Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed

Author: Ally Condie

Series: Matched #2

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.

Review

When I first started reading this book, I got very confused. I had no idea that this book would switch back points of view from Ky to Cassia, so I went into the first chapter thinking that Cassia was the character that I was following. Since Ky wasn't addressed by name in that first chapter, I just didn't notice. It wasn't until I hit chapter three after reading chapter two in Cassia's p.o.v. that I realized my mistake. It was more of the formatting that caught me up, though, because I'm not used to having to look up at the chapter title to know what is going on. It was just a minor problem, though.

I will say that I enjoyed reading Cassia's chapters more than I enjoyed reading Ky's. Maybe it was because I had already read through a book with just her as the narrator, so I felt like I knew her better in the second book. Or maybe it was because the voices of both characters were not distinct enough from one another. There were still some times later in the book that, even though I knew it was Ky's P.O.V, it could have easily been Cassia's instead.

I think Cassia is a great character to follow through this series. In this book, there is a lot more of her defining personality traits. She is so determined. Despite the fact that she has no real idea where Ky is, she gives everything she can and works harder than most other people would just to make her way back to Ky. She braves a lot of harsh trials, both emotional and physical, environmental and social. The situations she makes it through really show who she is, how she treats other people, and her quick witted-ness.

I have been rooting for Cassia and Ky since she saw his face on the microcard in the first novel. And while I am still on his side, I am beginning to sway a little toward Xander. While he is a small feature in this novel, the things we (along with Cassia) learn about him really helps to flesh him out as a character. While he was Matched with Cassia in the first book, she never really worried about him or revealed too much about him. So I like that Ally Condie makes sure to give him his time too.

I haven't decided which book I like better out of this series yet, but I do know that they are well done. And I look forward to reading the next book.

Rating