totally out of the blue? If you can understand any of these situations, then this book was written with you in mind. Lynne Rae Perkins manages to capture in print the hilarity of basic everyday life, allowing readers to laugh at the characters and then at themselves as they experience each simple, awkward moment of this relatable and entertaining story. The main characters are not rock stars, or even high school superstar athletes or geniuses- they are just small-town kids, growing up together one day at a time and wondering when their lives will really begin. Perkins’ language is simple but not simplistic, and her tone is reminiscent of a comfortable conversation with an old friend. I found myself laughing out loud throughout almost the entirety of the book, and I am excited to recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing afternoon.