Review: Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie

Crossed
Author: Ally Condie
Series: Matched, #2

Summary: The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogy.

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.

Review

Crossed begins a few months after where Matched left off. I hated where Matched ended, leaving us not know whether Ky was going to survive or where he was going. We learn the answers to both questions in Crossed. We follow both Cassia and Ky as they work to find a way back to each other. Ky is in the Outer Provinces and we know that, at least for now, he lives. But the Outer Provinces are in shambles. Constant attacks from the Enemy are leaving people dead, and Ky is lucky he has survived this long. More and more people are being shipped to the area, and they are all Aberrations. The question is: why is the Society killing them off?

Cassia has been working in the work camps all this time, hoping to find out where Ky is; whether or not he still lives. On the last night before getting transferred to a new work camp, Cassia and the girls realize something is wrong, because the Officials say nothing of where they will be going next, when on a normal occasion, they are told to which work camp they are headed. Several girls are called to an air ship, and Cassia (whose name is not called) slips into the line anyways and is taken away. The girls end up in the same group of Aberrations as Ky, only to find out that Ky has run into the canyons of the Carving, and with the help of one of the boys, Cassia and another girl, Indie, make a run for it before the Firing begins.

We follow both Cassia and Ky as they make their way through the canyon trying to find one another, form alliances with others on the run and fight for survival. Together they discover secrets about the Society, hear rumours of a rebellion, and realize that while they are both on the same side, they are looking for different things, and that they all have secrets of their own.

I loved every minute of reading this book. I was on the edge of my seat, knowing that at any moment the Society could catch up with them and rip them apart again. There was a little bit of heartbreak in this book, but that's to be expecting in this type of novel. The only thing I didn't like about it is that we didn't get to see much of Xander, but I'm thinking his character is going make a huge comeback in the next one. I have the feeling there's going to be some serious drama as well as a ton of action. At least I'm hoping!

I rate this book: