Review: Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie

Source: Received an ARC from Penguin Canada for an honest review.

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Release Date: Already released.
Number of Pages: 384 (Hardcover)

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogy

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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I absolutely loved the first book in this trilogy, Matched, and I loved Crossed, too. One of the things that I thought was most interesting about Crossed was how different it was from Matched. For example, Crossed has two different narrators instead of just Cassia. I won't ruin it and tell you who the second narrator is, but I'm sure you can guess who it is pretty easily. :P Crossed also takes place in the Outer Provinces...so in that respect it's very different.

I absolutely loved Cassia in this one. She's been through so much, and she's gotten so strong. It's also interesting to see little details from her past that fit in with the story that you just find out about in this one. Little details that involve both Ky and Xander. While Xander and Cassia are apart for most of this one I still felt like he was there. He may not be physically present, but he's on Cassia's mind a lot and that adds his presence to the story despite him actually being physically absent.

I really liked Ky in this one, too. He and Cassia both have major doubts, and second-guess themselves but they're also getting stronger throughout this trilogy, and I imagine they'll be even more sure of themselves in the next book. As far as Xander vs. Ky, I'm more of a Xander fan. I just love that they've been best friends for their whole lives, and I love that Xander is actually more mysterious than I thought he was. There's a lot about him that gets uncovered in Crossed that make you wonder just how well Cassia actually knows him. That being said, I do like Ky, too. Both guys are fantastic, and they've helped Cassia to realize that she doesn't have to just sit back and let the Society control everything...she can change things, and they've helped her realize that she actually wants to do that. I like that she's starting to make choices on her own rather than just basing them around boys, too. It shows a lot of growth.

I've loved both books in the Matched trilogy so far, and I can't wait until the third book...it can't come fast enough, and hopefully we'll know the name of it soon and get to see the completed cover! ;) For those who haven't started this series yet, it's a fine example of a dystopian based around a Society that controls pretty much everything, and destroys the things, or should I say people, that won't fit into their confines. It has fantastic characters, and if you're looking for a great dystopian to read, I thoroughly recommend it. :)

Have you started this trilogy yet??
Anyone else anxiously awaiting book 3??? :P