Began reading: 6.1.2016
Completed reading: 10.1.2016
Overall rating: 3.8 stars
The Society chooses everything.
The books you read.
The music you listen to.
The person you love.
Yet for Cassia the rules have changed. Ky has been taken and she will sacrifice everything to find him.
And when Cassia discovers Ky has escaped to the wild frontiers beyond the Society there is hope.
But on the edge of society nothing is as it seems...
A rebellion is rising.
And a tangled web of lies and double-crosses could destroy everything.
Crossed by Ally Condie is the second novel of the Matched trilogy. This novel combines dystopian concepts with romance, science fiction and fantasy themes to create an adventurous plot suitable for young adults. Overall, I enjoyed this book, and it helped that I liked the first novel too; however, there were issues with it, which I will discuss in detail.
Let’s start with the positives! As I expected, the book was well-written. Similar to the previous novel, everything was described in great detail. I had no difficulty picturing myself in the scenario with the characters, which is always what I love most in books. As usual, there were some great quotes that I will share with you:
The dead do not see but I do.
I see too many things. I always have (p. 4).
The Society wants us to be afraid of dying. But I’m not. I’m only afraid of dying wrong (p. 5).
It was brave of them to love again. It made me think I could do it too (p. 151).
I lift the tablet to my mouth. And then I hear a voice from a place deep in my memory.
You are strong enough to go without.
Fine, Grandfather, I think to myself. I will be strong enough to go without the tablet. But there are other things I’m not strong enough to go without, and I intend to fight for them (p. 307).
Love changes what is probable and makes unlikely things possible (p. 322).
More quotes from the book can be found here.
As I found in the first novel, I really love dystopian novels, and it was no surprise that I enjoyed this book. The plot was similar to other science fiction novels that I have read, but I still really enjoyed this book. I think that I found this novel to be relatable, especially as it was directed at young adult readers. Whatever the reason, I enjoyed the plot, which helped me enjoy the book overall.
The characters that were introduced in this book contained a lot of emotion and mystery, which was good. I was wary about these new characters, but they added depth to the otherwise dull and predictable interactions between Cassia and Ky. The situations were also emotional, which was great. I felt sad when a particular secondary character passed away, but as I said, it gave the plot more depth. I hope this emotion and mystery continues in the next novel!
The ‘adventure’ aspect of the plot kept me interested. *WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER* I really enjoyed reading about how Cassia followed Ky through the Carving. I thought that the idea of Cassia following Ky through a canyon, especially with no idea which canyon he’s in, was creative. I also enjoyed the idea of a township in the middle of the canyon. The canyon was associated with colours, including red, orange, blue and pink, which I could just imagine.
I’m glad that Condie decided to add Ky’s point-of-view in this novel, as it gave us a new perspective, and provided us with his history and thoughts. The downside to this was that his point-of-view seemed very similar to Cassia’s, and so I was often confused about whose point-of-view I was reading. Speaking of points-of-view, Cassia’s was a little irritating. She was constantly mentioning Ky, and it became too repetitive. *WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER* It seemed ok in the beginning of the novel, when she was searching for him, but once she found him, it was unnecessary.
As I mentioned in the previous review, I had hoped that this novel would incorporate more of the secondary characters, especially Cassia’s school friends (Em and Piper), Cassia’s family, and Ky’s ‘parents’. I was disappointed when not one of these characters made an appearance. I was also surprised to find that Cassia DID NOT mention her parents and brother. If I were in her position, I would be worrying about them way more often than she did. It made the plot somewhat unrealistic.
The structure of the novel was not obvious, just like in the previous book. I found the structure to be jumbled, and unclearly set. There was nothing to indicate a major complication in the plot, nor was there a massive climax at the end. I felt that the story just ‘plodded along’, which made it feel dull and dragged out. I’m beginning to wonder if this is Condie’s style of writing…
As in Matched, my favourite character was Cassia, as she developed the most throughout the novel. She’s also responsible, compassionate and not afraid to stand up for her beliefs.
*WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER* I ship Indie and Xander together — oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I really, really, really hope they meet each other in the next novel. I wonder what they would be like together… probably really adorable! If I had one wish for the next book, it’s that these two get together!
My favourite parts of the novel include when Cassia is journeying through the Carving towards Ky, and when Ky helps Cassia through the tunnel. As I mentioned earlier, I really enjoyed reading about Cassia’s journey, as it was creative, and demonstrated how strong her love for Ky is. I also liked when Ky helped Cassia through the tunnel, as it shows how he will always support her. Here is the excerpt:
I try to calm myself, tell myself it’s all right. Living things have flown from tighter spaces than this. I’m just a butterfly, a mourning cloak, sealed inside a cocoon with blind eyes and sticky wings. And suddenly, I wonder if the cocoons sometimes do not open, if the butterfly inside is ever simply not strong enough to break through.
A sob escapes my throat.
‘Help,’ I say.
To my surprise, it’s not Hunter who speaks from ahead. It’s Ky’s voice from behind.
‘It will be all right,’ he says. ‘Push along a little more.’
And even in my panic, I hear the music in his deep voice, the sounds of singing. I close my eyes, imagining my breath is his own, that he is with me.
‘Wait a moment if you need to,’ he says.
I picture myself smaller even than I am now. Climbing into the cocoon, pulling it tight around me like a real cloak, a blanket. And then I don’t imagine myself bursting out. I just stay tucked inside, trying to see what I can.
At first, nothing at all.
But then I feel it. Even hidden away in the dark, I can tell that it is there. Some small part of me is always, always free.
‘But I will,’ I say out loud.
‘You will,’ Ky says behind me, and I move, and then I can feel space above me, air to breathe, a place to stand (pp. 242-243).
Recommendation time! If you like Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, Naughts and Crosses by Mallorie Blackman and Countdown by Michelle Rowan, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Elysium, Oblivion, and In Time.
My review for Matched can be found by clicking on the title.
I will also be reviewing the final book the Matched series: Reached. Keep an eye out for that!
Happy reading!
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