Reached

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Reached, by Ally Condie

How many people have been waiting to get their hands on the third book in the Matched trilogy?  Me, for one.  I've enjoyed this YA dystopian drama.

In the final volume, Cassia is working in Central City and trading poetry on the side.  Xander is working as a medical official, and Ky is a pilot for the Rising.  All three are waiting for the moment when the Rising will really start.  Will they ever get to see each other again?  And of course, who will Cassia choose?

This was a really long book, right into Chunkster territory.  A lot happens, and the story doesn't stall.  If you've read a whole lot of YA and dystopia, the storyline won't be terribly surprising (love triangle, loyalty in the rebellion, etc.), but it is well-done and a good read for any teen.  You can give it to your 12-year-old, but there's enough depth for anyone. 

Free will and the ability to choose (and have consequences) are the central themes in this story.  Cassia's Society is benevolently and suffocatingly repressive.  This is a society where virtually nothing is available for choice; it's all managed from above and uniform.  It also represses creativity, and Cassia has to learn to encourage people in creating things, which is an interesting part of the story.

As for the love triangle:  personally I like Xander better--but then it seems like we don't get to know Ky as well, so maybe I'm not fair.  It's never treated like a big suspenseful thing, though.  Cassia is pretty clear about what she wants.

I liked it, it was a pretty interesting book.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 27, 2013 at 11:50 AM

    i enjoyed this trilogy. i'm a huge fan of YA dystopian novels!

    http://ilikebigbooksblog.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Monika @ Lovely BookshelfJanuary 27, 2013 at 2:54 PM

    I love dystopian fiction, adult or YA! Next time I'm in the mood for it, I will have to check out this series.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JoAnnJanuary 27, 2013 at 8:11 PM

    I finished the book the first week of January. I wasn't expecting the end. I liked it and had my usual overwhelved feelings following dystopian. There's just too much to think about.

    Funny thing...when you mentioned it being a long book, I had to go check the page count. I read it on the Kindle, so no page numbers, and hadn't realized it was long. I guess it held my attention well enough.

    ReplyDelete
  4. DHooperJanuary 28, 2013 at 1:07 PM

    I read the first two books of the trilogy over the summer and can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Reached to see how it all ends.

    ReplyDelete

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