Review: Reached by Ally Condie

Reached by Ally Condie

Matched #3

Release Date: November 13^th, 2012

Number of Pages: 512

Publisher: Dutton Children’s Book

Source: Bought

GR – Amazon - BD

After leaving Society and desperately searching for 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 has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again. In this gripping conclusion to the #1 New York Times-bestselling Matched trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without. 

The bittersweet feeling of finishing a series you loved. One thing readers who love Xander will be happy about is that we get a lot more of him in this book than we did in Crossed. That made me happy, since I really really like him. In Reached, we get the conclusion to the series that we needed, even though it won’t make everyone happy, mostly because there’s a love triangle and not everyone wants the same characters to end up together.

Without giving too much away about what will happen in the final book of the series, I have to say that I was happy with where the characters ended going, and that each ending felt satisfying on some level. I won’t tell you if Cassia ended up with which character between Ky and Xander, though I do think it was kind of clear from the beginning. Despite one character being ‘rejected’ by Cassia, I do think he got a fair ending, not like some other book you might have read in past (*cough* Bloodrose *cough*). There is a growth in the characters that is believable and understandable, which is something I really wanted from this last book. This was Ally Condie’s last chance to make us understand the choices of her characters, and I have to say she did a really great job.

I think Reached will satisfy the fan of the series, and most reader will probably read it. Of course, some will get mad, some will be disappointed in the outcome of the love triangle, I think that’s a given.  Still, Ally Condie’s writing was simply captivating, and I couldn’t stop reading until I had read the last page. I cannot wait to read more from Ally Condie, to discover the new worlds she will create for us, because the world she created in the Matched Trilogy was simply amazing.

About the Author:

(From Goodreads)

Ally Condie is a former high school English teacher who lives with her husband, three sons and one daughter outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, running, eating, and listening to her husband play guitar.

Her Website

Her Twitter

Review: Crossed

Title: Crossed

Author: Ally Condie

Release Date: November 1^st, 2011

Series: Matched #2

Number of Pages: 384

Publisher: Dutton

Source: Bought

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.

Let me say how excited I was when I finally got my hands on this book. I had been dying to read it for months, so when I finally read it I devoured it. Yet, I was slightly disappointed by the story, simply because I was expecting more…

The first thing that I want to talk about is something I really liked about Crossed: the dual narration. Both Ky and Cassia narrates, which gives us a good idea of what is going. After all, they have been separated in Matched, and they are both looking for the other. I would have felt cheated if Ally Condie hadn’t given us Ky’s part of the story. I wanted to know what happen to both of them, and I even wished we could have learned a little more about what is going on for Xander.

Talking about Xander, am I the only one who spent half the book going crazy over WHAT HIS FREAKING SECRET WAS? I seriously didn’t really know what it was until it was revealed. This made me want to know what was going on with him even more. Why? I simply feel like this book made me love Xander a whole lot more, even if he wasn’t there that much. I like Xander better than Ky now. Ky is actually starting to get on my nerves. I just felt through this book that he is hiding too much from Cassia, and only for his own gain…

Now, some new characters were introduced in this book. I did liked most of them, as we mostly met allies. I really liked Indie, even if she wasn’t always completely honest with Cassia. I felt like she was true to what I felt her character was. I really liked Eli. I just find him so cute!

Now, one of the things that slightly disappointed me was the lack of real action. The story was mostly about Ky and Cassia finding each other, and then finding their way to the Raising. I wanted more action. I wanted more Xander! I was simply expecting a little more.

Still, I have to say that I’m completely craving for the third book. I seriously want it now. The ending is really making me want to know what is going on, and more about who, what, were….

A great sequel to a great dystopian novel. I still adore Matched, and I still want to know what will happen to Cassia. Now, I would recommend you go back and reread Matched before reading Crossed, as it may help you follow the plot more easily. I have to say I was slightly lost at some points because of it.

Review: Matched

Title: Matched

Author: Ally Condie

Release Date: November 30^th, 2010

Series: Matched #1

Number of Pages: 366

Publisher: Duton Books

Source: Bought

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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 with complete certainty that 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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I have been waiting for a while to read this one. I always saw it at the bookstore, but I never ended up buying it. I don’t really know why. The cover really made me curious, I thought it looks gorgeous. I had heard good review about it too. Yet, it took me a while to read it.

I was expecting so much from this book, and I felt a little disappointed by the story. It just didn’t really feel that original. Yet, the story really got me. I couldn’t put that book down. The ending was okay; I just think she could have ended it a little sooner. I don’t know why, but I feel like the last chapter isn’t important, and it should maybe have been kept for the sequel.

The characters were good, yet I was disappointed by the choices Cassia made. I’m so Team Xander, I think he is such an amazing character. He was my favorite. I simply don’t like Ky. There is just something off about him. I can’t put my finger on it, but I just don’t like him. Cassia was great sometimes, but she could be a real idiot. She just seems like she is a really strong young women, and the next second, she can’t seem to decide by herself. That slightly annoyed me.

Yet, Condie made me unable to put down this book. I had to know what would happen. She writes beautifully, and she got me captivated from the start. I can’t wait for the sequel to come out, so I can finally know where Cassia will end up.

Great book, but it just didn’t meet my expectations. 8/10