THE CROSSING
by Jason Mott
HARLEQUIN – Park Row Books
Publication Date: May 15, 2018
From Goodreads:
Twins Virginia and Tommy Matthews have been on their own since they were orphaned at the age of five, surviving a merciless foster care system by relying on each other. Twelve years later, the world begins to collapse around them as a deadly contagion steadily wipes out entire populations and a devastating world war rages on. When Tommy is drafted for the war, the twins are faced with a choice: stay and accept their fate of almost certain death, or run. Virginia and Tommy flee into the dark night.
Armed with only a pistol and their fierce will to survive, the twins set forth in search of a new beginning. Encountering a colorful cast of characters along the way, Tommy and Virginia must navigate the dangers and wonders of this changed world as they try to outrun the demons of their past.
The good people at NetGalley and Park Row Books provided me with an eGalley of The Crossing in exchange for honest feedback.
Tender at times, often bleak, and sometimes surprising, The Crossing by Jason Mott is a journey, both physically and emotionally.
It’s the story of fraternal twins, Virginia and Tommy, as they attempt to travel to Florida to see a space shuttle launch, all while avoiding being captured by their foster father, the draft authorities, or the rest of the world in its devolved and dangerous state.
Over the course of the trip, we meet many characters, all with their own story, though we don’t get to see much more than a glimpse. Some of them were fascinating and I wanted them to stay longer (like the opera singer living on a farm or the man in the suit sleeping in a random field), while others I couldn’t wait for them to make their exit.
Also randomly, we get glimpses into stories of people that are in a completely different locale, and they are characters that we don’t end up meeting. This seemed quite random, and it was kind of off-putting, to be honest. They were interesting enough on their own, but without a direct connection to the main story I found it more difficult to connect with it and care. These stories are tied back in at the very end, but at that point it seems a little late.
The main thing I noticed was the bleakness of the world. With the War and The Disease being what they were, it was really easy to believe the world being exactly the way it was portrayed. It would be hard to to find a glint of hope, though some of the characters were meet were able to do so. The scariest thing about this bleak world was that it wasn’t that far away from the world we live in. A few wrong turns, and an incurable plague, and we’re there!
Overall, I can’t point to anything in this book that I didn’t enjoy. It moved a little slower than I would have liked and I never really felt invested in any of the characters.
Though I’d definitely be up to reading another book written in this world. As bleak as it was, it was kind of fascinating. I want to see how things turn out. I’d like to see a book a little closer to the people trying to fight The Disease.
Like I said, what originally drew me to this story was a magical book. A book which turns written words into reality. How much fun could you have with a book like that? Real-life zombies. Talking dogs. A house actually made of candy. I feel like I’d run out of paper in the first month! Also, Gläser handled the magic book very well throughout. I expected some lead-up before the book was getting used on a regular basis, but Gläser was always throwing in little reminders to keep me excited about it. Lines like, “and that’s when we found the book.”
Another element that was handled very well was the elements of mystery. This wasn’t strictly a mystery story, but there was some instances of ‘who did that?’ and ‘I wonder who this person will end up being.’ I’m the type of reader that can usually pick these things out. It’s actually the reason I don’t read mysteries very often. I’m usually right.
Okay, okay, okay, listen. I’m not adverse to stepping outside of the book-realm once in a while if something comes along that’s really worth talking about. And this past weekend, I watched a movie worth talking about: The Big Sick.
At this point in the movie, we expect this couple to reconcile despite their differences. Instead, Emily suffers a medical complication and ends up in the hospital in a medically induced coma. *TWIST* This is how Kumail meets Emily’s parents, and in their own way, they become a family of sorts.
This was by first Schwab, and it was easy to see why she’s so popular. She writes like someone who has already spent an entire lifetime honing her craft. Or like someone who found a magic lamp and wished to be made one of the best writers on the planet. Either way, I applaud her.