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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
Cassia, Ky, and Xander are now aware and a part of the Rising. Their main goal is to take down the capital and start over again with new leaders and new policies. With this third and final piece of the series, Condie has chosen to tell the story from these three main characters point of view. We find Cassia in the capital city, while Xander and Ky are also separated in outlying cities.
All they are told is that they will know when the Rising starts, and they will know they are hearing from the Pilot when the time comes. And when the Rising starts, no one was ready for the outcome and change it would bring.
For me, this was an underwhelming end to a series that started with so much promise. I was highly disappointed as I was reading this. I felt that more often than not, the character's voices sounded the same and while I was getting a lot of answers to questions I wanted to know, it was kind of boring. This story focused more on the plague and less on building a sense of the characters for me. Glad I stuck with it, but I definitely wanted more.
All they are told is that they will know when the Rising starts, and they will know they are hearing from the Pilot when the time comes. And when the Rising starts, no one was ready for the outcome and change it would bring.
For me, this was an underwhelming end to a series that started with so much promise. I was highly disappointed as I was reading this. I felt that more often than not, the character's voices sounded the same and while I was getting a lot of answers to questions I wanted to know, it was kind of boring. This story focused more on the plague and less on building a sense of the characters for me. Glad I stuck with it, but I definitely wanted more.
Readers, if you've not delved into Ally Condie's trilogy by now you should know that the below has MAJOR SPOILERS. It can't be helped. This is the third in the trilogy. You have been warned.
Cassia, Ky, and their friends have been through a lot. After making their way through the canyons they finally connected with the Rising. Now, Cassia has been sent back to Society and Ky has become a pilot. Both Cassia and Ky know that the Rising's plans are coming to a head, but surprisingly it's Xander who has the inside track. Xander's part in the Rising has been kept secret until now but before he can reveal the truth to Cassia, an outbreak of massive proportions hits Society. All three once again find themselves cut off from one another and trying to reconnect as Society falls to the Rising. The resistance group reveals the truth to the citizens, offering up their own alternative and promising a cure to the outbreak, until things take an unexpected turn. Now, Cassia, Ky, and Xander might prove to be the only hope for fixing things.
The Plague driving REACHED appealed to the medical thriller fan in me while the story moved along more of the dystopian basis of the overall plot and the dangers in allowing those in charge too much power with too little oversight. Both Society and the Rising are manipulative and untrustworthy in spite of their reassurances that they have the interests of the people in mind.
I have to admit that Ally Condie's wrap up to the trilogy was one of my most anticipated titles of 2012. Why has it taken me so long to review it, then? I'm honestly not sure. I can say that while REACHED did tie up many of the loose ends, it also left more questions for me in the end. In fact, some of the barely touched upon portions of Reached were the parts that I desperately wanted more of!
The introduction of the Otherlands and more of the history of Society seemed a little unfair at this point considering the trilogy is at an end. Cassia, Ky, and Xander's stories all tie up fairly neatly but I admit I'm not ready to leave this world behind as a reader. Which is unfortunate.
That aside, REACHED hit all the right notes and was an exciting end to the trilogy. I felt like Condie introduced a lot of thoughtful ideas and made each installment in the trilogy completely unique in terms of setting and story. And the world building, as I've mentioned before, is really fantastic throughout the series! I've not seen anything about what Condie might be working on next, but I'll certainly be awaiting whatever it is with great anticipation.
Cassia, Ky, and their friends have been through a lot. After making their way through the canyons they finally connected with the Rising. Now, Cassia has been sent back to Society and Ky has become a pilot. Both Cassia and Ky know that the Rising's plans are coming to a head, but surprisingly it's Xander who has the inside track. Xander's part in the Rising has been kept secret until now but before he can reveal the truth to Cassia, an outbreak of massive proportions hits Society. All three once again find themselves cut off from one another and trying to reconnect as Society falls to the Rising. The resistance group reveals the truth to the citizens, offering up their own alternative and promising a cure to the outbreak, until things take an unexpected turn. Now, Cassia, Ky, and Xander might prove to be the only hope for fixing things.
The Plague driving REACHED appealed to the medical thriller fan in me while the story moved along more of the dystopian basis of the overall plot and the dangers in allowing those in charge too much power with too little oversight. Both Society and the Rising are manipulative and untrustworthy in spite of their reassurances that they have the interests of the people in mind.
I have to admit that Ally Condie's wrap up to the trilogy was one of my most anticipated titles of 2012. Why has it taken me so long to review it, then? I'm honestly not sure. I can say that while REACHED did tie up many of the loose ends, it also left more questions for me in the end. In fact, some of the barely touched upon portions of Reached were the parts that I desperately wanted more of!
The introduction of the Otherlands and more of the history of Society seemed a little unfair at this point considering the trilogy is at an end. Cassia, Ky, and Xander's stories all tie up fairly neatly but I admit I'm not ready to leave this world behind as a reader. Which is unfortunate.
That aside, REACHED hit all the right notes and was an exciting end to the trilogy. I felt like Condie introduced a lot of thoughtful ideas and made each installment in the trilogy completely unique in terms of setting and story. And the world building, as I've mentioned before, is really fantastic throughout the series! I've not seen anything about what Condie might be working on next, but I'll certainly be awaiting whatever it is with great anticipation.
My lack of enthusiasm to finish this series is evident in the fact that this book, the last in the series, came out almost 2 years ago, and I am just getting to it now. In fact, I probably would be putting it off yet again if it wasn't for the "finish all the series" challenge I gave myself. If you're wondering why I am feeling this way, please see my reviews for book 1 and book 2. I'll briefly reiterate, though: it's not like I hate the series. If that were the case, I just wouldn't bother. It's more like I just don't find the characters that compelling, and the plot is confusing enough that even my super spoilery reviews aren't helping me remember where things stood at the end of book two. Heck, there are some characters who I don't even remember who they are. Yes, I have a bad memory, but still, that's pretty sad. There's no way I'm going to re-read the series, though, so I'll just have to muddle through.
I'm sure I would feel differently about this book if I read the series all the way through in one go. As I mentioned, I didn't remember most of the side characters, so when things happened like that characters dying, or when Cassia or Ky or Xander would be remembering someone sadly, those moments had no emotional impact on me. Take Indie for example: Even the new characters introduced in this book, like Lei, didn't really feel that fleshed out. I wish I knew what it was that disconnected me from these characters, but I guess it's just not meant to be.
The thing I appreciated most about this book was that it didn't portray love and marriage (or matches, if you prefer) as a one-time-only true love thing.
In the end, the are other series in this genre that I would recommend over this one, but if it sounds intriguing to you, you might as well give it a try. And if you've already read the first two, you might as well read this one, too.
I'm sure I would feel differently about this book if I read the series all the way through in one go. As I mentioned, I didn't remember most of the side characters, so when things happened like that characters dying, or when Cassia or Ky or Xander would be remembering someone sadly, those moments had no emotional impact on me. Take Indie for example:
Spoiler
when I read my little recap from the last book, it only briefly mentioned Indie, and that was in reference to the fact that she had apparently fallen in love with Xander based off his picture. I didn't remember anything about all the time she and Cassia spent together, of how she became friends with Ky. So imagine my surprise when it becomes apparently early on that she's in love with Ky, and if he hadn't already been in love with Cassia, he might have fallen for her, too. There is so much we were told about how strong and fearless Indie is, and though I believe it, I never really felt it. When she died, it didn't feel that sad, because I didn't really feel like I knew her.The thing I appreciated most about this book was that it didn't portray love and marriage (or matches, if you prefer) as a one-time-only true love thing.
Spoiler
It might have been a glitch that Cassia was matched with both Ky and Xander, but that wouldn't have been possible if they weren't both suitable for her. It's true what Cassia says to Xander, there was a time when she could have been with Xander, and lived a perfectly happy life full of love together. But things happened, and that moment passed, and they both changed. Cassia fell in love with Ky, who had loved her all along, and as hard as that might for Xander to watch, it's not impossible to overcome. Just because he loved Cassia once doesn't mean he'll never love anyone again, which is proven when he gets to know Lei and they fall in love with each other, both because they are well-matched and because they chose to open themselves up to love again.In the end, the are other series in this genre that I would recommend over this one, but if it sounds intriguing to you, you might as well give it a try. And if you've already read the first two, you might as well read this one, too.
painfully slow but perfect ending...
In Matched, Cassia Reyes fell in love with the wrong man – Ky Markham. As their love became solid and real, the Society took everything from them by sending Ky to the Outer Provinces to work in the camps – a death sentence.
In Crossed, Cassia embarked on a journey into unknown lands, leaving behind her home and her Match, Xander, to find Ky. Along the way, she encountered new friends – and enemies. She reunited with Ky and they fell back into their natural love while they tried to figure out where there future would take them.
In Reached, Cassia and Ky are separated yet again. Joining the Rising against the Society has separated Cassia not only from Ky, but from Xander, and the three of them battle against the Society in unique and different ways. But when the world falls ill from the Plague, can the mysterious Pilot lead them to freedom? Can the Pilot truly be trusted?
Told from three perspectives, the conclusion to the Matched Trilogy neatly wraps up all the loose ends that Matched and Crossed created.
KC Rating: 3/5
I had to grudgingly bump this book up from a 2.5 to a 3.
Reached let me down in so many ways. The story was slow, the plot dead, and the characters amount of jumping from romance to romance was not only unbelievable – it made me angry. Ally Condie seems to have a knack for creating love triangles… but someone needs to tell her not to force them. Ky’s feelings for Indie pissed me off. He compares her to Cassia in ways that are dumb and unnecessary.
The drastic change from Matched to Reached is almost a complete 180.
I loved and love Matched. It’s romance,danger, mystery, and dramatic ending hooked me in and left me breathless.
Crossed left me wanting, the story line was slow and the reunion of Ky and Cassia was lacking in theatrics and romance.
Reached was simply painful. The ending was worth it, and the plot revived itself towards the end of the book. I had almost given up on reading it when the story shifted, and I was glad I saw the book through. But the sheer amount of will and effort I had to put into this book left me angry and disappointed. Condie, you should have stopped while you were ahead.
This book definitely did not go gentle…
*Read September to November 2015
https://withthebutterflies.wordpress.com/2015/11/23/book-review-reached-by-ally-condie/
In Matched, Cassia Reyes fell in love with the wrong man – Ky Markham. As their love became solid and real, the Society took everything from them by sending Ky to the Outer Provinces to work in the camps – a death sentence.
In Crossed, Cassia embarked on a journey into unknown lands, leaving behind her home and her Match, Xander, to find Ky. Along the way, she encountered new friends – and enemies. She reunited with Ky and they fell back into their natural love while they tried to figure out where there future would take them.
In Reached, Cassia and Ky are separated yet again. Joining the Rising against the Society has separated Cassia not only from Ky, but from Xander, and the three of them battle against the Society in unique and different ways. But when the world falls ill from the Plague, can the mysterious Pilot lead them to freedom? Can the Pilot truly be trusted?
Told from three perspectives, the conclusion to the Matched Trilogy neatly wraps up all the loose ends that Matched and Crossed created.
KC Rating: 3/5
I had to grudgingly bump this book up from a 2.5 to a 3.
Reached let me down in so many ways. The story was slow, the plot dead, and the characters amount of jumping from romance to romance was not only unbelievable – it made me angry. Ally Condie seems to have a knack for creating love triangles… but someone needs to tell her not to force them. Ky’s feelings for Indie pissed me off. He compares her to Cassia in ways that are dumb and unnecessary.
The drastic change from Matched to Reached is almost a complete 180.
I loved and love Matched. It’s romance,danger, mystery, and dramatic ending hooked me in and left me breathless.
Crossed left me wanting, the story line was slow and the reunion of Ky and Cassia was lacking in theatrics and romance.
Reached was simply painful. The ending was worth it, and the plot revived itself towards the end of the book. I had almost given up on reading it when the story shifted, and I was glad I saw the book through. But the sheer amount of will and effort I had to put into this book left me angry and disappointed. Condie, you should have stopped while you were ahead.
This book definitely did not go gentle…
*Read September to November 2015
https://withthebutterflies.wordpress.com/2015/11/23/book-review-reached-by-ally-condie/
Al principio no me enteraba de nada de la historia, ya que el segundo libro lo leí hace ya un año y no me acordaba casi. A medida que avanzaba la historia fui acordándome. Pero el inicio era muy lento y casi sin acción. A decir verdad, el libro se me ha hecho muy pesado. Había un par de momentos emocionantes y ya está, por que incluso el reencuentro de Cassia con Ky era aburrido. La novela en sí me ha defraudado bastante, ya que Juntos y Caminos cruzados me encantaron y este me ha dejado muy fría. He tardado mucho tiempo en leerlo ya que no me solía interesar la historia (bueno, aparte de los exámenes).
La historia que más me ha gustado ha sido la de Xander, ya que le he cogido mucho cariño a Lei. Es una chica misteriosa y la dejan para el final, que me ha sorprendido. De hecho, ha sido lo que más me ha gustado. Y bueno, ahí lo dejo, claro que quien se haya empezado a leer la trilogía debería leérselo, pero sigo creyendo que fueron mejores los dos primeros libros.
viajeradelibros.blogspot.com.es/2013/06/juntos-liberacion-ally-condie.html
La historia que más me ha gustado ha sido la de Xander, ya que le he cogido mucho cariño a Lei. Es una chica misteriosa y la dejan para el final, que me ha sorprendido. De hecho, ha sido lo que más me ha gustado. Y bueno, ahí lo dejo, claro que quien se haya empezado a leer la trilogía debería leérselo, pero sigo creyendo que fueron mejores los dos primeros libros.
viajeradelibros.blogspot.com.es/2013/06/juntos-liberacion-ally-condie.html
I think this might be the best one in the trilogy. I was fascinated by the world Ally Condie created in Matched, but since the second book took place in the outer edges of the Society it seemed a bit disjointed. And truth be told, I was beginning go get impatient with Cassia. However, Crossed ended with enough of a cliffhanger to make me want to see it through.
Lots of growth in this book, both in Cassia as a character and I think in Condie's writing. I'd love to debate the idea of "Pilot" in a book discussion group not just with Teens but with adults. Was Lei a bit of a stretch, just to make everyone happy? Another point to debate.
Lots of growth in this book, both in Cassia as a character and I think in Condie's writing. I'd love to debate the idea of "Pilot" in a book discussion group not just with Teens but with adults. Was Lei a bit of a stretch, just to make everyone happy? Another point to debate.
This was my least favorite book of the trilogy. I would give it 2.5, but can't, so I'm rounding up. In the second and third books the chapters rotate between Cassia, Ky, and Xander and there really is no change in the "voice". I often got confused about who was narrating the chapter. Also in Reached, there is quite the jump from the beginning of the book to the second half that was not a very smooth transition. Once I got over the jolt of the transition, I was able to get back into it. I also wish more things had been answered or explained such as the Stone Villages and The Otherlands.
Now I was already two books into this series and I didn't care for the second. So why, do you ask, would I read the last one?? Well to finish off the loose end. I mean, I already invested enough time, I might as well have seen if she redeemed herself in the last book. NOPE. I felt like this book was completely a whole different world and theme than the other two. This book alone was all about a PLAGUE. The whole entire book was about trying to find a cure to this plague and I just felt like she was reaching for straws to get three books out of this series. Lets just say the interest and excitement for the first book totally wore off. I'm a little annoyed that I read this whole series. I just feel like the story did not flow from one book to the other. I mean they are like three stand alone books, really. Besides the fact that some of the "love story" continues throughout, I just didn't these books being in one series. I know they are very popular and I'm wondering why. I just didn't like them.
I'm so glad I only ended up purchasing the first book! I almost caved because I didn't want to wait for the library wait list for these books and almost spent a lot of money. So grateful I didn't now! Ugh. Oh well, this is just another case of quantity before quality.
I'm so glad I only ended up purchasing the first book! I almost caved because I didn't want to wait for the library wait list for these books and almost spent a lot of money. So grateful I didn't now! Ugh. Oh well, this is just another case of quantity before quality.