Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed by Ally Condie
Release Date – November 1, 2011
Publisher – Penguin/Dutton
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 384 pages
My Rating- 7/10
**obtained from the publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

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.

Crossed starts off shortly after Matched ends. We join Cassia on her quest to find Ky. I thought Matched was ok, and was looking forward to seeing if Crossed would WOW me. I did enjoy Crossed more than Matched mainly due to the increase in action and plot.

Ally Condie’s writing style is quiet poetic, and incorporates poetry and lyrics. The style is perfect for anyone with a love for either. It flows well, and keeps your interest.

There is a dual narrative in this book. We have chapters from the perspective of both Ky and Cassia. I felt they sounded very similar at times in terms of tone and voice. Character wise they were very different. Ky’s perspective did provide a new layer to the story, and made me like him more. I felt Cassia become more stubborn, and indecisive. She sticks to what she thinks, even if shown proof of the opposite.

In terms of the romance. This is very much Ky’s book. Xander is there, but only briefly. This is Cassia’s story of going to find Ky, and therefore he has the bigger role. I was hoping that we would have learned more about all the characters in this book. I feel I know much more about Ky, but Xander is still a bit of a mystery.

The consequences in this novel are serious. I was more worried about the weather issues than anything else as we are told about flash floods in the area our characters are in. It felt like a real threat and created a sense of urgency.

There is a huge reveal that changes things, and I do have hope for the third book to really blow me away. I hope the third book focuses more on the Society, the rebellion, and less on Cassia’s lack of decision making.

This book was similar to Matched, with a few new characters and developments. Fans of Matched will devour Crossed, and it is greatly helped by the increased action. I think fans of the first book will love this one, however, if you weren't a fan before there isn't much new to sway you.