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"Crossing Over"
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“Racist, fascist, homophobe, we’re gonna pound you in the road!”
For Mike McNerney, “Crossing Over” into Canada seemed like the safest way to get his family away from the chaos and political unrest spreading across the U.S. Fuel prices are soaring, the propane tank in the camper is dwindling, and a frigid winter is approaching as the McNerney’s line up outside the Canadian border – where hundreds of strangers make camp while they also await clearance from the government. Weeks go by as a politically driven war is taking place around the country – private militias and protesters are causing riots, while opportunists pillage deserted towns and general run-of-the-mill scumbags take full advantage of the desperate citizens caught in the mix. Things are looking bleak for Mike and his family who, like so many others, are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
For Mike McNerney, “Crossing Over” into Canada seemed like the safest way to get his family away from the chaos and political unrest spreading across the U.S. Fuel prices are soaring, the propane tank in the camper is dwindling, and a frigid winter is approaching as the McNerney’s line up outside the Canadian border – where hundreds of strangers make camp while they also await clearance from the government. Weeks go by as a politically driven war is taking place around the country – private militias and protesters are causing riots, while opportunists pillage deserted towns and general run-of-the-mill scumbags take full advantage of the desperate citizens caught in the mix. Things are looking bleak for Mike and his family who, like so many others, are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Readability
“Crossing Over” by Paul Clayton is a third-person narrative that follows the events involving the McNerney family as they try to flee the United States while civil unrest and political chaos intensifies across the nation. The story unfolds from an “everyman” point of view. The tone and atmosphere reminded me of that made-for-television movie called “Threads” (1984), minus the nuclear holocaust. The seriousness of the McNerney’s situation gets progressively heavier as the abysmal sense of dread sets in and they all become depressed. The narrative is presented almost like a cautionary tale for the families who are “Living the Dream” and taking their suburban lifestyles for granted, while showing how quickly things can turn to shit when people are oblivious to the world around them.
The story isn’t that long in terms of overall page count, but there are only ten total chapters that should have been broken up to emphasize specific scenes/events and maintain a comfortable reading experience. In chapter three alone, I counted at least two blatant chapter breaks that would have created intrigue while also maintaining the pace. The way the chapter was written just drags for like thirty pages, which is absurd when compared to other chapters in the same novel that are less than ten pages. It just stands out as an inconsistency that was clearly overlooked during any sort of editing that took place before the work was published, but maybe it’s just me. Here are some of the significant plot points that all transpire in the same chapter:
- McNerney’s leave their home and discover a private camp
- McNerney’s leave that camp and finally find a gas station
- McNerney’s leave the gas station, drive for several hours, and come across a roadblock
- McNerney’s are escorted from the roadblock to a military camp
- McNerney’s become acquainted with a soldier who becomes a recurring character
- Mike McNerney meets with the camp’s captain (the next day) who has a proposition
- McNerney’s backtrack towards the south to find the detour mentioned by Moore
- Mike McNerney finds a fork in the road that comes as a complete surprise
- McNerney’s come to a dead end and backtrack once again and try the other path
- Mike McNerney finds a dead man and learns that the road ahead is washed out
- McNerney’s begin their journey back to the roadblock, but decide to camp for the night
- Mike McNerney goes for an introspective walk at night, and he witnesses red lightning
- McNerney’s continue north the next morning and discover the roadblock abandoned
- Mike McNerney investigates the military camp & everything has been turned to ash
- McNerney’s drive north towards the Canadian border & Mike recalls facebook spats
Mind you, all these plot points are broken up with scenes of dialogue as well as setting descriptions alongside Mike’s introspective thoughts, feelings, and opinions about the events happening on both the micro and macro scale.
Creativity
I think it was smart on the author’s part to refrain from using the names of real politicians or contemporary organizations/militia groups, because not only would that date the novel but I also think it would stifle what I believe is the point of the narrative. You see, what it boils down to with these politically driven civil war scenarios, is that the names and the faces may change but the directives and ideologies pretty much remain the same. It’s always the “true-blues” versus the greys or the reds (the “radicals”).
There’s a scene where Mike is going to a shop with another family guy he just met, and the subject of politics comes up during their small talk. For some retarded reason Mike could not hold his emotions in check and felt the need to blurt his negative opinion about the president. Needless to say that pretty much disrupted what little comfort and reprieve Mike had received from his new connection, who could have been a great help to the McNerney’s, but instead decided to leave them behind due to a newfound lack of trust based upon personal beliefs. He judged Mike’s entire character based upon a comment he made about current events. Even Mike realized that he had fucked up as soon as he had spewed his unnecessary derision while he was sitting in the passenger seat of a stranger’s vehicle but also while he was personally in no position to be judging anybody, let alone the president of the United States. In other words, he should have just said that politics were the least of his worries.
This brings me to the “protestors” that are depicted in this novel. I think they were handled appropriately for the purpose they served. They were the mindless drones responsible for doling out senseless violence while chanting empty platitudes and/or rabble-rousing clichés. I like to compare their behavior to that of the pod people from “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978). There’s even a scene in “Crossing Over” where a group of low IQ miscreants chanting like a bunch of brainwashed zealots literally snatch Mike’s daughter during a scuffle.
The reason why I look down upon political demonstrations and/or “protestors” is not only because they usually do nothing but harass the general public like a bunch of cowards, but because all their misdirected anger (that’s often stoked by the mainstream media) is typically put to use by professional provocateurs that are trained and paid to direct the misguided mobs like a bunch of pawns on a chessboard. Whether it’s to promote a cause for the purpose of raising funds for an organization run by money-grubbing grifters, or to instigate civil unrest to create cover for agents of chaos to conduct covert operations, these public demonstrations are usually planned in advance and are orchestrated by bad actors that do not have your best interest at heart (but I digress). Basically what I’m saying is that only an idiot would blindly participate in politically-driven marches, rallies, or “protests” just because something on the news made them feel some kind of way.
I was disappointed that there was never an explanation for the mysterious ruby-red lightning lasers that had the power to reduce an entire military camp to ash overnight. I feel like that was cheap clickbait to keep me motivated while I slogged through pages and pages of mundane occurrences that amounted to nothing until the final three chapters where a miraculous encounter arrives on cue just before Marie goes through with her selfish decision to pimp out her own flesh and blood to some pervert working for the public sector so they can cross over the border. Talk about crossing the line.
Delivery
The inciting incident and the primary reason why the McNerney’s tucked tail and headed for the hills was due to a desperate teen that was found in their garage, resting in the family camper. Mrs. McNerney was shocked by the discovery which alerted her husband Mike who jumped to the rescue, but it turned out the kid was just homeless and hungry.
Mrs. McNerney naively offers to provide the teen with a bag of food while Mr. McNerney tries to shoo the child away. He reluctantly agrees to give the kid some food, but tells him he needs to go somewhere else after. Mike proceeds to retrieve a gun while his retarded daughter lets the strange boy into their home, and the teen catches Mike’s wife off guard while she’s in the process of getting him food. By the time Mike returns to the kitchen he discovers that his wife is being held hostage by the young “thug” with a stiletto blade pressed against her throat while demanding Mike to give up the keys to the camper. Does Mike (A) De-escalate the situation in a peaceful manner and temporarily appease the assailant as to not put his wife’s life in further danger, or does he (B) pull out the gun and point it in the direction of both the “thug” and his wife and make his own demands as if he’s the man with the master plan?
Needless to say, Mike’s character isn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. I said to myself, “Oh okay, now I see from which side of the family Elly was most likely to have inherited her mental retardation.” Within the first three chapters, I wasn’t sure if I had less faith in Mike’s ability to keep his family safe or in his wife Marie’s ability to be a responsible mother capable of keeping an eye on her retarded daughter for a grand total of ten minutes without losing sight of her. Seriously, at this point in the story the civil war hadn’t even popped off yet and I was already under the impression that the McNerney family was completely cooked. Trying to picture how this couple would manage during an actual civil war event is like trying to imagine how people with Parkinson’s would handle nitroglycerin.
The author haphazardly handled the passage of time and it made for not only some moments that raised questions in regard to the logistics, but also made me cringe and recoil in disgust. Like when Mike and Marie “make love” for the second time after leaving home and living out their little cab-style camper (with their daughter sleeping within an earshot). First off let me say that’s fucking gross, because it’s been at least a month since they scrubbed their genitalia. I can’t even fathom the gut-wrenching stench inside that camper. Luckily for Elly she was suffering from a severe cold and probably couldn’t smell anything, but it’s also pretty retarded of her parents to be risking another pregnancy when their family is already floating in the middle of Shits Creek without a paddle.
“Crossing Over” by Paul Clayton is a third-person narrative that follows the events involving the McNerney family as they try to flee the United States while civil unrest and political chaos intensifies across the nation. The story unfolds from an “everyman” point of view. The tone and atmosphere reminded me of that made-for-television movie called “Threads” (1984), minus the nuclear holocaust. The seriousness of the McNerney’s situation gets progressively heavier as the abysmal sense of dread sets in and they all become depressed. The narrative is presented almost like a cautionary tale for the families who are “Living the Dream” and taking their suburban lifestyles for granted, while showing how quickly things can turn to shit when people are oblivious to the world around them.
The story isn’t that long in terms of overall page count, but there are only ten total chapters that should have been broken up to emphasize specific scenes/events and maintain a comfortable reading experience. In chapter three alone, I counted at least two blatant chapter breaks that would have created intrigue while also maintaining the pace. The way the chapter was written just drags for like thirty pages, which is absurd when compared to other chapters in the same novel that are less than ten pages. It just stands out as an inconsistency that was clearly overlooked during any sort of editing that took place before the work was published, but maybe it’s just me. Here are some of the significant plot points that all transpire in the same chapter:
- McNerney’s leave their home and discover a private camp
- McNerney’s leave that camp and finally find a gas station
- McNerney’s leave the gas station, drive for several hours, and come across a roadblock
- McNerney’s are escorted from the roadblock to a military camp
- McNerney’s become acquainted with a soldier who becomes a recurring character
- Mike McNerney meets with the camp’s captain (the next day) who has a proposition
- McNerney’s backtrack towards the south to find the detour mentioned by Moore
- Mike McNerney finds a fork in the road that comes as a complete surprise
- McNerney’s come to a dead end and backtrack once again and try the other path
- Mike McNerney finds a dead man and learns that the road ahead is washed out
- McNerney’s begin their journey back to the roadblock, but decide to camp for the night
- Mike McNerney goes for an introspective walk at night, and he witnesses red lightning
- McNerney’s continue north the next morning and discover the roadblock abandoned
- Mike McNerney investigates the military camp & everything has been turned to ash
- McNerney’s drive north towards the Canadian border & Mike recalls facebook spats
Mind you, all these plot points are broken up with scenes of dialogue as well as setting descriptions alongside Mike’s introspective thoughts, feelings, and opinions about the events happening on both the micro and macro scale.
Creativity
I think it was smart on the author’s part to refrain from using the names of real politicians or contemporary organizations/militia groups, because not only would that date the novel but I also think it would stifle what I believe is the point of the narrative. You see, what it boils down to with these politically driven civil war scenarios, is that the names and the faces may change but the directives and ideologies pretty much remain the same. It’s always the “true-blues” versus the greys or the reds (the “radicals”).
There’s a scene where Mike is going to a shop with another family guy he just met, and the subject of politics comes up during their small talk. For some retarded reason Mike could not hold his emotions in check and felt the need to blurt his negative opinion about the president. Needless to say that pretty much disrupted what little comfort and reprieve Mike had received from his new connection, who could have been a great help to the McNerney’s, but instead decided to leave them behind due to a newfound lack of trust based upon personal beliefs. He judged Mike’s entire character based upon a comment he made about current events. Even Mike realized that he had fucked up as soon as he had spewed his unnecessary derision while he was sitting in the passenger seat of a stranger’s vehicle but also while he was personally in no position to be judging anybody, let alone the president of the United States. In other words, he should have just said that politics were the least of his worries.
This brings me to the “protestors” that are depicted in this novel. I think they were handled appropriately for the purpose they served. They were the mindless drones responsible for doling out senseless violence while chanting empty platitudes and/or rabble-rousing clichés. I like to compare their behavior to that of the pod people from “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978). There’s even a scene in “Crossing Over” where a group of low IQ miscreants chanting like a bunch of brainwashed zealots literally snatch Mike’s daughter during a scuffle.
The reason why I look down upon political demonstrations and/or “protestors” is not only because they usually do nothing but harass the general public like a bunch of cowards, but because all their misdirected anger (that’s often stoked by the mainstream media) is typically put to use by professional provocateurs that are trained and paid to direct the misguided mobs like a bunch of pawns on a chessboard. Whether it’s to promote a cause for the purpose of raising funds for an organization run by money-grubbing grifters, or to instigate civil unrest to create cover for agents of chaos to conduct covert operations, these public demonstrations are usually planned in advance and are orchestrated by bad actors that do not have your best interest at heart (but I digress). Basically what I’m saying is that only an idiot would blindly participate in politically-driven marches, rallies, or “protests” just because something on the news made them feel some kind of way.
I was disappointed that there was never an explanation for the mysterious ruby-red lightning lasers that had the power to reduce an entire military camp to ash overnight. I feel like that was cheap clickbait to keep me motivated while I slogged through pages and pages of mundane occurrences that amounted to nothing until the final three chapters where a miraculous encounter arrives on cue just before Marie goes through with her selfish decision to pimp out her own flesh and blood to some pervert working for the public sector so they can cross over the border. Talk about crossing the line.
Delivery
The inciting incident and the primary reason why the McNerney’s tucked tail and headed for the hills was due to a desperate teen that was found in their garage, resting in the family camper. Mrs. McNerney was shocked by the discovery which alerted her husband Mike who jumped to the rescue, but it turned out the kid was just homeless and hungry.
Mrs. McNerney naively offers to provide the teen with a bag of food while Mr. McNerney tries to shoo the child away. He reluctantly agrees to give the kid some food, but tells him he needs to go somewhere else after. Mike proceeds to retrieve a gun while his retarded daughter lets the strange boy into their home, and the teen catches Mike’s wife off guard while she’s in the process of getting him food. By the time Mike returns to the kitchen he discovers that his wife is being held hostage by the young “thug” with a stiletto blade pressed against her throat while demanding Mike to give up the keys to the camper. Does Mike (A) De-escalate the situation in a peaceful manner and temporarily appease the assailant as to not put his wife’s life in further danger, or does he (B) pull out the gun and point it in the direction of both the “thug” and his wife and make his own demands as if he’s the man with the master plan?
Needless to say, Mike’s character isn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. I said to myself, “Oh okay, now I see from which side of the family Elly was most likely to have inherited her mental retardation.” Within the first three chapters, I wasn’t sure if I had less faith in Mike’s ability to keep his family safe or in his wife Marie’s ability to be a responsible mother capable of keeping an eye on her retarded daughter for a grand total of ten minutes without losing sight of her. Seriously, at this point in the story the civil war hadn’t even popped off yet and I was already under the impression that the McNerney family was completely cooked. Trying to picture how this couple would manage during an actual civil war event is like trying to imagine how people with Parkinson’s would handle nitroglycerin.
The author haphazardly handled the passage of time and it made for not only some moments that raised questions in regard to the logistics, but also made me cringe and recoil in disgust. Like when Mike and Marie “make love” for the second time after leaving home and living out their little cab-style camper (with their daughter sleeping within an earshot). First off let me say that’s fucking gross, because it’s been at least a month since they scrubbed their genitalia. I can’t even fathom the gut-wrenching stench inside that camper. Luckily for Elly she was suffering from a severe cold and probably couldn’t smell anything, but it’s also pretty retarded of her parents to be risking another pregnancy when their family is already floating in the middle of Shits Creek without a paddle.
#LFLR Indie Rating: 5.5/10
I liked the evergreen and even-keeled approach that the author took in regard the political nature of “Crossing Over”. I would consider the story a dystopian, but not much of a thriller in terms of the plot. Paul Clayton has written other books that revolve around war, including his “Southeast Series” about the Spanish Conquest of Florida and a novel based on personal experience in Vietnam. He has also written some science fiction and fantasy.
I liked the evergreen and even-keeled approach that the author took in regard the political nature of “Crossing Over”. I would consider the story a dystopian, but not much of a thriller in terms of the plot. Paul Clayton has written other books that revolve around war, including his “Southeast Series” about the Spanish Conquest of Florida and a novel based on personal experience in Vietnam. He has also written some science fiction and fantasy.
THIS BREAKDOWN IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE #LFLR NETWORK.
