Criss Cross

Criss Cross is a coming-of-age novel. Explore how Perkins’s title satisfies the parameters of this genre classification. What makes the novel a coming-of-age story? Which other coming-of-age titles is Criss Cross in conversation with, and how do parallels between these titles inform Perkins’s representations of adolescence?

Analyze the interconnection between Criss Cross and Perkins’s 1999 novel All Alone in the Night. How do the narrative threads from Debbie’s story in All Alone in the Night connect to the narrative dynamics in Criss Cross? What changes has Debbie undergone from one book to the next, and which experiences inform these changes?

Write an argumentative essay that supports or challenges the following claim: Debbie’s life in Seldem is holding her back. Consider which aspects of Debbie’s hometown reality impact how she sees herself. How would Debbie’s story change if she lived elsewhere, or moved during the course of the novel?