Review: Reached

Reached

By Ally Condie

Published: November 13, 2012

My review:

Cassia has received her final work assignment that sends her back to the heart of The Society to help bring it down from within. Ky has joined the resistance and is working as a ship pilot with Indie and Xander is an Official involved with vaccinations. Even as the Rising seeks to overthrow The Society, a deadly plague begins to spread...

Reached is the long awaited finale to the Matched trilogy. I loved the first book and liked Crossed but though I enjoyed the writing style of Reached, I was disappointed with how the story concluded. I expected something with more impact. Rather than a more explosive finale, it is a quiet and thoughtful book. I suppose I should not have expected anything else given the tone of the first two books. 

What did work was the symbolism, the writing style, and the addition of Xander as a narrator. Each book focuses on a different color and a different pill (the Society makes the citizens carry pills in green, blue, and red). This book as suggested by the cover, focuses on the red pill and the things that have been forgotten. Art and poetry and the act of creating art are also themes that have been prevalent across the series. I liked how Cassia finds a way to share art and its importance with others in the midst of their pain and fear.  Something else that I appreciated was the discussion of what would happen if a coup took place. How would things change and what would stay the same? What would life be like without the Society in charge? I liked that these ideas were explored even if not to my satisfaction.

It was interesting to read parts of the story from Xander's perspective and to see how he fit into the picture. Just like Ky and Cassia, Xander can be poetic too which didn't really fit his characterization from the other books. I expected him to be more matter-of-fact.

There are some surprises in the story but nothing earth-shattering. I think the missing ingredient in this book is passion. Not necessarily romantic passion between Cassia and Ky (though that would have been nice to see) but passionate emotions from the characters reacting to what happens or showing some excitement or rage. I almost wish Indie had been a narrator because then we might have seen more of that deeper feeling or action even. In the end though I liked the book I felt a little let down because I was expecting more.