Guest Review: CROSSED by Ally Condie
The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogy.
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.
Publisher: Dutton Books, a Member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Release Date: November 1, 2011
Review Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult
367 Pages
Single Title/Series: CROSSED is book two in the Matched Trilogy.
Cover Thoughts: An evolution of the art from book one of the series, this cover clearly and effectively encompasses the novel’s theme. A girl roughly punches through the solid, yet breakable prison that protects her, yet keeps her trapped within. It isn’t tidy, and success isn’t certain, but her determination is clear. The vibrant colors and clean lines would draw me to this book on a crowded store shelf.
Origin: VampFanGirl received a published release copy of
CROSSED from the publisher.
Guest Review by Jennifer Donohue:
The Plot:
Selecting the color of the dress for her Match Banquet was the biggest decision Cassia faced in the first seventeen years of her life. She grew up in the tight embrace of the Society, where choice was eliminated in favor of optimal health and safety. She was content. She considered the regimented control of every last element of her existence a small price to pay for such a beautiful life.
When Cassia fell for Ky, she found more than just a cute boy to dream about. Ky revealed a world beyond the Society, and opened a window into a realm where people lived outside the strict confines of the ever-watchful Officials. The exchange of self-determination for supposed safety suddenly seemed too dear a price to pay.
Now, Ky’s been sent off to the Outer Provinces where the life expectancy is well short of the 80 years guaranteed to Citizens living in the Society. The people of the borderlands are in constant battle with the Society’s enemies, and kids are sent to the front lines younger and younger as casualties grow. But who are they fighting and why?
Cassia schemes her way to the Outer Provinces to search for Ky and discovers the borderlands are worse than she ever imagined. She makes fast friends with a girl named Indie and together they flee from death and continue the quest, pushing their way into the unknown. Cassia is completely unprepared for the physical and emotional strain outside the shielding walls of the life she left behind. In a desperate attempt to survive, she exposes herself to the impossibly long reach of the Society and then must fight against a hidden threat that slowly and persistently drains everything but her endless determination to find Ky.
The terrain isn’t the only harsh part of the landscape, and the lines of friendship aren’t always clear. Everyone has their own motives, and ethics in a land crossed with poisoned rivers aren’t black and white. Cassia has to reconsider her own intentions and, for the first time in her life, decide which path to take.
The Heroine:
Cassia is an intriguing heroine—neither too perfect nor too flawed—she’s easy to sympathize with, but just as easily forgettable. She’s strong enough to survive outside of the Society, but just barely. I can’t quite decide if she’s so blank by accident, or if the author has expertly molded her into the inevitable byproduct of the Society. After all, this isn’t so much her story as the portrayal of a dystopian world. Cassia grew a lot in book one of the series. She seems to stagnate in
CROSSED. I’d like to see her evolve more in the next book and face more truly ambiguous decisions.
The Heroes:
This book focuses more on Ky, with half the story told from his perspective. Much of Ky’s allure in book one came from unraveling the mysterious unknown of a boy who was intentionally average on the surface and anything but underneath. Giving a view into his thoughts takes away the opportunity to idealize him from Cassia’s perspective—and the beauty of romance, and young love, is the exceptional degree of idealization.
Riding along with Ky and seeing his story, I like him as a character and I’m interested in his future. I just don’t like him for Cassia and vice versa. I had a difficult time buying their romance in book one, and in
CROSSED I just don’t feel it. This seems like a classic example of a couple coming together because everyone said they couldn’t, and if they ever get a little time together they’ll realize they shouldn’t. Still, Cassia and Ky fight hard to be together, and there’s a nobility to their struggle that makes you want them to succeed.
But don’t count Xander out quite yet. He manages to find a clever way to stay in Cassia’s thoughts, doing the seemingly impossible and simultaneously revealing his loyalties aren’t necessarily what they seem.
Jennifer's Final Thoughts:
CROSSED certainly has a story to tell, and if you care about the characters it’s worth reading. As a continuation of the series, there are some interesting reveals and twists you’ll never see coming, but as a standalone book,
CROSSED lacks the magic so beautifully infused into MATCHED.
The potential of this series lies primarily in the intricacies of the dystopian world and its ability to subtly offer us the chance to evaluate our lives and our place in society. A secondary offering is the intrigue from the darker side of a seemingly utopian world. There’s endless fun in discovering what the Officials are really up to and watching the Citizens silently shout their independence through small acts of civil disobedience. MATCHED did this so exceptionally well that
CROSSED left me wanting.
From the direction at the end of
CROSSED, I have every hope that the author is going back to the foundation of this series. I will definitely read the next book.
3 Stars
The Series:
MATCHED
CROSSED
About Jennifer Donohue: Traversing Corporate America by day, I write young adult paranormal novels by night. What better way to escape than by slipping into an alternate world and playing there for a while? Although for me it’s not just escape--the paranormal is my normal. Whether it’s falling into a ghost hunting group or finding myself living in a haunted house (thankfully past, not present), somehow the mystical world always finds me and lures me back into the fold. I live the paranormal, why not write there? You can friend Jennifer Donohue at Facebook.
