Goodreads Rating: 3.80
My Rating: 4
Pages: 366
Reviewed by: Nicole
I've been interested in reading this book for awhile, but meeting Condie at BEA in a few days is what really pushed me to read this book now. I've said before that I like to take it slower with my dystopian books because I don't want to tire of them too quickly.
Goodreads Synopses:
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.
Check out my review!
Let me say that I enjoyed this book quite a bit. At first I was frustrated by the simplistic voice that Cassia had but once you learn that there really isn't a voice for her it's easy to understand. Okay, that sounded awful. It's not to say that Cassia doesn't have a voice, it's simply that her voice is the same as every other voice that exists in her world. There is no imagination or creativity, everything is basic and on a need to know basis, as in you don't need to know that.
This was frustrating until we learn that he grandfather wants more for her (which I have to say had me nearly in tears in my work break room for reason's that I won't divulge because I hate spoilers). We learn that there are only 100 songs, 100 poems, 100 moments in history (which as a history major is appalling; how do you pick between the Tudors or the Egyptians on what to include!?). The fact that knowledge is is restrained is awful. Although the more I think about it, that is the point of these worlds; the less knowledge that you have the less likely you are to rebel.
In all honestly I felt like I didn't really get to know Xander or Ky so I have no feelings toward who she should be with. Xander seems like the best person ever, which I think puts him in the "Nice Guys Who Finish Last" category of the awards. At the same time that Xander seems awesome, Ky has that "I'm broken but still open to love" feel of him. That makes three cliche strikes against this book, but I can still manage to overlook that.
There are another two books following this one which I imagine will delve deeper in to the drama that was unfolding between Ky and Cassia when the book ended. There were a few things at the end of the book that made me start asking questions and they were things that would create a huge spoiler that I don't want to do to you.
I can't wait to get my hands on Crossed, the second book in this trilogy to find out where this is all going!
I like the way you write reviews. You give enough pertinent information to get a feel for the book without giving me every plot point, which I don't need. But this review was especially good.
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting for the third book to come out, I think it's this week, before I read the second one, lol. I thought this book was good, but I've read better. I think what annoyed me was the fact that Cassia didn't really have a "voice", like you said. (:
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