I'm done: Reached by Ally Condie

Overall Rating:  3 stars

Addiction Level:  I read it when I had spare time.

Believe-ability:  It was believable.

Dystopia Factor:  The world has been turned upside down and all hope is lost, but maybe our hero/heroine can save it.

~~~

Reached is the conclusion of the Matched series.  Overall I was satisfied with it, because it concluded the series very nicely. 

I have struggled with writing my review.  I feel like I can sum up the series in two sentences, and I owe to you dear Reader to write more.  In the midst of fitful sleep I realized why I like not love this series.  I do not feel deeply connected to the characters.  I do not dream about them or wonder what they would do.  I do not have series ending grief/depression like I did with The Hunger Games or Harry Potter.  I am done. 

Before I am completely done, let me tell you what I liked. I liked how Cassia, Ky, and Xander’s stories were concluded.  The love triangle is resolved.  I liked getting more of Xander’s story.  After Crossed I really wanted to hear more of his story.  As I read I had hoped the Rising would be better.  It is slightly, but overall the Society and the Rising are similar. 

Condie leaves the story on a positive note.  Loose ends are tied up. The characters are ready to start a new journey.  Like them I am ready for a new adventure.

2013 Must Read Books: 1/5

“The eye sees not itself”: Crossed by Ally Condie

***SPOILER ALERT***
***Do not read if you have not read Matched!
Turn around and walk away!***

Just the Facts:

Overall Rating: 3 stars

Addiction Level: I read it every waking moment.

Believe-ability: The setting was believable.

Dystopia Factor: The world has been turned upside down, and all hope is lost.

~~~

I have waited over a year to finally read Crossed, and I find myself somewhat disappointed with it. I am having a hard time pinpointing my disappointment.

Matched ends with Cassia choosing Ky over Xander, her Match, and she is sent to a work camp to correct her behavior. She is determined to escape from Society and find Ky. This means giving up her “perfect life” in favor of pursuing her true love.

Crossed opens with Cassia waiting for her new work camp assignment, while Ky is on the frontline of the war against the Enemy watching the young boys around him die. Both Cassia and Ky escape from their situations with companions in tow hoping to find freedom, life, and each other.

Crossed is told in alternating points of view between Cassia and Ky. I am not a huge fan of alternating points of view, because it can create either a greater understanding of the story or confuse the heck out of readers. Before Cassia and Ky find each other, the alternating perspectives mostly work giving the reader additional insight. Once they find it each other, it becomes a frantic juggle to keep track of who’s telling the story and what their M.O. is. Personally I do not think enough character or plot development is gained by the two perspectives in this story to warrant it. Condie had me reading greedily with just Cassia’s point of view in Matched and confused with both Cassia and Ky’s points of view in Crossed.

I enjoyed Cassia’s search for Ky, because it seemed so pure. Her mission was simple: Find Ky. Yet, she does not know who she was really searching for. She was searching for the idea of her true love and found answers to several nagging questions.

I do not like Ky; I do not think he is worthy of Cassia’s love. Perhaps it is because I feel like he is holding out. Cassia, nor Ky, can see Ky. Indie, a new character in Crossed, on the other hand can see through his façade. At the end I know who he is somewhat, but I do not like him.

As Matched ended with the hint of The Hunger Games, I was eager to see the direction the rebellion would take. After reading Crossed I am not sure the Rising is any better than the Society itself. Both are very structured and regulated. In The Hunger Games I had higher hopes for District 13 than they lived up to. I am not sure what to expect of the Rising or the Society in book three.

My hopes and predictions are:

· Cassia chooses Xander or to be single.

· The Rising successfully infiltrates the Society and abolishes the totalitarian government.

· Condie chooses to tell the story in one point of view.

· Redeemed should be considered as the title.

The Perfect Society at What Cost? Matched by Ally Condie

Just the Facts:

Overall Rating: 5 Stars

Addiction Level: I ignored the hubby and puppy until I finished the book.

Believe-ability: It was believable.

Dystopia Factor: The world has been turned upside down and all hope is lost.

~~~

I waited eagerly for Matched to be published, because some critics said it was going to be the next best thing since The Hunger Games! Wow! Aren’t we boastful? It was the first book published on my kindle, and it was definitely worth the money I paid for it.

Matched is set in a futuristic perfect world where everything is regulated. (Matched is very reminiscent of The Giver in this aspect.) It seems even love can be calculated in a scientific manner. One thing unique to this society is the Matching: teens are matched to their future mates at 17 whom they will marry at 21 and have kids with at 24.

Cassia is matched on her 17^th birthday. When she views her match on her port (computer), the images of boys (both of whom she knows) appear. She is told there is a glitch in the system, and she is matched with only one boy. However, she begins to wonder she could be in love with the wrong boy or both boys! Pick up this book to see who Cassia chooses!

As a side note: Matched took the best parts of The Giver (which I cannot stand), combined it with hints of Fahrenheit 451, and topped it off with a dash of The Hunger Games. This is a sure read for dystopia fans.