REVIEW: CROSSED BY ALLY CONDIE.

Title: Crossed (Matched #2)
Author: Ally Condie
Series: Matched #2
Edition: Paperback
Publication: November 1, 2011 by Dutton Children's
Source: Bought
Pages: 367
Category: Dystopia, Romance

Synopsis:

Rules Are Different Outside The Society

Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky--taken by the Society to his sure death--only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of a rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices every thing to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.
Narrated from both Cassia's and Ky's point of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever.

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Just like Matched, I have Crossed sitting on my shelf for several months before it took its turn to be pulled off. The release date had passed and I'm quite sad that my books have to wait for their turn to be read just because I only have free time during the weekends. And I wished Crossed's turn was after I bought it.

Matched didn't quite hit my story taste because my expectation of it was dystopian with a little bit of romance. It turned out to be the other way around and it quite made me sigh. When I was about to read Crossed, I was really hoping that it would give justice to the high reviews it received and thankfully, it did! I was really hooked to it and it's one of the books that "unputdownable". This book is told in an alternate way which made me understand each character's views and gave the book an enthralling adventure. Crossed proved me wrong that now I can no longer wait to get and finish its story on Reached.

Cassia took me by surprise. Initially I thought that she, along her way on finding Ky, would be very much dependent on her friends because she grew up from a very organized life in the Borough. She took huge risks just to be with Ky. The way she trusted Indie, when she rode the plane that would take them to the Outer Provinces without knowing what awaits them, when she endured the pain that climbing the Carving gave her and when she accepted the pain of leaving her family aside. I never thought she would be this brave. Ky however kind of became the emotional one. He wouldn't choose any side because he's afraid. There was a part when he thought of not being with Cassia when she joins the Rising because of trust issues but eventually joined it. I wasn't really a fan of that but all in all, they made the story very exciting and as I have said, I couldn't wait for Reached.

Xander and Indie actually made me intrigued. What would be their participation in all of these? Yay! Reached, be published soon!!

"In the end you can't always choose what to keep. You can only choose how you let it go."

REVIEW: MATCHED BY ALLY CONDIE.

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Series: Matched #1
Edition: Paperback
Publication: November 30, 2010 by Dutton Books for Young Readers
Source: Bought
Pages: 366 pages
Category: Dystopia, Romance

Synopsis:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

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This book had me wondering why the cover's a lady in a bubble and later found out that it made sense. Purchased this around February this year and as you all know, I stack books. Finally this week, it was Matched's turn to be pulled off the shelf.

Matched is a dystopian book but more of a romance genre. It clearly showed the futuristic/dystopian settting through the air-trains, Final Bonquets for the elderly, microcards, tablets they always carry, food delivered from ports and the Maching Bonquet for the young adults. It is also set into a place where the Society rules and organizes everything, from what to read, write, do and who to be with. It is also separated from the Outer Provinces and their knowledge about history is limited.

Cassia Reyes (I liked the name BTW) started her adventure when she saw Ky as her Match aside from Xander. Take note: she couldn't be matched with Ky. Ever. That was the reason why I said the book is more on romance genre because it revolved on the love triangle. She was first matched with her best friend Xander but she got curious about Ky that she went a little bit rebellious just to be with him. It was kind of heart-breaking for me because Xander isn't only handsome and smart but also because she's her best friend. Who wouldn't want to marry their best friend? She has everything someone could've asked for! I was also a bit anxious maybe because I sympathize Xander and that I disagree with a lot of Cassia's decisions.

What I find most intriguing in this story is actually the poem Grandfather had given Cassia. Maybe its just me but I'm a bit skeptical about it. Maybe it would be better explained on Book 2 and with that alone, I am wishing I could fast forward up until this weekend so I could finish Crossed! Ky's story and Cassia's search for him make me want to skip sleep so I would have time for it!

Oh Xander.

"Every minute you spend with someone gives them a part of your life and takes part of theirs."

"We could have been happy. I know that, and it is perhaps the hardest thing to know."