Cross typically writes about disturbing situations. On the Edge is a thriller that involves moral choices, family relations, and identity. A teenager named Tug must struggle for his identity when he is captured by terrorists who make him treat them as his parents. A girl named Jinny chooses to become involved when she suspects what may be going on.

New World is a suspenseful novel constructed around the idea of playing a game. Two teenagers named Miriam and Stuart are selected to test a virtual-reality game before it is placed on the market. Along with a third teenager who enters the game, they discover that they are really being manipulated. The game's creators secretly intend to test the players' fears.