misssusan's review against another edition
3.0
Huh. Well this was a pretty...relaxing read? I don't know, the whole book was very muted. It was technically a survival story but there was never any real sense of risk or desperation to it, just a lot of time spent mulling over poetry. Very little in the way of worldbuilding too. Also I don't really know why Condie bothered with dual POVs if she was going to make Cassia and Ky sound identical. I had to flip back to the chapter headings more than once to work out who was speaking.
On the bright side there were a couple of beautifully written moments and I did like the side characters introduced in this volume. It's a pity Indie and Vick never met, they were both fierce and focused in a way Cassia and Ky never quite managed. I would totally read the book where they teamed up to join the Rising.
On the bright side there were a couple of beautifully written moments and I did like the side characters introduced in this volume. It's a pity Indie and Vick never met, they were both fierce and focused in a way Cassia and Ky never quite managed. I would totally read the book where they teamed up to join the Rising.
ashleysager's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
inkdrinkeranonymous's review
This has been bugging me, are there no queer people in this universe? Any trans or gay people? There definitely are queer people but how does The Society react to them? I know they give you the option to remain single but there is literally no more information. Lmao this is bugging me too much. It’s also so frustrating how little is established outside of The Society. Who is the Enemy? Why are they battling in the first place? Where does this even take place? Are there other ‘towns’ that are partnered with The Society? Is there a figurehead like a president or king within The Society? There is definitely a hierarchy of power with Officials and Anomalies and whatever. So many questions that I highly suspect won’t get answered.
dieciseisl's review against another edition
2.0
3.5; no me ha gustado mucho ni el final, ni el principio, ni la parte del medio. El libro es bueno sí, pero Cassia se ha vuelto tonta del todo, Ky es demasiado soso y Xander no aparece prácticamente. Hay personajes nuevos, pero solo me han caído bien dos. La narración... esto de que narrase Ky-Cassia y vuelta empezar me ha dejado muy liada y no lo he disfrutado. Espero que el próximo mejore.
ciaralo's review against another edition
2.0
(Originally posted at http://www.lostatmidnightreviews.blogspot.ca/)
I don't really know how I feel about this book. Disappointed, I guess. Matched wasn't my favorite book, but I thought the storyline had a lot of potential. The ideas of choice and freedom over happiness and safety was one I thought fascinating, and a great concept. One of the scenes in the novel has haunted me to this very day. The book itself I didn't find overly interesting, the characters much to flat for me. But, I finished with the feeling that the second book could be very well done. Unfortunately, I didn't agree with this once I read Crossed.
Now, that's not to say I didn't enjoy parts of this book because I most definitely did. I found myself wrapped up in the story, flipping the pages quickly in hopes of getting to the climax. I really liked the new characters that were brought it, and Xander finally grew on me. But, I found myself unable to connect with Cassia and Ky once again, and felt my investment in their relationship waning by the end. I felt like the plot of this book really didn't have much substance. There was a lot of walking around in a canyon and talking, but not much else. I was waiting for a big surprise, or action even and found myself disappointed when there really wasn't much of one. There was a secret in the book that I loved, and was so glad was put in the story. In all though, I just didn't find this book very interesting, and the problems I had with the first novel (aka the characters) I still had in Crossed. Looking back on it, I think my biggest issue with Crossed was that it was all about character development. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE character development. I will read entire books just with interesting characters. My problem was that I wasn't invested in the characters to begin with, so diving deep into their thoughts was not something I found interesting. If you have read and really enjoyed Matched, this book will probably be great to you. I just didn't feel so impressed with it.
I will be reading Reached though, without a doubt. As I said, I love the concept of these books. I even wrote a paper on it in high school. Crossed seems to be a set-up book, that is, the book that lays the foundation for the finale. I just hope this finale finally lives up to the potential these books have.
As a end note: I do really like the covers of these books. Really simple, but gorgeous. And something I did love about Crossed (and Matched for that matter) was the poetry. I loved hearing new ones, reading old favorites, and watching the words being woven into the plot line. Very well done, in my opinion.
I don't really know how I feel about this book. Disappointed, I guess. Matched wasn't my favorite book, but I thought the storyline had a lot of potential. The ideas of choice and freedom over happiness and safety was one I thought fascinating, and a great concept. One of the scenes in the novel has haunted me to this very day. The book itself I didn't find overly interesting, the characters much to flat for me. But, I finished with the feeling that the second book could be very well done. Unfortunately, I didn't agree with this once I read Crossed.
Now, that's not to say I didn't enjoy parts of this book because I most definitely did. I found myself wrapped up in the story, flipping the pages quickly in hopes of getting to the climax. I really liked the new characters that were brought it, and Xander finally grew on me. But, I found myself unable to connect with Cassia and Ky once again, and felt my investment in their relationship waning by the end. I felt like the plot of this book really didn't have much substance. There was a lot of walking around in a canyon and talking, but not much else. I was waiting for a big surprise, or action even and found myself disappointed when there really wasn't much of one. There was a secret in the book that I loved, and was so glad was put in the story. In all though, I just didn't find this book very interesting, and the problems I had with the first novel (aka the characters) I still had in Crossed. Looking back on it, I think my biggest issue with Crossed was that it was all about character development. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE character development. I will read entire books just with interesting characters. My problem was that I wasn't invested in the characters to begin with, so diving deep into their thoughts was not something I found interesting. If you have read and really enjoyed Matched, this book will probably be great to you. I just didn't feel so impressed with it.
I will be reading Reached though, without a doubt. As I said, I love the concept of these books. I even wrote a paper on it in high school. Crossed seems to be a set-up book, that is, the book that lays the foundation for the finale. I just hope this finale finally lives up to the potential these books have.
As a end note: I do really like the covers of these books. Really simple, but gorgeous. And something I did love about Crossed (and Matched for that matter) was the poetry. I loved hearing new ones, reading old favorites, and watching the words being woven into the plot line. Very well done, in my opinion.
mcynx's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Tries too hard to be ‘deep’ and ‘impactful’; my eyes might as well have gotten stuck looking at the inside of my head from rolling my eyes so much.
menrk's review against another edition
3.0
Though it’s the continuation of Cassia’s story, Crossed can stand on its own as a book. It’s got a different plot, more action, more poems, even more POVs as both Cassia and Ky narrate what happens next in the trilogy. While rebellion becomes part of the plot, it’s still largely about the two main characters’ evolving relationship as they try to bridge the distance to find each other and understand each other’s motives, insecurities, and conflicting beliefs. Even Xander, shown briefly in the book, plays a big part in their relationship. He’s ever present in the blue tablets’ hidden messages, in the microcard, and even in their search for the Rising. There are also some memorable new characters like Indie and young Eli.
What I respect most about Crossed is that Condie stayed true to her story’s strength. Sure, Cassia and Ky ran and escaped and climbed over canyons, together and apart. But Condie didn’t turn them overnight into action-driven rebels. They were still, at heart, lovers born from words. Actually, they reminded me of the historical figure Jose P. Rizal who used the power of pen to rebel.
I’m definitely looking forward to reading the last of Condie’s Matched trilogy. Not because it’s the continuation and end of Cassia’s story, but because I feel that the last book can stand on its own like its predecessors. (Keeping my fingers crossed :D)
What I respect most about Crossed is that Condie stayed true to her story’s strength. Sure, Cassia and Ky ran and escaped and climbed over canyons, together and apart. But Condie didn’t turn them overnight into action-driven rebels. They were still, at heart, lovers born from words. Actually, they reminded me of the historical figure Jose P. Rizal who used the power of pen to rebel.
I’m definitely looking forward to reading the last of Condie’s Matched trilogy. Not because it’s the continuation and end of Cassia’s story, but because I feel that the last book can stand on its own like its predecessors. (Keeping my fingers crossed :D)