Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Penguin (2012), 532 pages
Description
"In search of a better life, Cassia joins a widespread rebellion against Society, where she is tasked with finding a cure to the threat of survival and must choose between Xander and Ky"--
User reviews
LibraryThing member Bodagirl
I just wanted so much more from this series. There was this horrible tragedy of a purposefully inflicted plague that killed thousands of people and the main characters were more interested in their love-triangle than anything else. There was no outrage that the Rising was just the reincarnation of
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the Society or even a feeling of change at the end. Life just went on, which is probably the point, but the lack of motivation from the characters outside of the romance just didn't do it for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member nbmars
Note: This book contains mild spoilers for Book One, Matched, and Book Two, Crossed, but there are no spoilers for this book, the end of the trilogy.
This is Book Three of "The Matched Trilogy." Book Three is definitely not a standalone, in any sense.
Narration in this book switches back and forth
When the three main protagonists are not obsessing over the Plague or each other, they are obsessing over who is the real “Pilot” – a messianic-like leader who will make everything All Better.
Evaluation: This book bored me hugely. The plot is predictable; Xander speaks like a robot; Cassia and Ky have as much chemistry as inert gas; and the recurring riff on “who is the Pilot” made me feel like I was trapped in a “Where’s Waldo?” book. He’s the pilot! No! She’s the pilot! Wait! You’re the pilot! No, we’re ALL the pilot! Sheesh. A “Plague” on all your houses! Get me outta here!
This is Book Three of "The Matched Trilogy." Book Three is definitely not a standalone, in any sense.
Narration in this book switches back and forth
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among Cassia, Xander, and Ky. During most of the book, the three of them use their Society-honed skills to work for the Rising, which is trying to cope with the Plague. Initially controllable, the Plague has now mutated, becoming super-virulent and pandemic. When the three main protagonists are not obsessing over the Plague or each other, they are obsessing over who is the real “Pilot” – a messianic-like leader who will make everything All Better.
Evaluation: This book bored me hugely. The plot is predictable; Xander speaks like a robot; Cassia and Ky have as much chemistry as inert gas; and the recurring riff on “who is the Pilot” made me feel like I was trapped in a “Where’s Waldo?” book. He’s the pilot! No! She’s the pilot! Wait! You’re the pilot! No, we’re ALL the pilot! Sheesh. A “Plague” on all your houses! Get me outta here!
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LibraryThing member whitebalcony
Meh. For a third book this fell really flat. The entire plot was contrived and mostly an empty vessel to hold up the preaching. Everything was explained vs experienced and this time the book was written from three points of view which meant repetitive coverage of the same ground (and to be honest
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all three characters sound identical anyway making it even more insufferable). Snore! Show Less
LibraryThing member Bduke
Sad to say, but I was a little bored by this book. I couldn't decide between a 2 or 3 star rating, but because I loved Matched so much I'll go with the 2 1/2 stars. There was no real excitement in this one and the end just kind of petered out. It's too bad because I really like the author's
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writing, and I loved that art and poetry played such an important part in the books, but there was just something missing in the last 2 books. And there wasn't even much chemistry between the 3 leading characters, either. It's a good thing this is the last book, because I wouldn't bother to read a 4th one Show Less
LibraryThing member em0451
If I could give half star ratings, I would give Reached 2.5 stars.
To recap my thoughts on the first two books: I gave Matched 3.5 stars and found it to be fairly entertaining and enjoyable. I gave Crossed 2 stars and didn't really like it much at all. I have an addiction to these young adult
That brings us to Reached, the third and final book in the Matched trilogy. This series is about a girl named Cassia who lives in a place called the Society, where everything in her life is controlled by the Society even her future "match." Things get interesting for Cassia when she finds out that she is matched with two boys, Ky and Xander.
This final book returns to the story of Cassia, Ky and Xander. They are all secretly working for the Rising and preparing for a rebellion against the Society. A plague breaks out in the Society, which leads the three of them to search for a cure before it is too late.
I felt that Reached was slightly better than Crossed, but not by much. I just found the story to be boring, and I didn't care what was going to happen next. I easily could have put this book down halfway through and never give a second thought to what was going to happen next.
The love triangle was also dull. It was obvious from the beginning who Cassia was going to pick, so there was no tension at all. I also didn't really like the characters of Ky or Xander much, so it didn't matter to me who she picked.
This book is written in first person and shifts points of views between Cassia, Ky and Xander. One of my biggest problems with the book is that every character sounded exactly the same. Since they were all speaking in first person, I had a hard time remembering whose chapter I was reading. Fortunately, they put the name of the character at the top of each page, and I had to reference that constantly.
So I don't have much good to say about this book. It was an anticlimactic end to a mediocre series.
To recap my thoughts on the first two books: I gave Matched 3.5 stars and found it to be fairly entertaining and enjoyable. I gave Crossed 2 stars and didn't really like it much at all. I have an addiction to these young adult
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dystopian romances, and I can't stop reading them...even when they aren't very good!That brings us to Reached, the third and final book in the Matched trilogy. This series is about a girl named Cassia who lives in a place called the Society, where everything in her life is controlled by the Society even her future "match." Things get interesting for Cassia when she finds out that she is matched with two boys, Ky and Xander.
This final book returns to the story of Cassia, Ky and Xander. They are all secretly working for the Rising and preparing for a rebellion against the Society. A plague breaks out in the Society, which leads the three of them to search for a cure before it is too late.
I felt that Reached was slightly better than Crossed, but not by much. I just found the story to be boring, and I didn't care what was going to happen next. I easily could have put this book down halfway through and never give a second thought to what was going to happen next.
The love triangle was also dull. It was obvious from the beginning who Cassia was going to pick, so there was no tension at all. I also didn't really like the characters of Ky or Xander much, so it didn't matter to me who she picked.
This book is written in first person and shifts points of views between Cassia, Ky and Xander. One of my biggest problems with the book is that every character sounded exactly the same. Since they were all speaking in first person, I had a hard time remembering whose chapter I was reading. Fortunately, they put the name of the character at the top of each page, and I had to reference that constantly.
So I don't have much good to say about this book. It was an anticlimactic end to a mediocre series.
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LibraryThing member chickey1981
An end to another trilogy. As I've said before, the last book in the trilogy may be the hardest because you now have a following that has certain expectations built up that may or may not be satisfied. I agree with another reviewer who said that this is a nice ending to the story but at the same
Reached by Ally Condie is the last book in the Matched trilogy, and we now see the perspectives of all three main characters: Ky, Cassie, and my favorite of the bunch, Xander. This book left off where the second one ended-- the characters are involved in the Rising to overthrow the Society, and each of them takes a path to find a cure for the deadly Plague that has been released into the population. Cassie is a sorter, Xander plays a doctor sort of role, and Ky is a pilot. A bit of a love triangle remains as well as expanded this triangle into a more complicated web. Will they find a cure before it is too late?
There were wonderful things about this book-- Condie has a way with words, and her love of literature and poetry once again shines through. Xander, who was already my favorite character in the first two books, now by far outshines everyone else. He grows into a man before our eyes and continuously puts the good of other people before his own. There are some nice twists that I wasn't expecting, and I really appreciated the effort Condie took to make her medical details more accurate.
This said, I had some issues with this book. First, the perspectives tended to run together for me-- the voices and prose didn't really change from character to character so sometimes I had to go to the beginning of the chapter to remember who was speaking. Second, the middle dragged a lot. I sometimes had to push myself to finish the book. And lastly, the many romantic entanglements just got tiresome and the fact that it all worked out so "perfectly," was a little unbelieveable.
That said, overall, the Matched trilogy is a huge success. Ally Condie is only going to get better, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what she writes next now this trilogy is over.
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time, wasn't earth shattering.Reached by Ally Condie is the last book in the Matched trilogy, and we now see the perspectives of all three main characters: Ky, Cassie, and my favorite of the bunch, Xander. This book left off where the second one ended-- the characters are involved in the Rising to overthrow the Society, and each of them takes a path to find a cure for the deadly Plague that has been released into the population. Cassie is a sorter, Xander plays a doctor sort of role, and Ky is a pilot. A bit of a love triangle remains as well as expanded this triangle into a more complicated web. Will they find a cure before it is too late?
There were wonderful things about this book-- Condie has a way with words, and her love of literature and poetry once again shines through. Xander, who was already my favorite character in the first two books, now by far outshines everyone else. He grows into a man before our eyes and continuously puts the good of other people before his own. There are some nice twists that I wasn't expecting, and I really appreciated the effort Condie took to make her medical details more accurate.
This said, I had some issues with this book. First, the perspectives tended to run together for me-- the voices and prose didn't really change from character to character so sometimes I had to go to the beginning of the chapter to remember who was speaking. Second, the middle dragged a lot. I sometimes had to push myself to finish the book. And lastly, the many romantic entanglements just got tiresome and the fact that it all worked out so "perfectly," was a little unbelieveable.
That said, overall, the Matched trilogy is a huge success. Ally Condie is only going to get better, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what she writes next now this trilogy is over.
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LibraryThing member TheLibraryhag
In this last book of the trilogy, Cassia, Ky and Xander are in different locations but each is working for the Rising. Cassia is sorting for the Society, Xander is a Physic (like a doctor) and Ky is a pilot. The rebellion comes earlier than I thought it would when a virus starts spreading in the
OMG, I love these books. They are so absorbing. When I started I was reading something else too, but I finished that and read the rest of Reached yesterday. I think the characters have grown, but remain true. As far as loose ends, I think they were all tied up or left for a good reason. This trilogy has action but more than that it makes you think. I could not help but sympathize with all the characters, even some of the not so nice ones. I am sad to see this end, but what a good end.
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Society. It is the same virus the Society used to kill off it's enemies but it has come home with a vengence. When the Rising sweeps in with a cure, the revolution is very fast and bloodless. But a mutation of the virus arises and threatens to destroy the Rising. I am not going to say anymore about the story because I don't want to give anything away. OMG, I love these books. They are so absorbing. When I started I was reading something else too, but I finished that and read the rest of Reached yesterday. I think the characters have grown, but remain true. As far as loose ends, I think they were all tied up or left for a good reason. This trilogy has action but more than that it makes you think. I could not help but sympathize with all the characters, even some of the not so nice ones. I am sad to see this end, but what a good end.
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LibraryThing member Liz_S
Ahh such sweet sorrow! I really loved the ending to this series! While this particular book was kind of slow, I have come to love the characters so I didnt mind so much! I gave it 5 stars for the whole series! I would definitely definitely definitely recommend this series to EVERYONE!!!!! I loved
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the authors use of poetry! Alot of interesting poems in here! Im sad that its over! I will be looking out for more by this author! Show Less
LibraryThing member LissaJ
I was sort of ho-hum about this entire series. The writing was fairly good but I just didn't get involved with the characters or the plot. As far as Dystopians go, there are much better out there.
LibraryThing member amielisa
This final book in the Matched dystopian series did not let me down! Condie continued to develop layers for her characters and they each became more real and solid. The complexity of the friendship & love triangle between Ky, Xander & Cassia felt real, strong, and sweet as the friends had to prove
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again and again what they would be willing to risk for each other. The development of the storyline of the Rising versus the Society was realistic and not contrived. What rebellion in history has ever gone as planned??? This series is a must have for any high school library. Show Less
LibraryThing member ethel55
With chapters alternating between Ky, Cassia and Xander, we finally learn the secrets of the Society and the Rising in the end of this trilogy. The Rising has been biding its' time and now, with the arrival of an illness in the various Society regions, finds an opening to come in as saviors. Cassia
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is still valued for her sorting abilities, Xander moves into a physic (doctor) role and Ky takes to the sky as a pilot. The three characters have evolved quite nicely, but fulfilling various destinies is hard, and things don't go smoothly at all. What started so uniquely in Matched wandered a bit to a long conclusion. That said, I'm glad I read all three, but think the saturation of this style of book may have lessened my overall enjoyment by the end. Show Less
LibraryThing member Monkeypats
This is the third book in the Matched trilogy. The series is not my favorite dystopian series and this last book sort of dragged on a bit, getting bogged down in what I found to be minor details and repetitive notions; however, I enjoyed the series enough to want to finish it. If you're looking for
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your first dystopian series though, I'd recommend a few others first. Show Less
LibraryThing member FolkeB
Reached by Ally Condie is a riveting finale to the Matched book series. The series is quickly building in suspense at the start of this book. The Society is finally going to be overthrown by the rising. But our faithful characters are left to question if they can trust the new leader, and more
Condie introduces a weapon of mass destruction into the midst of this war, the plague. She obviously did quite a bit of research on medical procedures, the nature of diseases, and pharmaceutical studies. Because even her fictionalized plague and the unexpected consequences it brings, come off as very plausible. She also is realistic about the consequences of a plague. Many characters die, including a fair amount of characters that the readers care about. However, she uses their deaths in ways that gives them meaning, which I appreciate as I think it improves the quality of the story. The amount of death and loss also makes the readers appreciate when some characters are reunited in the end. Another interesting aspect that Condie brings to this story is the uncertainty of who the enemy is. Ky, Cassia, and Xander don’t know who to trust. Between Society sympathisers, rebels whose allegiance is to the rising, and those with their own agendas, the line between the good and the bad is very hazy. I think this creates interest to the story and reminds readers that there is a level of gray to every black and white story.
I would recommend this book not only because of the well written storyline, but also because of the beauty of Ally Condie’s writing. At times, her words and themes are nothing less than poetry. She ties together loose ends flawlessly and makes intricate connections throughout the storyline, all with skillful language and rhetoric. This is a fantastic series, written with elegant words and a sharp mind.
Megan S.
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importantly they question what their part is in all of this. Ky, Cassia, and Xander are at times together and also apart during this book. Condie decided to combat this situation by switching between character perspective throughout the book. This can be hard to pull off in a book, however she makes it work. I also believe it was necessary in order for the reader to get the full story.Condie introduces a weapon of mass destruction into the midst of this war, the plague. She obviously did quite a bit of research on medical procedures, the nature of diseases, and pharmaceutical studies. Because even her fictionalized plague and the unexpected consequences it brings, come off as very plausible. She also is realistic about the consequences of a plague. Many characters die, including a fair amount of characters that the readers care about. However, she uses their deaths in ways that gives them meaning, which I appreciate as I think it improves the quality of the story. The amount of death and loss also makes the readers appreciate when some characters are reunited in the end. Another interesting aspect that Condie brings to this story is the uncertainty of who the enemy is. Ky, Cassia, and Xander don’t know who to trust. Between Society sympathisers, rebels whose allegiance is to the rising, and those with their own agendas, the line between the good and the bad is very hazy. I think this creates interest to the story and reminds readers that there is a level of gray to every black and white story.
I would recommend this book not only because of the well written storyline, but also because of the beauty of Ally Condie’s writing. At times, her words and themes are nothing less than poetry. She ties together loose ends flawlessly and makes intricate connections throughout the storyline, all with skillful language and rhetoric. This is a fantastic series, written with elegant words and a sharp mind.
Megan S.
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LibraryThing member aimless22
A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. I loved that the first chapter was from Xander's point of view - I missed him so in the second book!
Cassia, Ky and Xander are all working for the Rising in Reached. The Rising has infiltrated the Society and their plan is working perfectly until, of course,
Everyone works feverishly to save the people of the Society, the Rising and those people who have been banished to the outer provinces.
Cassia's skills at sorting; Ky's skills at flying and Xander's skills in medicine all prove needed by the people.
Cassia, Ky and Xander are all working for the Rising in Reached. The Rising has infiltrated the Society and their plan is working perfectly until, of course,
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something unexpected happens. Everyone works feverishly to save the people of the Society, the Rising and those people who have been banished to the outer provinces.
Cassia's skills at sorting; Ky's skills at flying and Xander's skills in medicine all prove needed by the people.
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LibraryThing member sunnydrk
The final book in the Matched trilogy doesn't disappoint; I loved book 1 thought book 2 was OK. The storylines all come full circle and the characters feel so real. I only wish that this wasn't the last book as the plot could have easily carried on into a larger story (hello TV show).
LibraryThing member asomers
This last installment in the trilogy did not disappoint. I read it it one afternoon. My one critique is that I wish that the characters of Nea Lie and Anna had been better developed. They kind of got thrown in at the end and they had important roles to fill.
LibraryThing member kindergirl
While I'm ok with how the love "triangle" ended, I left feeling dissapointed with the rest of it. I was most interested with seeing how the revolution would go, how the society would be dissolved and the opressed citizens and those exiled from the cities would form a new order. I know we are left
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to infer that a democray has begun and that it will all turn around, but we don't get to see it. It is still a good book, I raced to finish it, but I can only give 3.5 stars because I don't feel enough closure. If there were a future book in the series to explain more of it I would have given it 5. I wanted my ending all spelled out for me and all the questions to be answered and thats just not what Condie did, as many other authors as well. What about the Otherlands??? Are they really there??? I want to know!!! Show Less
LibraryThing member mnm123
I liked the direction the book goes and the decisions the characters make. I felt like the ending sort of left you hanging.
LibraryThing member AmieBeamer
Mrs. Beamer's Review:
Matched (book #1) - one of my favorite books, ever
Crossed (book #2) - one of my least favorite books, ever
Reached (book #3) - meh...
I really, REALLY wanted to like this book...I even pre-ordered it on my kindle. The sour taste from Crossed had vanished, and I was remembering
Reached is told from three POVs...which I thought was clever (building off of one POV in Matched, then two POVs in Crossed) and I found it easier to follow the narrators in this book (compared to Crossed). *and I loved chapter 44...brilliant* The beginning of the book was a bit slow for me...picking up about 1/3 of the way in. I don't know. The simplest way for me to put this...I became less and less interested in the story the more it progressed. The Society, the Pilot, red/green/blue pills, the Plague, the Outer Provinces, the poems...I just wasn't into it.
However, I highlighted more text in this book...more moving text...than any other books on my kindle. THAT speaks to the writing of Condie. She has a way with words that is beautiful to me. There are many thought-provoking passages sprinkled throughout the book (some of my favorites listed at the end of this review).
I won't include spoilers in my reviews, so I find it hard to articulate why I was underwhelmed by Reached. It lacked some focus and strayed too far from Matched for my taste. While I am disappointed with this series, I will continue to read Condie's work. I really do enjoy her writing style.
My Favorite Quote (from this book): "I choose her again, and again, and again."
Mrs. Beamer’s advisory rating: 0-5 (0=none, 5=lots) click here for more info
Language: 0
Violence: 0
Sexual Content: 0
Drugs/Alcohol: 0
Potential Controversial Topics: none
My Favorite Passages:
It makes me wonder what's out there that I know nothing about...how else the Society might have altered maps over the years.
The Rising is smart. They've matched me with the one person in camp I care about. Which goes to show that caring about anyone leaves you vulnerable.
Someone's taken my poems, and Ky didn't come, and it's cold.
I am not the only one writing. I am not the only one creating.
I hope for this more than anything else, maybe even more than my own happiness. And in a way, perhaps that means I love (him) best of all.
You cannot change your journey if you are unwilling to move at all.
People like me see it as evidence that it's a place so wonderful no one would ever want to come back.
Matched (book #1) - one of my favorite books, ever
Crossed (book #2) - one of my least favorite books, ever
Reached (book #3) - meh...
I really, REALLY wanted to like this book...I even pre-ordered it on my kindle. The sour taste from Crossed had vanished, and I was remembering
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why I fell in love with Matched. I was most excited to revisit the love triangle of Cassia/Ky/Xander...well, hoping there was a love triangle :) Reached is told from three POVs...which I thought was clever (building off of one POV in Matched, then two POVs in Crossed) and I found it easier to follow the narrators in this book (compared to Crossed). *and I loved chapter 44...brilliant* The beginning of the book was a bit slow for me...picking up about 1/3 of the way in. I don't know. The simplest way for me to put this...I became less and less interested in the story the more it progressed. The Society, the Pilot, red/green/blue pills, the Plague, the Outer Provinces, the poems...I just wasn't into it.
However, I highlighted more text in this book...more moving text...than any other books on my kindle. THAT speaks to the writing of Condie. She has a way with words that is beautiful to me. There are many thought-provoking passages sprinkled throughout the book (some of my favorites listed at the end of this review).
I won't include spoilers in my reviews, so I find it hard to articulate why I was underwhelmed by Reached. It lacked some focus and strayed too far from Matched for my taste. While I am disappointed with this series, I will continue to read Condie's work. I really do enjoy her writing style.
My Favorite Quote (from this book): "I choose her again, and again, and again."
Mrs. Beamer’s advisory rating: 0-5 (0=none, 5=lots) click here for more info
Language: 0
Violence: 0
Sexual Content: 0
Drugs/Alcohol: 0
Potential Controversial Topics: none
My Favorite Passages:
It makes me wonder what's out there that I know nothing about...how else the Society might have altered maps over the years.
The Rising is smart. They've matched me with the one person in camp I care about. Which goes to show that caring about anyone leaves you vulnerable.
Someone's taken my poems, and Ky didn't come, and it's cold.
I am not the only one writing. I am not the only one creating.
I hope for this more than anything else, maybe even more than my own happiness. And in a way, perhaps that means I love (him) best of all.
You cannot change your journey if you are unwilling to move at all.
People like me see it as evidence that it's a place so wonderful no one would ever want to come back.
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LibraryThing member Aussie_Bookworm
Sad to see this series end I loved it, I loved how Ally Condie incorporated art and poetry into a stunning story. I am looking forward to future reads.
LibraryThing member 4sarad
Well, I didn't like Crossed much at all, but I'm glad I picked up Reached. It was only in finishing the trilogy that I saw how much care and planning Condie put into the series. I still feel like the characters were a little too wise for their years, and a couple of parts dragged a little for me,
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but overall it was a good book. The characters clearly progressed and the story ended really well. I wish I had read the other two more recently, because a few times I couldn't remember who/what the characters were referring to. I think if I could rate the trilogy as a whole, I would rate it higher than I rated each individual book. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheMadHatters
Third book in the Matched series. Cassia is working for the Rising in Central, while Xander is a doctor in Camas, and Ky is a pilot for the Rising, working for revolution from the outside. The Plague is reaching the critical point for the Rising to step in and take control, but the Plague doesn't
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stay under control, and it will take all three to find a solution in time. Show Less
LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the third and final book in the Matched trilogy. It was a decent end to the series and wrapped things up nicely. The book is beautifully written, but moves slowly.
After reaching the Rising Cassia, Ky, and Xander have been given their assignments. Cassia is sent back to Central to sort. Ky
The story is told from Cassia, Ky, and Xander’s viewpoints. The chapters are clearly labeled at the beginning as to which viewpoint you are reading from which is helpful.
Most of the book revolves around the three characters trying to figure out exactly what the Rising is and how it came about. The other big plot topic is the Plague. When the Plague mutates, things become even more desperate.
Our favorite characters don’t actually interact much in this story. They spend vast amounts of the book in different places. This resulted in the characters doing a lot of thinking and speculation in their parts of the story.
Cassia, Ky, and Xander do grow and change a lot in this book. Cassia has come a long way from the ignorant girl she was in Matched. Ky is slowly learning to trust people, which is great to see. Xander’s transformation is the hardest to read about, he goes through a lot of pain in this book.
The book moves slowly and there are large parts of the story that seem a bit clunky and unnecessary. Condie tries to bring the whole theme of colors and threes full circle and she does an okay job...still it all felt a bit forced to me. At the end of it all I kind just felt like...huh...well I guess that series is over.
The writing is beautifully done and there is excellent imagery throughout, at times though the story just moves too slowly. Following what is going on with the Rising, the Society, and the people outside of either was a bit confusing at points too.
Overall a decent wrap up to this series. Everything is nicely tied up, although the story moves very slowly at points. This is a very long book and it feels like it. Our favorite characters spend the vast majority of the book in different places meaning that there isn’t a lot of interaction between them until the last third or so of the book. Recommended if you are a fan of this series. If you want a good YA dystopian read I would go elsewhere though. I would recommend The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or The Divergent series by Veronica Roth.
After reaching the Rising Cassia, Ky, and Xander have been given their assignments. Cassia is sent back to Central to sort. Ky
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is assigned as a pilot. Xander is sent to a city to serve as a medic. They are all struggling to figure out how their roles support the Rising. That is until the Plague breaks out and only the Rising seems to have the cure.The story is told from Cassia, Ky, and Xander’s viewpoints. The chapters are clearly labeled at the beginning as to which viewpoint you are reading from which is helpful.
Most of the book revolves around the three characters trying to figure out exactly what the Rising is and how it came about. The other big plot topic is the Plague. When the Plague mutates, things become even more desperate.
Our favorite characters don’t actually interact much in this story. They spend vast amounts of the book in different places. This resulted in the characters doing a lot of thinking and speculation in their parts of the story.
Cassia, Ky, and Xander do grow and change a lot in this book. Cassia has come a long way from the ignorant girl she was in Matched. Ky is slowly learning to trust people, which is great to see. Xander’s transformation is the hardest to read about, he goes through a lot of pain in this book.
The book moves slowly and there are large parts of the story that seem a bit clunky and unnecessary. Condie tries to bring the whole theme of colors and threes full circle and she does an okay job...still it all felt a bit forced to me. At the end of it all I kind just felt like...huh...well I guess that series is over.
The writing is beautifully done and there is excellent imagery throughout, at times though the story just moves too slowly. Following what is going on with the Rising, the Society, and the people outside of either was a bit confusing at points too.
Overall a decent wrap up to this series. Everything is nicely tied up, although the story moves very slowly at points. This is a very long book and it feels like it. Our favorite characters spend the vast majority of the book in different places meaning that there isn’t a lot of interaction between them until the last third or so of the book. Recommended if you are a fan of this series. If you want a good YA dystopian read I would go elsewhere though. I would recommend The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or The Divergent series by Veronica Roth.
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LibraryThing member paisean13
I could barely finish, but I finished. I was never a big fan of this series, but the way the author incorporated poetry into her story-line and the over-all idea the series represents kept me coming back for each book. I just felt the book was too predictable and dragged out way to long. I gave
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every book in this series 2 stars because of the author's way with words. I'm just glad it's over. Show Less
LibraryThing member Akikorye
Since this is the third and final book of the trilogy, I'm going to skip any form of summary and go straight to my thoughts on the series, and this book.
Obviously, I was hooked after reading Matched, but only sort of. Mostly, I loved the book until I got to the final chapter. Then, I didn't know
Crossed was awful. I'm sorry, but I felt like it was pointless. It lost the charm and wonder of the first book. There was a lot of walking and a lot of poems and a lot of longing, but not much substance. It was a lot of book to accomplish only two things. I almost didn't read the third book. I gave it two stars and I was being too nice. I was disappointed. Nothing in book 1 suggested a follow up like book 2.
But when I start a series, I must finish it (unless it's a billon books long like Jacky Faber and Mister Monday, etc). So I read Reached. This book put us back into Society, where we were in the first book (I generally don't like it when books drastically change their setting, which added to my distaste of Crossed).
Cons: Firstly, I don't think it was at all necessary to go into depth how viruses spread. One, because I think everyone already knows, and two, because even if they don't they get it enough to understand the magnitude of the situation. Not only was virology explained (needlessly), but it was explained, not once, not twice, but THRICE. And the analogy they used to help people along wasn't until the third explanation, and wasn't a good analogy anyway.
This is basically one of my biggest issues through the whole series: So many words, most of it repeating things we already know, don't care about, or reprinting old poems. I'm a fan of efficiency. The length of the book felt stretched.
Pros: I really feel like this third book captured the intrigue of the first book. What I like about dystopian books is reading about a society that is not my own. Learning about their customs, and their outliers. Book three showed us a society falling apart, yet we still learned so much about it's inner workings despite that.
While others have wars and battles to overthrow their dystopian powers, it was more fitting in this society to use a virus. Makes sense. Do I think those characters should have been the most capable to fix everything? No, but they did and that's why the book's written about them. Everything that was introduced felt settled, even if I felt that some of those issues weren't pertinent to the story. :)
All and all I gave it 4 stars for recapturing all that it lost in book two, which was so far above my expectations (I had heard bad things). It ended well, no loose ends (well...), I was moved, and I was happy for the characters.
Obviously, I was hooked after reading Matched, but only sort of. Mostly, I loved the book until I got to the final chapter. Then, I didn't know
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that it was meant to be a trilogy, but it really could have ended a chapter or two sooner. Despite how much I hated the end, I loved the bulk of the book enough to read Crossed.Crossed was awful. I'm sorry, but I felt like it was pointless. It lost the charm and wonder of the first book. There was a lot of walking and a lot of poems and a lot of longing, but not much substance. It was a lot of book to accomplish only two things. I almost didn't read the third book. I gave it two stars and I was being too nice. I was disappointed. Nothing in book 1 suggested a follow up like book 2.
But when I start a series, I must finish it (unless it's a billon books long like Jacky Faber and Mister Monday, etc). So I read Reached. This book put us back into Society, where we were in the first book (I generally don't like it when books drastically change their setting, which added to my distaste of Crossed).
Cons: Firstly, I don't think it was at all necessary to go into depth how viruses spread. One, because I think everyone already knows, and two, because even if they don't they get it enough to understand the magnitude of the situation. Not only was virology explained (needlessly), but it was explained, not once, not twice, but THRICE. And the analogy they used to help people along wasn't until the third explanation, and wasn't a good analogy anyway.
This is basically one of my biggest issues through the whole series: So many words, most of it repeating things we already know, don't care about, or reprinting old poems. I'm a fan of efficiency. The length of the book felt stretched.
Pros: I really feel like this third book captured the intrigue of the first book. What I like about dystopian books is reading about a society that is not my own. Learning about their customs, and their outliers. Book three showed us a society falling apart, yet we still learned so much about it's inner workings despite that.
While others have wars and battles to overthrow their dystopian powers, it was more fitting in this society to use a virus. Makes sense. Do I think those characters should have been the most capable to fix everything? No, but they did and that's why the book's written about them. Everything that was introduced felt settled, even if I felt that some of those issues weren't pertinent to the story. :)
All and all I gave it 4 stars for recapturing all that it lost in book two, which was so far above my expectations (I had heard bad things). It ended well, no loose ends (well...), I was moved, and I was happy for the characters.
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Awards
Colorado Blue Spruce Award (Nominee — 2014)
Language
Original publication date
2012-11-13