Crossed

By: Ally Condie

Narrated by: Kate Simses, Jack Riccobono

Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's 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.

©2011 Ally Condie (P)2011 Penguin

Critic reviews

"Cassia and Ky grapple with secrets, wilderness and the tumultuous meanings of love in the second installment of this addictive, layered dystopic trilogy... Although two-boys-one-girl triangles run rife in this genre, Condie’s is complicated and particularly human, involving real emotional scars... Both rich and easy to digest, this will leave fans hungry for the third book.” (Kirkus, starred review)

“Told in alternating chapters from their points of view, the book gives readers full access to the hearts and minds of two memorable characters. Their needs, love, and internal conflicts are palpable. Their voices are distinct and authentic, and the writing is often poetic.” (School Library Journal)

"...vivid, poetic writing... Condie immerses readers in her characters’ yearnings and hopes.” (Publishers Weekly)

It was slow

When I went to read this book I just couldn't do it. I thought listening to it would help because I really loved the first book and wanted to see how things would play out. Unfortunately it was still very slow. It took me a month to listen to this because I would honestly forget I was even doing so. I'd find myself spacing out but still catching enough of the story that it seems you don't even need to be there for some parts. I'm hoping the 3rd book picks up because I really want to finish the story.

one of the better books 2 out there

This book didn't seem to have the book two jinx that a lot of series have. It not perfect but keeps the story going and you learn more about the characters. Might be a little predictable at times but so how that makes the story better. A good read and good listen.

Decent Young Adult Fantasy Romance

It is well written for its genre. Although it uses many ideas from similar books it is an interesting listen for a young adult romance.

Sucked me in

the book is very much a classic dystopian society with young love, nothing knew. However, there was something about it that sucked me in and made me finish it in about two days. Wasn't a huge fan of the voice actor at first but i liked he after a while.

Backstory *maybe spoilers?*

I really enjoyed getting the backstory of the characters. This was a nice book to flow from the first one. Kinda bummed about the separation of the characters at the ending. Whyyyyyyyyy!!??!?!?? In any case I liked getting to know more about the characters. It made them more real. I also love the girl’s voice who narrates. It is so calming and peaceful. The dude is aight. Loved it.

Good

The story is great. Read the book. I dont like how the narrators sound. Kaye is too sappy and Indie sounds weird. Otherwise love the story

Terrible Narration

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I liked the book it was just so hard to get past the extremely overdone childlike and fake voice of the narrator, I wish they could have someone who did not try to sound like a little baby instead of a teenager

Mixed feelings

The story did not keep me as captivated as Matched. It was nice to continue to follow the character and Kate Simses narration was once again very strong. My big complaint is about the narration performance of Jack Riccobono. He used a voice that at times it was so affected that it was simply annoying. I am guessing he was trying to sound like a teenager, but it was a bit over the top and distracted me from the story as my mind would lock in on his over dramatic delivery. Toward the end, I began to play his portions at 1.25x and it helped. But Kate's narration is best at standard speed.

I am wary about listening to the 3rd book because Jack is the sole narrator, but in the sample he seems to speak in a more natural voice so I am hopeful that the entire narration is consistent with the sample.

Slow With Alot of Boring Inner Dialog

I stopped listening after a few chapters. Really boring inner dialig with nothing to keep me going. Instead I looked up the synopses of both this book and Reached, the 3rd book. Reached looks like alot of action with great stuff happening and finally alot of answers. I would have probably enjoyed it. But Crossed just didn't have enough to bridge the gap for me.

love the music

I loved how the production occasionally included music to help set the tone for the scene being read.