TITLE: Crossroads
AUTHOR: Laurel Hightower
GENRE: Horror
AGE RANGE: Adult
PAGES: 110pg
How far would you go to bring back someone you love?
When Chris’s son dies in a tragic car crash, her world is devastated. The walls of grief close in on Chris’s life until, one day, a small cut on her finger changes everything.
A drop of blood falls from Chris’s hand onto her son’s roadside memorial and, later that night, Chris thinks she sees his ghost outside her window. Only, is it really her son’s ghost, or is it something else—something evil?
Soon Chris is playing a dangerous game with forces beyond her control in a bid to see her son, Trey, alive once again.
The first time Chris buried a part of herself by her son’s roadside cross, it was an accident.
Sometimes, horror is about jump scares, blood and viscera, torture, agony. Sometimes, it’s about unsettling legends, looming creatures in the night, vicious entities out for revenge. And sometimes, as in Crossroads, it’s about making you come face to face with the most nightmarish, suffocating outcome you could possibly imagine — and the realization that, if forced to trade places with that protagonist, you’d consider those same desperate, unspeakable measures, too.
Crossroads plays equally well the parts of an eerie horror story and a tragic ghost tale, but what it does best of all is depict the imminent and unstoppable descent that befalls so many parents who lose their children. It was absolutely brilliant, terrifying, and heartbreaking. Watching Chris make the worst possible decisions, yet knowing that, if I were in her shoes as a mother, I’d do anything, too — there’s something very real and horrific about that, yet I couldn’t look away, because alongside all of this hurt and fear comes a gorgeous, powerful writing style and a sense of looming dread that had me tense, on the edge of my seat until the very last page.
Whether you’re a parent or not, Crossroads is an absolutely stunning ghost story full of grief and rage and fear and dread, and it shook me to my core. It’s been days since I finished this little book and I haven’t been able to stop dwelling on it since closing the final page because it was just so damn good. This story was beyond worth every ounce of heartache it put me through, and I can’t wait to read everything from Laurel Hightower I can get my hands on, because her writing is truly stunning and I can’t wait to see what else she has up her sleeves.
(highlight for spoiler-y CWs) gratuitous self-harm, suicide attempts, suicidal ideation
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Stunning, terrifying, dreadful, and beautifully written.
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT? YES!
— destiny ♥
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Angie
July 24, 2020I loved this book so much! I just knew I was going to be a wreck by the end, and I was not mistaken.
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 28, 2020Oh my gods, right?! I went into it fully prepared to cry my eyes out and GUESS WHAT, lol, it happened. So good though!
Tammy
July 24, 2020This wasn’t even on my radar, but I’m definitely adding it now. Awesome review!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 28, 2020Thank you so much, Tammy, I’m so glad I was able to help with adding it to your TBR! 😀
Sarah
July 27, 2020glad you enjoyed this so much! it’s definitely going on my TBR now 🙂
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 28, 2020It was so good but SO sad! I hope you love it <3
Stepping Out of the Page
July 27, 2020Ooh, this is new to me but it sounds fantastic, I will definitely be checking it out. I am so glad that you enjoyed it so much!
Steph from Stepping Out Of The Page
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 28, 2020Thank you! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂