Review Detail

Ally Condie does something very different in Crossed than she did in Matched. The first book of the series shows Cassia's gradual transformation from delighted citizen to disillusioned rebel. In the second book, we begin to see things through Ky's eyes. Quite literally, as half the book is told from his perspective. Through him, we see her grow from the ignorance and insecurities of the first story into a fearless, steady woman who will endure hunger and thirst, abandonment, exhaustion, and miles of desert to find the one she loves. It would almost be a fairy tale if it weren't so earthy and human.

And of course, it doesn't end here. Cassia has left her family to work on the outskirts of the Society in hopes that she might get close enough to Ky to find him again. With no idea where he's gone, or if he's even still alive, she follows her instincts and some twists of fate - that would look to anyone else like the worst misfortune - until she find someone who has actually seen him. Who can point to where he's gone, and even run with her part of the way. Joined by some unlikely companions (because what journey story would be complete without them), both Ky and Cassia make their own ways across an unforgiving landscape to find each other.

Along the way, we learn a lot. Most importantly, we learn just what sort of experiences have fashioned Ky, mystery-boy extraordinaire. We learn something of what makes him tick. Far from making him less interesting in the revelation, it helps to pull him out of the general "emo boy" that many other reviewers pegged him as, and give him real depth and breadth. It's absolutely worth all the desert miles to learn about him.

But we also learn about the Society's real opposition, the rebellion that's stirring and growing, not just outside its borders, but within the very capitol. And we can't help but learn a good deal more about a character Ky would prefer to forget - Xander, the other tip of the triangle. There's love and death and dirt aplenty in this book, and it's all good.