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The Crossing
Imprisoned by memories, Claudia Campbell lives each day in the shadow of a ten-year-old murder. Who can set her free?On the way home from a football game, a decade earlier, a masked gunman opened fire on a Texas school bus. Cheerleading coach B.J. Remington was killed, but her murderer was never found. Claudia, who had a close friendship with the young, spirited teacher, constantly relives the anguish of that day, caught in one moment in time. When her husband, the assistant district attorney, becomes determined to uncover the mystery of that tragedy, the secrets buried over the years threaten to tear their family apart.Officer Casio Hightower will never forget the day his dreams were destroyed. A star quarterback with a promising future, Casio was on top of the world—until one bullet changed everything. He is eager to help Victor Campbell find B.J.’s killer, the man who shot him. Maybe solving the case will help silence the demons driving Casio to hurt the woman he loves.As the Campbells and Casio teeter on the brink of losing everything, will they be able to discover that what begins at the crossing ends at the cross?
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 6, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
October 1, 2011
Won through First reads giveaways.
Ten years ago, Claudia was on a bus with her coach, favorite teacher, and other students. A mad man came onto the bus shot the assistant coach, the teacher, and a student. The teacher, Bj Remington died that night. Claudia stayed at her side and refused to walk away. Bj and Claudia were best friends they didn't have your ordinary teacher/ student relationship. Casio, the student that got shot was Claudia's boyfriend at the time.
Now, ten years later the killer still wasn't brought to justice. Casio and Claudia's husband, Victor, reopen BJ Remington's cold case. In the meantime Casio is suspended from his duty as a police officer. He is charged with battering and raping his girlfriend, Harper. He insists he didn't rape her it was consensual, but he does admit to beating her up.
Claudia keeps having panic attacks because she keeps thinking back to the day on the bus. She runs into another student, other then Casio and it makes her start to remember again. This student, Georgia, preformed CPR on Miss Remington that night in hopes to save her life.
Casio got a lost file report from his father that states that BJ was 10 weeks pregnant when she was shot. That's how he squeezed himself in to work with Victor on the case. Victor doesn't care much about him for two main reasons; one, he is an old boyfriend of his wife, Claudia. Two, the charges he has against him. Blah blah blah. You have to read it!
I really liked the book. I especially love the ending. Sad how things worked out, but probably for the best. I think the plot of the story was quite impressive. I didn't want to put it down, but I had too. I wish it wasn't over, but every story has an ending. Very happy to have won this. Will be looking into reading more by this author in the near future. This book is on my highly recommendation list.
Ten years ago, Claudia was on a bus with her coach, favorite teacher, and other students. A mad man came onto the bus shot the assistant coach, the teacher, and a student. The teacher, Bj Remington died that night. Claudia stayed at her side and refused to walk away. Bj and Claudia were best friends they didn't have your ordinary teacher/ student relationship. Casio, the student that got shot was Claudia's boyfriend at the time.
Now, ten years later the killer still wasn't brought to justice. Casio and Claudia's husband, Victor, reopen BJ Remington's cold case. In the meantime Casio is suspended from his duty as a police officer. He is charged with battering and raping his girlfriend, Harper. He insists he didn't rape her it was consensual, but he does admit to beating her up.
Claudia keeps having panic attacks because she keeps thinking back to the day on the bus. She runs into another student, other then Casio and it makes her start to remember again. This student, Georgia, preformed CPR on Miss Remington that night in hopes to save her life.
Casio got a lost file report from his father that states that BJ was 10 weeks pregnant when she was shot. That's how he squeezed himself in to work with Victor on the case. Victor doesn't care much about him for two main reasons; one, he is an old boyfriend of his wife, Claudia. Two, the charges he has against him. Blah blah blah. You have to read it!
I really liked the book. I especially love the ending. Sad how things worked out, but probably for the best. I think the plot of the story was quite impressive. I didn't want to put it down, but I had too. I wish it wasn't over, but every story has an ending. Very happy to have won this. Will be looking into reading more by this author in the near future. This book is on my highly recommendation list.
September 9, 2011
(I received this book from WaterBrook Press free through Goodreads.com. I appreciate their generosity, but my opinions cannot be swayed.)
When first reading the description of The Crossing, it sounded intriguing. Years ago, at a railroad crossing, a gun-wielding man got on a bus coming back from a high school football game. He shot one of the players in the arm and killed the young cheerleading coach. Many years later, the assistant DA husband of one of the girls who was on the bus, along with the football player--who has now become a police officer--reopen the case to try to get to the bottom of things. The premise sounded good...what I didn't notice was the last bit of the description: "As the Campbells and Casio teeter on the bring of losing everything, will they be able to discover that what begins at the crossing ends at the cross?"
Yes, I had somehow gotten myself involved with contemporary Christian literature by mistake. "Well," I figured, "too late to do anything about this now. Might as well read the book. The premise is still fairly interesting." As it turns out, this was not a bad book at all. It was just not a good book for me.
The characters are all right, though it's a little tough when the introduction to one of the protagonists (Casio, the former-football-player-turned-cop) begins with him raping and beating the crap out of his girlfriend. Apparently, his experiences back on the bus have led to a life of untamed rage (though I found myself wondering if perhaps some of his rage was due to having been named after a cheap brand of plastic keyboard). Claudia, the other main character, is also a wreck--the teacher killed had been her best friend, and she knows some secrets about the possible motive. Her husband Vic, the assistant DA, opens the case to try and bring Claudia peace, but finds that his help is just making everything worse. Luckily, he is understanding of her issues, because he is almost too perfect to be true. Narration is also provided by BJ, the teacher who died. The shifting perspectives actually work pretty well, and provide a variety of ways to look at the story.
The story itself is all right, though there are many diversions from the heart of the mystery, instead focusing on Claudia's relationships with Vic and God, and also on Casio's relationship with his girlfriend Hannah. I often found myself bored with Claudia and her philosophical and theological tangents. The author tried to bring in some other issues, including her relationship with her pastor father and critical mother, but I found those mostly distracting. Another problem was that the stakes for the characters never got very high. The plot plodded along as Vic and Casio investigate the old case, but really no one is ever in danger, and aside from possible closure, there is no real drive to solve this murder. The only real shock in the whole novel doesn't even have anything to do with the murder. Personally, I didn't find "Will Claudia be able to reconnect with her husband AND God?" to be a particularly pressing motivation to keep reading.
As I said, I am sure there are people who would enjoy this book. It is well-written, and the characters were for the most part reasonably realistic and interesting. However, my lack of interest in the Christian aspect of the story served as a major turn off for me.
When first reading the description of The Crossing, it sounded intriguing. Years ago, at a railroad crossing, a gun-wielding man got on a bus coming back from a high school football game. He shot one of the players in the arm and killed the young cheerleading coach. Many years later, the assistant DA husband of one of the girls who was on the bus, along with the football player--who has now become a police officer--reopen the case to try to get to the bottom of things. The premise sounded good...what I didn't notice was the last bit of the description: "As the Campbells and Casio teeter on the bring of losing everything, will they be able to discover that what begins at the crossing ends at the cross?"
Yes, I had somehow gotten myself involved with contemporary Christian literature by mistake. "Well," I figured, "too late to do anything about this now. Might as well read the book. The premise is still fairly interesting." As it turns out, this was not a bad book at all. It was just not a good book for me.
The characters are all right, though it's a little tough when the introduction to one of the protagonists (Casio, the former-football-player-turned-cop) begins with him raping and beating the crap out of his girlfriend. Apparently, his experiences back on the bus have led to a life of untamed rage (though I found myself wondering if perhaps some of his rage was due to having been named after a cheap brand of plastic keyboard). Claudia, the other main character, is also a wreck--the teacher killed had been her best friend, and she knows some secrets about the possible motive. Her husband Vic, the assistant DA, opens the case to try and bring Claudia peace, but finds that his help is just making everything worse. Luckily, he is understanding of her issues, because he is almost too perfect to be true. Narration is also provided by BJ, the teacher who died. The shifting perspectives actually work pretty well, and provide a variety of ways to look at the story.
The story itself is all right, though there are many diversions from the heart of the mystery, instead focusing on Claudia's relationships with Vic and God, and also on Casio's relationship with his girlfriend Hannah. I often found myself bored with Claudia and her philosophical and theological tangents. The author tried to bring in some other issues, including her relationship with her pastor father and critical mother, but I found those mostly distracting. Another problem was that the stakes for the characters never got very high. The plot plodded along as Vic and Casio investigate the old case, but really no one is ever in danger, and aside from possible closure, there is no real drive to solve this murder. The only real shock in the whole novel doesn't even have anything to do with the murder. Personally, I didn't find "Will Claudia be able to reconnect with her husband AND God?" to be a particularly pressing motivation to keep reading.
As I said, I am sure there are people who would enjoy this book. It is well-written, and the characters were for the most part reasonably realistic and interesting. However, my lack of interest in the Christian aspect of the story served as a major turn off for me.
October 25, 2011
This book definitely hits close to home as the subject matter could be a relevant breaking news headline from any major network.
When a shooting takes place on a school bus, a beloved teacher and student are shot. The teacher doesn’t survive, yet ten years have gone by and the case remains unsolved due to missing evidence. This book is an emotional roller coaster as it touches on tragedy, grief, forgiveness and reconciliation. It also touches on posttraumatic stress as Claudia, one of the teenagers who was on the school bus, relives the shooting over and over in her nightmares as an adult.
While the overall storyline had the potential to be very good, the writing isn’t that great. More conservative readers should be aware that this book is very secular and includes quite a bit of sexual banter (some of it between Vic and Claudia who are married). Vic, also eyeballs a secretary in a tight fitting skirt. Other references are made to men "watching" women. There’s some graphic writing related to a rape scene and several mentions of domestic violence.
This is certainly not a light read and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
When a shooting takes place on a school bus, a beloved teacher and student are shot. The teacher doesn’t survive, yet ten years have gone by and the case remains unsolved due to missing evidence. This book is an emotional roller coaster as it touches on tragedy, grief, forgiveness and reconciliation. It also touches on posttraumatic stress as Claudia, one of the teenagers who was on the school bus, relives the shooting over and over in her nightmares as an adult.
While the overall storyline had the potential to be very good, the writing isn’t that great. More conservative readers should be aware that this book is very secular and includes quite a bit of sexual banter (some of it between Vic and Claudia who are married). Vic, also eyeballs a secretary in a tight fitting skirt. Other references are made to men "watching" women. There’s some graphic writing related to a rape scene and several mentions of domestic violence.
This is certainly not a light read and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
September 11, 2011
I received this Advanced Reader's Copy as a free book.
Even though I found some errors in the book (noted below), I found the book to be very interesting. The book grabbed my attention right from the beginning. I liked how it went back and forth from the characters in the present to events and characters from the past. The characters were interesting and believable, but in some instances, I felt that some of the characters could have been developed just a bit more. I did enjoy reading the book and found myself trying to guess who did it and was surprised at the end.
I discovered a few errors in the book that I want to point out.
On page 10/11, the party planner states that she only has Tuesday open for the next appointment but then later, the Friday appointment is made.
On page 51 it says: "If I'd had known...", shouldn't this be If I had known, or if I'd have known?
On page 79, it says "That sat in silence for a few minutes" which should read "THEY sat in silence for a few minutes".
On page 110: "The principal gave a rueful smiled that showed off a set of teeth in sore need of a dentist." Smiled should be smile.
Page 112: "What is your response to Casio saying everyone knew you everyone knew you had a romantic interest in BJ?" "Everyone knew you" is a repeated phrase.
Page 114: "Would you submit to us getting a DNA sample?" This is strangely written. It should b--would you object to giving us a DNA sample, or would you agree to submit a DNA sample.
Page 173: "So Pastor to let her stay with me." Is it supposed to be Pastor said to let her stay with me? Or, just Pastor let her stay with me?
Page 181: "He grinned with he saw Casio." Should be changed to--He grinned when he saw Casio.
Page 181: "He raised his hand and clasped Casio's above the shoulder."
Page 225: "Casio. Don't come any closer to you or I'm leaving." What? Shouldn't it say, don't come any closer to ME or I'm leaving?
Page 259: "Crossing that of the list of things to do later." The of should be off.
Page 272-273: Claudia is sitting on the bench and moves over so Vic can sit next to her, but then at the bottom of page 273, it says he turns her on her back, her head is still on his lap. To me it wasn't clear that she was laying down on the pew. I know, kind of picky, but it made me have to reread the two pages to see if I had missed something.
Page 274: In the second to the last paragraph the parenthesis are not correct.
Page 283: "She nodded and pressed her palm to the spot just below her navel, where deep inside of her God already knew their yet-to-be-form child." There should be a comma after "deep inside of her" and it should be formed instead of form.
I hope it isn't too late to change these errors because if those things are fixed, I would recommend this book to others. I gave it three stars because of the errors in the book, otherwise, I probably would have raised it to four.
Even though I found some errors in the book (noted below), I found the book to be very interesting. The book grabbed my attention right from the beginning. I liked how it went back and forth from the characters in the present to events and characters from the past. The characters were interesting and believable, but in some instances, I felt that some of the characters could have been developed just a bit more. I did enjoy reading the book and found myself trying to guess who did it and was surprised at the end.
I discovered a few errors in the book that I want to point out.
On page 10/11, the party planner states that she only has Tuesday open for the next appointment but then later, the Friday appointment is made.
On page 51 it says: "If I'd had known...", shouldn't this be If I had known, or if I'd have known?
On page 79, it says "That sat in silence for a few minutes" which should read "THEY sat in silence for a few minutes".
On page 110: "The principal gave a rueful smiled that showed off a set of teeth in sore need of a dentist." Smiled should be smile.
Page 112: "What is your response to Casio saying everyone knew you everyone knew you had a romantic interest in BJ?" "Everyone knew you" is a repeated phrase.
Page 114: "Would you submit to us getting a DNA sample?" This is strangely written. It should b--would you object to giving us a DNA sample, or would you agree to submit a DNA sample.
Page 173: "So Pastor to let her stay with me." Is it supposed to be Pastor said to let her stay with me? Or, just Pastor let her stay with me?
Page 181: "He grinned with he saw Casio." Should be changed to--He grinned when he saw Casio.
Page 181: "He raised his hand and clasped Casio's above the shoulder."
Page 225: "Casio. Don't come any closer to you or I'm leaving." What? Shouldn't it say, don't come any closer to ME or I'm leaving?
Page 259: "Crossing that of the list of things to do later." The of should be off.
Page 272-273: Claudia is sitting on the bench and moves over so Vic can sit next to her, but then at the bottom of page 273, it says he turns her on her back, her head is still on his lap. To me it wasn't clear that she was laying down on the pew. I know, kind of picky, but it made me have to reread the two pages to see if I had missed something.
Page 274: In the second to the last paragraph the parenthesis are not correct.
Page 283: "She nodded and pressed her palm to the spot just below her navel, where deep inside of her God already knew their yet-to-be-form child." There should be a comma after "deep inside of her" and it should be formed instead of form.
I hope it isn't too late to change these errors because if those things are fixed, I would recommend this book to others. I gave it three stars because of the errors in the book, otherwise, I probably would have raised it to four.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2011
Not going to lie, the prologue and 2nd page of the first chapter kind of freaked me out a bit. I knew I, with my weak constitution, was probably doing the wrong thing when I picked this crime novel, and for a few pages into this book I kept asking myself what had gone wrong with my brain process when I decided to get this book over other ones I could have chosen that probably would have agreed with my stomach more. It actually surprised me--it wasn't very graphic (even the prologue and 2nd page really weren't that bad, my constitution is just extremely weak :P) as far as the actual murder and whatnot. Anyway, once I got a handful of pages in, all was well in that department.
As far as the actual writing goes, I thought The Crossing was very well written. Jakes clearly gets the point across without needless and overextended detail or explanation. The story flows well and is an easy read. Also, I would just like to thank Jakes for her point of view choice -- the people who have told me that you can't write a book with multiple points of view per chapter without it being confusing clearly didn't know what they were talking about.
As for the plot. The crime side of it was pretty good. Although I had a guess at who the murderer was early on, which ended up being the correct suspect, there wasn't any hard evidence to make me lose interest. Maybe it was just a lucky guess, but even so Jakes kept me second guessing myself and reading to be sure my suspicions were accurate.
The side story -- the characters personal lives and involvement -- didn't really impress me. I was disappointed in several aspects, which I won't name specifically for the sake of not spoiling it for future readers. While the wrong acts committed by the sub-characters weren't encouraged nor made appealing, I felt the author didn't well in condemning or discouraging it as well as she could have.
I also wasn't very impressed with the ending, which, again, I won't go into great detail about lest I spoil it, especially since it came as a surprise to me. I definitely wasn't expecting the outcome of one of the main characters, Casio Hightower, nor the conclusion to his side story. I was disappointed in his story, because I saw potential for his story.
All in all, I didn't think The Crossing was the greatest book in the world, and I'm unlikely to recommend it. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review, in exchange for my honest review.
As far as the actual writing goes, I thought The Crossing was very well written. Jakes clearly gets the point across without needless and overextended detail or explanation. The story flows well and is an easy read. Also, I would just like to thank Jakes for her point of view choice -- the people who have told me that you can't write a book with multiple points of view per chapter without it being confusing clearly didn't know what they were talking about.
As for the plot. The crime side of it was pretty good. Although I had a guess at who the murderer was early on, which ended up being the correct suspect, there wasn't any hard evidence to make me lose interest. Maybe it was just a lucky guess, but even so Jakes kept me second guessing myself and reading to be sure my suspicions were accurate.
The side story -- the characters personal lives and involvement -- didn't really impress me. I was disappointed in several aspects, which I won't name specifically for the sake of not spoiling it for future readers. While the wrong acts committed by the sub-characters weren't encouraged nor made appealing, I felt the author didn't well in condemning or discouraging it as well as she could have.
I also wasn't very impressed with the ending, which, again, I won't go into great detail about lest I spoil it, especially since it came as a surprise to me. I definitely wasn't expecting the outcome of one of the main characters, Casio Hightower, nor the conclusion to his side story. I was disappointed in his story, because I saw potential for his story.
All in all, I didn't think The Crossing was the greatest book in the world, and I'm unlikely to recommend it. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review, in exchange for my honest review.
November 28, 2011
The Crossing is a Novel that is written by Serita Jakes. This book has everything for the reader. The book has a major crime that is a cold case. It has love, loss, truth, friendship and high drama. Serita writes a book you don’t want to put down. The cast of characters are Claudia ( the PK preachers kid) , Casio ( a victim and cop) , BJ Remington (teacher and crime victim) , Georgie ( the principal’s daughter and later a nurse.) last but not least Vic( Assistant District Atty and husband).The book is written in the view point of each character. You get to walk in their shoes as the reader. The book is suspenseful as you want to know who did this crime; could it be any of in their small town residents or after ten years could the killer be gone. You see how this crime as effected the lives of those who were merely on their way back from a football game. This such a simple act riding a bus home celebrating a win from a high school football game it happens every Friday night in ever state and town and how this simple act can become such a life changing event in a matter of minutes. This changes the lives on board for both the good and the bad. I just loved this book! I found that I was not able to figure the killer. I like a book that makes my mind say, was it this person or that? I like a book that makes me think. I loved the characters they evoked a variety of emotions as I read the book. I saw the hope that comes from a tragedy and better yet healing. I saw how some people have the ability to use this event for the good (thanks to Georgie _and some simple try to run from it but never really do allowing it to eat them alive and affect their lives and the others they come across. You see this crime stop some of the surviving victims from truly living. The ending is very exciting and surprising. This book is so good that I give this my best rating of five stars. Get this book! I must also let you that I got this complimentary book from Water Brooks Press Publisher for my review. The above review is my own opinion.
September 8, 2011
I just received my ARC copy in the mail today and read through to, but not including, chapter 5. I was not anticipating the multiple points of view, and I am not entirely sure I enjoy that.
So far the premise of the novel is not bad, however, I do not think I have gotten to the meat of this story yet.
Sept 8th 2011 -
I am stuck between a rock and a hard place with this book. I want to finish reading it - and not for the book itself, but for the sole reason that I received it ARC and I feel obligated to review it.
That being said - I will review so far and I will add on as I get through more of the book - we will call this the "Walking Taco" of reviews if you please.
As I had stated above, originally, I am not pleased with multiple POV. The style of writing is not compelling, and the "voice" in the italicized text was so very obviously a spiritual/religious reference that I wanted to put the book down.
I am not one to try to review books negatively and conceptually, I think the idea had strength, but for me - and this is a personal preference - I do not like the subtext involving religion.
I will finish this book to see if the plot thickens in an effort to save itself, but as the book stands - I am going to give this 1 star based on personal preference, writing style and inability to grab my attention regardless of the underlying message that the author so obviously wants to send.
So far the premise of the novel is not bad, however, I do not think I have gotten to the meat of this story yet.
Sept 8th 2011 -
I am stuck between a rock and a hard place with this book. I want to finish reading it - and not for the book itself, but for the sole reason that I received it ARC and I feel obligated to review it.
That being said - I will review so far and I will add on as I get through more of the book - we will call this the "Walking Taco" of reviews if you please.
As I had stated above, originally, I am not pleased with multiple POV. The style of writing is not compelling, and the "voice" in the italicized text was so very obviously a spiritual/religious reference that I wanted to put the book down.
I am not one to try to review books negatively and conceptually, I think the idea had strength, but for me - and this is a personal preference - I do not like the subtext involving religion.
I will finish this book to see if the plot thickens in an effort to save itself, but as the book stands - I am going to give this 1 star based on personal preference, writing style and inability to grab my attention regardless of the underlying message that the author so obviously wants to send.
December 4, 2011
Unbelievably cheesy. The dialogue was unrealistic, the characters were ridiculously forgiving, and the ending was beyond cheesy. Not to mention the fact that the main character, Claudia, was the most selfish person I've ever had the misfortune to read about. And where on earth did the author get her information on panic attacks and PTSD? The panic attacks Claudia experienced were over the top, and the fact that she had experienced the shooting did not give her the right to walk all over people and make the selfish decisions she did, which the author seemed to think was understandable considering what Claudia had been through. Well, it wasn't.
I'm mad at this book now - it seems like a cheesy Christian tale the author wrote because she's so involved in her husband's ministry. Not because the author had any real inspiration, but because she wanted to send a Christian message.
All she did was give the most selfish character the best ending, and screw over the most troubled characters.
I received this book free from Goodreads.
I'm mad at this book now - it seems like a cheesy Christian tale the author wrote because she's so involved in her husband's ministry. Not because the author had any real inspiration, but because she wanted to send a Christian message.
All she did was give the most selfish character the best ending, and screw over the most troubled characters.
I received this book free from Goodreads.
October 5, 2011
This book is probably a 3.5...I had to keep reading to find out the answers. There are some very surprising happenings, especially at the end.
Claudia is still upset 10 years after the murder of her teacher friend BJ, who wouldn't be with the loved one dying in your arms! The murder has gone unsolved, why? When her husband reopens the case, she feels her world crashing down.
One of the other people on the bus was Casio, he was shot in the arm. He has many demons he deals with and is very abusive to his girlfriend Harper. Casio's Dad was also a policeman, and had been abusive to his Mother. His Mom disappeared about a month before the shooting, and he has felt abandoned ever since.
Love the dying girl BJ's thoughts as she lie dying on that bus. Descriptions of Angles waiting to hold her, hearing those around her and wanting to speak to them, but of course unable to.
I would recommend this book, but be ready for a roller coaster ride!
I received this book from the Publisher Waterbrook Press, and was not required to give a positive review.
Claudia is still upset 10 years after the murder of her teacher friend BJ, who wouldn't be with the loved one dying in your arms! The murder has gone unsolved, why? When her husband reopens the case, she feels her world crashing down.
One of the other people on the bus was Casio, he was shot in the arm. He has many demons he deals with and is very abusive to his girlfriend Harper. Casio's Dad was also a policeman, and had been abusive to his Mother. His Mom disappeared about a month before the shooting, and he has felt abandoned ever since.
Love the dying girl BJ's thoughts as she lie dying on that bus. Descriptions of Angles waiting to hold her, hearing those around her and wanting to speak to them, but of course unable to.
I would recommend this book, but be ready for a roller coaster ride!
I received this book from the Publisher Waterbrook Press, and was not required to give a positive review.
July 3, 2016
Claudia is married with a wonderful family. But after a miscarriage she keeps remembering what happened her senior year in high school. Her best friend dies and two other people are shot. It brings adultery, murder and lies into her life and leaves her shaken. Her husband can see her downward spiral and re-opens the case to bring her closure. It opens up more than just one person's death.
This book was written from the dead woman's perspective as well as from the other people involved. It was an interesting way to tell the story and helped to keep the story from feeling too deep and depressing. The story was well told and had very engaging characters. It has some interesting parts that I didn't see coming. Definitely a book I would recommend. I can't wait to read more by this author.
I received this book free of charge from WaterBrook in exchange for my honest review.
This book was written from the dead woman's perspective as well as from the other people involved. It was an interesting way to tell the story and helped to keep the story from feeling too deep and depressing. The story was well told and had very engaging characters. It has some interesting parts that I didn't see coming. Definitely a book I would recommend. I can't wait to read more by this author.
I received this book free of charge from WaterBrook in exchange for my honest review.
November 16, 2011
This was a fantastic Christian Mystery novel that I highly recommend and am loaning it to other members of my family to read so they can enjoy it as much as I did.
It is filled with unusual twists and turns with a great story line. Maybe a sequel to follow?
FTC disclosure: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group so I could review it.
It is filled with unusual twists and turns with a great story line. Maybe a sequel to follow?
FTC disclosure: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group so I could review it.
April 8, 2013
This book was slow. It took me forever to read. I liked the plot but it just didn't move fast enough for me.
June 14, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I would read more by the author. I am going to get my husband to read this one, and I will most likely read it again as well.
January 14, 2018
Have you ever experienced something so tragic, you couldn't forget? Where every sight, sound, or smell reminded you of a time you'd rather forget? Claudia has. 10 years ago, her teacher, friend, and confidant was murdered right before her eyes and the killer was never found.
The Crossing was a great read, full of emotional ups and downs with Claudia, her husband Victor as he re-opens the case, and their struggle to get past the pain and learn to love each other all over again.
I do have to say the first couple of chapters were a bit slow for me. After about seven chapters, the pace does start to pick up with the mystery that evidence not found during the original investigation is discovered. Many of the twists and turns surprised me, and I read a lot of suspense novels!
Serita Jakes creates a story of love, forgiveness, and putting the past behind. She certainly kept me guessing until the end who the killer was. I got close, but I never exactly hit the target bullseye. She pulled me emotionally into the case, making me not know whether to side with Claudia or Victor. She created likable characters (in fact, she had me liking one of the bad guys!).
Not groundbreaking, but a solid fiction debut by this author.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
The Crossing was a great read, full of emotional ups and downs with Claudia, her husband Victor as he re-opens the case, and their struggle to get past the pain and learn to love each other all over again.
I do have to say the first couple of chapters were a bit slow for me. After about seven chapters, the pace does start to pick up with the mystery that evidence not found during the original investigation is discovered. Many of the twists and turns surprised me, and I read a lot of suspense novels!
Serita Jakes creates a story of love, forgiveness, and putting the past behind. She certainly kept me guessing until the end who the killer was. I got close, but I never exactly hit the target bullseye. She pulled me emotionally into the case, making me not know whether to side with Claudia or Victor. She created likable characters (in fact, she had me liking one of the bad guys!).
Not groundbreaking, but a solid fiction debut by this author.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
May 5, 2018
This is the first read of Serita Jakes and I really enjoyed the read. The story is told from the induvial prospective of many people involved in a school bus shooting and murder from 10 years before the start of the story. The novel is about a cold case investigation of the unsolved murder. The in depth view of the individuals thought process and the reasons and the intertwining of the lives of this small community is intriguing. Jakes makes these characters real and you can feel sympathy/understanding for each no matter his or her involvement in the case.
August 30, 2019
I appreciated the lack of graphic language etc in this book and it did have a kind of "Christian/forgive me Jesus" vibe to it with the monologues of the bus victim but many scenes left me saying "Huh??" "Where did that come from??" Like when the wife suddenly decides to leave her husband. How people just let Casio do what he wanted when they knew he beat up his girlfriend. Why would the husband not warn his wife about that when he knew she hung out with him some?? The ending in the hospital with Casio and his girlfriend also was super crazy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2017
What an involved yet compelling tale! So many entanglements! The Crossing was an interesting story but I think I would have enjoyed it more if the events from ten years ago had been at the beginning rather than throughout the book. It took me a few chapters to figure out that the italics at the first of each chapter were from the past. Still I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to others but be prepared for many complications!
February 2, 2017
Hard to put down!
I remember when this book first came out, I didn't read it back then, but thank God I came across it again... I enjoyed the suspense and how BJ shared her experience of leaving this life and entering into the presence of the Lord. Outstanding!
I remember when this book first came out, I didn't read it back then, but thank God I came across it again... I enjoyed the suspense and how BJ shared her experience of leaving this life and entering into the presence of the Lord. Outstanding!
April 27, 2019
Well, I had a hard time reading this book and found myself skimming the last third of the story. Story was too chopped up and it was hard to invest into any of the characters. They just weren’t believable or likable.
January 31, 2024
Gunman opened fire on bus, killing 1, injuring others and how the district attorney spent yrs trying to uncover the mystery.
“Glad I was done, book was boring, but story line was good. Fiction. Gave it a 2 1/2 stars.
April 22, 2018
I had finished all my library books and needed something to read.
December 4, 2019
Well written and a good book overall.
September 29, 2011
The Crossing by Serita Jakes was a compelling novel relating a story of loss, bitterness, death, and renewal. While I enjoyed the book, I felt that the Christian message of the story could have been stronger.
Claudia Campbell has been imprisoned for ten years by memories of a masked gunman who opened fire on her school's bus on the way back from a football game. Cheerleading coach B.J. Remington was killed, but her murderer was never found. Claudia, who was a close friend of B.J.'s, is constantly reminded of that day, and she has never been able to move on. When her husband, the assistant district attorney, reopens the case, the secrets of that day threaten to tear them apart.
Officer Casio Hightower will also never forget that day, the day his dream was destroyed. A star quarterback with several prospective scholarships, he was on top -until one bullet changed it all. Casio is eager to help Victor Campbell find B.J.'s killer, who also shot him. Maybe finding the answer will silence the anger that causes Casio to hurt the woman he loves.
Will Victor, Claudia, and Casio be able to discover that what begins at the crossing ends at the cross?
I really enjoyed this novel. The structure was excellently done, switching between Viktor, Casio, Claudia, and Harper's points of view. Also included are snapshots into the last few minutes of B.J.'s life, told from her perspective. These snapshots are critical in helping the reader understand the mystery of the killer. It adds a considerable amount of suspense because the reader thinks that they understand how the murder occurred, but then there is a major twist in the end which is almost totally unexpected. The mystery of the novel was very exciting, and I loved the twists. Viktor Campbell was an awesome character, and he remained loving in the midst of Claudia's messes.
One of the things I was not found of in the Crossing was the ending. The ending is totally unexpected, and it made me feel really sad. However, I did like how the author Serita Jakes brought back a couple of the characters back to the Lord and how they in turn were able to forgive those who had seriously hurt them. I do wish that God had been pulled more into the story in the middle and beginning. B.J.'s last thoughts ask some very serious questions about sin and forgiveness which I do not feel like the author properly addressed. So if a doubting Christian or a seeker read some parts, they might have some serious questions. This is good, but I just wish that they had been addressed in the novel.
Overall, I enjoyed The Crossing, and I would recommend it to anyone who is prepared for some serious, thought provoking fiction. Do not expect a light read, for the mood of the entire novel is somber and sometimes frightening.
Claudia Campbell has been imprisoned for ten years by memories of a masked gunman who opened fire on her school's bus on the way back from a football game. Cheerleading coach B.J. Remington was killed, but her murderer was never found. Claudia, who was a close friend of B.J.'s, is constantly reminded of that day, and she has never been able to move on. When her husband, the assistant district attorney, reopens the case, the secrets of that day threaten to tear them apart.
Officer Casio Hightower will also never forget that day, the day his dream was destroyed. A star quarterback with several prospective scholarships, he was on top -until one bullet changed it all. Casio is eager to help Victor Campbell find B.J.'s killer, who also shot him. Maybe finding the answer will silence the anger that causes Casio to hurt the woman he loves.
Will Victor, Claudia, and Casio be able to discover that what begins at the crossing ends at the cross?
I really enjoyed this novel. The structure was excellently done, switching between Viktor, Casio, Claudia, and Harper's points of view. Also included are snapshots into the last few minutes of B.J.'s life, told from her perspective. These snapshots are critical in helping the reader understand the mystery of the killer. It adds a considerable amount of suspense because the reader thinks that they understand how the murder occurred, but then there is a major twist in the end which is almost totally unexpected. The mystery of the novel was very exciting, and I loved the twists. Viktor Campbell was an awesome character, and he remained loving in the midst of Claudia's messes.
One of the things I was not found of in the Crossing was the ending. The ending is totally unexpected, and it made me feel really sad. However, I did like how the author Serita Jakes brought back a couple of the characters back to the Lord and how they in turn were able to forgive those who had seriously hurt them. I do wish that God had been pulled more into the story in the middle and beginning. B.J.'s last thoughts ask some very serious questions about sin and forgiveness which I do not feel like the author properly addressed. So if a doubting Christian or a seeker read some parts, they might have some serious questions. This is good, but I just wish that they had been addressed in the novel.
Overall, I enjoyed The Crossing, and I would recommend it to anyone who is prepared for some serious, thought provoking fiction. Do not expect a light read, for the mood of the entire novel is somber and sometimes frightening.
February 3, 2012
Claudia, a troubled young lady is dealing with the death of her Teacher and Coach ten years after her tragic death. Victor, her husband and ADA for the county in which they live has reopened the cold case, and this is extremely upsetting for Claudia. This is one of the main story lines in the action packed novel, called "The Crossing", by Serita Jakes.
During a return trip from a football game the bus in which the team and accompanying students and coaches are aboard, stops at a train crossing. At that particular time, a lone gunman enters the bus and shoots the bus driver, a student and football player, Casio, and searches out BJ the cheerleading coach and shoots her several times, causing her death. Following the investigation, the police come up empty and it would appear that the killer is never found. This is a novel which I was unable to put down because you never know what is going to happen next.
As for Claudia, who I believe to be the main character, is devastated at the loss of her coach and friend. BJ Remington. The beginning of the novel starts with some introduction of the characters in this story, which I found necessary in order to get the full picture of the entire story. Serita Jakes took the time in delving into each character, in order to paint a clear picture.
As the story unfolds, Claudia is laying on the floor of the bus with her dying coach/friend and you hear BJ speaking. I found that she was trying to figure out just what had happened to her and at the same time, she is speaking to God. You will find BJ speaking and praying at the beginning of each chapter. It sets the tone for each chapter. Claudia is the daughter of the town Pastor who you will learn more about as you read this story.
It's ten years later, and Claudia is now married to Victor Campbell, the ADA for the county. Casio Hightower, the ex-football player, now Police Detective is teaming up with Victor Campbell to reopen the case his father had initially been involved with at the time of the murder.
I don't want to get to involved with the overall story here, because I do not want to spoil it for anyone who picks this novel up and reads it. It's best to say the "The Crossing" by Serita Jakes is a wonderful read. I learned that even in death, there would appear to be some final thoughts and dreams of the person who is about to die.
Follow BJ, Claudia, Georgie, Casio, Victor and the rest of the cast of characters as you read and become involved with the story. You will not be let down.
I'd like to thank Blogging for Books, and Waterbrook Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this heart wrenching and uplifting story. "The Crossing" by Serita Jakes is sure to be a Best Seller.
During a return trip from a football game the bus in which the team and accompanying students and coaches are aboard, stops at a train crossing. At that particular time, a lone gunman enters the bus and shoots the bus driver, a student and football player, Casio, and searches out BJ the cheerleading coach and shoots her several times, causing her death. Following the investigation, the police come up empty and it would appear that the killer is never found. This is a novel which I was unable to put down because you never know what is going to happen next.
As for Claudia, who I believe to be the main character, is devastated at the loss of her coach and friend. BJ Remington. The beginning of the novel starts with some introduction of the characters in this story, which I found necessary in order to get the full picture of the entire story. Serita Jakes took the time in delving into each character, in order to paint a clear picture.
As the story unfolds, Claudia is laying on the floor of the bus with her dying coach/friend and you hear BJ speaking. I found that she was trying to figure out just what had happened to her and at the same time, she is speaking to God. You will find BJ speaking and praying at the beginning of each chapter. It sets the tone for each chapter. Claudia is the daughter of the town Pastor who you will learn more about as you read this story.
It's ten years later, and Claudia is now married to Victor Campbell, the ADA for the county. Casio Hightower, the ex-football player, now Police Detective is teaming up with Victor Campbell to reopen the case his father had initially been involved with at the time of the murder.
I don't want to get to involved with the overall story here, because I do not want to spoil it for anyone who picks this novel up and reads it. It's best to say the "The Crossing" by Serita Jakes is a wonderful read. I learned that even in death, there would appear to be some final thoughts and dreams of the person who is about to die.
Follow BJ, Claudia, Georgie, Casio, Victor and the rest of the cast of characters as you read and become involved with the story. You will not be let down.
I'd like to thank Blogging for Books, and Waterbrook Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this heart wrenching and uplifting story. "The Crossing" by Serita Jakes is sure to be a Best Seller.
May 6, 2013
The Crossing: A Novel by Serita Jakes is a Christian work of fiction that took me totally by surprise. I like many Christian books, but many are pretty bland and aren't real page turners. Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down.
A former cheerleader, Claudia, and former quarterback, Casio, are still dealing with the after effects of a shooting on a bus stopped at a railroad crossing 10 years ago where the bus driver and cheer leading coach, B.J. are killed. Claudia was best friends with B.J. who was only a couple of years older than her.
Claudia has been having panic attacks and flashbacks for the past 2 years. She can't seem to get past this tragedy. It threatens to destroy her life and her family. In addition, she has a difficult relationship with her mother while idolizing her father, a pastor.
Casio was shot in the attack. He ha recovered, and he's now a police officer. However, he is dealing with this tragic incident. The murderer was never found.
Claudia's husband is the Assistant District Attorney. He decides to look into the case hoping to get closure for Claudia. He ends up working with Casio, who also happens to be Claudia's ex-boyfriend.
The Crossing can symbolize several things, the actual railroad crossing or what it is like to cross over after death. I love that each chapter begins with B.J.'s point of view of what happened that night. You will be shocked and surprised by the ending of the book. The book is full of love and drama. Unlike most Christian books, not everyone has a happy ending.
The Crossing is totally unexpected for a Christian book. If you are like me, you have certain expectations and views of how Christian books are written. This book comes across as a secular book with Christian teachings tossed in. Parents should read this first before letting their teens read it, if they only allow them to read Christian books. It does contain some situations that parents may not want their children to read.
About the Author:
Serita Ann Jakes has been involved in Christian ministry all of her adult life and has served alongside her husband, Bishop T. D. Jakes, throughout their entire marriage of nearly thirty years. In addition to raising three sons and two daughters, Mrs. Jakes is executive director of the WoMan to Woman Ministries of The Potter's House of Dallas, where her husband is senior pastor.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. All opinions are 100% mine and were not influenced by the company.
A former cheerleader, Claudia, and former quarterback, Casio, are still dealing with the after effects of a shooting on a bus stopped at a railroad crossing 10 years ago where the bus driver and cheer leading coach, B.J. are killed. Claudia was best friends with B.J. who was only a couple of years older than her.
Claudia has been having panic attacks and flashbacks for the past 2 years. She can't seem to get past this tragedy. It threatens to destroy her life and her family. In addition, she has a difficult relationship with her mother while idolizing her father, a pastor.
Casio was shot in the attack. He ha recovered, and he's now a police officer. However, he is dealing with this tragic incident. The murderer was never found.
Claudia's husband is the Assistant District Attorney. He decides to look into the case hoping to get closure for Claudia. He ends up working with Casio, who also happens to be Claudia's ex-boyfriend.
The Crossing can symbolize several things, the actual railroad crossing or what it is like to cross over after death. I love that each chapter begins with B.J.'s point of view of what happened that night. You will be shocked and surprised by the ending of the book. The book is full of love and drama. Unlike most Christian books, not everyone has a happy ending.
The Crossing is totally unexpected for a Christian book. If you are like me, you have certain expectations and views of how Christian books are written. This book comes across as a secular book with Christian teachings tossed in. Parents should read this first before letting their teens read it, if they only allow them to read Christian books. It does contain some situations that parents may not want their children to read.
About the Author:
Serita Ann Jakes has been involved in Christian ministry all of her adult life and has served alongside her husband, Bishop T. D. Jakes, throughout their entire marriage of nearly thirty years. In addition to raising three sons and two daughters, Mrs. Jakes is executive director of the WoMan to Woman Ministries of The Potter's House of Dallas, where her husband is senior pastor.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. All opinions are 100% mine and were not influenced by the company.
September 20, 2011
The Crossing is a surprising read. Upon reading the book jacket I was anticipating not much more than a murder mystery with a few possible twists. What I wasn't expecting was a Christian murder mystery.
This story is told from the voice of several different characters and flashes back and forth between the time of the murder and present day, I actually like this style of writing. It gives us a bit more indepth feel for what is happening and why.
While at a train crossing, a bus loaded with football players, cheerleaders and teachers is the scene to a terrifying event that haunts two of the main characters to this day. An unknown man enters the stopped bus and starts shooting. Among the chaos a young teacher is fatally shot and here the story begins. One of her students (and best friend) Claudia is by her side until her last breath. The unusually long train seems to never end and because of this the young teacher really stands no chance of surviving but during this time we experience the last thoughts of a dying person and the uncanny realizations that come too late to act upon. The beginning of each chapter captures these moments of clarity 10-years ago as BJ Remington's life is fading away.
In present day, Claudia is now married to an up and coming ADA, she is a mother and a woman going through the nightmare haunting her to this day of the unsolved murder of her friend BJ. Through a series of happenstance meetings, the three students most involved on the bus long ago are reunited and as a result the process of opening and solving this cold case comes to fruition.
Along the way, we follow these characters seeing their good side and not so good side. Each follows paths that will either lead them to happiness and faith or to the depths of despair.
This story has a number of twists and will keep you guessing (or at least in my case) up until the end when the final "ah ha" is revealed. Although I would definitely classify this as a Christian fiction it is not filled with a preachy style, it would be appealing to a wide variety of readers. One of the bonuses to having a faith based novel, is that a lot of the "fillers" some authors tend to use to fatten up their stories (unnecessary expletives, graphic scenes of a sexual nature, etc) just are not here and instead you get more of a storyteller version of a good story.
* This book was a gift through Goodreads.com giveaway. Thank you!
This story is told from the voice of several different characters and flashes back and forth between the time of the murder and present day, I actually like this style of writing. It gives us a bit more indepth feel for what is happening and why.
While at a train crossing, a bus loaded with football players, cheerleaders and teachers is the scene to a terrifying event that haunts two of the main characters to this day. An unknown man enters the stopped bus and starts shooting. Among the chaos a young teacher is fatally shot and here the story begins. One of her students (and best friend) Claudia is by her side until her last breath. The unusually long train seems to never end and because of this the young teacher really stands no chance of surviving but during this time we experience the last thoughts of a dying person and the uncanny realizations that come too late to act upon. The beginning of each chapter captures these moments of clarity 10-years ago as BJ Remington's life is fading away.
In present day, Claudia is now married to an up and coming ADA, she is a mother and a woman going through the nightmare haunting her to this day of the unsolved murder of her friend BJ. Through a series of happenstance meetings, the three students most involved on the bus long ago are reunited and as a result the process of opening and solving this cold case comes to fruition.
Along the way, we follow these characters seeing their good side and not so good side. Each follows paths that will either lead them to happiness and faith or to the depths of despair.
This story has a number of twists and will keep you guessing (or at least in my case) up until the end when the final "ah ha" is revealed. Although I would definitely classify this as a Christian fiction it is not filled with a preachy style, it would be appealing to a wide variety of readers. One of the bonuses to having a faith based novel, is that a lot of the "fillers" some authors tend to use to fatten up their stories (unnecessary expletives, graphic scenes of a sexual nature, etc) just are not here and instead you get more of a storyteller version of a good story.
* This book was a gift through Goodreads.com giveaway. Thank you!
May 25, 2012
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of The Crossing by Serita Jakes through Blogging For Books.
I absolutely loved this book for several reasons. The first reasoning being is because the book went back and forth between the viewpoints of B.J. (the teacher who was shot and killed), Claudia (B.J.'s close friend who was there the day B.J. was kill), Victor (Claudia's husband and the assistant district attorney), Casio (was shot the same day as B.J. and became a cop like his father), and Harper (Casio's on again/off again girlfriend). I love being able to read about each individual's point of views. For a writer to be able to show the feelings of multiple characters in a book is the sign of a really good writer in my opinion, and Serita Jakes does this very well.
I also liked how there were other different struggles each character was undergoing besides the bus crash that happened 10 years before.
The Crossing had a theme of Christianity around it, but I liked how it wasn't too strong. I really do not like books that force religion on you and this one didn't at all. Religion popped up several times, but I liked the way that Jakes talked about it and incorporated it into the story.
Another great part of this book was that there were so many secrets in this book that it kept you wanting to read more to find out about everybody's secrets. And another good thing about these secrets is that everyone's tied in together in the end.
This book made me cry several times because Jakes had this way of making me feel like I knew these characters and I had empathy for each and every one of them. I made not have agreed with a couple of actions by a couple characters (named Victor and Casio), but I could almost feel the pain that made them act the way they did.
Overall, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read this summer.
Disclaimer: I received the above book for free in return for my review. My opinions are completely my own though.
I absolutely loved this book for several reasons. The first reasoning being is because the book went back and forth between the viewpoints of B.J. (the teacher who was shot and killed), Claudia (B.J.'s close friend who was there the day B.J. was kill), Victor (Claudia's husband and the assistant district attorney), Casio (was shot the same day as B.J. and became a cop like his father), and Harper (Casio's on again/off again girlfriend). I love being able to read about each individual's point of views. For a writer to be able to show the feelings of multiple characters in a book is the sign of a really good writer in my opinion, and Serita Jakes does this very well.
I also liked how there were other different struggles each character was undergoing besides the bus crash that happened 10 years before.
The Crossing had a theme of Christianity around it, but I liked how it wasn't too strong. I really do not like books that force religion on you and this one didn't at all. Religion popped up several times, but I liked the way that Jakes talked about it and incorporated it into the story.
Another great part of this book was that there were so many secrets in this book that it kept you wanting to read more to find out about everybody's secrets. And another good thing about these secrets is that everyone's tied in together in the end.
This book made me cry several times because Jakes had this way of making me feel like I knew these characters and I had empathy for each and every one of them. I made not have agreed with a couple of actions by a couple characters (named Victor and Casio), but I could almost feel the pain that made them act the way they did.
Overall, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read this summer.
Disclaimer: I received the above book for free in return for my review. My opinions are completely my own though.
January 19, 2012
The Crossing by Serita Jakes is an intriguing and captivating story from the minute you start reading it. I happen to love novels which are fast paced. This book does not disappoint.
However, it isn't a light hearted book. The premise is about teacher and cheer leading coach by the name of B.J. Remington who was shot and murdered on a bus after a football game. Unfortunately, the murder wasn't solved. So her close friend's husband (an ADA) decided to reopen the case after a decade to bring closure for his wife Cynthia (B.J.'s student and close friend). Cynthia witnessed the murder that fateful night and thus suffered from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) as a result. The twists and turns of this murder investigation and all the relationships involved was suspenseful to say the least. The book also addressed another important topic; domestic violence.
I have to admit that this book surprised me. I really didn't think I would like it as much as I did. I literally couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know what would happen next. However, reading this book left me somber and thinking deeply about things. I happened to relate and identify with things that happened to some of the characters in this book. So, it brought up a lot of "stuff" for me to sort through, process and come to terms with in my own life. Yes, this book is written as fiction, however, I believe it's based on real life scenarios which can't be ignored and swept under a rug, but addressed for what they really are. This story doesn't have a happy ending, which is true to life as well.
I highly recommend this riveting and thought provoking book. I commend First Lady Serita Jakes for her courage in writing such a creative, relevant and poignant novel.
In conclusion, I want to thank Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers for sending me this complimentary book and for the opportunity to review it.
However, it isn't a light hearted book. The premise is about teacher and cheer leading coach by the name of B.J. Remington who was shot and murdered on a bus after a football game. Unfortunately, the murder wasn't solved. So her close friend's husband (an ADA) decided to reopen the case after a decade to bring closure for his wife Cynthia (B.J.'s student and close friend). Cynthia witnessed the murder that fateful night and thus suffered from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) as a result. The twists and turns of this murder investigation and all the relationships involved was suspenseful to say the least. The book also addressed another important topic; domestic violence.
I have to admit that this book surprised me. I really didn't think I would like it as much as I did. I literally couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know what would happen next. However, reading this book left me somber and thinking deeply about things. I happened to relate and identify with things that happened to some of the characters in this book. So, it brought up a lot of "stuff" for me to sort through, process and come to terms with in my own life. Yes, this book is written as fiction, however, I believe it's based on real life scenarios which can't be ignored and swept under a rug, but addressed for what they really are. This story doesn't have a happy ending, which is true to life as well.
I highly recommend this riveting and thought provoking book. I commend First Lady Serita Jakes for her courage in writing such a creative, relevant and poignant novel.
In conclusion, I want to thank Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers for sending me this complimentary book and for the opportunity to review it.
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