by Ally Condie
Published November 1st 2011 by Dutton Juvenile
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.
-goodreads
Rating: 3.... maybe 3.5 out of 5
Review:
Meh. That's how I would sum up my entire reaction to the book. Meh. I mean, it's not that the book was bad or anything... when I first found out about the sequel, I was SO excited for it, especially to read from Ky's POV. I felt like the first book was good/okay, a kind of step-stool to launch the next books.... but unfortunately this sequel fell short of my expectations.
I don't know about others people who've read this book, but it seemed as if, all of a sudden, Condie introduced this new unknown enemy entity called "The Enemy." I mean, what the heck?! I thought the two sides were the Resistance and the Society, but out of nowhere, Condie adds this third player who apparently bombs the outer provinces and is anti-Society. But they're not with the Resistance either??? I was beyond confused, and Condie didn't really give any explanation whatsoever.
As for the characters, I enjoyed the new people introduced, but I feel like I lost some of my love for Cassia. She was an okay character, but let's face it, the main character should not be just okay. Personally, I much preferred reading Ky's chapters. Ky was definitely the sustaining aspect of the novel for me. I really enjoyed getting to know more about his past, the experiences that made him who he is, and more depth to his character that I never knew in the first book.
Also, I found the chemistry between Cassia and Ky somewhat.... lacking. Maybe it was because it had been such a long time since I read the first book and I simply forgot, or whatever, but the point is: here was Cassia risking everything to find Ky in the Outer Provinces, and here was Ky rushing back into the dangerous capital to be with Cassia, and the whole time I'm wondering, what on earth warranted such extreme actions? I mean, I know they were in love, but I just didn't seem to remember that their connection was that strong, that it was worth doing all the super risky stuff they were doing. It was all Romeo-and-Juliet-esque in a way.....
Condie's writing is undoubtedly beautiful---poetic in a way. There are numerable quotable phrases (as you will see below).... but....I don't really know how to explain it, but I feel like all the flowery language took away from me really connecting to the characters... like it was too flowery and poetic all the time.
Despite how this review sounds, I'm pretty sure I will be reading the next book. Mainly because I want to find out what happens...and also because I absolutely hate leaving a series unfinished. It's really not that the book is bad--in fact, one of my friends thinks highly of it--it's just that it wasn't that good, in my opinion.
“In the end you can't always choose what to keep. You can only choose how you let it go.”
“I love.
The most reckless thing of all.”
“Love has different shades. Like the way I loved Cassia when I thought she'd never love me. The way I loved her on the Hill. The way I love her now that she came into the canyon for me. It's different. Deeper. I thought I loved her and wanted her before, but as we walk through the canyon together I realize this could be more than a new shade. A whole new color.”
(this is my favorite quotes!)
“Cassia and I sit as near to each other as we can. She leans into me and I keep my arms around her. I don't fool myself that I hold her together- she does that on her own- but holding her keeps me from flying apart.”
“No one knows anything," Vick says. "Except Ky. He thinks he's found the truth in a girl.”
