Review - Reached (Matched, Book 3) by Ally Condie (3/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopia
Size: 384 pages
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: November 13, 2012
ISBN: 978-0525423669
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Matched Trilogy
Source: Gift
Rating: 3/5 stars


This is the third and final book in the Matched trilogy. It was a decent end to the series and wrapped things up nicely. The book is beautifully written, but moves slowly.

After reaching the Rising Cassia, Ky, and Xander have been given their assignments. Cassia is sent back to Central to sort. Ky is assigned as a pilot. Xander is sent to a city to serve as a medic. They are all struggling to figure out how their roles support the Rising. That is until the Plague breaks out and only the Rising seems to have the cure.

The story is told from Cassia, Ky, and Xander’s viewpoints. The chapters are clearly labeled at the beginning as to which viewpoint you are reading from which is helpful.

Most of the book revolves around the three characters trying to figure out exactly what the Rising is and how it came about. The other big plot topic is the Plague. When the Plague mutates, things become even more desperate.

Our favorite characters don’t actually interact much in this story. They spend vast amounts of the book in different places. This resulted in the characters doing a lot of thinking and speculation in their parts of the story.

Cassia, Ky, and Xander do grow and change a lot in this book. Cassia has come a long way from the ignorant girl she was in Matched. Ky is slowly learning to trust people, which is great to see. Xander’s transformation is the hardest to read about, he goes through a lot of pain in this book.

The book moves slowly and there are large parts of the story that seem a bit clunky and unnecessary. Condie tries to bring the whole theme of colors and threes full circle and she does an okay job...still it all felt a bit forced to me. At the end of it all I kind just felt like...huh...well I guess that series is over.

The writing is beautifully done and there is excellent imagery throughout, at times though the story just moves too slowly. Following what is going on with the Rising, the Society, and the people outside of either was a bit confusing at points too.

Overall a decent wrap up to this series. Everything is nicely tied up, although the story moves very slowly at points. This is a very long book and it feels like it. Our favorite characters spend the vast majority of the book in different places meaning that there isn’t a lot of interaction between them until the last third or so of the book. Recommended if you are a fan of this series. If you want a good YA dystopian read I would go elsewhere though. I would recommend The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or The Divergent series by Veronica Roth.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Reading Challenge
- Young Adult Reading Challenge

Review - Crossed (Matched, Book 2) by Ally Condie (3/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopia
Size: 367 pages
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: November 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0525423652
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Matched trilogy
Source: Bought
Rating: 3/5 stars

I really, really enjoyed Matched and was eager to read Crossed. Crossed was a bit disappointing, there just isn't much that happens in this book. It kind of came off as a necessary transition to book 3. I still enjoyed reading it, but was disappointed that it didn't grab my attention like the first book.

Cassia has gotten herself reclassified to the Outer Provinces so that she can search for Ky. Ky struggles to survive as he is placed in a wartime situation with other Aberrations. Ky and Cassia both escape their situations and struggle towards each other and towards the rumored rebellion.

My above description is pretty much what happens in the whole book. Cassia and Ky are in bad situations and escape separately with different companions. The story switches between Ky and Cassia's viewpoints. Cassia basically chases Ky in a series of near misses for a good portion of the book. This is frustrating because there is that whole, "oh, if she had just been a little quicker she would have found him" thing going on. When they finally do meet up there are so many secrets between them that relationship felt a bit flat to me. Ky and Cassia constantly preach that they can't live without each other but when it comes to what really drives them towards their goals they have completely different ideas about what to do.

Xander is in the story very little, yet has more impact on the story in the end than Ky does. Xander has a big secret which is revealed to the reader late in the book.

This whole book is basically the story of how Cassia and Ky escape the society and hunt down the rebellion. Seems like a good basis but so much of the book is spent with them trudging around trying to decide what to do. A number of new characters are introduced as well; they are interesting characters but are never filled out all that well.

All the complaining aside. I still really did enjoy Condie's way with words; she has some beautiful writing and beautiful descriptions in this book...it is all just very deliberately paced. I really do enjoy Cassia as a character as well; she has a drive and a brightness to her that draws me in.

Secrets about the Society are revealed but despite this I still feel like more questions were created than answered. This again left me with a feeling of not much happening by the end of the book. The ending itself left me feeling a bit empty as well; it was just so anti-climatic.

Overall this was an okay book. The writing is beautiful and some of the descriptions absolutely wonderful; Cassia is a great character. We learn more background on Ky, meet some new characters, and learn more about the Society. Despite all of this I felt the story progressed slowly, didn't answer many questions, and that not much happened. The ending was anti-climatic and although I finished the book, the whole thing kind of left me with a "Huh, so what" feeling in the end. This seemed like a necessary transition book and in the end I feel like we didn't make much ground in this story. I will read the final book because I am curious to see what happens, but I was disappointed that this book didn't suck me in like Matched did.

This book went towards the following reading challenges:
- Dystopia Reading Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
- TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Review - Matched by Ally Condie (4.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopia
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date:  November 30th, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0525423645
Stand Alone or Series: Not sure...will possibly have a sequel?
Source: Received a copy Librarything Early Reviewers for review
Rating: 4.5/5 stars


I got an advanced reading copy of this book through Librarything's Early Reviewer program.  The cover of this book is just stunning and caught my attention immediately, when I found that is was a dystopia I was even more intrigued.  This was a very good book.  Think of it as Brave New World for the teen crowd.

The book starts with Cassia going to her Matching Day.  Matching Day is where all the seventeen year olds are presented with the picture of the person that they are a genetic match too; this is the one and only person they can marry and raise a family with.  Cassia's Matching Day is unique instead of being matched with someone from a different city she is matched with someone she knows very well; this is something that almost never happens.  Then when she gets home to look at his datacard she sees  his picture and then up pops a picture of another boy she knows.  It appears she has been matched to two different boys.  When the Officials claim it is all a mistake, Cassia is shaken.  In a society where they predict the dress you will pick to wear, the order you will finish in gym class, and your vocation ahead of time and with great accuracy, how can they make a mistake this big?  As other strange things start happening in the City Cassia begins to question the perfection of the world she has always believed to be utopia.

This was a very creative and well thought out book.  Cassia is easy to like and it is interesting to follow her path from happy innocence to inquiring unease.  This book reminded me a lot of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World; although not as crazily strict as the society in Brave New World, there are similarities.  People's vocations are predicted early on, no one is allowed to live past the age of 80, and beneath the polished exterior of the City there are many dark secrets.  Some people have been comparing this to the Hunger Games; but I don't see a lot of similarity between the too.  This book doesn't have much action or violence (Cassia is a peace loving girl at heart) and the people here are living in happy ignorance not destitute conditions.  The only similarity is an organized government controlling every aspect of these people's lives.

Of course there is the teenage love triangle going here.  Cassia is stuck between her original Match (Xander, a boy perfect in just about every way and a good friend) and the accidental Match (Ky, a boy who is dark, moody and tortured, who draws her in a way Xander doesn't).  Ky was a wonderful character full of depth and intriguing.  I felt like Xander was neglected though, he kind of fades in and out of the story and doesn't have a ton of depth to his personality. 

The book is very engaging and hard to put down.  Condie gradually introduces more and more events that are a bit off; as a reader you can see things coming to a head slowly but surely.  The writing was very easy to read, it was a bit simplistic at times, but overall I enjoyed it.

I am not sure if a sequel is planned for this book.  The story is fairly complete at the end but there are things that could be further expanded on in a future books.  I would love to see another book where the City starts to crumble and things come to a head between the Outer Lands and the City. 

Overall this was an excellent read.  It was like Brave New World, but with romance and aimed at a teen audience.  If you like dystopias you will love this one.  There isn't a ton of action but the plot is suspenseful, intriguing, and though-provoking.  If there is a sequel I will definitely be picking it up.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The Young Adult Reading Challenge
- Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge Book List
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge