Book Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Title: Crossed
Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton
Genre: Young Adult (dystopian)
Why I read it/how I found it: It's the sequel to Matched

Description:

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:

Once again, the way that Condie can spin descriptions amazes me to no end. Crossed is just as poetically written as Matched, and with all of the rich imagery the setting has, it makes for breathtaking sentences. As description is one of my weak points, I just ate it up. In Crossed, I felt like I really got to know the characters more. Their struggles, wants, and past were fleshed-out and stunning. I wasn't sure about how I'd feel with Ky taking half of the book through his POV, as I'm not generally a fan of adding in a second POV in a sequel, but Condie really made the right choice. There are things he tells us that Cassia would never be able to, but things he wouldn't be able to tell Cassia and through us, her. I feel though, that this book wasn't as much about the plot as it was the characters, and I felt the same way with Matched. Everything else about it was so beautiful that I couldn't bring myself to care, although now I have expectations of the third book. And part of that is action. While I'm sure more character growth will be needed in the third book, it's come to the point where I hope we get a lot more action and plot.

Other information: There is a third book (still untitled, and today I went to a signing with Ally Condie, and she said that she and the publishers are still struggling with a title). Matched has been opted for film by Disney. You can find Ally Condie's website here.