Reached (Matched, #3) in Ask Ally Condie

Nov 30, 2012 Kristalyn rated it really liked it

Overall, this was a book that kept me wanting to continue reading. Personally, I am not a fan of poetry, so I found myself skimming over the many references and passages with poetry in them and even some of the more longwinded descriptions to get to the plot of the story, but that is a personal preference. It was really neat to see it from the three different points of views. Throughout the whole book, I found myself rooting for Xander, (view spoiler) ...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Ellice Wu rated it it was amazing

I love, love, love this series. It's just one of those rare series/books that make you feel and think so much and was totally awesome the entire journey.

The series read like a contemporary but was promoted as a dystopian story. But I love YA Contemporary and I don't mind a little of dystopia, so the writing was perfect for me. I actually really liked the slow pace (though most people hated it, I'd think); I mean, not every book has to be full of action and climax and suspense or whatever. It rea I love, love, love this series. It's just one of those rare series/books that make you feel and think so much and was totally awesome the entire journey.

The series read like a contemporary but was promoted as a dystopian story. But I love YA Contemporary and I don't mind a little of dystopia, so the writing was perfect for me. I actually really liked the slow pace (though most people hated it, I'd think); I mean, not every book has to be full of action and climax and suspense or whatever. It really helped to get the reader into the world that Ally Condie created, and show the character growth that the main trio had.

And Ally's writing was so poetic and beautiful and just pretty throughout all the three books. While Matched was kept a bit sparse and flat to show Cassia's Society-ness, the writing in the later two books really came alive. It's really noticeable in the description of the settings, like about trees and moss and grass, and I would totally put up the quotes on Goodreads, except for the fact that it's weird to like a quote about trees and all that, hahaha.

The use of poetry and paintings in the books was really good as well as the meaning of them were incorporated into the characters' thoughts and feelings, which is definitely more fun than just reading about a poem at the front of a chapter or at the beginning of a book or something. And beyond the artsy stuff, there was also a little of biology (with the virus/Plague in REACHED) and economics (with game theory and sorting, which I just found out from the Ask Ally Condie group!). There's a whole wealth of knowledge in just one book! How much more awesome can a book get?

I have to add that the entire series felt balanced too in that the first book had a nice build-up, the second book a good transition and more development, and the last a great tie-up to the whole story. Crossed is my favourite though, probably due to the setting of the canyons. Love it. And events from previous books were also referenced in the later ones, making it such that you find out about things detail by detail as the books go along, and that is so fun.

Okay, on to a more specific review on REACHED. I felt that this book really tied up the entire story perfectly, in terms of how the Society eventually ended up, and of course, how the love triangle was resolved. The ending was happy, yet bittersweet, and I'm totally happy with it.

The book really makes you think: how fighting for a change in "government" may not necessarily make everything automatically peachy, the different kinds of choices we make or give to people, how we can love different people differently but ultimately choose the one that, to quote from Ky, we think about all the time. There were just so many moments that makes you stop and ponder over, and maybe learn something from, too.

There were two things that really stood out to me. *MINI SPOILER ALERT* First, was the way the Pilot was ultimately used as a symbol, or a representation, of anyone who could lead, or made choices for themselves, and change the lives of those around them, too. How there's a little of the Pilot in everyone.

The second is the resolution of the love triangle between Xander, Ky and Cassia. The love triangle here is most definitely the best I've ever read about, without all the lameness of all the I think I like you, or maybe not, or how the girl can love a different guy in a different mood or whatever. But anyway, I really like the point made about how neither Cassia nor Ky claimed to understand the other completely, but rather that there was a potential that they could. And when one assumes that one understands the other completely, who then changes suddenly, there is then a gap and the person can't be reached anymore. And this changes a person's love for another entirely. Again, food for thought.

This series is really going to stay on my mind for a while. There's a whole 'much-ness' to it and it's just totally awesome. And I have to say, I love all the characters' names too. They're all so unique and uncommon! Fun. ...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Mery rated it it was amazing

Quel bonheur d'avoir trouvé ce livre au pied du sapin ! J'étais impatiente de connaître enfin le fin mot de l'histoire ! Et je n'ai pas été déçue, au contraire !
Tout d'abord, j'avais lu les deux premiers tomes en français, lire en VO change totalement, on se sent bien plus proche du style et de la pensée de l'auteur, c'est un vrai plaisir, l'immersion dans ce monde est d'autant plus poignante !
J'ai beaucoup aimé la façon dont le livre est construit, différentes parties, différents points de vue, ...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Christel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, young-adult, dystopian

This book moved with a good deal of drive and passion. What I love most about this series is the focus on art, music, poetry, and choice. The message is that life is about creating and, especially in this book, that it is better to have choices and sometimes make the wrong ones than to live in a completely sterile and formulaic world. This story reminded me of "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, a book which I've always loved (though the "Matched" series is more romantically driven). "Reached" was ...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Beth Pearson rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

There's been a lot of books and stories between book #2 in this series and this final instalment. I think that is why it took me awhile to really get into the story. I've been waiting impatiently for my turn with the book though, so I was happy to get it. I think you definitely need to read these books in order....there isn't a lot of back story explaining.

Cassia, Ky and Xander all have their point of views in this story...sometimes telling the same story and other times miles and miles apart f ...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Lonna Pierce rated it liked it

Sequel to Matched & Crossed,the poet,(Cassia) the pilot,(Ky)and the physic (Xander) come through the Rising to overthrow the Society, only to be overrun by a mutated plague virus. Lots of anti-viral machinations, mistrust, and utopian ideals ensue that fail. The first book in this series was original, unique, and genius. The last two are long, involved, and endlessly postulating about the effects of science and sociology gone awry.

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Dec 27, 2012 Allison Canty rated it liked it

Shelves: nerd

Things make sense in the end. Props to Condie for her virus/plague descriptions. She nailed the way viruses can mutate and used correct jargon. Biology win!
I couldn't put this book down because I just wanted Xander to be happy! ...more

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