Saturday 29 October 2011 | By: Nicole @ Nicole About TOwn

Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Title: Crossed
Author: Ally Condie
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Rating: G
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publication Date: November 1, 2011
Pages: 384
Source: ARC provided by Publisher
My Rating: 3*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

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.

Quotes
     I wonder if some of that longing came through in my voice when I spoke of the painting, if Xander noticed and remembered.  Xander still plays the game in a subtle way.  This painting is one of his cards.  Now, when I see the painting or touch one of he newrose petals, I remember the way he felts so familiar and knew so much, and I ache for what I've had to let go.


My Thoughts

I really, really did not like Matched, but as a follow up Crossed was actually pretty decent.  I ended up  reading both books back to back so I was able to keep going with the story.  As a result, I really can't help but compare the two books.

I must say that I enjoyed the setting in Matched much more.  For me, having the characters leave the city for the Outer Provinces lends credibility to the whole Dystopian aspect.  I felt that it gave Crossed a sense of danger and excitement that I found was lacking in Matched.  There were so many plot twists that I found myself unable to predict what was going to happen next; something that I greatly enjoyed.

Once I got used to them, I loved the differing viewpoints.  In my opinion, it really helped keep the story from revealing itself too soon.  Plus it was really nice to get a look inside of Ky's mind.  I found his viewpoint to be very refreshing and almost pure in his feelings.  Plus, it was a bonus to have male characters, who while very different from one another, were not absolute morons.  It was so nice to just finally get some decent male love interests.  I am really tired of this whole trend in YA of girls always falling for the pining after the controlling jerk.  Kudos to Ally Condie for creating two different male characters in Xander and Ky who aren't actually jerks masquerading as the ideal choice.

I have to say, that now I am kind of bummed that I have to wait a whole year to find out just how this series ends.

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About the Author
Ally Condie is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel MATCHED. She is also a former high school English teacher who lives with her husband and three sons outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, running, eating, and listening to her husband play guitar.

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