Review: Reached

by Ally Condie
Series: Matched #3
Hardcover, 512 pages
Published November 13th 2012 by Penguin
Age Recommendation: Young Adult

This review will include spoilers for Matched and Crossed.

After leaving Society to desperately seek 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 is assigned undercover in Central city, Ky outside the borders, an airship pilot with Indie. Xander is a medic, with a secret. All too soon, everything shifts again.

Reached was a slow read, but it was worth the time it took to get through. Although I was not initially impressed, it grew on me, especially during my reflection after finishing it.

The chapters were divided between Cassia, Ky, and Xander, who each had a separate role to play in dealing with the revolution and the plague. In Crossed, I preferred Cassia's voice to Ky's, but in Reached, I looked forward to Xander's chapters most. Additionally, in Reached, the three voices seemed much more distinct and individual. I could usually tell who was speaking without relying on the context.

I loved that Reached stayed true to the series, and did not veer off into the average dystopian plot. From the beginning, the characters' journey is centered not around violence but about discovering beauty despite captivity. Thankfully, Reached does not become violent either. Amazingly, Reached is not about destruction but about healing. This distinction is amazing to me, and is what sets this series apart.

I was satisfied with the resolution to the love triangle, but found that the triangle was not what kept me going through the story. In fact, I would not have minded no matter who Cassia ended up with. Mostly, Condie kept the characters true and focused on each character's development rather than the drama of the love triangle.

Overall Thoughts: Reached was definitely a slow read, but if you're a character person, it may just be the story for you. It certainly gets better upon reflection, so I'd be happy to chat with you about it and see what you think.

Best 12 of '12

As the year comes to a close, it is a time for reflection on the past twelve months. 2012 was a great year, filled with many wonderful reads. Here are my 12 favorites, in the order that I read them. Not all of these books were published in 2012, but I read them first this year.

1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
My favorite fairy tale retelling of the year. The original setting, the well-developed characters, and an incredibly engaging writing style made Cinder an overall great read and left me wanting more! I can't wait for Scarlet to come out in just a few short weeks. 

2. Well Witched by Frances Hardinge
I adore Frances Hardinge's writing. Well Witched was deliciously creepy and still scares me a bit. Although it is a relatively older book, I only discovered it this year, and am so glad I did. 

3. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
An amazingly crafted fantasy - and in my opinion, the best book of Cashore's trilogy. This carefully woven tale absolutely won its place on this list with characters I fell in love with, a complex and fascinating story, and amazing writing. Absolutely superb.

4. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
This weighty historical fantasy absolutely captured me with its amazing characters and  multiple (captivating) storylines. The complex politics of the court and the amazing development of the already awesome character of Ismae kept me glued to the pages. 

5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Ah, The Night Circus. This beautiful book was absolutely breathtaking. It's beautiful writing and story was perfectly crafted and masterfully woven together. I've read it twice so far, and it only gets better upon rereading. 

6. The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom was probably the most fun book I've read this year, although technically I listened to it rather than reading it. I laughed more times than I can count when I was listening to this book, and I've listened to it three times this summer alone. An excellent, excellent middle grade.

7. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
The Princess Bride is such a classic, I can't believe I hadn't read it until this year. I grew up with the movie, which my family quotes extensively, and my dad had read the "good parts version" to my brother and me (which, looking back, is somewhat ironic as the whole book is supposed to be the good parts version) so I never felt I needed to read it until this year. Well, I was missing out. I loved it!

8. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Although I preferred Divergent, Insurgent definitely earned its place among my favorites of 2012. I read it when it came out in the spring and also listened to it as an audiobook this summer. I can't wait to see what happens in the series' conclusion.

9. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
The twists and turns of this excellent MG enthralled me, and the fantastic main character became a favorite of mine. I love Sage, and I cannot wait to read The Runaway King, the next volume in this wonderful trilogy.

10. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Shadow and Bone was absolutely one of my favorite fantasies of the year. I couldn't get through it fast enough. It had such great characters and compelling plot that I did not want to put it down.

11. Reached by Ally Condie
I loved Matched, and although I was not quite as enamored of Crossed, finishing the series with Reached made me love the entire trilogy more than ever. Ally Condie brilliantly wrapped up the Matched trilogy in the perfect way, keeping true to the characters and the story. The writing was so beautiful and the way that the poetry, art, and songs were woven in enriched the story and made it stand out from all the other dystopians I've read.

12. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I almost never read contemporary fiction, but I had heard so much about The Fault in Our Stars that I knew I had to pick it up. And even though I don't generally like contemporary books much, I loved TFioS. It took a lot to keep me from shoving it into the hands of everyone I knew, although I suspect I will end up giving it to many of my friends as birthday presents this year. Very highly recommended.

So there you have it: my 12 favorite books of 2012.  What were your favorite reads?

Happy Holidays!

Review: Yearbook

by Ally Condie
Series: Yearbook #1
Paperback, 231 pages
Published September 15th 2006 by Shadow Mountain
Age Recommendation: Young Adult

Summary (from Goodreads):
It was the first day of school at Lakeview High, and everyone was afraid of something. Michaela Choi was afraid that Ethan Back was never going to ask her out on a date. Andrea Beck was afraid that someone would find her weak spot, the chink in her armor. She was afraid of knowing what it was herself. Principal Downing was afraid she was going to die. Julie Reid was afraid that no one would notice her. She was also afraid that someone would. And there was a deeper, unnamed fear inside her that she couldn't escape - a fear that she was nothing and no one . . . Yearbook is a captivating story about relationships and heartaches and fears and ideas and doubts and testimonies and everything that a teenage mind and a backpack can contain. But most important, Yearbook is a novel about how everyone has something to offer and something to learn.

I bought Yearbook at an Ally Condie signing last year with no idea what it was about. I am glad that in this case I dove in blind, because I definitely enjoyed this book that I normally would stay far away from. I didn't know that the book had an LDS element, and as someone with very little exposure to those beliefs, it was a totally new experience for me to read about a belief system new to me and different from my own.

Mostly, I enjoyed the beautiful writing - one of the quotes still sticks in my head even though I read the book more than a year ago:

"The doors to the school swung open once, twice, a thousand times, and all the students came in, bumping into each other and walking down the hall together and passing one another. They brought backpacks and watches and notebooks and ideas and heartbreaks and earphones and aspirin and makeup and mirrors and memories and testimonies and doubts and questions. Stories were everywhere. The bell rang, and the school year begun."

The story switches perspectives between a number of different characters (7, I believe) who all attend the same school and follows the ebb and flow of each of their journeys. In any other book, 7 POVs would be too much (looking at you, Rick Riordan), but in Yearbook, it seemed perfectly balanced. Every character (amazingly) had a distinct voice and no one seemed lost in the jumble.

I really enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone with this books and reading something very different than the usual. I appreciated that while Yearbooks had a religious element, it was not the ultimate solution to all problems. One character especially found solace in religion, but I was able to read (and enjoy) the story without feeling like the characters' values were being preached or shoved at me. For this gentle touch, I thank you, Ally Condie. (A side note: I personally did not find this element be too much for me, but I bear in mind that everyone has their own comfort level.)

Overall Thoughts:
Even as a person who doesn't read contemporary as a rule, I have to say, Yearbook was a beautifully written story that engaged me with its lovely prose and complex characters. Recommended for anyone willing to take a chance on something new.