Book review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed by Ally Condie is a sequel to the book Matched and part of the Matched-trilogy. I've really been looking forward to this book since I liked Matched so much. I have to say I'm a little bit dissapointed. If you haven't read Matched you should stop here, because this review contains spoilers from the first book, and rather read Nina's review of it here or my review here (in norwegian.)

Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky--taken by the Society to his sure death--only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of a rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices every thing to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again. (Photo and summary from Goodreads)

My thoughts: 
To tell you the truth this book bored me one time to many. There's a lot of talk and no play (isn't that how it's said?:-)). Even though Ally Condie's writing still is beautiful and low-key I wanted this book to be more filled with action than it is. The first book isn't excactly action-packed either but it presents the characters and the Society where it all takes place to us in a very satisfying way in my opinion. The ending of Matched built up some expectations of a more exciting second book and what we get is even more background history of the characters, the Society and the rebellion on the outside. I don't think there's anything wrong with that but it doesn't match (haha) my expectations. We get to know Ky a lot better and what's going on outside the Society and it's "safe" boundaries. I want to know more but I wish we got to "see" it with our own eyes instead of beeing told the story through someone else like Ky or some of the new charachters we meet (I'm not sure this make's sense). Instead of being where it's all happening we just hear about it.

Ally Condies biggest strenght still is her poetic language and the moods she creates in her books. I still think it's a bit over the top for my taste in Crossed with all the poems and love declarations. Condie still writes in a way that makes this an easy read and I'm very excited about the third and last book. The pace surely must pick up in that one?

Source: 
Review copy from the norwegian publisher Mangschou in exchange for an honest review

My rating:




Silje*

Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Summary:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander’s face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham’s face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it’s a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she’s destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can’t stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

My thoughts:

Matched is one of many dystopian YA novels I have read lately, but it definitely manages to stand out from the rest. The story is set in a world where The Society decides everything from how fast you can run on the treadmill, to who you will marry, to when you will die. We don't get much of an explanation as to how this system developed, but the purpose seems to be that if everyone wears the same clothes and eat the same food, and nobody has anything more than anyone else, people won't have a reason to be jealous of each other. It's hard to imagine living in a world where you're never allowed to make your own decisions, but if that's all you've ever known, would you just accept the situation or would you long for something more?

The main character Cassia has never questioned the ways of The Society, but throughout this novel she will start seeing everything in a different light. She goes through some pretty big changes, and it was very easy for me to relate to Cassia and the choices she has to take. Will she risk everything she's used to, or choose what's familiar and safe?

Matched is so much more than just another dystopian YA novel. It is a beautiful love story, a great tale of how difficult it can be to tell right from wrong, about the choices you have to make, and the consequences those choices will have on both you and others. I cried, I laughed, I cursed some characters while I fell in love with others, and when I had read the last page I was left with a feeling of hope. My only complaint about Matched is that it is very slow paced, and any scenes with action are over almost before they've begun. Still, it is one of the better YA love stories I have read in the last year.

The cover:

Beautiful, and very fitting for the story.

My rating of this book:

4,5 stars out of 5


Want a second opinion? Check out these reviews written by some of my book blogging friends:
MoonStar
Confessions of a Book Addict

Eating YA Books

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Add Matched to your Goodreads wish list
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Matched by Ally Condie

Published: November 30th 2010
Pages (hardcover): 366
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
ISBN: 0525423648 (ISBN13: 9780525423645)
Full disclosure: Checked out at local library

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and online book stores like Amazon or The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store has free shipping to over 90 countries.