Bookaholics book club: Matched and Crossed

Matched by Ally Condi
Available now
http://www.penguin.co.uk/

What's it about?
On her seventeenth birthday, Cassia meets her match. The Society dictates that he is her perfect partner for life, except he's not.
In Cassia's society, Officials decide who people love.
How many children they have.
Where they work.
When they die.
But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy, she is determined to make some choices of her own.
And that's when her whole world begins to unravel...

My review
3/5
If you like big romances and very little action then this is the book for you. Whilst Condi does a fabulous job writing a believable love story not much else happens in this book. There are lots of hints to a coming war and rebellion that give me high hopes for future books, I am actually starting the next book Crossed when I've written this review.
So far this sounds like I didn't like the book but I did, at least I liked it fine, whilst I wasn't gripped I did enjoy it and didn't have any moments where I felt bored enough to give up, I just wasn't excited by it.
I liked Cassias character a lot, I thought it was very cleverly written how she was asking questions before she even realised it, even though it took a note for her to really start seeing her world differently she was already becoming agitated by her way of living, and who wouldn't be when your whole life is chosen for you, who you marry, what your job will be, even what you do with your free time and when you die. Everything is regulated and predicted making for a very dull life without excitement, choices and spontaneity. I felt the author has built a great world here that I could imagine easily, there are glimpses of the past that show how gradually the officials took control more and more of peoples lives. There are mentions of the harsh outer provinces of the society that I'm really looking forward to seeing more of.
Ky was another favourite character, how we slowly learn about his past and get to know him was really interesting, I loved watching his story unfold and learning about him, there's still an aura of mystery around him though and I want more!
I found the book to be written well and very descriptive and looking forward to starting Crossed in about three minnutes, although you'll find the review for that below since I'm waiting to post both at the same time :)

My thoughts on the cover
I've always been interested in this cover, it's not hard to interpret that that's Cassia, she's trapped in the bubble much the same as she's trapped in the society where everything is decided for her but she's pushing on the glass becasue she wants out. It's a gorgeous cover with another gorgeous dress! I love the green colour and the font of 'Matched'

Favourite quotes

I usually pick two but there were to many that I wanted!

'His tone is mild, but there is, and always has been, something a little deeper and more resonant about his voice. It has a slightly different timbre than most voices.It's the kind of thing you forget until you hear it again and remember Oh yes. His voice has music.'

'The officials thinly veiled disgust for us used to amuse me. Today, I understand it. I feel disgust when I think of how we climb our little hills when the officials say the word. How we hand over our most precious items at their bidding. How we never, ever fight.'

'Do not go gentle.'

Crossed by Ally Condi
Available now.
http://www.penguin.co.uk/

Rules are different outside the Society.
Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky-taken by the Society to his certain death-only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.
Narrated from both Cassia's and Ky's points of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever...

My review:
4/5
I've heard a lot of people complain that they found this boring, and whilst I can see why they think that, I really enjoyed it, even more than the first one in fact. This book is also told from Ky's point of view with the chapters inter-changing between him and Cassia, so you really get to know his character a lot better and about his history. and in Cassia's search for both Ky and The Rising we get to learn a bit more about the history of The Society and the Rising which I really enjoyed. I think that's why I liked this one more, because we get so much information and get to know our characters better and follow them on the hard journey they take.
Though Naive at times Cassia is really driven determined in her search of Ky which I though were great traits and I really like her, I really hope things work out for her and that she's able to change things like she wants.
There are also a few new characters and out of them all I loved Eli, I think because he's so young and in a scary situation and I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him it would be ok.
Again the writing is beautiful and focuses heavily on some poems within in the story and I loved the way they tied in with the story itself.
What I liked most about this, and the first one, is that the author has really taken the time to tell the story. Some middle books of trilogy's can feel more like filler but I didn't feel that way with this, we got to be with everyone on the dangerous path to freedom. And even though we learnt so much about the past and the people it also opened up lots of new questions, things I am dying to find out so I can't wait for book three!

My thoughts on the cover:
This one of course is very simlair to the first one so of course, I love it! It's a great representation of Cassia breaking out of the society now that she's realised she doesn't want to live their way, she wants to choose. Also I'm guessing the last cover will be red, for the red pill since the first two are green and blue.

Favourite quotes

'And even if he's not there, I'll find him. I'll go over again and again until I've finally crossed to where he is.'

'I know you meant that you would always remember me, Cassia, but I'm afraid you might forget.'