Cover Reveal: Reached

The cover to the third book in Ally Condie's trilogy has been revealed!

I absolutely adore this series so I'm completely pumped to see this cover. I love the way they continued the theme of breaking out of the bubble, and the red is very cool here, but I do wish that the model was facing us instead of turning her back. It would be a more vibrant pose to see her face, I think.

What do you think of this cover?

Crossed: Review

Title: Crossed

Author: Ally Condie

Release Date: November 2011

Published By: Dutton Juvenile

Pages: 367

Goodreads Rating: 3.51 stars

Review: Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in desperate search of Ky, only to find him missing with a series of clues left in his wake. As she follows them, whatever certainty she's gained in her life is severely shaken by an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander who, even after all this time, conflicts her. Nothing is as is expected on the edge of Society.

I was a little nervous to start CROSSED because I loved the prequel, and I was worried this book wouldn't live up to it. Luckily, it turned out I had nothing to worry about, because this book was just as awesome - and arguably more so - than its predecessor, no matter what the surprising amount of negative reviews I've seen say about it.

I'd forgotten how gorgeous Ally Condie's writing is when I began reading this book, so the pure poetry of her words was definitely a pleasant surprise. Every sentence she penned flowed smoothly into the next with a simplicity that managed to have a resounding effect. Honestly, she could have been writing about grass growing and I would have cried for the grass's tortured adolescence.

It's amazing how the author is able to make us care so much about the characters. I found myself aching for Cassia and Ky, longing for them to finally be together and dying a little on the inside at every obstacle that came between them. This book struck the right balance between action and romance, managing to show a wonderful romance without compromising the actual story.

Apart from Cassia and Ky, a brand new cast of characters rose up, with faces like Indie making an appearance, and I loved them all. Each had a unique personality and added something incredible to the story, fleshing this trilogy out into something more. Indie in particular was fierce and determined, and I ended up rooting for her quite a bit.

All in all, CROSSED was everything I hoped it would be and more, as cliché as it is to say it. Condie's writing was poetic and beautiful, and I cared - possibly far too much - for each and every character traipsing throughout this story. All I can do is recommend the heck out of this book as strongly as I can and wait anxiously for the final book in the trilogy.

Matched: Review

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Release Date: November 30, 2010
Published By: Dutton Juvenile
Goodreads Rating: 3.94 stars

Synopsis: Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.


Review: You're probably tired of reading all those raving reviews of Matched, and I went into this fully expecting it not to live up to its hype. However, this will be another review with so many exclamation points that you can only imagine me frothing at the mouth, eyes rolling in their sockets, as I tell you how amazing this book is.

If you're only going to read one dystopian novel of 2010, it has to be this one. This is like The Giver but with more love, more romance, more passion. Cassia has an easy voice to get into, and once you start reading, you'll be completely sucked into the story. Each character was fresh and unique, and I loved how strong and brave Cassia was. Xander and Ky both had distinct personalities as well, and I only wish Em (Cassia's best girl friend) had more of a developed personality. However, she was just a minor character so it's not a big deal.

And the romance! It was very well-written, and I found myself practically swooning over Ky, which is fairly rare for me. Ally Condie is so good at making what seem to be relatively ordinary scenes jam-packed with sexual tension without actually having sex or anything graphic. For example, the scenes where Ky was teaching Cassia how to write (in their age, people only type things and largely don't know how to write by hand) were definitely among my favorite.

All in all, I love-love-loved this book! If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for? You've got to get your hands on this as soon as possible. There's a reason why I haven't seen a single negative review for this book yet. From the characters to the romance to the world-building, this is something that will stay in my mind for a long time.

Grade: A