Crossed eBook Evelyn Blackwell
Download As PDF : Crossed eBook Evelyn Blackwell 
Shortlisted for Best Science Fiction Novel in the 2015 Aurealis Awards.
“A new and fresh look at humanity's future”
“the ambitious premise is anchored by some really solid and suspenseful storytelling”
“fast-paced, fascinating, and at times heart-wrenching”
“definitely a page turner”
“beautiful, controversial and powerful”
- Reviews
In the 2040s, a dangerous new ideology has captured the imagination of young people around the world.
Su lit a fire.
Rayen showed her friends how to kill.
Julia's ex unleashed an epidemic.
But the Crosses are greater than the sum of their parts.
Told through the writings of several first-hand witnesses, Crossed offers a chilling glimpse into a fervently brutal future.
Crossed eBook Evelyn Blackwell
In a not-too-distant future, a beloved kid's cartoon about talking marine animals sparks an intense wave of environmentalist fervor among global youth. Online, across vegan lifestyle blogs and TV fansites and anonymous message boards, their rage crystallizes into a worldwide movement - part religion, part radical collective - whose adherents call themselves "Crosses." Their aim, at first, is to systematically eliminate the members of the older generation most directly responsible for damaging the planet. As the movement begins to draw millions of disillusioned youth into its orbit, its "human flesh search engines" grow ever more deadly and efficient. And as their numbers grow, their hitlist of environmental war criminals - which, as it turns out, includes EVERY HUMAN EVER BORN - grows shorter by the day...If that all sounds a little bit hard to swallow, well, it kind of is - but if you're even slightly acquainted with the more fanatical corners of Internet culture, it also kind of isn't. In any case, the ambitious premise is anchored by some really solid and suspenseful storytelling, which keeps the tone from veering into too-campy territory. The story reveals itself through a collection of documents - audio transcripts, chat logs, and legal records which together comprise a sort of history of the world's descent into ordered madness. The format reminded me of another recent SF thriller, World War Z, though for some reason I enjoyed the execution here a lot more. Probably because in addition to sketching a broad picture of a crisis spanning years and continents, a few very distinct voices and characters emerge. Not all of those voices are equally believable, and some of the documents feel more authentic as "artifacts" than others, but regardless each of the intertwining vignettes manages to stand on its own as a compelling narrative. Some of my favorites: a touching correspondence between a boy in India and his mysterious benefactor, an intergenerational diary, a therapy session, and a book tour itinerary (!) that manages to be downright chilling.
Reading this book, it struck me how few SF books I've read that seriously explore the internet as a tool of social change. The last one I can recall is Ender's Game, which, while forward-looking for its time, wasn't quite able to capture the texture of online interaction and internet culture the way this book attempts to (and, I think, largely succeeds in doing).
Lastly, the politics of this book.... I'm not sure what I should say about them, other than it made me reflect a bit on my own political engagement and the way it has likely been influenced by the internet, which I'm sure is a good thing to reflect on. One thing I liked is that despite its considerable potential to be read as a cautionary tale, this novel doesn't come across as too moralizing. I think dystopian stories are at their most interesting when they don't rely on the oversimplified framework of "the bad guys messed the world up because they're bad." And I don't think I would have been down to read something where the takeaway is simply that millenials/environmentalists/radicals/vegans are scary and messed up. Thankfully there seems to be more going on here. It seems like a difficult thing to write compassionately about people who don't respect humanity (as a core tenet of their belief system, no less!), but I think the author does accomplish that here.
Basically, if you're at all interested in eco-terrorism, dystopias, online culture, radicalism, youth revolutions, multimedia narratives.... you'll probably be interested in this book. Also, I know it's said to be the lowest of compliments, but this one's definitely a page turner - albeit one that leaves you with something to chew on by the end.
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Crossed eBook Evelyn Blackwell Reviews
Interesting "what if" tale written in a unique way showing the progression of events from multiple view points. Going a large step further than typical solutions to the world's problems.
Very well written! Despite some small plot's contradictions and poor logical consequences, still very good.
Crossed takes an interesting idea and turns it into a great story, attacking the narrative from multiple angles to give a more global account about this triumph/downfall of humanity. Initially I was not sure that I would enjoy the changing delivery of voice and thought it may be confusing, but in fact I really enjoyed this decision by the end of the book - I think it added a lot to the themes of the story.
All in all an excellent read, I highly recommend. Nice and short - great for a short plane ride!
Riddled with intelligence and suspense this debut novel is one that provokes and dismantles in equal measure. Avoiding cliche and providing fresh viewpoints, Blackwell captures the zeitgeist of inter-generational dissension.
Using multiple narrative devices, from blog entries and online chat logs to advert slogans and legal documents, Crossed manages to build an intricate world that satirises the disturbing state of our planet's future. Without succumbing to a dogmatic polemic, Blackwell asks the reader to question their own politics, their own horizons. She avoids moralising and presents a world in which truth is relative and greed universal.
This book is a terrifying and all-too-real glimpse into a dystopic future that is closer that one might think. And the book, in presenting a range of viewpoints and opinions, makes you seriously question whether you want the world to end in such a way. It's a fabulous account of extremism, how cults grow, youth culture and a generational gap we see today which could all too quickly turn into a war.
Highly recommend, but brace yourselves. This book will haunt you.
I'm writing this review many months after actually finishing this novel - because it just won't leave me. This story has stuck with me and I still find myself thinking back to it on the regular. It's easy to see why - such an original and topical premise gives food for thought that the mind keeps churning over long after putting the book down. I loved the narration style as well, it moves around a fair bit so you're seeing this strange dystopian world through different people's viewpoints, adding a lot of dimension.
Well written and beautifully paced - you can feel the way the world is changing as even advertisements evolve throughout the story.
I'd say I'd kill for a sequel because I wanted this to keep going, but the story doesn't really lend itself to one. I'll just have to wait to see what E Blackwell does next. Watching with great interest!
A new and fresh look at humanity's future. For any who are interested in dystopian futures or the environment, this book will please. Told through many voices, this rich, insightful and sometimes morbid narrative explores opposing factions of our society, determination, sacrifice, ideologies and commitment to an ultimate cause. Blackwell weaves many voices and viewpoints into a moving and provoking story; you can't help but want to read it over and over to gain a full grasp on the interweaving characters and timelines.
A beautiful, controversial and powerful book, even more so for its shorter length. Fine writing, strong storytelling. So very much worth your time.
In a not-too-distant future, a beloved kid's cartoon about talking marine animals sparks an intense wave of environmentalist fervor among global youth. Online, across vegan lifestyle blogs and TV fansites and anonymous message boards, their rage crystallizes into a worldwide movement - part religion, part radical collective - whose adherents call themselves "Crosses." Their aim, at first, is to systematically eliminate the members of the older generation most directly responsible for damaging the planet. As the movement begins to draw millions of disillusioned youth into its orbit, its "human flesh search engines" grow ever more deadly and efficient. And as their numbers grow, their hitlist of environmental war criminals - which, as it turns out, includes EVERY HUMAN EVER BORN - grows shorter by the day...
If that all sounds a little bit hard to swallow, well, it kind of is - but if you're even slightly acquainted with the more fanatical corners of Internet culture, it also kind of isn't. In any case, the ambitious premise is anchored by some really solid and suspenseful storytelling, which keeps the tone from veering into too-campy territory. The story reveals itself through a collection of documents - audio transcripts, chat logs, and legal records which together comprise a sort of history of the world's descent into ordered madness. The format reminded me of another recent SF thriller, World War Z, though for some reason I enjoyed the execution here a lot more. Probably because in addition to sketching a broad picture of a crisis spanning years and continents, a few very distinct voices and characters emerge. Not all of those voices are equally believable, and some of the documents feel more authentic as "artifacts" than others, but regardless each of the intertwining vignettes manages to stand on its own as a compelling narrative. Some of my favorites a touching correspondence between a boy in India and his mysterious benefactor, an intergenerational diary, a therapy session, and a book tour itinerary (!) that manages to be downright chilling.
Reading this book, it struck me how few SF books I've read that seriously explore the internet as a tool of social change. The last one I can recall is Ender's Game, which, while forward-looking for its time, wasn't quite able to capture the texture of online interaction and internet culture the way this book attempts to (and, I think, largely succeeds in doing).
Lastly, the politics of this book.... I'm not sure what I should say about them, other than it made me reflect a bit on my own political engagement and the way it has likely been influenced by the internet, which I'm sure is a good thing to reflect on. One thing I liked is that despite its considerable potential to be read as a cautionary tale, this novel doesn't come across as too moralizing. I think dystopian stories are at their most interesting when they don't rely on the oversimplified framework of "the bad guys messed the world up because they're bad." And I don't think I would have been down to read something where the takeaway is simply that millenials/environmentalists/radicals/vegans are scary and messed up. Thankfully there seems to be more going on here. It seems like a difficult thing to write compassionately about people who don't respect humanity (as a core tenet of their belief system, no less!), but I think the author does accomplish that here.
Basically, if you're at all interested in eco-terrorism, dystopias, online culture, radicalism, youth revolutions, multimedia narratives.... you'll probably be interested in this book. Also, I know it's said to be the lowest of compliments, but this one's definitely a page turner - albeit one that leaves you with something to chew on by the end.
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