What do you think?
Rate this book
Crossroads Academy #1
Crossroads
When Katia enrolled at Crossroads Academy she knew things weren’t exactly going to be easy. The sole heir to the worlds’ most powerful vampire, her presence was bound to cause a stir. But nothing could have prepared her for this. Whispers follow everywhere she goes. So does trouble. Bodies start turning up in nearby Rutland and Katia is sucked into a twisted web of danger and deceit. Haunted by nightmares she can’t explain and a thirst for blood that is never sated, Katia will do whatever it takes to keep her past buried. Nothing at Crossroads is what it seems and Katia’s secrets may be the darkest of them all.
310 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2011
193 people are currently reading
2746 people want to read
About the author
J.J. Bonds
4 books209 followersJ.J. Bonds writes Young Adult Paranormal Romance and is the author of the bestselling Crossroads Academy series. J.J. lives in Pennsylvania where her overactive imagination and weakness for reality TV keep life interesting. She lives with her husband, two adorable (and sometimes crazy) children, and one rambunctious K9. Loves Buffy, Mexican food, the Winchester brothers, and all things zombie. Sings off-key.
You can also connect with J.J. at:
http://www.facebook.com/jjbondsfanpage
http://www.twitter.com/jjbondsauthor
You can also connect with J.J. at:
http://www.facebook.com/jjbondsfanpage
http://www.twitter.com/jjbondsauthor
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
January 4, 2013
This was a great book with an unexpected twist at the end. It had the whole Vampire Academy vibe to it, but the author made it her own.
I purchased this book on a whim based on the positive reviews of it. I didn’t have high expectations of it because we see these kinds of novels popping up a lot. Well, let me tell you that I was pleasantly surprised by Crossroads. Actually, I was more than pleasantly surprised. I was absolutely blown away! The premise of this book doesn't sound fresh: Girl has a tragic past, she goes away to an academy, she has private training lessons with a hot guy and she’s a vampire.
Really, though, this novel is a hundred per cent original. The main character, Katia, is antisocial and we find out that this is because she has experienced something in her past which has made her this way. We are left to wonder what it is, as Katia is very good at keeping her secret from everyone, including the reader. Believe me, I formulated numerous theories as to what her secret was. I didn’t even come close to guessing it. That’s how original Crossroads is.
I liked the hint of romance in the novel between Katia and Nik, but was glad that it took a long time for it to build up. I also loved how Katia is independent and not thinking about boys all the time. She is reserved and doesn’t have many friends and I’m glad we got to see a main character who is a social outcast by choice. By all means, she is not weak from it. She is so strong.
This didn’t seem like a self-published or debut novel. It was pretty much error-free and the writing flowed well. The execution was done like a pro and the only thing disappointing about the novel is that the sequel isn’t done yet. I want to read more from the Crossroads world and more from J.J. Bonds.
I paid 99 cents for this book. I would have happily paid a lot more money for it. Add this one to your TBR list, guys! You are going to love it!
I purchased this book on a whim based on the positive reviews of it. I didn’t have high expectations of it because we see these kinds of novels popping up a lot. Well, let me tell you that I was pleasantly surprised by Crossroads. Actually, I was more than pleasantly surprised. I was absolutely blown away! The premise of this book doesn't sound fresh: Girl has a tragic past, she goes away to an academy, she has private training lessons with a hot guy and she’s a vampire.
Really, though, this novel is a hundred per cent original. The main character, Katia, is antisocial and we find out that this is because she has experienced something in her past which has made her this way. We are left to wonder what it is, as Katia is very good at keeping her secret from everyone, including the reader. Believe me, I formulated numerous theories as to what her secret was. I didn’t even come close to guessing it. That’s how original Crossroads is.
I liked the hint of romance in the novel between Katia and Nik, but was glad that it took a long time for it to build up. I also loved how Katia is independent and not thinking about boys all the time. She is reserved and doesn’t have many friends and I’m glad we got to see a main character who is a social outcast by choice. By all means, she is not weak from it. She is so strong.
This didn’t seem like a self-published or debut novel. It was pretty much error-free and the writing flowed well. The execution was done like a pro and the only thing disappointing about the novel is that the sequel isn’t done yet. I want to read more from the Crossroads world and more from J.J. Bonds.
I paid 99 cents for this book. I would have happily paid a lot more money for it. Add this one to your TBR list, guys! You are going to love it!
November 25, 2012
Crossroads Academy is "the preeminent finishing school for society's leading youth." Except these youth drink blood, heal astonishingly quickly and can move with stunning speed. They're vampires.
Katia, the sole heir of Aldo - one of the most powerful vampires in the world - would like nothing better than to discard her past and live a long life of isolation and kicking ass. But when Aldo enrols her at Crossroads, she grudgingly attends...making a silent resolution not to be the weak, naive and helpless Katia she used to be. No one will get through her defences.
Crossroads presents many challenges - for instance, Jade and her witchy cronies, with their fiery gossip, and other challenges in the form of re-occurring nightmares of burning rooms and being hunted through dark forests. Some may just appear in the form of the gorgeous and charismatic Nickolai Petrov, who seems adamant in his intentions to uncover the mystery that is Katia.
But something is boiling beneath the icy facade of the vampire school, and Katia will be forced to relive her very worst nightmares. In the flesh.
Katia, the sole heir of Aldo - one of the most powerful vampires in the world - would like nothing better than to discard her past and live a long life of isolation and kicking ass. But when Aldo enrols her at Crossroads, she grudgingly attends...making a silent resolution not to be the weak, naive and helpless Katia she used to be. No one will get through her defences.
Crossroads presents many challenges - for instance, Jade and her witchy cronies, with their fiery gossip, and other challenges in the form of re-occurring nightmares of burning rooms and being hunted through dark forests. Some may just appear in the form of the gorgeous and charismatic Nickolai Petrov, who seems adamant in his intentions to uncover the mystery that is Katia.
But something is boiling beneath the icy facade of the vampire school, and Katia will be forced to relive her very worst nightmares. In the flesh.
July 16, 2013
Book:1 The Crossroads Academy series Book#1 and #2 follows seventeen year old Katia who is the new girl at an exclusive boarding called CrossRoads Academy. The only thing Katia wishes to do is to study hard and train for one reason, to make her Uncle Aldo proud. Katia does not want to make friends, desiring to remain under the radar. Katia has a painful past and a dark secret and to protect not only herself but those she loves, she attempts to keep her distance. This proves difficult as she meets the very gorgeous Nikolai and the quirky, vivacious Shaye. Both become someone she cares for and one of the first she has to protect when her past catches up with her. There are murders happening in the town,and her friends wishes to fight by her side. Katia knows that ultimately it is her fight alone.
Book:2 Katia must once again face danger once, to save something she never expected to have- a friend. Now the dangers are not just from Katia’s past but a present danger that threatens her entire world.
I happened to come across this series while surfing Amazon. The incredible covers caught my eyes first. Then the blurb caused me to hit the click button. I found the story very interesting; there was a steady build at the start of the story creating the world that Katia now found herself in. Plus the author plants the seeds of suspense, that keeps the reader turning the page. Katia has a secret and the author does an incredible job of maintaining the thrill throughout the entire book.The reader does not discover until the end, right alone with the characters Katias secret! Oh my goodness that almost drove me crazy!:O) I was on pins and needles the entire time wondering WHAT was it about this girl? What is she hiding? Why? and What will happen now?
It was wonderful twist on not only does she meet the boy of her dreams at the beginning, within the first few pages. She spends half the book, not sure if she really likes him! Wow, no love at first sight!:O) I found that little twist fun, because poor Nikolai, as hot and charming as he was, had to gain Katia’s trust by being a friend first and showing his mettle!This touch of realism made the eventuality of their being together(oops! I hope I did not spoil it:) much more realistic and their devotion authentic.
The pace started slow and steady, a wonderful build up, and then once it took off then there was no holds barred on action which carried right into the next book Red Dawn. Where all is pretty much established now the group is solidified, and each of the member’s talents are being shown. This makes me believe that this series is going from, just a new girl goes to school has a secret finds a hot guy and then all is solved and well! No! It has now fleshed into much more and takes these kids on an adventure into the Big Easy, yes one of my favorite places New Orleans!
The second book is action from the start and stays steady, flowing well into the great ending. I am looking forward to the next because I can see a long successful series, due to the direction the author has taken with these characters, as they fight not only for their friend’s life but now their very existence as a people!
Well written, fun, entertaining a must read for lovers of the supernatural, and paranormal reads. Appropriate for Teens 14 and up due to mild fantasy violence.
CrossRoads Academy Booktrailer!
Book:2 Katia must once again face danger once, to save something she never expected to have- a friend. Now the dangers are not just from Katia’s past but a present danger that threatens her entire world.
I happened to come across this series while surfing Amazon. The incredible covers caught my eyes first. Then the blurb caused me to hit the click button. I found the story very interesting; there was a steady build at the start of the story creating the world that Katia now found herself in. Plus the author plants the seeds of suspense, that keeps the reader turning the page. Katia has a secret and the author does an incredible job of maintaining the thrill throughout the entire book.The reader does not discover until the end, right alone with the characters Katias secret! Oh my goodness that almost drove me crazy!:O) I was on pins and needles the entire time wondering WHAT was it about this girl? What is she hiding? Why? and What will happen now?
It was wonderful twist on not only does she meet the boy of her dreams at the beginning, within the first few pages. She spends half the book, not sure if she really likes him! Wow, no love at first sight!:O) I found that little twist fun, because poor Nikolai, as hot and charming as he was, had to gain Katia’s trust by being a friend first and showing his mettle!This touch of realism made the eventuality of their being together(oops! I hope I did not spoil it:) much more realistic and their devotion authentic.
The pace started slow and steady, a wonderful build up, and then once it took off then there was no holds barred on action which carried right into the next book Red Dawn. Where all is pretty much established now the group is solidified, and each of the member’s talents are being shown. This makes me believe that this series is going from, just a new girl goes to school has a secret finds a hot guy and then all is solved and well! No! It has now fleshed into much more and takes these kids on an adventure into the Big Easy, yes one of my favorite places New Orleans!
The second book is action from the start and stays steady, flowing well into the great ending. I am looking forward to the next because I can see a long successful series, due to the direction the author has taken with these characters, as they fight not only for their friend’s life but now their very existence as a people!
Well written, fun, entertaining a must read for lovers of the supernatural, and paranormal reads. Appropriate for Teens 14 and up due to mild fantasy violence.
CrossRoads Academy Booktrailer!
July 16, 2013
I don't think I've ever rolled my eyes at a book so much. I'm relieved it's over, to be honest. I might be being harsh here but I really didn't enjoy it.
What made this book so hard for me to read was the main character, Katia. Oh my god was she miserable. Yeah, I get it, you have a traumatic back story but god. Katia was never happy about anything. She joined Crossroads, a school for vampires, and was horrible to everyone, hated everyone and didn't even TRY. It got to the point where I preferred the “bully” of the story, Jade, because I think I would hate Katia too if I had to meet her.
I didn't understand what Nicolai (the perfect, boring love interest) even saw in her. She was nothing but horrible to him. She showed a hint of niceness to her one friend, Shayne, which was a relief because Shayne was actually nice and interesting, but that was about it.
The relationship between Katia and Nicolai was pretty obvious and pretty poor. I didn't care about either of them. Katia was a whine. Nicolai... well I didn't really see much of his character. I didn't exactly know who he was. Their relationship wasn't strongly featured in the book but when it was I just didn't get it.
The plot... well, it was pretty non-existent until the last 80% and then when it did make an appearance I knew what was going to happen because it was all so obvious. I just wanted it to end. The pacing also seemed really jumpy at times.
Gaaaaaah. No, this book was not for me. I'd give it one star but I only give one stars to books that are truly terrible with absolutely no redeeming qualities to speak of (*coughs* Twilight *coughs*) This wasn't THAT bad. I kind of liked Shayne and Katia's guardian, Aldo. There was a bit of mystery in there too. I liked the vampire thing. However, those points didn't make up for the book itself.
What made this book so hard for me to read was the main character, Katia. Oh my god was she miserable. Yeah, I get it, you have a traumatic back story but god. Katia was never happy about anything. She joined Crossroads, a school for vampires, and was horrible to everyone, hated everyone and didn't even TRY. It got to the point where I preferred the “bully” of the story, Jade, because I think I would hate Katia too if I had to meet her.
I didn't understand what Nicolai (the perfect, boring love interest) even saw in her. She was nothing but horrible to him. She showed a hint of niceness to her one friend, Shayne, which was a relief because Shayne was actually nice and interesting, but that was about it.
The relationship between Katia and Nicolai was pretty obvious and pretty poor. I didn't care about either of them. Katia was a whine. Nicolai... well I didn't really see much of his character. I didn't exactly know who he was. Their relationship wasn't strongly featured in the book but when it was I just didn't get it.
The plot... well, it was pretty non-existent until the last 80% and then when it did make an appearance I knew what was going to happen because it was all so obvious. I just wanted it to end. The pacing also seemed really jumpy at times.
Gaaaaaah. No, this book was not for me. I'd give it one star but I only give one stars to books that are truly terrible with absolutely no redeeming qualities to speak of (*coughs* Twilight *coughs*) This wasn't THAT bad. I kind of liked Shayne and Katia's guardian, Aldo. There was a bit of mystery in there too. I liked the vampire thing. However, those points didn't make up for the book itself.
April 23, 2012
Boarding schools, I'm so there. Once I started this book, I thought I knew what I was getting into. I did not. This book completely took me by surprised with elements I did not see coming.
What hooked my about this book is the plot line. A young girl getting sent to a boarding school And not just any boarding school, but a private one with nothing but vampires. On top of that, Katia is not all what she seems. I thought I knew her and knew where the plot is going when suddenly it took a twist revealing a secret I did not see. This was the best part of the book since I was taken back by it.
Now the character Katia. She is my type of gal. She doesn't take crap for nothing, doesn't rely on anyone and doesn't trust more than she can throw them. Her smart remarks always made me snicker. I love her attitude towards anyone who try to come close to her. She is guarded but learn to trust very carefully.
The love interest is particularly enjoyed cause I like to see the guy work for it. He kept coming at her and she just kept turning him down. I admire his ambition to get close to her and knowing that he was trying so hard made it seem liked he really cared. He is set out to show her that actions speak louder than words and that folks, stole my heart.
Crossroads is rare story that everyone should read. Despite what you have read before Crossroads will change your mind about what you knew about vampires. The is no meddling but really just getting down and dirty to the solid facts. Crossroads is an epic story that really I don't want to share. It just soo good!
What hooked my about this book is the plot line. A young girl getting sent to a boarding school And not just any boarding school, but a private one with nothing but vampires. On top of that, Katia is not all what she seems. I thought I knew her and knew where the plot is going when suddenly it took a twist revealing a secret I did not see. This was the best part of the book since I was taken back by it.
Now the character Katia. She is my type of gal. She doesn't take crap for nothing, doesn't rely on anyone and doesn't trust more than she can throw them. Her smart remarks always made me snicker. I love her attitude towards anyone who try to come close to her. She is guarded but learn to trust very carefully.
The love interest is particularly enjoyed cause I like to see the guy work for it. He kept coming at her and she just kept turning him down. I admire his ambition to get close to her and knowing that he was trying so hard made it seem liked he really cared. He is set out to show her that actions speak louder than words and that folks, stole my heart.
Crossroads is rare story that everyone should read. Despite what you have read before Crossroads will change your mind about what you knew about vampires. The is no meddling but really just getting down and dirty to the solid facts. Crossroads is an epic story that really I don't want to share. It just soo good!
December 6, 2018
Crossroads begins when Katia is forced to attend by her uncle. He thinks it will do her some good to be around other vampires and to learn things. But they both know it won't be easy. However, Katia never expected to have to deal with the publicity and craziness of it either. Also, humans seem to be dying and it could be one of the vampires killing them. Now, every one is on edge, and Katia's secrets may start to come out.
This book was actually pretty good. I really enjoyed the main character. She had a lot of weird humor, but she's also very loyal to those she loves, and she was brave. I loved that. I also love the few people she decided to consider friends as well. They were pretty awesome.
Then the whole plot line was very interesting, and I enjoyed the whole thing. I now look forward to reading more in this series.
This book was actually pretty good. I really enjoyed the main character. She had a lot of weird humor, but she's also very loyal to those she loves, and she was brave. I loved that. I also love the few people she decided to consider friends as well. They were pretty awesome.
Then the whole plot line was very interesting, and I enjoyed the whole thing. I now look forward to reading more in this series.
February 7, 2017
I wasn't sure how much I was going to like this book. I've been in a paranormal slump. I just haven't enjoyed many lately but thankfully this was a good read. It was quick and the story kept me intrigued. I will definitely have to check out the rest of the trilogy.
March 2, 2015
So, this book was one of those books that I kinda loved, and yet kinda didn't. It's hard to explain, so I will try in the best way that I can.
My biggest thing that I didn't like about this book was the way in which J.J. Bonds wrote Katia. Specifically making her hate herself so much because of what happened in her past, but never actually saying what had happened. I found that between that, her angst at her Uncle Aldo for not telling her something that was seemingly unimportant until the last couple of chapters when the big reveal comes, the dreams/nightmares that she was having, and the fact that Anya was specifically told to keep an eye on her (which we know at the beginning of the book), led this whole book to be a bit confusing to me. For example, it started off talking about how the vampire child's thirst (a vampire that is born one, not bitten) kicks in during their teens, like during puberty and so they get sent to Crossroads to learn control. We know a few things at the beginning of the book about Katia (none of which are spoilers as they are either in the blurb about the book or in the first few chapters): she's seventeen, her parents are dead, she is the niece of the Vampire leader, and something bad happened to make it suddenly necessary for her to go to Crossroads a good 5 or so years after most would have already started there. And we never find out that bad thing until the very end, whenever it gets mentioned, Bonds has Katia immediately cut herself off. At first I thought that maybe her bloodlust came in a little late and she killed people at her old school, but she never actually thinks about it. I know that personally, if something bad happens in my life, even if I don't want to think about it, I can't actually stop myself, and I'm 27, yet Katia (a teenage girl of whom I know has a billion emotions as teenagers are going through hormonal changes during that time) has the perfect control to be like o I don't want to think about this at all. Yeah right. And then, Katia finds out from a turned vampire about a specific thing to do with the turning of a vampire, and Katia is all "Aldo didn't tell me, I must know everything about this" and proceeds to obsess over it. This obsession didn't get explained, as I said previously, until the end of the book, and while it then proceeded to make a lot of sense, I found that it was really annoying to not be given anything. Especially because they continued to say that she was safe at Crossroads, but there was never anything to make me think that she wouldn't be safe outside Crossroads, especially since she had off-campus privileges. At the very end, when everything was revealed I was like "yeah, she is only safe at Crossroads, but then why did Aldo let her have off-campus privileges?" It makes no sense. Also, not telling her about it, made it more dangerous to her. And a lot of people would probably like the fact that this was kept hidden until the end, I just found that it was overly confusing and shouldn't have been kept hidden because of her attitude.
She was overly rude to everybody throughout the entire novel, it was her rudeness that caused the issues with Jade, who seemed nice, but after interacting with Katia decided she didn't like her. And while some might be like Katia didn't deserve Jade's hate, Katia was mean and rude to Jade when she could've been nice. She was rude to Nik, the love interest, Anya, Shaye (who ended up being her only friend, and still Katia was rude to her several times). She was basically only nice to Aldo and Lissette (her aunt). And from the few things Katia let slip about her past, she wasn't prior to the big nasty thing that had occurred, but due to the fact that Katia never let what actually happen slip, I never found her attitude to be justified, and felt that she got a lot of good attention which she didn't deserve. I never could understand Nik's interest in her since she continuously attempts to hurt him in any way she can. I did like how he called her on her attitude all the time, and I respect that she did own up to her rudeness and admitted it. There was a time that he kissed her, and she, prior to the kiss kept saying how much she wanted him to kiss her, and then kissed him back but then suddenly is all don't kiss me and slaps him. As if he had taken advantage of her, when she obviously wanted it to begin with. Gah. I don't think he deserved the slap. She had already pushed him away at that point. Seemed like a massive overreaction, and more like she had wanted to slap herself.
I was not a fan of how Nik seemed to be turning a blind eye towards his friends. There were several times when they were being rude or nasty and he didn't really do anything about it. Although he did snap at them a few times during the book and did talk to them to have them back off. When Anya attempted to explain Nik's motives, I got that he keeps his promises, but still didn't understand why he would be friends with them. Confusing to say the least. This never gets fleshed out at all during this whole book.
However, aside from these issues that I had, I found it to be generally ok. I could've been better, but I felt that the writing was good, the characters, aside from a few minor details, were generally good, and the plot was good. I just felt that the confusion throughout the book made it hard to get into, I didn't like how Blaine wasn't punished more, certain things should have been said previous to the end of the book. However I did like that the romance wasn't rushed, and that once again, while you can tell Nik and Katia will be together, they are still in the beginning stages at the end of the book. Other than a few things that are mentioned in the spoiler section of my review, the book ties up nicely and could very well be a stand alone novel, except for the fact that there are 2 other books online to buy. I personally will probably not continue with this book, as there were things that bothered me too much (although now that they have been revealed, her attitude might be better and I may actually enjoy the rest of the books), and paying for them on kindle is just too much for me. As I've said before, I find the ebook pricing too much, but this one was free on Amazon so I gave it a go. If books 2 and 3 were on for $.99 I probably would invest, but they are at least $3 and I don't think the ebook price is worth that, although maybe they will be better than the first, in which case, they might be more worth it. Not sure. I'll read the books on my list of novels I want to buy and read, and after all of those, if I'm still thinking about this one, I may decide to purchase the next books in this series. But since the problems I had with this novel mainly get cleared up at the end, the next ones in the series might be good, due to the fact that my main reason for not continuing is the fact that they are only available on ebook, and due to people having different tastes, don't not read these books because of my opinion. You might enjoy them better than me.
My biggest thing that I didn't like about this book was the way in which J.J. Bonds wrote Katia. Specifically making her hate herself so much because of what happened in her past, but never actually saying what had happened. I found that between that, her angst at her Uncle Aldo for not telling her something that was seemingly unimportant until the last couple of chapters when the big reveal comes, the dreams/nightmares that she was having, and the fact that Anya was specifically told to keep an eye on her (which we know at the beginning of the book), led this whole book to be a bit confusing to me. For example, it started off talking about how the vampire child's thirst (a vampire that is born one, not bitten) kicks in during their teens, like during puberty and so they get sent to Crossroads to learn control. We know a few things at the beginning of the book about Katia (none of which are spoilers as they are either in the blurb about the book or in the first few chapters): she's seventeen, her parents are dead, she is the niece of the Vampire leader, and something bad happened to make it suddenly necessary for her to go to Crossroads a good 5 or so years after most would have already started there. And we never find out that bad thing until the very end, whenever it gets mentioned, Bonds has Katia immediately cut herself off. At first I thought that maybe her bloodlust came in a little late and she killed people at her old school, but she never actually thinks about it. I know that personally, if something bad happens in my life, even if I don't want to think about it, I can't actually stop myself, and I'm 27, yet Katia (a teenage girl of whom I know has a billion emotions as teenagers are going through hormonal changes during that time) has the perfect control to be like o I don't want to think about this at all. Yeah right. And then, Katia finds out from a turned vampire about a specific thing to do with the turning of a vampire, and Katia is all "Aldo didn't tell me, I must know everything about this" and proceeds to obsess over it. This obsession didn't get explained, as I said previously, until the end of the book, and while it then proceeded to make a lot of sense, I found that it was really annoying to not be given anything. Especially because they continued to say that she was safe at Crossroads, but there was never anything to make me think that she wouldn't be safe outside Crossroads, especially since she had off-campus privileges. At the very end, when everything was revealed I was like "yeah, she is only safe at Crossroads, but then why did Aldo let her have off-campus privileges?" It makes no sense. Also, not telling her about it, made it more dangerous to her. And a lot of people would probably like the fact that this was kept hidden until the end, I just found that it was overly confusing and shouldn't have been kept hidden because of her attitude.
She was overly rude to everybody throughout the entire novel, it was her rudeness that caused the issues with Jade, who seemed nice, but after interacting with Katia decided she didn't like her. And while some might be like Katia didn't deserve Jade's hate, Katia was mean and rude to Jade when she could've been nice. She was rude to Nik, the love interest, Anya, Shaye (who ended up being her only friend, and still Katia was rude to her several times). She was basically only nice to Aldo and Lissette (her aunt). And from the few things Katia let slip about her past, she wasn't prior to the big nasty thing that had occurred, but due to the fact that Katia never let what actually happen slip, I never found her attitude to be justified, and felt that she got a lot of good attention which she didn't deserve. I never could understand Nik's interest in her since she continuously attempts to hurt him in any way she can. I did like how he called her on her attitude all the time, and I respect that she did own up to her rudeness and admitted it. There was a time that he kissed her, and she, prior to the kiss kept saying how much she wanted him to kiss her, and then kissed him back but then suddenly is all don't kiss me and slaps him. As if he had taken advantage of her, when she obviously wanted it to begin with. Gah. I don't think he deserved the slap. She had already pushed him away at that point. Seemed like a massive overreaction, and more like she had wanted to slap herself.
I was not a fan of how Nik seemed to be turning a blind eye towards his friends. There were several times when they were being rude or nasty and he didn't really do anything about it. Although he did snap at them a few times during the book and did talk to them to have them back off. When Anya attempted to explain Nik's motives, I got that he keeps his promises, but still didn't understand why he would be friends with them. Confusing to say the least. This never gets fleshed out at all during this whole book.
However, aside from these issues that I had, I found it to be generally ok. I could've been better, but I felt that the writing was good, the characters, aside from a few minor details, were generally good, and the plot was good. I just felt that the confusion throughout the book made it hard to get into, I didn't like how Blaine wasn't punished more, certain things should have been said previous to the end of the book. However I did like that the romance wasn't rushed, and that once again, while you can tell Nik and Katia will be together, they are still in the beginning stages at the end of the book. Other than a few things that are mentioned in the spoiler section of my review, the book ties up nicely and could very well be a stand alone novel, except for the fact that there are 2 other books online to buy. I personally will probably not continue with this book, as there were things that bothered me too much (although now that they have been revealed, her attitude might be better and I may actually enjoy the rest of the books), and paying for them on kindle is just too much for me. As I've said before, I find the ebook pricing too much, but this one was free on Amazon so I gave it a go. If books 2 and 3 were on for $.99 I probably would invest, but they are at least $3 and I don't think the ebook price is worth that, although maybe they will be better than the first, in which case, they might be more worth it. Not sure. I'll read the books on my list of novels I want to buy and read, and after all of those, if I'm still thinking about this one, I may decide to purchase the next books in this series. But since the problems I had with this novel mainly get cleared up at the end, the next ones in the series might be good, due to the fact that my main reason for not continuing is the fact that they are only available on ebook, and due to people having different tastes, don't not read these books because of my opinion. You might enjoy them better than me.
January 18, 2012
More reviews at Rondo of a Possible World: YA Book Reviews
After the Vampire tend started to die down in YA literature I began to peek my head out of the proverbial hidey-hole. Bouncing back into the subgenre, J.J. Bonds made my re-entrance a grand one. Crossroads gave me a confident feel once more for the lore of Vampires.
Going into this novel I had a tinge of Vampire Academy mixed with Vampire Knight going on along side me. The concept of bring vampires into a schooling facility to train them for the roads ahead of them was a big hit for me and allowed for my interest to peek towards this certain novel. Though the "new girl" tactic in literature is overused I did happened to enjoy the world that Ms. Bonds created. If you are a fan of the Vampire Academy series or even gotten your hands dirtied with the manga Vampire Knight, I definitely recommend this into your to-read piles.
After reading Legend by Marie Lu, I had a present tense fixation and J.J. Bonds definitely fulfilled my craving, and stocking up on a kick ass main protagonist, Katia, also filled my appetite. So far so good Ms. Bonds, you already got me back to liking vampires and you have your novel in present tense, I think I might be falling in love. Oh wait, Nikolai has already taken my heart with his witty banter and snarky attitude. With Nik and Katia, you have a dynamic duo of whoop ass going on. Definitely a check mark next to "badass protags."
This novel was a wonderful jump back into the waters of vampires and I was glad to have a chance to read it. With the addition Romanian terms towards the vampires, things were hard to remember at first but it was a interesting concept to grasp at. I am anticipating an exciting sequel with some more but kicking Katia and some dead-sexy Nik in the future.
After the Vampire tend started to die down in YA literature I began to peek my head out of the proverbial hidey-hole. Bouncing back into the subgenre, J.J. Bonds made my re-entrance a grand one. Crossroads gave me a confident feel once more for the lore of Vampires.
Going into this novel I had a tinge of Vampire Academy mixed with Vampire Knight going on along side me. The concept of bring vampires into a schooling facility to train them for the roads ahead of them was a big hit for me and allowed for my interest to peek towards this certain novel. Though the "new girl" tactic in literature is overused I did happened to enjoy the world that Ms. Bonds created. If you are a fan of the Vampire Academy series or even gotten your hands dirtied with the manga Vampire Knight, I definitely recommend this into your to-read piles.
After reading Legend by Marie Lu, I had a present tense fixation and J.J. Bonds definitely fulfilled my craving, and stocking up on a kick ass main protagonist, Katia, also filled my appetite. So far so good Ms. Bonds, you already got me back to liking vampires and you have your novel in present tense, I think I might be falling in love. Oh wait, Nikolai has already taken my heart with his witty banter and snarky attitude. With Nik and Katia, you have a dynamic duo of whoop ass going on. Definitely a check mark next to "badass protags."
This novel was a wonderful jump back into the waters of vampires and I was glad to have a chance to read it. With the addition Romanian terms towards the vampires, things were hard to remember at first but it was a interesting concept to grasp at. I am anticipating an exciting sequel with some more but kicking Katia and some dead-sexy Nik in the future.
August 30, 2012
Katia is starting a new chapter of her life at Crossroads Academy with a heavy secret weighing on her. She will not get close enough to anyone for them to figure it out. But as we all know kids can be downright ruthless. And the spoiled kids at Crossroads are no different. Sure they are interested in who Katia is and the mystery surrounding her but not enough where they will be sweet and welcoming. So when one girl is nice to Katia, it takes some time to form a friendship and open up to her. It seems that Katia is not the only one with secrets....
Crossroads was a pretty good story, not mind blowing, but good. I really enjoyed Bond's take on Vampires and enjoyed her writing style. In a way, the story reminded me of the Vampire Academy series. You have that boarding school setting and a female lead character that is all about learning to fight and defend herself. But why does she need to defend herself? Could it be the mystery secret she is hiding from everyone?
Katia's character is more of a keep to herself kind of girl...and with her keeping everyone at arms length I felt she was keeping me at arms length too. In fact I felt no real attachment to her at all. I liked Nik's character a little more, but again I felt no real connection to him either. I just couldn't get that good feel on who they really were. Hopefully with the way the story ended, the characters in Red Dawn will be a little more open and showing us more of themselves. . I do hope for a little more romance in Red Dawn…cause I love me a good romance. And Crossroads really didn’t have it in my opinion.
But with that said I look forward to reading book 2 and finding out what will happen next with Katia. When the secret is finally revealed at the the end it is pretty interesting and is a huge game changer for the rest of the series.
Crossroads was a pretty good story, not mind blowing, but good. I really enjoyed Bond's take on Vampires and enjoyed her writing style. In a way, the story reminded me of the Vampire Academy series. You have that boarding school setting and a female lead character that is all about learning to fight and defend herself. But why does she need to defend herself? Could it be the mystery secret she is hiding from everyone?
Katia's character is more of a keep to herself kind of girl...and with her keeping everyone at arms length I felt she was keeping me at arms length too. In fact I felt no real attachment to her at all. I liked Nik's character a little more, but again I felt no real connection to him either. I just couldn't get that good feel on who they really were. Hopefully with the way the story ended, the characters in Red Dawn will be a little more open and showing us more of themselves. . I do hope for a little more romance in Red Dawn…cause I love me a good romance. And Crossroads really didn’t have it in my opinion.
But with that said I look forward to reading book 2 and finding out what will happen next with Katia. When the secret is finally revealed at the the end it is pretty interesting and is a huge game changer for the rest of the series.
January 9, 2012
High school is hard for everyone, vampires included. Throw in the fact that this a stuck up private school and things are even more bloodier. Katia is the new student, with family ties to a very powerful vampire but all she wants is to go unnoticed. But there is always that one girl or group of girls in high school that just loves to make someone's life a living hell. And let's not forget there is always a hot guy, Nikolai.
Yes it all sounds very high schoolish but it's not that bad of a read. If you like Vampire Academy series you will like the vamps that Bonds has created in her Crossroads Academy trilogy. There are a few similarities between the two series. But I think Crossroads has a little more mystery to it.
In Bonds' world there are two kinds of vampires. Pure bloods, born vampires and the mixed bloods, humans that were turned. The mixed bloods are seen as second class. They both drink blood; human or animal. But most prefer to drink their blood from donated blood and not directly from the source. It's not that the vampires value human life it's more that they don't want to draw attention to their kind.
I really enjoyed reading J.J. Bonds' debut novel, Crossroads. If you are in the mood for a high school based vampire mystery with a touch of romance give it a try. I'm very curious to see what turns the trilogy takes with the next two books.
[image error]
Yes it all sounds very high schoolish but it's not that bad of a read. If you like Vampire Academy series you will like the vamps that Bonds has created in her Crossroads Academy trilogy. There are a few similarities between the two series. But I think Crossroads has a little more mystery to it.
In Bonds' world there are two kinds of vampires. Pure bloods, born vampires and the mixed bloods, humans that were turned. The mixed bloods are seen as second class. They both drink blood; human or animal. But most prefer to drink their blood from donated blood and not directly from the source. It's not that the vampires value human life it's more that they don't want to draw attention to their kind.
I really enjoyed reading J.J. Bonds' debut novel, Crossroads. If you are in the mood for a high school based vampire mystery with a touch of romance give it a try. I'm very curious to see what turns the trilogy takes with the next two books.
[image error]
May 26, 2012
I'm a big fan of vampire boarding schools books but I couldn't get into the novel at all. The characters seemed very flat and boring. The main character is very anti social but does open up after a while. Katia also has a big secret that she feels she can't share with anyone. I was curious to find out what that big secret was but not enough to continue the novel. I read in other reviews that it does gets better and that there is a big twist towards the end but my lack of interest in the characters has made it difficult to even want to finish it. I did kind of like Shaye though but even she couldn't keep me glued to this novel.
February 9, 2012
This was a surprisingly great read! There was just enough question to keep me reading but didn't discourage me. The main character, Katia, is very likable and I'm excited to see where her and Nik go. The Counsel is also intriguing. I also liked the lore behind the school and such. There wasn't a whole lot of "WTF is that all about?" I will most definitely look for the sequel
November 21, 2011
Very good read! As I delved into the debut of the Crossroads trilogy, I found I could not put the book down. Very well written and the characters were fleshed out nicely. I will definately be looking forward to the next book in this series!
December 12, 2011
While I was reading was dying to know this girl's story, one of those books you can stay up all night reading and not realize it.
December 6, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were so easy to love! I am very excited for book two to be released!
July 27, 2012
Great read! Full review to come.
January 8, 2012
I was pleasantly surprised at hows much I enjoyed this book. There were some interesting twists and I really enjoyed the characters.
January 25, 2012
AMAZING!
December 28, 2015
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
December 13, 2024
This is a weird one… a whole bunch of nothing happens until the end and you get very little throughout beyond Katia just being a bitch for no apparent reason (and she also says the same things over and over and over again). There was an attempt to make the mean kids pick on Katia which felt forced every time and then Katia was a punk to some of teachers and staff for no obvious reason. It was just artificially strange. Then finally, when something happens (a random human child goes missing nearby but like why are we even supposed to care?!?), it’s this big production even though it also doesn’t make sense. When you do finally find out how everything converges, it feels forced.
June 22, 2017
It's been a while since I read a book where the heroine isn't stupid enough to keep questioning everything but neither is stupid enough to believe everyone. Nor was the heroine one of those who keeps crying for everything, and with everything I mean literally EVERY. SINGLE. THING. This book was a fresh air for me. The heroine, Katia, wasn't exactly perfect but I liked her, even though I shouldn't have.
December 1, 2019
It's good for a vampire story. I could have done without the typical mean girl duo that tends to plague school storys,but other than that,I truly enjoyed it. That's not to say there are no things to improve upon. Let's just say that I liked the setting, the characters, the plot and ending. There are no cliffhanger, nothing to push the reader to continue with series,basically you can read it as standalone and be overall satisfied. I will however continue on,just because I want more ...
April 22, 2025
A fun read
This book was so much fun. Throughout the whole thing, J.J. bonds was good at foreshadowing enough that I was going to “did I miss something”. Others might both find that nice but it was satisfying when the big reveal happened but clear enough that you could pick up the twist.
My only reason for not giving it 5 stars is the fact that I found the ending a little bit rushed. The mystery of what was happening could’ve been drawn out a little bit.
This book was so much fun. Throughout the whole thing, J.J. bonds was good at foreshadowing enough that I was going to “did I miss something”. Others might both find that nice but it was satisfying when the big reveal happened but clear enough that you could pick up the twist.
My only reason for not giving it 5 stars is the fact that I found the ending a little bit rushed. The mystery of what was happening could’ve been drawn out a little bit.
July 7, 2017
This book felt like a really long introduction. I was waiting for it to pick up right up until the end when I realised that this was 'it'. I took an instant dislike to Katia, the main character. The implied tough past, which was hinted at but was incredibly obvious, didn't excuse that she was a bit of a bitch. She was super negative and judgemental. I just didn't click with this one.
August 18, 2019
Okay but not much oomph
Well, I finished it. I loved Katia's attitude and personality, but nothing happened that had me at the edge of my seat until the ending. And I was almost left thinking halfway through, what's the point of the story thus far? It does finally come 80% of the way in but it was just lackluster for me. I finished it, liked the main character. That was it.
Well, I finished it. I loved Katia's attitude and personality, but nothing happened that had me at the edge of my seat until the ending. And I was almost left thinking halfway through, what's the point of the story thus far? It does finally come 80% of the way in but it was just lackluster for me. I finished it, liked the main character. That was it.
November 16, 2018
It's okay
The book was very slow going. While I didn't ever think of not finishing it, it just wasn't all that exciting. It could have used more drama and action, training sessions weren't enough.
The book was very slow going. While I didn't ever think of not finishing it, it just wasn't all that exciting. It could have used more drama and action, training sessions weren't enough.
September 12, 2021
Boring
Got like 7 chapters in before I gave up. I was falling asleep throughout. It had some promise, but I feel like it was more suited to be a second book, because Katia's back story seemed a tiny bit more appealing than what was going on.
Got like 7 chapters in before I gave up. I was falling asleep throughout. It had some promise, but I feel like it was more suited to be a second book, because Katia's back story seemed a tiny bit more appealing than what was going on.
March 30, 2022
It's okay.
Started off really boring but got better towards the end. I'm interested to see how the series continues since this one seemed to be able to end the series without questions.
Started off really boring but got better towards the end. I'm interested to see how the series continues since this one seemed to be able to end the series without questions.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews