Author: Ally Condie
Release Date: November 1, 2011
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 367
Source: bookstore
Stars: 4.5/5
The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogyMY THOUGHTS:
In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.
Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.
(summary taken from Goodreads)
I honestly can't believe how much I loved this book! I think I might be one of the few people who liked Crossed more than its predecessor, Matched.
One of my favourite things about Crossed was that it was told through alternating first person narratives between Cassia and Ky, because I loved being able to see how they saw each other. Cassia and Ky were both such sweet, emotionally strong, and realistically flawed characters, and their romance made me ache in places that shouldn't be able to ache.
Admittedly, Crossed was a little hard to get into at first because the pacing was slower. But once I did, I couldn't put it down! And not because it was a fast-paced adventure with lots of action, but because it was a gripping and surprising journey that had me rooting for the characters all the way through!
There's something beautiful about the way Ally Condie writes. It's like poetry, but not! At first they just look like words, sometimes a little confusing, but when you understand them they move you. They have meaning. They make your heart ache and your mind float and I love it.
Beautiful, heart-aching, and definitely inspirational, Crossed is a sequel I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone who enjoyed Matched! And don't get me wrong — you'll love this book if you're Team Xander too! I can't wait until I can get my hands on the next installment!
BUY or BORROW?: To be completely honest, I LOVE having this book on my shelf and I would love it if you guys bought it too! But I know that some people may not enjoy it as much as I did, so I would be totally content if you borrowed it as long as you pick it up somehow! :)
-Mimi
Posts
Great review. Unfortunately I was one of those people who didn't enjoy this book. At least not as much as Matched. I don't know . . . it just lacked a lot of things. But I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked it! I'm not really into Matched. I thought it was a little tedious but Condie's writing was superb! I've also a lot of negative reviews about Crossed so your review is really refreshing.
ReplyDeleteGreat review Mimi! I can't wait to get started on this one, Matched was an awesome read. Thank you for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked this one, I'm hoping to read it soon. I really enjoyed Matched. Thanks for the heads up about the slow pace.
ReplyDeleteMe too! the dual pov totally made it for me!! =D. However I am one of those who likes Matched more than Crossed but I totally liked this book as well! I also agree with you about Ally Condie's writting style! is just captivating!! Love love love!! kyaaaaaaaa!!
ReplyDeletemy sweet Mimi! I hope you are doing awesome! I am still a little bit busy and I havent been around so much. So if you havent seen me if because of that.
Me loves you! have a great great day! =D
muah!
I have this on hold at the library so hopefully I'll be getting it soon; I am afraid I'll be on the side that doesn't like it as much (I sure don't like the cover as much) but we'll see. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI loved this one, too! Just posted my review of Matched. Crossed is next!
ReplyDeleteThough, Team Ky all the way!
Though I like Matched better than Crossed, I agree that Condie's writing is beautiful. I had some problems with the story, but like you, I really enjoyed the alternating POVs.
ReplyDeleteI never changed teams like this before, but after reading Crossed I think I might now be Team Xander. LOL
I really enjoyed the alternating POVs as well, that was an addition that I thought worked beautifully. This one was a bit too slow for me and I wanted Cassia and Ky to be together more in it I guess. That was what I loved so much about Matched - their quiet moments together - and those were missing in this one for me. Outstanding review though Mimi, I'm so glad you loved it:)
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I adored Matched and I have Crossed just sitting on my shelf but I've kind of been avoiding it because I've seen some not so great reviews on it. I'll definitely try to read it soon though :)
ReplyDeleteI've had this one since it's release but still haven't read it! I'm horrible with picking up sequels when I've waited for so long. But I'm super happy you loved it and I'll have to make sure I get to it really soon!
ReplyDeleteI've seen some very mixed reviews for this one and since I'm not a fan of slow dystopians, I haven't started the series. Maybe someday when I fall in love with the dystopian genre, I'll start reading books like this one too. For now, I tend to prefer faster-paced ones like Legend and Divergent. It's still nice to read your thoughts on this one, Mimi! I can always use other people's reviews to recommend books to my family and friends because obviously not everyone shares my tastes.
ReplyDeletei don't really want 2 read it
ReplyDeletetnx 4 sharing your thoughts
My mom also thought this sequel was better than the first, so you're not alone in feeling that way. I really liked Matched much better. Matched felt so real to me, but this one had quite the opposite effect. Most of it seemed rather implausible, and I just couldn't suspend disbelief as much. The author seemed to be trying too hard to be literary and poetic.
ReplyDeleteBut, your review is great and I'm glad you really enjoyed the book!
Matched is sitting on my shelf, waiting for me to read it...it's been there for a few months now. I've nothing to contribute to the conversation about either, but I will try and fix that soon. :)
ReplyDeleteLovely review, as always - your description of the writing has definitely peaked my interest!
So, should I read Matched, Mimi? I'm not sure if you really like this one much! Bahaha. No really I'm so over not having read this yet! This must change!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed this book, I have this series sitting on my shelf waiting to be read. Thanks for this awesome review Mimi. <3
ReplyDelete✿FICBOOKREVIEWS✿
I think is really time to pick this book up! :) ;) Great review Mimi!! :) :) <3
ReplyDeleteWhy am I not surprised that reading your review makes me want to buy this book? *smacks forehead* You empty my wallet, Mimi! ILY, but why do your reviews have to be SO DARN AWESOME??????
ReplyDeleteTeehee <3 (:
Fantabulous review, Mimi-Doll! It's always nice to read a positive review through all of those negative ones. I'll listen to you because we're reading twins... I just bought this book! ;)
I haven't actually read either of these books yet, and have been kinda putting it off because of the mixed reviews for Crossed, but I think I'm just going to go ahead and read Matched anyhow--even if I end up not liking the sequel, I should still have the experience of reading that first book that everyone raves about!
ReplyDeleteSmiles!
Lori