This is a cleverly-constructed historical epic, spanning the 18th, 19th, 20th and (in the prologue) 21st centuries and settings encompassing Western Europe, North America and the South Pacific. My first reading was in the conventional sequence (i.e. starting at page 1 and reading straight to the end). After waiting about a month, I've re-read the book in the alternative "Baroness Sequence" suggested in the prologue.
The brief prologue introduces the book as a mysterious bundle of manuscripts delivered to an elite Paris bookbinder in the present day. The remainder of the book in its conventional form consists of the three manuscripts: the first is a gothic novella entitled "The Education of a Monster", set in mid-1860s Brussels and purportedly written by the French poet and essayist Charles Baudelaire; the second is a memoir of romance and adventure, told from the perpective of German-born philosopher and cultural critic Walter Benjamin and set in Paris in the days leading up to German occupation in 1940; the third a series of interlinked "life stories" of several individuals, ranging in setting from the South Pacific in 1791 to WW2 Paris.
To describe the complex plot succinctly seems a practical impossibility, and would constitute a spoiler for those readers approaching the book in the conventional format, for whom it is a gradually unfolding multi-layered mystery. Suffice to say, the plot, characters and concept behind the book are complex and mind-blowing and while at times the reader might feel somewhat confused as to what is going on, once complete it is a deeply satisfying and thought-provoking read.
My only qualm was the author's use of real people as fictionalised characters, including Charles Baudelaire, Walter Benjamin and Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. All are long dead, so well beyond the reach of any legal consequences, but I've pondered long and hard over the justness of attributing some fairly serious behaviour to them, particularly in the case of Chanel. Although the renowned couturière is known to have been a ruthless businesswoman, an anti-Semite and (as we now know) a Nazi collaborator, it seems a little unfair to make her also a (fictional) multiple murderess and vicious eye-gouger. I'm not convinced that the quality of the novel would have suffered had these characters instead been represented in the guise of truly fictional creations, or even veiled caricatures.
Alex Landragin is a gifted and imaginative writer, and I look forward to reading his future work. I'd highly recommend Crossings to all readers of imaginative Historical Fiction, afficionados (like myself) of twisty time-travel stories and those seeking simply an immersive and engaging read. My thanks to the author, Alex Landragin, the publisher St Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read (twice!) and review this title prior to publication. #Crossings #AlexLandragin #NetGalley

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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So first of all I need to say that this book is really interesting in the WAYS it can be read. You can read it chronologically from front to back, or you have the option to follow the pages in the way the character put them together. Like a choose your own adventure. I did the chronological as I was having issues with the ebook but I can see how interesting it would be to read it “out of order”.
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150 years. 7 lifetimes. 2 souls. By crossing into another body the souls can stay “alive”. This was a truly unique story of chasing love through time. The need to fall in love all over again. The hiding. The mystery. The suspense. And sometimes the confusion lol. This is not going to be a book for everyone. It’s heavy on the magical realism and if you don’t pay attention it’s easy to get lost and not understand certain aspects.
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It started off fairly slow. I found the first third of the book interesting but a chore at points. However. Once the stories started intertwining and circling back to tie up lose ends I was hooked. It was so well written. The character development and world building were wonderful. The magic system was simple and easy to get

As a debut author, Alex Landragin has caught my attention and I hope to see more from him in the future.

This was a very intriguing read. It's able to be read in two ways: front to back, like a normal book or in what the author calls the Baroness Sequence- jumping from section to section. After reading some non spoiler reviews, I decided to read it in the Baroness Sequence for a more comprehensive reading. However, likely in a month or so I plan to read it like a normal book since each way shows a different story.

By reading the Baroness Sequence, I became enthralled in the love story that spans lifetimes. The fluidity of writing was amazing, especially since the three sections are written by different people according to the author's note. And especially since it seems this story has continued past the writing. Or at least that's what I choose to believe.

This was quite a masterful story that leaves you with questions about souls, the ability to be immortal that seems to have been lost in time, and more. A novel like this is sure to stick with you, no matter how you decide to read it.

A Paris bookbinder agrees to bind a manuscript for longtime client Beattie Ellingham (the Baroness), even on the condition that he won’t read it. After it is delivered to him in great secrecy, he contacts the Baroness, only to learn she has been murdered, her eyes gouged out (a disgusting detail with relevance to the story). So he does what anyone would do—he reads the manuscript.

At first glance, it appears to be three loosely connected novellas, but an alternative reading order shows a journey through seven lifetimes of souls connected by a deep love, and later, an association with the Baudelaire Society.

With a mix of entirely fictional and real-life characters, the novel’s settings range from the South Pacific to nineteenth century America to pre-occupation Paris, with multiple stops in between. Readers choose whether to read the three stories consecutively or in the order the Baroness chose. Although it went against my best judgment, I did not choose the linear order. Unfortunately, some of the links in my ebook didn’t seem to work properly, so I’m not sure my experiences was as it was intended. Regardless, CROSSINGS is a unique experience. It’s not a difficult read, but still more demanding of my attention than most of my recent reads. I’m reading for distraction right now, and have been seeking really easy books. I’ll probably reread the book consecutively to compare the experiences. #Crossings #NetGalley

What if I told you there is a way for souls to transfer bodies simply by looking into someone's eyes?  That this is why "looking someone in the eye is such a powerful, and occasionally dangerous act, because even the untrained soul stirs when gazes meet." We have here, the story of two soul mates separated by this act of "crossing" & they will traverse countless lifetimes in others' bodies, til they can be together again and set things right.
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You know those "choose your path" books from childhood? Okay, this one is kind of like that, except you get two choices. Choice one: Read Crossings front to back and encounter three books in one. The last of these is my favorite. ❤️ Choice two: Follow the Baroness sequence, flipping back and forth to designated pages throughout the book, and piece a bigger story together. If I were you, I'd choose the second option. 😉
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As for me, I was left unsatisfied, but I have only myself to blame. I am a poly-reader through and through and if I had given this book my undivided attention, I think I wouldn't have missed out on the full effect of that big "aha" moment when the puzzle pieces come together & I would've actually loved it. Therefore, I am determined to re-read it in the Baroness sequence (soon 🤞🏼), because I'll be damned if I leave a book with an "I don't get it" feeling.
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This is reminscent of The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, as you inhabit different bodies throughout the book and play a game of cat and mouse. If you liked that one, then this one is right up that same alley. ☺️
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Big thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review. This book is newly published and ready for y'all to dive right in!

Every novel asks us to step out of our lives into another place, another belief system, another physical reality. Crossings demands a lot. It explores the consequences of metempsychosis of the living. There are lovers, and sworn enemies, each of whom occupies a series of bodies accumulating personalities, memories, and experiences along the way. The characters’ paths overlap and intertwine in endless cycles. The book is designed to be read in two alternative sequences; I took the conventional start to finish path, and found the experience intriguing.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you for accepting my request for an arc of this book!

This book has taken me just over a month to finish as i needed to reread bits, skip back to parts and take SO many notes! It honestly felt like English Lit A level all over again. It was tough at times and there were times i wanted to give up and throw the kindle against the wall but i am so glad i finished it and really see the merit in both the writing and the story telling. In truth ive become a little obsessed and have sought the opinions of other people that have read this book to see if i should read it again the other way.

So thought provoking and wonderfully written!

I read it traditionally rather than following the alternate sequence, and I'm incredibly curious as to how differently my reaction would be had I opted for the non-traditional reading.

I guess I expected something a little more lyrical and 'prosey', something that would have grand statements on life, love, death, and the soul - and I guess there are a few scattered about the narrative, but overall, it just felt very... stiff. Some passages were dry and difficult to concentrate on, and overall, I found it hard to connect with the characters, and if I don't have even the slightest bit of compassion for characters, then it's incredibly hard for me to have the motivation to continue. Overall the mythology and lore is interesting, but I just kept find myself wanting more. I feel like this really deserves a reread in the baroness sequence for me to have a more rounded opinion, so until I have the energy/drive to do just that, I'll settle on a neutral three.

I just can't help but feel like maybe there should've been a little more fantasy..

This is probably the most original book I have ever read.

It all starts when a distinguished book collector, Beattie Ellingham, contacts a bookbinder to bind a manuscript. No constraints on the time or money it takes to complete, but the leather must look aged, it must have all the expected trim and patina of a leather-bound classic. AND it MUST NOT BE READ. The bookbinder agrees to these terms, but is shocked and confused when he learns that Beattie Ellingham (also known as the Baroness), is found dead with her eyes gouged out. What is to happened with this manuscript? The bookbinder and his wife read through the manuscript, and discovered that there are two ways to read this book.

Firstly, as the reader, you can read it the Conventional way, that is to say reading it cover to cover and it will feel more like a few short stories with different themes.

Secondly, you can read it the way the Baroness wanted (which is now referred to as the Baroness Sequence), this will lead you through different sections within the book (think of a Choose Your Own Adventure book) and the stories with feel more entwined and connected. Whether you are reading a physical book (it will state what page to turn to next) or an ebook (it will prompt you with a link that will take you to the proper section), don’t worry, the bookbinder will explain it all in the beginning.

**Full disclosure, I only read this book in the Baroness Sequence style.

So, if we strip away the fact that a bookbinder has stolen someone’s manuscript and published it as his own, and if we strip away the fact that you have two choices on how to read this book; what is the novel actually about? Read further my friend.

Part historical fiction, part mystery (remember Beattie Ellingham who was murdered and her eyes removed). It’s about someone who loved a book more than his own life. It’s about a deathless enchantress, it’s about a poet, it’s about so many things, but mostly, I found it to be an adventure, an escape if you will. It should not come as a surprise that this debut novel was written by a former librarian, a writer of travel guides, and a man who has lived in many amazing places on this great earth.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, this book was exactly the escape I needed.

I like the idea of the book more than the actual book. I love that there’s two paths to read the book, and at some points I can even guess where the story connects to. I read it on the traditional order (one page after the other). In this order, you are presented with 3 stories. The first two are actually interesting by themselves. The third seems kind of chaotic - and it is the largest of them all, about half of the book. I understand that story is important so the characters can be presented, but reading one after the other was a bit boring. Maybe I would have had more fun if I read in the baroness sequence. I’ll try this next time I read the book.

Some stories almost warrant a complete blackout of information before experiencing them. I tend to employ this tactic when a new movie is being released by a filmmaker or actor whom I particularly enjoy, who are artists that I trust to bring quality performances with entertaining narratives. I eschew watching their movie trailers, or in the case of novels, I also avoid critical reviews before reading the books myself. Sometimes arriving to a story with a veritable mental blank slate can encourage an element of discovery or surprise as one watches (or reads) the tale unfolding before them. This is not to say that I am undiscerning in my choices, but for creators in the literary and cinematic realm that I trust, I am wiling to go in a bit blind to what is ahead.

For the novel Crossings by Alex Landragin, the extent of my knowledge of his work was only the plot summary reprinted above. Crossings sounded almost like a time-travel story, and the multiple methods of reading the book sounded very intriguing. The publisher graciously granted me a digital advanced copy for review. As I began the first pages, a sense of speculation and expectation took root, and I suddenly began to wonder if this could possibly be the novel my mind had been looking forward to, possibly for decades. I have had a handful of experiences while reading novels that I would describe as like “going down the rabbit hole.” Seasoned readers know what this is—becoming completely engrossed in a story that comes alive in such a way that you feel as if you are living inside it. Could Crossings indeed be a book like that? My heart certainly hoped so.

I will now pause to give the reader a moment to choose whether they want to read the next section. If you would like to come to Crossings with a somewhat “blank slate” as I did, I would encourage you to jump down to the last passage of the review, below the starred line. This is not to say that my thoughts will be overloaded with spoilers, but the following content is certainly more than I had when I set out to read the book.

Crossings has two manners in which it can be read: the traditional way, from start to finish, and an alternate way, following references at the end of certain chapters, to not just turn the page, but actually jump to another section, possibly hundreds of pages away from your current position. This does not change the meaning of the story per se (a la the old Choose Your Own Adventure books I read as a child), but it certainly changes the perspective of the reader, and the knowledge that they carry with them from section to section. This alternative method is called the “Baroness Sequence”, for reasons that will be made clear when the story is read.

I estimate that I read about 50% of the novel before I came to what I believe was an error in my advanced digital copy, as one of the Baroness “jumps” that I made resulted in a location that did not make any sense. I am certain this will not be a problem with the printed edition, or the final e-book edition either. Advanced copies are unfinished works, prone to typographical errors and omissions. As I had no way of knowing where to go from the strange location in which I found myself, I decided to start the book from the beginning, reading from start to finish in the traditional way. As such, my impression of the book is a mixture of the Baroness perspective and the “normal” one. I will comment on this more later.

Crossings entertains the notion of the transmigration of the soul, as has also been seen in several movies over the years, wherein two living souls swap bodies. In Landragin’s novel, there are multiple types of transmigration or “crossings”. Some are done “blind” and are temporary, with one soul not completely remembering that they had briefly occupied the body of another. Others are done very intentionally and with a more permanent arrangement in mind, such as between a young person wishing to die, and an ailing elderly person wishing for a new young body.

A note for my conservative Christian readers: As a Christian, I of course do not believe in this type of phenomenon, any more than I believe in magical portals to Narnia or time travel via standing stones as found in Outlander. Still, I am able to enjoy these stories and appreciate them for what they are: fantasy. This type of pseudo-suspension of disbelief must be employed if the reader is to enjoy the story. Also, the Christian religion is not always looked favorably upon in the novel, as it is historical (and current) fact not all believers share the Gospel in culture-sensitive, non-political ways. There is also a bit of sexual content in the novel, but it is not pervasive.

Back to the different reading methods: In some ways, the “Baroness Sequence” brought on a state of confusion for me, as the narrative tends to jump between large expanses of time, with different characters picking up the story and handing them off to others, in a way. That said, the knowledge I gained from the various time periods actually was an aid to me when I began reading the book from start to finish. I think I would have been much more confused about the events that were transpiring, had I not spent a significant time in the “Baroness sequence”. If someone new to Crossings was to ask me which method I preferred, if I could only recommend one, I would advise to go with the Baroness. There is a certain amount of confusion in reading it that way, but if you can be persistent, I think that would be the best course of action. That said, for either reading method, I found it somewhat difficult to keep track in my mind which character was which. With the multiple cases of body-switching, there were many times that I wasn’t sure who was speaking. In hindsight, I probably should have committed a “map of souls” to paper. Perhaps that would have helped me in my disorientation. This was the element that kept Crossings from becoming the book I had hoped it would be. I did not go down the rabbit hole as much as I would have liked.

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In many ways I enjoyed Crossings very much. It might be the debut novel for author Alex Landragin, but his literary skill is superb. His knowledge of history, cultures and languages is most impressive. I’m unaware of any sequel in the works for Crossings, but this certainly should not be his last work of fiction. His talent is remarkable, and I am certain he would do well to bring another novel to his audience. While I cannot give Crossings an unrestrained, absolute recommendation, I found it to be quite a unique and notable title, one I will remember for some time to come.

This is the strangest way to read a book! You follow the directions according to directions or you can read the book from the beginning to end like you normally do. There are different short stories. They are very good,first time I have read "Alex Landragin" writings and I will be !looking for more. Each story is different but they all are very good! I hope you enjoy the book as much as I do and when you do start to read,make sure you read the very beginning,you will understand about this puzzling book! As you read,you will see how they did together. I'm not going to go through each story,but as I said,you will see how it goes together as you do the characters! If anything,read out of curiosity!! Received from Net Gallery,thank you so very much for the chance to read this most unusual interesting puzzling book!!

Rating: 4.5 stars rounded down to 4 clever, clever stars

As my rating attests, I think that this is a CLEVER, CLEVER book. This debut novel by Alex Landragin is both mind-bending and genre bending. It has elements of Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, and Memoir genres. The book can be read in a couple of ways. The three novellas can be read in order straight through, or you can read it in the ‘Baroness’ order.

I read the book in the Baroness order. This order hopscotches back and forth between all three stories. It actually added another element of mystery as I tried to figure out where the current selection I was reading fit in the overall narrative. The book blurb gives enough of the outline of the book. I do not think that I need to go into further depth on that here. In fact, going into further depth might spoil the voyage of discovery that awaits each reader.

I highly recommend this outstanding work of fiction. I will eagerly look out for new works by this author. While I am waiting for his next work, I’ll gladly go back and read this book from front to back in the non-Baroness order I bet I will discover entirely new delightful elements in this tale.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.

Amazing. Just amazing. I'm not saying much because I don't want to spoil it for you. This book is something you have to experience for yourself. What a dazzling book from a debut author. Can't wait to read more from this author. Flawless writing and vivid details. Don't pass up this gem of a book. A total must read. Happy reading!

"I didn't write this book. I stole it." And so begins Crossings, an intricate tale told across perspectives, times, and centuries. This book is explained in the prologue as three separate sections in one: an unpublished manuscript by Charles Baudelaire, a 1940 noir detective story starring the philosopher Walter Benjamin and an unknown woman, and finally, a series of narrative portraits of different people connected through a single thread. The author describes this last part as "the autobiography of a kind of deathless enchantress." With all of this in mind, there are two ways to read the book, in the order it is set or an alternative reading order that skips between different chapters, leading you in a meandering maze. The latter is what I chose and was soon embroiled in the tale of the lovers Alula and Koahu, who are learned in the art of "the crossing" or soul swapping, which transports you temporarily or even permanently into the body of another after looking into their eyes. The eyes are the window to the soul indeed. I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but the story follows Alula and Koahu through several centuries, as they continue in their crossings, always fighting the repercussions of their original teachings, "there can be no crossing without a return crossing."

I really enjoyed this book and thought that the structure was extremely innovative. The endings of both ways to read the book are quite different, so it is good to go back and look through each of them. There were a couple of parts that dragged a little bit for me and some of the stories were more interesting than others but overall I liked this book.

I don't think the book was horrible, but it definitely was not for me. I read the book in the normal chapter sequence that it was out together in, although there are two separate ways to read the book.
The book has three different parts to it, but has the same themes throughout of storytelling, ancient tribes, soul crossing, and love. There bud an accidental crossing in the beginning of the book, followed by the purposeful crossing to catch the soul of the person they loved. The whole thing was never fully resolved and there were years of souls crossing to try and right their wrongs. Unfortunately, that is never resolved, and the book just follows the path of each person after their crossing.
The book exhausted me, but I don't know why. It just wasn't what I expected I guess.

Crossings was a curious yet slightly disappointing read. I was intrigued by the structure of the book and the concept of multiple lifetimes. I was let down by characters I did not emphasize with, at all, and overly flourished language that grew tiresome throughout the book.
The first story, ‘The Education of a Monster,’ sets the stage for the rest of the book and introduces the reader to the concept of crossing. Baudelaire, the narrator of this story, was the least likable narrator of the whole novel for me. He’s a central figure of the book, however, and ties the characters and stories together.
The second story, ‘City of Ghosts,’ was a bit tedious through its first half – the language felt pretentious. I enjoyed the last two sections of the story, as there was more action and less time in the narrator’s head.
The third story was my favorite by far and the most interesting of the three. You get the final pieces of the puzzle and find out what’s been going on throughout many lifetimes. Plus, I liked Alula’s viewpoint much more.
I think the thought will haunt me that I should have read it the other way first. Seriously, please don’t give me so much power before I even know what the book is about. In terms of understanding what’s happening, I think reading it the conventional way (front to back) works best. For a more exciting and engaging story, I think the Baroness sequence is the way to go. You’ll be confused for a bit, but I think that mystery would make it more interesting.
Ultimately, I can’t decide how I feel about Crossings. It was an intriguing premise that got bogged down by name dropping, excessive speeches masquerading as dialogue, and very few likable characters. But I enjoyed the story and mystery enough to keep reading. I don’t know if the unique structure of the book and the concept of ‘crossing’ can make up for not caring what happened in the story.

CROSSINGS, by Alex Landragin, is three tales in one, to be read in one of two ways. I chose the way the book was presented to me, with each tale one at a time. The other way would intertwine the three tales to give more of a feel of one long narrative. The first two tales feel like interesting short stories that seem to vaguely relate to each other. The third tale, much longer and almost epic compared to the first two, ties together the three tales into one romantic, suspenseful, and uniquely original story.
Landragin introduces the idea of crossing; that if two people visually connect to each other in a special way, they can trade souls. Crossings can be wonderfully enlightening experiences, but they can also create dark problems without the proper care when crossing. The book follows souls crossing for different reasons and in different ways and all the while, these souls seem to be spiritual linked and magnetically drawn back to each other. Landragin maps the story with careful detail and unfolds each moment delicately, like slowly removing one petal of flower at a time. The reader can't help but become connected to the main characters, even though their bodies keep changing, their true selves seem to always shine through.

A book like none I have read before, CROSSINGS questions what a soul is. Is a soul shaped by the world around it, or is our soul a constant. I think reading the book the other way, where the tales are intertwined, will provide a different take on the book and I look forward to revisiting the CROSSINGS in that way some day.

Murder, Mystery, Romance, Dangerous Intrigue – Yes, Please!

CROSSINGS is the first book that I have read by Alex Landragin, and I can’t wait to read more!

’On the brink of the Nazi occupation of Paris, a German-Jewish bookbinder stumbles across a manuscript called Crossings. It has three narratives, each as unlikely as the next. And the narratives can be read one of two ways: either straight through or according to an alternate chapter sequence.’

I chose to read CROSSINGS straight through; my reread will be via alternating chapters. I’m not going to delve into spoiler territory, but I will say there are three stories within this book, and they are all connected.

The narrative can be a bit confusing at times, but not if you remain focused on characterization throughout, at least in this reader's opinions.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for loaning me an advance eBook of CROSSINGS in exchange for an honest review.

CROSSINGS – Highly Recommend!

Scheduled To Release On – July 28, 2020

“Perhaps the spectrum of love is broader than we think, and it is possible to fall in love with a story, or a song, or a film, or painting, the way one falls in love with another person, only one assumes it is the storyteller one is in love with, the singer, the actor or the artist, because the thought hasn’t occur to us that it is possible to fall in love ith a thing.”

This is an extraordinary book that completely surprised me – it is a one of a kind story and I am really looking forward to rereading it very soon. However, I will confess I had rough start with it, but purely because a previous personal experience. This is a book that can be read in the traditional way (from page 1 to page 400) or, you can follow a sequence which takes you through different chapters.

Now, many years ago, I tried to read Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar, and I did not finish it because this great Latin-American novel could also be read in linear sequence or following the suggested sequences of chapters. I chose the suggested sequence and IT WAS A MESS. I was confused and bored most of the time, and I could not continue.

Here enters Crossings: in the amazing preface the reader and booklover becomes easily captivated –a book restorer in Paris receives an old book by a Belgian Baroness, who has asked him to bind it for her collection. She also asks him to not read the story but when she passes away in mysterious circumstances and nobody picks up the book, this man reads it and discovers an amazing story –a story of crossings, of the exchange of souls to different bodies through time. The reader is told that the story can be read just as any book is read, or, he or she can follow the sequence suggested by the Baroness.

It was here when I hesitated, as I quickly recalled my experience with Cortazar and with one of the key works of Latin American literature ever written in Spanish. His book had been too confusing, too all over the place for me because I chose to read it following the suggested sequence as it was exciting. But that did not work for me. Then, what if Crossings offered the same experience to me?

I decided to continue in any case, but I chose to read the story in the traditional way and during the first 20% of the book I still hesitated –what if the story does not make sense to me by reading it this way?

With this fear, I started the book slowly, because I was expecting to dislike it at any minute. But luckily, I was wrong, and this book turned out to be amazing –so much that I will definitely read it in the suggested sequence as soon as I can.

I cannot say much of the plot because I don’t want to spoil it, but Crossings is a tale of history, magic, and love, of souls that live through time, trying to find each other. This is also a story of loss and heartbreak, but also of keeping hope and not losing faith in our loved one. The story takes us from Brussels, to Paris, to the Pacific Islands, Africa and the United States, and to lonely mountains between France and Spain.

The story is beautifully written, the language is exquisite and at the same time, the plot keeps the reader interested all the time –there is art, there is poetry, there are historical episodes that changed the world, there are extraordinary voyages to unknown places, there are traditions from far-away islands, and there is an undying, unrequited love. There are ghosts, and tales of murders and disappearances and there is grief.

But overall, Crossings is exactly what I believe a work of fiction should be: a literary piece that allows you to get completely lost in the story-telling, to be transported to unknown lands, to see the deepest blue of the sea, cry over the loss of a loved one, and try to find meaning and magic in our lives. A book that moves you and reinforces your love for reading and your fascination with books. Because also, thanks to Crossings, I want to read Charles Baudelaire, and learn from Jean Duvall and the Black Venus and give another chance to Hopscotch.

Thank you Netgallery and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for a honest review.