This is a very interesting book, but for me that's all it was. It just goes on and then the bodies change, but it doesn't really get anywhere new. I started out reading it as a novel, but felt it was going in circles. So I went back and started from the beginning and read to the end. Then because there was another jump, I did so and read until The End appeared. Very interesting, but not very involving.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for review based upon my honest opinion.

The blurb on this book really caught my attention. It was really interesting to find that there are two different ways to read this book. You could choose to read the book in regular order first page to last page or by following the baroness sequence. The book is a collection of three stories which interweave, throughout the Baroness sequence or three separate stories which form a complete story when you’re finished if you read numerically. I chose the baroness sequence and I really enjoyed it.

It was an interesting story dealing with the crossings, I loved all the individual stories of Alula and Koahu and all the other characters that were involved in the stories, they were very memorable. It is an interesting and unique storyline. I loved the ending, I loved that the story was left at least by the baroness sequence up to the reader’s interpretation.

This book was a quick read, and enjoyable I would definitely check out more books by this author in the future

I suspect this is going to be a big one for fans of literary fiction, if only for the conceit that it can be read two ways. I admit to reading it in the conventional fashion- from front to back- in large part because I was reading it on kindle (note that it is possible and perhaps just to easy to read it in the reverse on kindle). It circles around a man- Koahu- and a woman- Alula- from a Pacific Island who are able to cross into other people's bodies but must always cross back. Hah. They both inhabit multiple bodies, including in Alula's case, the love of Charles Baudelaire, who has written the story "the Education of a Monster." There's a villain. Then there's the love story set in Paris and the Baroness's tale. Who is who (or what) and where are we? That's the mystery here. It's a challenging read that might surprise you even as it confounds. I wanted to like this more than I did. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Interesting.

This book was reminiscent of Italo Calvino's If On A Winter's Night A Traveler or David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, but with the added twist of being able to be read a couple of different ways. Certainly a very clever structure, anchored with very classic storytelling, I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I've been really into fantasy adventures lately and this was perfect for my mood, mixing romance and mystery and soul hopping into something really ambitious.

When I heard this book had an alternate reading order, of course I chose to read it that way! However, a few chapters in I was a little confused as to what was going on so I just started over reading it in the regular order. When I finished, I followed the path of the alternate reading order just to see how it flowed- definitely an interesting order and one I would try if I do a reread.

Overall, the concept of "crossing" with someone was intriguing. I enjoyed the story and thought it a well-written and well thought out novel.

For full disclosure, I read this book straight through as written. I started reading the Baroness' sequence right away, but I've decided I need a few days before I read it again since it was almost too fresh in my mind to work out well. I enjoyed reading it this way, although I'm excited to read it the other way, too, since a lot of other reviewers seem to really enjoy it that way.

Crossings is made up of three interrelated stories about two members of a group of people from a Pacific Island who obey "The Law." They are trained from childhood to be able to "cross" into another person's body by staring into their eyes. However, their one, most important rule is that there must always be a return crossing. However, the two main characters are able to use this ability to jump from character to character across time, completely neglecting the law and suffering the consequences..

Interestingly, the first two stories are told from the perspective of the original male character, Koahu, (who remembers nothing of his original being) and the final (longer) story is told from the perspective of the original female character, Alula (who remembers everything.) We are told this story, though, mostly from the end to the beginning, starting with "The Education of a Monster," the story supposedly written by Charles Baudelaire, famous poet, based on what he was told by his lover (who happens to be Alula several bodies later.) There's also a bad "guy" who kills everyone who possesses the only manuscript of "The Education of a Monster," and leaves their bodies without any eyes.

Sound confusing? It is a bit. But, it's also really different and unique -- which I like -- and by suspending disbelief and focusing, I really enjoyed the overall story.

I didn't love Koahu's character -- or really any of the bodies Koahu ended up inhabiting, but I found Alula's character very interesting. Looking at her character, who only crossed the first time because she saw the man she loved (Koahu) start to cross, while she describes herself as his protector, in reality, she sacrifices every part of herself to chase after him, even as he seemed most content to leave her behind. And even while she follows him across time, because he can't remember anything from before and because he won't read what his previous body has written, he ends up never treating her very well. I still can't decide if I think of Alula as particularly strong or particularly weak. I think at some point, she realized that she couldn't return to the Island as her original self -- go back home, as it were -- and she wasn't willing to make the ultimate sacrifice that might have given her peace because at the end of the day, people really do just want to survive.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this book. It has not influenced my opinion.

I received a free electronic ARC of this novel from Netgalley, Alex Landragin, and St. Martin's Press - Picador Australia. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I have taken several stabs at reading this work in either of the recommended order of reading, but it is not something that can hold my attention. I enjoy science fiction, but this was just that little bit too much, for me. Although it was obviously some hard work, I found it hard to appreciate it.
pub date July 28, 2019
rec April 10, 2020
Picador Australia, St. Martin's Press
Reviewed on Goodreads and Netscape, July 25, 2020.

Crossings by Alex Landragin

4 hourglasses out of 5
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Crossings by Alex Landragin is a curious book unlike others. It is reminiscent of “chose your own adventure books” with a twist.
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In Crossings, readers will find a healthy dose of mystic realism and a dash of loosely based historical fiction. There is also a pinch of ill fated and tortured soulmates who are caught in an unrelenting and awkward dance. All told, it creates an insatiable atmosphere.
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Crossings offers readers 2 reading options.
Readers can choose to read from start to finish as with most books. Or, read as recommended by the mysterious purveyor of the books crux - a secret age old manuscript unlike any other. Taking this path requires an unorthodox read and commitment to the story. On this journey, you will cross in and out and through the story. Back and forth. Forwards and back. Ultimately sweeping you throughly up into its rich tapistry.
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This was my path.
I received this ARC digitally that includes embedded hyperlinks which proved most useful. Hardcopies will include markings of where to turn to next. These elements added fun and intrigue as you sleuth around piecing together the story until it fully reveals itself.
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Crossings by Alex Landragin is the BOGO of books! 2 for 1!
Reading both paths provides different experiences in how the story reveals itself. As such, Crossings is a book that I can see myself reading again but this time in the traditional sense - from start to finish. For me, these elements make this book an unmatched new release in 2020. Earning a much coveted space on readers bookshelves for years to come.
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My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

CROSSINGS by Alex Landragin could have been a really great book, but it never came together for me. I don't have a problem with gimicky books; I like to be surprised by creativity. So when I saw that CROSSINGS could be read two different ways, I was intrigued. I saw a few reviewers say they'd read the novel both ways and recommended the Baroness sequence, so that's the path I chose. After reading it once, I didn't feel the urge to read it the other way.

A long-ago Pacific island people have cultivated and maintained the ability to transport their souls into other bodies through prolonged eye contact. They call the switch "a crossing," and there are rules governing how it's supposed to be done. A series of events leads to two islanders breaking those rules and crossing into non-islanders. For the next 200 years, they cross from person to person leaving mayhem and destruction behind them. Landragin weaves in many real-life characters whose own life events dovetail nicely with his plot.

Here are my two big problems with CROSSINGS:

- I found none of the characters particularly likeable and could not feel engaged with any of them. Walter Benjamin was the only character with even moderate appeal to me, but I still wasn't very invested in his story.

- Landragin's experience as a travel writer is well evident in this book. He must have listed every street in Paris by name at some point. It is also obvious that he did a bunch of research on the various time periods that the novel covers, but more often than not, this research was presented as a name dump that completely pulled me out of the story. I lost the flow many times.

CROSSINGS had so much potential and Landragin plainly put in a lot of work to gather the building blocks for a stellar book. Unfortunately, the assembled work isn't compelling. CROSSINGS is a 2.5 star book; I rounded down because I had to force myself to finish it.

This is a one of kind treasure! While there are other "pick your path" books out there, Crossings is one of the most captivating and engrossing books. The character development from the start is fantastic and the story or stories are well crafted and intriguing. This is an elegant book regardless of which way you read it -- and the experiences are so different that, after reading it one way, I read it again the other way. Each path takes you on a completely different journey yet each is a rich and well crafted. It was the craftsmanship that kept amazing me through both readings. I was intrigued by the concept but worried that the author would not be able to carry it off. My concern turned out to be for naught. Alex Landrigin is a master storyteller and I look forward to reading more from him. I know I will pre-order whatever he writes and wait with anticipation to devour his tales. I don't want to give away anything of the plot but suggest you start reading on a weekend as you will not want to stop.

This story is absolutely beautiful. Really, it's three stories in one. The book is the tale of a manuscript owned by a baroness who has tasked a bookbinder into binding said manuscript. The baroness is later found murdered and the bookbinder is left to figure out how to read the manuscript, which holds three tales: "The Education of a Monster", "City of Ghosts". and "Tales of the Albatross".
The story has a little bit of everything. Mystery, historical fiction, fantasy, and at first it's hard to see how it all fits together. But it does.

There's two ways to read this book, and I chose the 'Baroness Sequence' for the first go around. I say first go around because as soon as I finished, I immediately wanted to reread it, and not just to try out the 'normal way' of reading it. With the 'Baroness Sequence', it's more like a Choose Your Own Adventure, where you jump around to different chapters, within one of the three different stories until it's finished.

I love unique storytelling, a puzzle within a book, and this one was everything I hoped for.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I like the concept of the book and I enjoyed it the first 2/3 of the book. I read it in order instead of jumping around. The last part actually really confused me and I gave it up. My problem is the amount of names involved making putting the puzzle together taunting and tiring. Otherwise, an innovative, imaginative and interesting story. Unfortunately, it isn't quite for me.

Authors intrigue me. I often ponder the inner working of their minds: How did this twist in the story evolve? What was this person thinking? Where did this idea get traction? Alex Landragin really had me pondering his thoughts as I read his new book, Crossings. From the beginning he gives the reader a choice of how to read his book—from front to back, or an alternative order that shines a different light on the interconnected stories. Halfway through this book, I was doubting whether I had chosen the right reading order. By the time I finished, I knew I would have to reread this book in the alternate order.
But what about the book? The term crossing refers to the ability to cross into someone else’s body and soul by staring into their eyes. This book Crossings is a story of love lost, of travel across time, oceans and continents, and of a manuscript, Charles Baudelaire, the Baudelaire Society and Coco Chanel. Many stories populate this complex novel, but the principal storyline is the plight of lovers who have crossed, become separated and spent ages trying to reconnect. There is a wide diversity in the interesting characters that populate this book.
Alex Landragin has written a compelling debut novel. The complexity alone puts him in a class that many authors never achieve. And yes, I am rereading it in the alternate order!

This book is like an adventure novel. What's so creative is that the author lets you know in the very beginning of the book that you can read the story traditionally (front to back) or you can read the book "Baroness sequence" which means alternate chapters.
The story begins when a book binder finds a manuscript that has three different stories in it. However, each section is connected to each other. The other complaint I had was that I often forgot certain characters when new ones were introduced. However, the previous characters were later mentioned much later in the story in following sections. The author must have had to really be creative in keeping all the storylines and characters in place. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, just a little bit too complicated at times with the changes in stories and keeping the characters straight. I received a complimentary e-book from Netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Absolutely ingenious! A complete tale that can be read in two differing formats. You can read from page 1 forward as normal, or start at the middle and follow directions to read as a journey through time. I, of course, had to do both! Not only a unique format, the story itself is unique. It is difficult to give more information than is already on the jacket synopsis, but this is one book you will definitely recommend to your book friends.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Part fantasy, part quest and wild adventure, this book is a book about a book, a manuscript. The tale is a series of crossings from life to life. The book itself can be read in sequence of jump to another part of the story for depth and plot advancement. Interesting concept and unique to the genre. Enjoyable read.

Crossings // by Alex Landragin

From the NetGalley description: "Alex Landragin's Crossings is an unforgettable and explosive genre-bending debut—a novel in three parts, designed to be read in two different directions, spanning a hundred and fifty years and seven lifetimes."

Crossings by Alex Landragin is fiction with a streak of magical realism moving all throughout the book. It is the story of souls and how they can travel through different bodies. The book Crossings is divided into three parts: Education of a Monster, City of Ghosts, and Tales of the Albatross. There are two different ways of reading this book. You can either do the simple things by reading each part in its entirety in the order listed above. Or you could read it in what is called the Baroness Sequence, which is explained at the beginning of the book. In this sequence, you read chapters from each part intertwined in the sequence laid out by the Baroness. These are the stories of Alula and Koahu as they travel through different bodies and across the world. While one remembers each past life and purposely moves forward to find the other each time, the other only remembers nightmares and has to be educated on the reality of "crossings" each time due to a faulty crossing originally. Crossings is a story of love and loss, triumph and tragedy, reward and revenge.

Crossings by Alex Landragin is not like other books I have experienced. It reminds me of Cloud Atlas but leaves me with more thoughts than that book. I find myself thinking about it many hours after I put the book down and yet still struggle to put my feelings about it into words. While I know it is a fictional story, it still leaves me wondering about souls and their destinations. I personally chose to read this book in the Baroness Sequence and am glad I did so. I am a fan of multiple timelines and narrators, so this sequence was right up my alley in that sense. I do see where it can get rather confusing at some points, especially since the eARC had a couple of issues with the sequence, though I think that will not be an issue with hardcover copies and will hopefully be fixed for the final ebook as well. If you are someone that enjoys straight forward stories and prefers to avoid jumping from one story to another continuously, then I recommend reading the parts one by one as they are laid out. I do believe it will still be an enjoyable experience that way. It certainly will be easier to understand and follow along, though I do think it will take away some of they mysteriousness and excitement.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me a chance to read and review this book. This is my first book by Alex Landragin and I thoroughly enjoyed his writing style. I hope I get a chance to read more from the author soon.

Alex Landragin has created a beautiful book no matter if you read as you typically would (front to back) or in the "Baroness's sequence" skipping around. I read the book both ways. The interwoven story of supernatural lovers that travel through time is wonderful and heart wrenching, and the three short stories are expertly written in the traditional manner. This is one book that should not be missed. The journey through the scope of two lives living numerous lifetimes was captivating, and I had a hard time putting this one down.
My only wish is that I had read the DARC I received earlier so that I could have experienced this sooner.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the DARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am not sure if it's just because this is not my typical genre or just not my cup of tea but I did not like this book at all. I made it to Part Two and gave up. I am sorry but I just can't say anything good about it.

This review will be posted on the below mentioned blog and other social media on 20 the July 2020.

Book Title: Crossings

Author: Alex Landragin

Genre: Fiction

Publishing Date: 28 July 2020

No. Of Pages: 384

Line Summary:

(From Goodreads)Crossings is an unforgettable and explosive genre-bending debut--a novel in three parts, designed to be read in two different directions, spanning a hundred and fifty years and seven lifetimes.

My Review:

I was so curious after reading the preface of the story and the way it described we can read the book in two different ways. I chose the second nonlinear way and I regret it. I don’t know it’s my kindle problem or the story was exactly like the way I read but the story is not continuous I couldn’t figure out which chapters I missed, some links lead to the final page of the chapter which is nonrelevant to the previous ending chapter. Went through the front and back in kindle and tried to understand as much as possible but I lost! So I don’t know whether the ending I read is the real climax or not !! So this review may not be a proper one, but the best I can do!

The story setting is so different and interesting, I love the way it travels but the World War parts are not believable! The crossing concept was interesting and the only thing that made me keep on reading. The narration is nonlinear and confusing, the Characters are selfish and well defined. But the final chapters were chaos and I couldn’t conclude much! I would suggest reading this in a printed book than an ebook/Kindle format! Hope that would make the story much sense!

Thoughts while reading:
The zig-zag reading concept was new to me and I was curious but ended with so much frustration and confusion I hate it now!
The tribal woman character is defined as a selfish one and I hate her! I couldn’t find any justice on any of the crossings! it seems cruel and unforgivable!!
The colonization and conversion of tribals were shown in an admirable way!
The world war scenes were unbelievable! Being a Jew in the world war period but he can roam like a free man was seriously questioning my world war knowledge from other books!!
As I told I couldn’t be confident about My climax understanding! I wish I should have read this as a printed copy to appreciate the book .