Crispin: the Cross of Lead, by Avi, was a decent novel because while it did have an entertaining plot, it, at times, was a tad too predictable. It was very original towards the beginning, with Bear essentially making Crispin his servant, and, unlike what many may expect, he never manages to leave. However, once it became clear that these two would be stuck together, the plot descended into the all too familiar two-people-stuck-with-each-other-slowly-become-friends theme. Characters that were obviously suspicious obviously popped up later on in the novel, and for a while the predictable plot made it seem like the inspiration for this novel was a Disney movie, and not feudalism in the late fourteenth century. Thankfully, the plot began to pick again towards the last third of the book, with the book managing to keep the reader on their toes. The excitement picks up again with many scenes that do manage to surprise. In conclusion, while Crispin is not the best due to some slow moments, it could certainly do worse.