Crossed [Hardcover]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars!

I honestly can't believe how much I loved this book! I think I might be one of the few people who liked Crossed more than its predecessor, Matched.

One of my favourite things about Crossed was that it was told through alternating first person narratives between Cassia and Ky, because I loved being able to see how they saw each other. Cassia and Ky were both such sweet, emotionally strong, and realistically flawed characters, and their romance made me ache in places that shouldn't be able to ache.

Admittedly, Crossed was a little hard to get into at first because the pacing was slower. But once I did, I couldn't put it down! And not because it was a fast-paced adventure with lots of action, but because it was a gripping and surprising journey that had me rooting for the characters all the way through!

There's something beautiful about the way Ally Condie writes. It's like poetry, but not! At first they just look like words, sometimes a little confusing, but when you understand them they move you. They have meaning. They make your heart ache and your mind float and I love it.

Beautiful, heart-aching, and definitely inspirational, Crossed is a sequel I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone who enjoyed Matched! And don't get me wrong -- you'll love this book if you're Team Xander too! I can't wait until I can get my hands on the next installment!

BUY or BORROW?: To be completely honest, I LOVE having this book on my shelf and I would love it if you guys bought it too! But I know that some people may not enjoy it as much as I did, so I would be totally content if you borrowed it as long as you pick it up somehow! :)

Being a fan of Ally's "Matched" I obviously couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I had such high hopes for this book (my main hope being that it would be just as good, if not better than, its predecessor). However, after having finished the book I must admit that it did not live up to those expectations.

If I had to describe this book in one word it would be "soft"- which took me by surprise as I had expected it to be chocked full of action and adventure with Cassia and the boys coming to understand exactly far deep the corruption ran in their society and the likes of (think "The Hunger Games" trilogy- especially "Mockingjay"). As this book was quite soft it didn't engage me near as much as "Matched" did. Furthermore, being soft I didn't find that it had much of an "AHA!" moment (AKA a climax)- a moment in which after having read it you either have to pick your jaw up from the ground or run to the nearest bathroom to grab some Kleenex so that you can dab your eyes and blow your nose with due to the fact that you are sobbing so hard- in fact, I don't really feel anything after having finished it.

Furthermore, I was also a bit disappointed by the "secret" surrounding Xander. I personally feel that it completely came out of the left field- as if it were an afterthought added into the story to make Cassia's and Ky's happy ending, well, not so happy. And I was a bit disappointed by the fact that this book is one of *those* books that answer questions with more questions (seriously, what did we learn about The Rising in this book? The Rising only plays a significant role in the last few pages of the book, too little, too late).

Complaints aside, there were a number of things that I enjoyed this book, including Xander's visit to Cassia, I thought that it was super sweet and brought a much needed lightness to the book, ditto Cassia and Ky's reunion. I also did enjoy the introduction of a few new characters- Indie and Eli (though more so Eli as I still do not trust Indie, I question her motives).

All in all, while this book was a bit unsatisfying I am looking forward to the next (and final) book in this trilogy. I have complete faith that the next book will be everything that we are hoping it will be.

I received this audiobook for review from the publisher. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.

I could hardly wait to jump into this book! After the conclusion of Matched, I was eager to find out how Cassia would set out to find Ky.

I really like how Condie chose to write this book from the alternating points of view of Cassia and Ky. It really adds dimension to the story, and it is easy to see how something can be perceived as innocuous by one person and quite something else by another!

Cassia has completely transformed from the Society girl she once was. She now takes chances and risks and, if given a "do-over," I don't think she now would have burned her Grandfather's poem. Rather, she would keep it locked away and cherish it. Her character has become more complex, and I love that about her! I think the book cover aptly depicts the change in Cassia, her "breaking out" of the Society mould.

Cassia has changed so much that I am now not so sure that her feelings for Ky are what she thinks they are! Was she drawn to Ky because he was an aberration...something different...something forbidden? Was she excited by the prospect of finding The Rising and taking risks with Ky and doing things she never thought that she could do? Or does she just love Ky for who he is?

I enjoyed seeing Ky's development in this book. He is very cunning and wise way beyond his years. While I am uncertain of Cassia's true feelings for Ky, I do believe Ky is in love with Cassia but that he also worries about whether her feelings are truly just for him.

This book is a little darker than Matched because we learn more and more secrets about the Society and what they are doing.

Indie, the girl who is befriended by Cassia, is a little bit of a mystery. I hope that we found out more about her in the next book, as well as Hunter and Eli.

And who is the mysterious "he" that Cassia is talking about at the end of the book? Is it Ky, Xander, or someone else entirely? I'm pondering different scenarios in my head!

Overall, I really enjoyed the book, though not as much as I did Matched. I would still recommend the series to anyone who enjoys dystopia.

My favourite quote from the book is from Cassia: "Love changes what is probable and makes unlikely things possible."

This audiobook is narrated by Kate Simses, who also narrated Matched, and Jack Riccobono. All points of view from Cassia are narrated by Simses, and Riccobono narrates the points of view from Ky. I am always a fan of multiple narrators, so I enjoyed the addition of Riccobono.

I can't wait until November, when the final installment in the trilogy will be released!

MY RATING: 4 stars! I really enjoyed it and recommend it!!