Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed (Matched, #2)

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.

Reviewed by Kim Deister on

4 of 5 stars

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Crossed is the 2nd book in the Matched series and although I still loved it, I didn't find it quite as engrossing as the first book. For the majority of the book, the three main characters were apart and so much of the appeal lies in the dynamic between them.

That being said, Ky has much more of a voice in this book than in the last. Of course, Xander has less, which is sad because I love Xander. But we learn so much more about Ky, his past, how he has come to be who and where he is. There was a message of self-discovery in the first book through Cassia and that same theme is carried through this book, both in Cassia's story and in Ky's.

What I love about this series, and this book in particular, is that the YA romance is really almost secondary to the story line. It is important and present, yes, but it is not the sole focus of the story. In fact, this book was more emotionally charged than the first, but those emotions were a lot less romantically-motivated. There is a whole wide range of emotions to give characters besides love and all of the typical romantic ones and I am glad to see those explored in these characters.

Much of the book was about just that, real life. Ky's fight for survival, facing tough choices in impossible situations. Cassia's journey, too, was about survival, learning to trust, learning to trust herself. There was more at stake here than romance. There was the world as they knew it. The Carving, The Rising, saving their society from itself.

Things to love...

--The recognition that there is more to life than romance. There is real life.
--The tough choices and lessons that the characters had to go through.

Things I wanted more/less of...

--More Xander. I missed his voice in this book.

My Recommendation: No, this book didn't grab me quite as much as the first, but it is a story that still has me hooked. It certainly didn't put me off wanting to read the final book in the series, Reached.

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  • Started reading
  • 16 September, 2014: Finished reading
  • 16 September, 2014: Reviewed