Criss Cross is a 2005 Newbery Award-winning middle-grade novel by Lynne Rae Perkins. This coming-of-age story follows a group of teenagers in the 1960s as they try to navigate life and discover who they are.

It’s summertime, and many changes are happening in our characters’ lives. the lives of our characters. Debbie wishes that something exciting would happen to speed up her mundane life. Meanwhile, Hector hears a musician play and decides that he wants to learn guitar. As the kids go through summer, their lives adjust and develop, ultimately leading them to discover more about themselves, the world, and the people around them.

Their lives constantly “criss-cross” as they frequently encounter each other unexpectedly, hence the name of the novel.

I think the author does a really great job of writing how the characters grow up and develop. She perfectly encompasses what it feels like to mature at a young age, and how you find your own path through the tangled mess of life. Since this isn’t a novel that requires these kids to be heroes or saviors, Perkins can really slow down and characterize them more carefully.

On the other hand, the progression of the novel can serve as a disadvantage. While there are ups and downs in the teens’ lives, there isn’t actually a big issue to solve, and the plot advances a lot more slowly than I anticipated. While this allows for the narrative to really zoom in on the intricacies in life, I felt it slowed the pacing of the story and made it a little boring to read in doing some parts.

If you’re looking for a read on the slower side that really delves into what it means to grow up, Criss Cross is an amazing read.