This is the sequal to "Matched". I enjoyed the book but not as much as the first. The ending is leaving me wanting more so I will likely read the next book; but I likely won't be counting down the release date. This series was recommended to readers that liked "The Hunger Games" and "The Divergent". Out of the 3 different but similar story lines, this is my least fav.

(Originally posted at http://www.lostatmidnightreviews.blogspot.ca/) I don't really know how I feel about this book. Disappointed, I guess. Matched wasn't my favorite book, but I thought the storyline had a lot of potential. The ideas of choice and freedom over happiness and safety was one I thought fascinating, and a great concept. One of the scenes in the novel has haunted me to this very day. The book itself I didn't find overly interesting, the characters much to flat for me. But, I finished with the feeling that the second book could be very well done. Unfortunately, I didn't agree with this once I read Crossed. Now, that's not to say I didn't enjoy parts of this book because I most definitely did. I found myself wrapped up in the story, flipping the pages quickly in hopes of getting to the climax. I really liked the new characters that were brought it, and Xander finally grew on me. But, I found myself unable to connect with Cassia and Ky once again, and felt my investment in their relationship waning by the end. I felt like the plot of this book really didn't have much substance. There was a lot of walking around in a canyon and talking, but not much else. I was waiting for a big surprise, or action even and found myself disappointed when there really wasn't much of one. There was a secret in the book that I loved, and was so glad was put in the story. In all though, I just didn't find this book very interesting, and the problems I had with the first novel (aka the characters) I still had in Crossed. Looking back on it, I think my biggest issue with Crossed was that it was all about character development. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE character development. I will read entire books just with interesting characters. My problem was that I wasn't invested in the characters to begin with, so diving deep into their thoughts was not something I found interesting. If you have read and really enjoyed Matched, this book will probably be great to you. I just didn't feel so impressed with it. I will be reading Reached though, without a doubt. As I said, I love the concept of these books. I even wrote a paper on it in high school. Crossed seems to be a set-up book, that is, the book that lays the foundation for the finale. I just hope this finale finally lives up to the potential these books have. As a end note: I do really like the covers of these books. Really simple, but gorgeous. And something I did love about Crossed (and Matched for that matter) was the poetry. I loved hearing new ones, reading old favorites, and watching the words being woven into the plot line. Very well done, in my opinion. Reached is out November 2012! And if you're interested in reading Crossed, here's the book trailer!

Great book but I hate the fact that I have to wait until November to find out what happens!!!!

The Good Stuff Exceptionally good for a second novel in a trilogy Plenty of action, once you start this one, you do not want to put it down Less boy angst in this one, as an adult I really enjoyed this (target audience may be disappointed in this though) Introduction of some new intriguing secondary characters (Indie, Vick and Eli) Don't want to spoil anything, but one part broke my heart Liked that it was narrated from both Ky and Cassia's point of view Good character development for both Ky and Cassia Found out so much more about how Society came to be and about what is going on in their world -- kept me wanting to find out more Some good moral questions entwined within the story, would be great for discussion The Not So Good Stuff Barely any Xander, would have liked more of his story The same for Cassia's family -- barely any mention of them - hoping the final book brings them back Favorite Quotes/Passages "Xander is not usually a mystery to me. He's open, honest, a story I read again and again and love every time. But, in this moment, I can't tell what he thinks." "And then they rewarded him?" I say, my breath ragged. "Did an airship come down and save him?" "No," she says. "He delivered his message. Then he died." "I start to laugh, which isn't good for saving breath, and Indie laughs, too. "I told you that you wouldn't want to hear it." My father wanted to be the person who changed everything and saved everyone. It was dangerous. But they all believed in him. The vilagers. My Mother. Me. Then I grew older and realized he could never win. I didn't die with him because I no longer went to any of the meetings. I stopped believing." Who Should/Shouldn't Read Obviously if you enjoyed the first book in the series, you will enjoy this one I wouldn't recommend reading this if you haven't read the first book, you would be pretty lost, you could do it, but I don't recommend it Fans of Dystopian and Post Apocolyptic fiction will enjoy 4.25 Dewey's I borrowed this from Jenn

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! :)

After reading Matched in under 24hours I can honestly say that i expected more out of Crossed. It was a good read for something to do, but not nearly as exciting and hard to put down as Matched was. I wanted more then i got from this book. Put plainly, It was worth reading only because I've read the first book.

While I really liked Matched, the first book of the trilogy, I found this book to be pretty boring. Not much happened, despite the book being pretty long. I didn't love the romance in this book like I did in the first one, the new characters bored me, and the end seemed cut off. If you liked Matched, Crossed will probably let you down a bit. Not recommended.

After they came and took Ky away, Cassia wasn't sure what the future held, but she knew she had to find him. Now she's been working in the outer Provinces for months in hopes of somehow finding a way to connect with him. Fearful that she's running out of time before she must return to her work assignment in the Society, Cassia sneaks onto an airship transporting workers to a village in the border provinces. Once there, she hears word that someone who fits Ky's description has recently been in the area. Along with Indie, her one friend from the work camps, Cassia plans an escape and embarks on a journey to find Ky and with any luck, others who want to rebel against the Society as well. While she searches for Ky and the Rising, Cassia must stay alive, avoid capture or discovery and decide where an with whom her future lies. Now that Cassia has ventured away from her comfortable life in the Society, the sterile and pristine world we were introduced to in Matched has been replaced by rugged wilderness and harsh terrain giving Crossed a very different feel than the first book in the series. Along with the Society, Cassia's family, and to an extent Xander have also disappeared from this second installment. I found myself missing the characters from the first novel, but did enjoy the new characters that were introduced in book 2. Each chapter in Crossed switches back in forth between Cassia and Ky's points of view. While I enjoyed getting to better know Ky in this manner, I found the flip-flopping confusing at times and often had to check back to see who was speaking. While the story isn't quite as gripping as Matched, Crossed does set up the next book in the series wonderfully. I'm eager to see how things work out in book 3! An enjoyable read, Crossed felt a little more like a bridge between the fist and third books in the series rather than a complete novel on its own. Fans of Matched will want to read this one, but don't expect the same book you read in the first installment in the trilogy.

I really, really did not like Matched, but as a follow up Crossed was actually pretty decent. I ended up reading both books back to back so I was able to keep going with the story. As a result, I really can't help but compare the two books. I must say that I enjoyed the setting in Matched much more. For me, having the characters leave the city for the Outer Provinces lends credibility to the whole Dystopian aspect. I felt that it gave Crossed a sense of danger and excitement that I found was lacking in Matched. There were so many plot twists that I found myself unable to predict what was going to happen next; something that I greatly enjoyed. Once I got used to them, I loved the differing viewpoints. In my opinion, it really helped keep the story from revealing itself too soon. Plus it was really nice to get a look inside of Ky's mind. I found his viewpoint to be very refreshing and almost pure in his feelings. Plus, it was a bonus to have male characters, who while very different from one another, were not absolute morons. It was so nice to just finally get some decent male love interests. I am really tired of this whole trend in YA of girls always falling for the pining after the controlling jerk. Kudos to Ally Condie for creating two different male characters in Xander and Ky who aren't actually jerks masquerading as the ideal choice. I have to say, that now I am kind of bummed that I have to wait a whole year to find out just how this series ends.

Originally posted at http://dazzlingreads.blogspot.com Sequel to one of the most captivating dystopian novels of last year, Crossed will consume readers with Cassia and Ky's narration. It will show you the world outside the Society and the heartbreaking life that many people, and Ky, are living in. Crossed by Ally Condie is an excellent sequel that reveals many secrets, separates people and rejoin others. Crossed will absolutely absorb you into its pages and transport you into a world that, as Cassia, you will also want to fight for. This sequel really satisfied my expectations! In terms of characters, I was really glad to see how Cassia has been fighting to get to Ky. Although this is not an essay quest, Cassia doesn't give up but she is still realistic towards this task. In fact, Xander visits her and in one of their conversations we realize how down to earth Cassia really is. She is looking for Ky but there is a limit of what her actions can risk. And though Cassia and Ky's lover is one of a kind, Cassia knows that if things don't go well, there will be a moment she will have to stop this quest. I loved Cassia's perspective of the current situation she lives in. Thinking in such a realistic way makes her a very real character. I loved that Condie made her this way because is much more credible and I can empathize with Cassia better than I thought. In Crossed, the narration switches from Cassia's point of view to Ky's. For me, this made the story very solid. We see the hard life and reality through Ky's eyes and we get to understand him so much better by seeing the world from his perspective. I think if there wouldn't have been any Ky chapter, it would have been very difficult to understand Ky's opinion toward the society and the rising. We also get to know other characters that I get to love and cry for. There was a reason for all of the characters to be there and I am glad how well everyone had a important supportive role. There were two possible path in Crossed that brought discord between our characters. Two path that I completely longed for. Having Cassia and Ky's point of view really made me understand their needs and longings and I found myself in the middle of this and struggling to see what was the right path to follow. Cassia and Ky are faced toward such complex situations that they will found themselves psychologically and emotionally affected not only as individuals, but also as a couple. Crossed took me far away from my room and really transported me to the outer provinces and beyond. I saw the world Cassia and Ky live in with glassy eyes, and I couldn't help but being glad that I wasn't really there. Detailed description of surroundings and emotions enriched my reading experience. However, what happened at the end was too fast for me. I would have love to see,, in details what was going on. I would have love to meet new people and see how things worked at that place. I am being really vague because I hate giving spoilers! But my point is that I would have love to have more pages of what happened at the end. Yet, the very last page of the book really hooked me and left me hanging from cliff! I need the third book right now in my hands! I am dying! I love Crossed and I think it is a must read for all the fans of Matched and, certainly, for Dystopian's as well. Danger, new characters, romance and a heartbreaking reality that will transport readers from the Society to the Borders and from the dangers of The Carving to the Outer Provinces. Crossed by Ally Condie is a overwhelming experience that will left readers craving for the third book! To wait one more year is, certainly, a torture!