It continues with the highly stereotypical love story between Cassia and Ky. In 'Matched' Ky was deported thanks Cassias sorts in the outer provinces. There he is, grow together with other aberration, cotton, thus a not precisely described enemy of the Society believes that here still people live. The workers are dying like flies. Together with two guys named Vick and Eli flees Ky one day, because he knows that to live near Farmer.
Cassia has meanwhile managed to end up in a labor camp, where otherwise only aberration work. She and another girl named Indie to be placed in the outer provinces, there to perform the same task as Ky. Cassia diverted here a more or less. You and indie set out to search for Ky. But the path to it is rocky.
Assessment
A subliminal thought accompanied me throughout the book. This idea consists of a word. And that word is 'blah'. I found that the first part of the trilogy is not stunning, but at least half-way interesting. The Society and the new way of life of people fascinated me. In 'Crossed' the matter was mainly tedious. I do not want to appear cynical, but the love between Cassia and Ky seemed just too epic. The two had known each other only for a short time, quite apart from the Cassia is also still in love with Xander, however, does not intend to opt for one of two. I'm kind of mad at them. With their selfishness (and that's what it is) it does anyone a favor. Moreover, I find it vaguely unrealistic that it follows Ky in the outer provinces, where only he is one of two in their lives so.
Ky plays the typical tragic hero. Serious. Tormented. Blah. Because he loves Cassia, one can not doubt. At least his love for her seems less unlikely than their to him. He is definitely less self-centered than she. At least, speaks for him.
The two new supporting characters that have been introduced, indie and Eli are not particularly interesting. Eli is simply a complete imitation of Cassias brother Bram. So much is even Condie themselves throughout history. Indie seems to be something wrong. It has displaced some things of their lives. She also steals. This makes the book not exciting and serves no purpose. They robbed Cassia only to satisfy their curiosity.
The new information that you get on the Society, make, however, as interesting. I do not want to reveal too much, but where Condie not it hinbekommt to create lovable characters, it creates at least one multi-layered world and holds partly the tension quite well running here.
Your writing style is pleasant to read and very fluid. I like it that she has incorporated so many poems in her book. Even though Maggie stepfather has used this idea in front of her in her Shiver trilogy. An accident? Probably.
A big minus in my opinion is the lack of feelings that Condie has left with me. I do not ask that every good book makes me cry. But a truly or at least approximately enriching book would take me at least once a laugh rather than give me a constant feeling of 'blah'.
Dutton's cover shows Cassia in blue 'plainclothes' and how it breaks out of the restrictive bubble of Society. This includes the subject of the book quite nicely.
Conclusion
Characters to which you feel no connection and a partly implausible love story. For but an interesting world and a pleasant, albeit somewhere clinical writing style. Three points. More I can not really give. (CK)
