Review: Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie

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.

After finally getting my hands on a copy of Matched back in April, I fell in love with the ideas presented in the novel. They were so well-thought-out, and I was dying for more. So naturally, when I won an ARC of Crossed, I was ecstatic. Though it didn't turn out to be quite what I expected, Ally Condie delivered another beautifully written story with this highly anticipated sequel.

Crossed picks up not long after the ending of Matched. Cassia has been in various work camps away from Oria, but all of her attempts to find Ky have been futile. Eventually, she finds a way to evade capture and get to the Outer Provinces. There, she hopes to be reunited with Ky--however, when she arrives, he is already gone. Again, Cassia must figure out his location and how to get to the one she loves.

I've adored Cassia's character from the very beginning. She's strong, intelligent, and has so much potential. The people she cares about are everything to her. As for Ky, I'm so head over heels. He and Cassia are perfect for each other, and seeing their relationship falter slightly in the middle of the story very nearly broke my heart. Though I want Cassia and Ky to be together, Xander is such a sweetheart as well. Unfortunately for Team Xander, he doesn't make much of an appearance in this book, but I have a feeling his role will be much larger in the next one. Crossed introduces us to a few new characters as well, such as Vick, Hunter, Eli, and Indie. Each of them has a heartbreaking but unique backstory, and I really enjoyed digging deeper into their pasts.

Unfortunately, there were a few things that didn't quite appeal to me about this novel. While Ally Condie's writing style is absolutely amazing, the storyline itself was a little slow. It almost felt like a filler between Matched and the next book in the series, a string of events occurring in succession with no evident purpose. I needed a little more explanation as to why these things were happening--I know they likely hold significance for the conclusion of the trilogy, but it didn't quite flow for me. There wasn't much action or conflict, and thus no obvious climax, so I was a little disappointed. However, the third book shows lots of promise, so I'm still plenty excited!

Rating: 3.5/5 stars