I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Meet Me at the Crossroads: A Novel by Megan Giddings Published by Amistad on June 3, 2025
Genres: Fiction / African American & Black / Women
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: Edelweiss
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From the award-winning, critically-acclaimed author of Lakewood and The Women Could Fly, a dazzling novel about two brilliant sisters and what happens to their undeniable bond when a mysterious and possibly perilous new world beckons.
On an ordinary summer morning, the world is changed by the appearance of seven mysterious doors that seemingly lead to another world. People are, of course, mesmerized and intrigued: A new dimension filled with beauty and resources beckons them to step into an adventure. But, perhaps inevitably, people soon learn that what looks like paradise may very well be filled with danger.
Ayanna and Olivia, two Black Midwestern teens—and twin sisters—have different ideas of what may lie in the world beyond. But will their personal bond endure such wanton exploration? And when one of them goes missing, will the other find solace of her own? And will she uncover the circumstances of what truly happened to her once constant companion and best friend?
Megan Giddings brings her customarily brilliant and eye-opening powers of storytelling to give us a story that dazzles the senses and bewitches the mind. Meet Me at the Crossroads is an unforgettable novel about faith, love, and family from one of today’s most exciting and surprising young writers.
Review
Sometimes the best stories start with impossible things. In Megan Giddings’ latest novel, it’s seven mysterious doors that appear one summer morning in the Midwest. But the real story isn’t about the doors – it’s about two sisters who see them differently.
Ayanna and Olivia are twins, the kind who finish each other’s sentences and share the same dreams. Or at least they used to. When these strange portals show up, promising passage to another world, their reactions crack their relationship wide open. One sees opportunity, the other sees danger, and suddenly their unshakeable bond isn’t so unshakeable anymore.
Giddings, whose Lakewood made waves as one of 2020’s best books, knows how to mess with your head in the best possible way. She turns the familiar world of cornfields and summer heat into something eerie and electric. The doors aren’t just doors – they’re choices, beliefs, the moments that define us. And watching these sisters navigate their new reality feels like watching a tightrope walk. You can’t look away, even when you want to.
The beauty of this book lies in its refusal to give easy answers. Like the best portal fantasies, it’s less about what’s on the other side and more about what makes us want to look. Giddings plays with faith, doubt, and the price of curiosity in ways that’ll keep you up at night, turning pages and maybe checking your own closets for doorways to elsewhere.
Fair warning: if you need your stories wrapped up in neat bows, this one might drive you crazy. But if you love books that stick with you, that make you question what you’d do if seven impossible doors appeared in your life – this is your next read.
4.5/5 stars – A spellbinding story about the choices that bring us together and tear us apart.
