Crossed
By: Ally Condie
Crossed picks up right where Matched left off. Cassia has gone to find Ky, who has been sent to the Outer Provinces. What follows is an amazing journey that may not be as fast-paced or action-packed as some devourers of the dystopian genre may desire, but is instead a breath-taking exploration into characters, love, and freedom.
Honestly, this book ruined me. After reading it in back in September I still have not been able to find a book that spoke to me as much as Crossed did.
And, here's the thing, while I liked Matched, I didn't love it. For as good as Matched was, it really pales in comparison to its sequel. Which is so incredibly rare for a series that it made this story all the more awe-inspiring and treasured to me.
As I mentioned earlier, by the end of the book, the plot almost feels like we are back where we've started, except we've introduced some new characters, some of which are friends, and others are in that mysterious gray area. However, I personally felt like the characterization was so strong in this novel, that I didn't mind the slow pace of the plot. And when I mean that the plot has a slow pace, I am directly referring to other novels in the genre like The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and others that have a quick-moving cinematic plot. I think the plot pace was comparable to Matched, with Crossed being the faster-paced of the two.
Each page of this novel is a work of art. With each turn of the page I found myself pointing to a passage and saying, "Yes! I've felt this way before! That's exactly what it's like." And what is remarkable is that I don't live in a dystopian society where everything is chosen for me. Ally does a magnificent job of taking a society so different from our own, and relating it to the human experience that so many of us share.
So, the take-away message is this. If you loved Matched, read Crossed. If you weren't enamored with Matched, read Crossed. If you haven't read Matched, then get on that, and read Crossed next.
Matched Review
And therein lies my debate of whether to read this book now or later. I liked MATCHED, I didn't love it. I was worried CROSSED was going to be worse as a lot of 2nd books in the YA genre just turn into transition books. I've heard so many wavering reviews for it, but you make it sound so beautiful and emotional. I think I may try to read it now. Loved this review, Emily!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you loved the sequel. I enjoyed Matched, but like you, I didn't love it. I'm way excited to read Crossed! It came out today! YAY!
ReplyDeleteInteresting review. I totally passed on Crossed because I thought Matched (other than the beautiful cover) was just "eh". Maybe I will check it out one day although it does bother me when not much moves along in a plot and the second book is more of a filler book.
ReplyDeleteI actually LOVED Matched, but I'm not that into Crossed. It's way too slow and I just don't care for it like I did Matched. Feels like a filler book.
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