Review: Reached by Ally Condie (Matched #3)

 Genre: Young Adult,Dystopian, Romance

Format: Hardcover (512 pages)

Publisher: Penguins

Publication Date:  November 13th 2012

Rating: 4/5

Source: Library Loan
Get a Copy at: Chapters | Amazon  | Barnes & Nobles











Summary from Goodreads:

After leaving Society to desperately seek The Rising, and each other, Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again. Cassia is assigned undercover in Central city, Ky outside the borders, an airship pilot with Indie. Xander is a medic, with a secret. All too soon, everything shifts again.

 

What I think:

I was a bit disappointed with Matched Crossed because of the clichés and slow character development. However, Ally Condie`s work have a lot of potentials, so I decided to finish the trilogy afterall. Reached did redeem itself with its twists and beautiful writing style. The third book of the Match trilogy has indeed showcased the evolution of the author`s writing.

Reached in Cassia, Ky, and Xander`s POVs which sometimes is frustrated and interesting at the same time. There were moments that I did not want to switch point of views because I was too drawn into one character and had to dread reading another two chapters just to get back to the point of view I really enjoyed at that particular time. However, luckily, all three POVs were full of surprises so that dread feeling was not as big as I have anticipated.  

The three endings, since Reached was told in three different perspectives, were great. Although, there are some open-ended points, such as Xander`s case, I did not mind as much as I should. Some parts were bittersweet which was good because not everything is happily-ever-after as there are losses and sacrifices to be remembered.  

My only problems with this book is that the first 100 pages or so, there seemed to have no plots. The 

thoughts of all three characters seemed to be all mixed up at one times. I don`t particularly enjoyed alternating POVs as I got so confuse on who is talking and had to re-read the chapters to understand the event fully. They kept talking about the pilot, which to me, is a bit too repetitive, unless the repetitiveness has a symbolism.

Reached was a good conclusion of the Matched Trilogy. Many of the questions were answers, yet there still a few points that left the readers wondering. The writing was beautiful; however, I think it would be more extraordinary if the layout of the book was more organized. I recommend this book to the people that started reading the second installment and want to see who Cassia ends with or Xander`s fate. In addition, I think this book is perfect for the ones that just starting to read YA dystopian novels as the writing style is simple enough to understand. However, overall, this series is an okay read.

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 Quotes:

• “I wish I could have one without the other, but that's the problem with being alive. You don't usually get to choose the measure of suffering or the degree of joy you have.”
• “In a story, you can turn to the front and begin again and everyone lives once more. That doesn't work in real life.”
• "There is ebb and flow. Leaving and coming. Flight and fall. Sing and silent. Reaching and reached.” 

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About Ally Condie
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Review - Crossed by Ally Condie (Matched #2)

Picture from Chapters.ca

 Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance

Format: Hardcover (367 pages)

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Publication Date:  November 1st 2011

Rating: 4/5
Source: Library Loan

Get it at: Chapters | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

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.

What I Think:

I was a bit skeptical about the seuqel when I read the first three chapters because of the way the chapters were presented. In contrast to the first book of the trilogy, Matched, Crossed was written in both Ky and Cassia's point of view and the chapters alternated between the two POVs. So the writing was a bit inconsistent in comparison to the first book. I do enjoy this particular style of literature, but it only works efficiently if the two POVs is completely different in ideals (for example Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen). For the first couple of chapters, I got lost in which POV that I am currently reading, which forced me to  flipped back to the beginning of the chapter to look. However, I did get used to it after five chapters or so and I am super glad that the author made the chapters the way they were as they elaborated Ky's character.

Crossed picked up where Matched left off, where Cassia is sent to a camp so the Society can finalize her future and that Ky is sent of to Outer Provinces as a pawn of the Society. Cassia met a girl named, Indie, in whom she befriended and escape with to find Ky. In Ky's POV, the audience learned that he is able to find friendship in Vick, whom he met at his work camp and Eli, whom remind him of Cassia's brother. I really like the new characters, especially Vick and Eli. I was sadden and upset of what happened to Vick. Also, perhaps it is only me being weird, I felt that Cassia's and Ky's reunion was a bit...forced in the way Ally Condie portrayed (still beautiful and heartwarming though!). Indie, however, I felt like she is starting a love-square in some ways.

Although Cassia and Ky's POVs were interesting to read. I didn't enjoy both character as I did in the first book. I felt that the confrontation part was a bit late in the novel and the climax did not do justice. In addition, both character development was intriguing until the very end, they were still clueless about what they really want. The important decision making part was a bit rushed.

However, I like how Xander was put back in the story even though there was a brief appearance of him in the beginning but his existence was not lost at all in Crossed. Flashbacks of him were pretty much all over the book. I have hoped to know more about his character and his intention which I was not disappointed but I felt there were more things about Xander that should have been put in the book (he wasn't a big focus in Matched either). Overall, I hope to find answers to the questions I have in Reached (sigh...6 more months....).

After reading Crossed, I understood Ky's character more since he was pretty much an enigma in Matched.  Overall, Crossed was beautifully written. I especially enjoy how Ally Condie used poetry to tie everything together. The cliffhanger in the end was definitely intriguing, even more so than in Matched.  I look forward reading Reached when it comes out.

Rating: ★★★★

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