Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Title: Crossed
Author: Ally Condie
Pages: 384
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile, ARC paperback

Goodreads summary:

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.

My review:

I don't know where to start.

First, I definitely recommend you re-read Matched before hand, especially if you don't remember much about it. Because Crossed definitely refers back to events that took place in Matched.

I liked it, though I can't help but think why dystopians have become so popular all of the sudden.

And I wish the main character, Cassia, wasn't from the Society! She's so naive about a lot of things and that, to me, just makes her an annoying character. Especially when it is in her point of view.

It's also in Ky's point of view! That surprised me, but I totally loved it because it let you see more of Ky and how his mind works. I think I get him a little bit more, which makes me feel much closer to him as a character. I do wish he wasn't so in love with Cassia though! He should have stuck to his beliefs, but I guess it does make him a better person by letting go.

New characters! Yay! I love new characters because they always bring in a variety of flavors. They all have different stories and different contributions to the book that make it more exciting to read. Favorite new character: Vic. Then Eli. I don't really like Indie, but she kind of reminds me of that female helicopter pilot in Avatar. You know, the one that joins the avatars in the end?

Xander continues to be my favorite character of the series, though don't expect to see much of him, even though he's kind of an important figure in this book. Didn't actually see Xander's bigger role until about half a page before Ally Condie actually states it. I will continue to hope that Xander will win out in the end.

I feel like Cassia does like the Society, in a dark, secret way. It's all she's actually ever known. I think Ky was right near the end, where Cassia liked the idea of there being the Rising more than she liked the idea of being a part of it forever. And he's right. You can't love/miss something you've never had. Which was something I saw in the book through Ky's point of view! How he would pity Cassia for not knowing about certain things, like dancing! But there really wasn't a need for him to pity her at all, because she wasn't effect at all by not having it. That came out really confusing, so I hope you get it.

I liked the writing! There were so many times where I was like "Oh! I know what's going to happen! It's going to be X, then Y, then Z! Ha! I know the end of the book before I even read it!" And then like ten pages later my theory would be destroyed by a new, unexpected detail! It defiantly had me guessing until the end.

Guess I'll just have to see what the third, and final, book brings.

Overall:

Did I fall in love with the book? No, but I really really enjoyed reading it!
Would I recommend it to others? Yes! Especially if you've read Matched, this will not disappoint!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Karina