Crossings

by Mel Odom

THE MOST DANGEROUS GAMEBuffy and Dawn are having difficulty settling into their new roles, now that their mother is gone. Buffy herself is reluctant to cross over to the role of parent, and the two are bickering more than usual.In fact, Buffy's distraction prevents her from noticing strange behavior among the video-game crowd. One of Xander's friends goes medieval outside the Sunnydale movie theatre, laughing and babbling that he can't be stopped...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743427343
• ISBN13: 9780743427340
• Release Date: June 2002
• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Length: 243 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.5" x 7.1"
• Age Range: 16 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 11 and higher

Customer Reviews

One of my favorite Buffy books!

Set in season 5 of Buffy the vampire slayer, after "The body" and "Forever", Mel Odom's story has different plots that all end up meshing together. Buffy and Willow are on the hunt for a demon, that's been stealing body parts. Spike is in a bar, where he meets a stranger and gets in a fight. Xander and Anya are trying to enjoy a Star Trek marathon, when someone Xander knows attacks the theater. Giles and Tara are at a live taping of the show the othersyde when he sees something like he's never seen before. The story has the humor and action of a good Buffy episode. Worth a read for any Buffy fan and fun too. The video game story line isn't like any of the episodes on the show, and if it sounds similar to any other shows, then you're in for a surprise. I liked how it showed what everyone was thinking. It was nice to see Buffy's struggle to fill in as the part of a mother and learning that Dawn needs a sister.

FUNNY, ENTERTAINING

Beware video game buffs! The trouble starts when gamers get snared in the web of the demon Dredfahl, who usurps their bodies for his minions and sends their souls to a video game dimension, where they have to capture enough bones to bring forth the master demon, Torqualmar. The victims don't realize that the video game dimension is real, and when they die in it, they are truly dead. The Scoobies need all their combined talents to save Xander, whose body gets hijacked, and save the world once again. Willow uses magic, seances, Spike uses his strength and warrior sense, and Buffy uses her Slayersense to solve this case. Even Dawn is useful in this book, making an important discovery. Mel Odom is my favorite Buffy author. This book shows his humorous side. The portrayal of Anya and Xander at the Star Trek festival is very funny (Don't wear a red shirt!). The names of the demons are also entertaining-"Dredfahl", "Manik" and the name of the other dimension "Ollindark". The story is fast-paced, the characterizations well done. There were no boring parts at all! The book also ties into the series at that time, with Buffy struggling to assume the parental role, Willow's increasing immersion in magik, and Tara's growing concern.

It isn't a game anymore...

Crossings is Buffy at its best. Someone arrives in Sunnydale and he's recruiting video gamers to test a new virtual reality game. All the gamers know is that he calls himself Dredfahl and that the game is the greatest and most realistic they've ever played. Xander finds out what's going on one night when a friend of his goes insane at a movie theater. Turns out he's being possessed by a demon, and Dredfahl isn't quite who he seems...In Crossings, every character gets something to do, even the smaller characters. Buffy, Xander, Anya, Willow, Giles, Dawn, Spike and Tara all have things to do, as well as some new characters. One of the things that I liked best about this book is that pivotal information comes from everyone, not just one or two characters like usual (i.e. - usually Giles and/or Willow come up with a lot of the info). Everyone gets in on the action, and it actually works. The plot is pretty easy to follow, yet I don't ever remember being bored while reading.If you want a great Buffy book, go with Crossings. It's a major step up, especially following the dreadful Sweet Sixteen. I highly recommend Crossings to any fan of the Buffy series.

A Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel with TWO good endings

WARNING: Once again, we begin with a sincere warning not to read the copy that appears on the back cover and above describing the content of this novel. Apparently they write such things before the books are really written, which certainly explains why some of the recent BtVS one have been so off base."Crossings" is Mel Odom's second "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" novel after last year's "Revenant," although his contribution to the "Tales of the Slayer, Volume 1" was the best of that rather uneven collection. This latest effort takes place in the wake of Joyce Summer's death during Season 5 and while at first it seems that Buffy's problems with Dawn is but a major subplot it becomes a critical part of the novel's payoff. But because the Slayer's sibling does not show up until well into the story you are distracted by the problem at hand, which involves a demon who wants to ascend character level (I am beginning to get the hang of the Buffy CCG). However, "Crossings" is one of those novels were everything comes together in the end for the big payoff. So while Buffy and Willow are tracking a Craulathar demon who collects body parts from corpses, Xander and Anya are trying to enjoy a "Star Trek" film festival, and Giles and Tara are attending a taping of the television program "Othersyde," they are all just picking up threads of Odom's narrative.Odom does an excellent job of maintaining the pace of this story, which takes place in the course of one night. Even as he adds more characters into the mix he keeps all of his balls in the air and you are never left wondering what is happening with anybody at any given moment. "Crossings" comes close to the actual pace of a television episode (it could not be because diversions and lavender eyes will cost big time special effects bucks). However, the main strength of this effort is Odom's characterization. The picture of Xander and Anya on the cover might be somewhat arbitrary (they just used Buffy and Dawn on the cover of "Sweet Sixteen"), but they are probably the two characters that Odom captures best, mainly because in both cases he reigns in their senses of humor; most BtVS novel writers give Anya way too much free reign, but Odom keeps her from going off the deep end. There is also a scene between Buffy and Dawn that is actually better than anything we have seen on television between the two, which really makes me realize that they need to do more with Dawn than making her the damsel in distress. Odom even has her actually do something constructive in the course of the adventure.I also like Odom's attention to detail, which is also reflected in the careful construction of his story. There is a point in the story where a pair of binoculars pops up. Admittedly, this is a small thing, but pay attention to how much sense it makes and why there should be more such things in the BtVS universe. He also has a hysterical scene when a TV medium has a more ghostly encounter, a guy who insists on callin

dont play the video games or else

while xander and anya are at the movies, a young man they bothknow comes in and starts threatening to kill everyone. a big fight ensues and eventually he is taken to the hospital. everyone thinks that he has lost it but upon further researchit is discovered that he was recruited to try out for a new virtual reality game that causes it's participant's essence to besent to an alternate dimension while demons' essensences arestored in their bodies. this book is fast paced and actually let's the whole scooby gang have a part in rescuing the poor guystrapped in the demon universe. dawn even gets in the action andit is nice to see that some writers are keeping up to date withthe show. i highly reccommend this one and i can't wait to 'wisdom of war' comes out. that looks like they are going totake the story line into uncharted territory which will be refreshing.