Review: Reached by Ally Condie

 

Author: Ally Condie
Genre: Dystopian
Publisher: Penguin
Published: November 13th 2012

After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.

In this gripping conclusion to the #1 New York Times-bestselling Matched trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without.

First, I just want to say that Ally Condie writes beautifully. Her books are almost soothing to read because she has such a poetic writing style. I always feel so calm and relaxed when I am reading her work. Which is kind of unexpected for a Dystopian, right? With most you expect a lot of blood, guts and gore but you don't get that with the Matched trilogy.  Instead, what is disturbing about these books is that it is believable. You can see how the society could potentially exist and I think that is what makes a good Dystopian.

I loved Matched but wasn't that fond of Crossed so I was a little reluctant to begin Reached. You see, for me, usually the first book hooks me, the middle book is boring (only exception I can think of is The Hunger Games, I actually enjoyed Catching Fire a lot, even more than Mockingjay) and the 3rd book makes or break the trilogy.

Reached is far more character driven then the previous installments. There are three POVs so we are able to get to know more about Xander since he is introduced as a new narrator. Each character has a unique voice and it was easy to tell them all apart which was good because I had to put down this book a lot, but whenever I picked it back up, I always knew exactly who was "talking".

If you were expecting a lot of action going into Reached, you will be disappointed. There isn't any.

 If you were expecting a lot of romance in Reached, you will also be disappointed. There's not much of that either since Ky and Cassia spend most of the book apart.

We basically follow Cassia, Ky and Xander as they adjust to the changes in their society and grow as individuals. It is definitely not your typical love triangle that is for sure.
 
I will say that though it wasn't what I expected, it was a very nice, hopeful conclusion to the trilogy.

I'd recommend this thought-provoking novel for people who have started the trilogy already because I think you should always see things through to the end, but if you desire an action-pack, heart-pounding, can't-put-it-down-read, this isn't really for you.