CROSSED by Ally Condie

Title: CROSSED (sequel to MATCHED)

Author: Ally Condie

Publisher: Dutton Books (a Penguin imprint)

Release Date: 11.1.11

Number of Pages: 384

Source of Book: ARC from Heidi @ YA Bibliophile

Author's Website: www.allysoncondie.com/

Goodreads Summary:

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.

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There is something so subtle and layered and soft-spoken and quiet about Ally Condie’s writing that I first enjoyed in MATCHED and now appreciated all over again in reading it’s sequel, CROSSED.  There’s almost a poetic quality to the softness of her writing, and as poetry is interspersed throughout her story, it seems fitting. There is a beauty to her descriptions (and she lives in Utah so sees the beauty all the time that inspired the setting for this particular book) that allows us to actually feel like this book is an escape, for the reader and the characters, from the Society and world that she has built. This is a second book in a trilogy, and it is more about setting up these characters for what I imagine will be a heroic stand in the final book. The first book was about Cassia discovering that the Society isn’t what she really thought, and this one is about her discovering that there might be more to her than she really thought – all with Ky being her central guiding light. But, there is always Xander in the background.

This is the story of a journey: a journey for Cassia to find Ky, a journey for Cassia to discover the strength she needs and who she can really be, a journey for Ky to discover what matters the most, a journey for the whole group to discover their paths and get to where they need to go.  It’s a physical journey to get from Society to the rebellion, but while on that physical journey through the canyon, it’s also an internal journey for each of the characters to make to find out what their true path will be.

This is not an action-packed book, but the thoughtful pacing does keep it moving forward through the alternating perspectives/chapters of Ky and Cassia. There are moments of suspense, mostly as we wonder if everyone will survive the journey – and not everyone can, but there are also moments of suspense as Ky and Cassia try to discover if their love for each other will line up with their individual needs and keep them together or tear them apart. Secrets abound from Xander to newcomer Indie, to Ky and Cassia as well. The book reads as a slow unfolding of information from their past lives and what got them to this point, that will eventually guide their ultimate decision in the end. Vick and Eli and Hunter are secondary characters introduced in this book that I grew to enjoy, and hope some might make a reappearance in the final book as well.

If you enjoyed MATCHED and want a thought-provoking, quiet look into what Cassia and Ky will go through and ultimately find to be most important in their lives, and to set yourself up for the final book in the trilogy, get your hands on CROSSED on November 1^st.