Huntress by Malinda Lo + Crossed by Ally Condie

Series:N/A

 Author: Malinda Lo
Page Count: 371
Published: December 11th, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
  2.5 Stars ★★

Huntress is about powerful sage Taisin and mundane Kaede, who live in a world where crops are failing, people are starving, and their home is in danger. The girls are selected to travel to Tanlili, where they are to speak with the Fairy Queen. But the journey to Tanlili possesses dangers, and some may not make it out alive. Not to mention the girls' hearts, which may be falling for each other.


I really enjoyed Ash, a Cinderella retelling by Malinda Lo. As a result I was hoping to enjoy Huntress, but unfortunately, I didn't. It wasn't the worst book ever, but I'd rather have skipped it had I known it would be like this.


My main issue is with the pacing. It made it very boring. After about 25% of the book, I was just skimming large parts, entire chapters. There was wayyyyy too much description! It kind of feels like the author was just spouting off description to fill the book up! This book could have been better....were it about 100 pages thinner.


I did like the sort of tense, almost resistant romance the two girls developed. Taisin, as a sage, would end up celibate for her whole life, so she was really uncertain concerning starting a romance with Kaede. I thought that added some romantic suspense to the book because I was wondering if she'd choose Kaede, or if she'd abandon her. I also liked the fantasy elements, like the fact that sages even exist as a valid occupation or title in this society, along with the fairies!


Overall, I can't say I truly enjoyed this, however it wasn't entirely horrible. While there was way too much description for my tastes, I did like the romance and the fairies!


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Series: Matched

 Author: Ally Condie 
Page Count: 367
Published: March 12th, 2013
Publisher: Speak
  4 Stars ★★★★

Life forever changed for Cassia in Matched when she dared to question the Society. Now in Crossed, her journey continues as she sneaks away during a camp transfer, and finds herself in the Outer Provinces. She wants to look for the Rebellion and for Ky, who was sent away after the events of Matched, and who she loves.


But attacks and gunfire are common in the Outer Provinces, and she must travel far to reach the Rebellion. She's not sure if she will even find Ky.....will she survive?


This was a good follow-up to Matched, and I like that this book focused on the journey through the Outer Provinces, along with Cassia's hopes and fears. This story was told through both Ky and Cassia's viewpoints, which I also enjoyed because it gave me a peek into what both of them were dealing with, particularly since they were often not together.


I continued to hope that Cassia and Ky would succeed in their mission! But I have to say that I'm not sure if I want Cassia to end up with Ky or Xander. I really like them both! I can't wait to read the next book to see how the trilogy ends.


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Matched by Ally Condie

 

 Series: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Page Count: 366
Published: September 20th, 2011
Publisher: Speak
  5 Stars ★★★★★ 

In Cassia's world, who you marry is determined by who the Society matches you with. When Cassia is matched with her best friend, Xander, she's ecstatic. But her excitement fades quickly when she begins to suspect that something is going on, that there might be an error in the system, and that Ky, another boy her age, might have been meant to be her match. 

As she starts to question the Society, she finds herself torn between Ky and Xander, between obedience and rebellion. Breaking more and more rules, Cassia must make a choice. Will she live the life that the Society has planned for her? Or will she break free and look for something more?

This is the kind of dystopian or futuristic novel that I like to read. It's got an oppressive or controlling government, a forbidden romance and lots and lots of rebellion. I think that my favourite part about this whole book was how Cassia started to break rules and defy the Society, because the tension and worry I felt that she might get caught was super intense. 

The author completely immersed me in Cassia's world, and I dreaded her having to face the consequences of her actions. At the same time, I really hated the government and the Society and I couldn't stop reading because I just had to know if she would rise above them, and succeed in her goals. When I say that I was reading this book at every chance I got, I mean it!

The romance was a little bit cheesy but I actually don't mind some cheesiness within my reads, so this didn't bother me at all. It was a forbidden romance too, which added to the whole rebellion aspect. As somebody who appreciates love triangles, I can say that I think the author wrote the love triangle in this novel extremely well, and I am still undecided concerning who I want Cassia to end up with. I find that those are the best kind of love triangles because they make me frustrated, and wanting to read the next book in the series to see who the character chooses! 

I was sad as I neared the end of the book because I wanted more. I wanted to keep reading about Cassia's situation and story, I wanted to know what would happen next. Flipping the last page left me super disappointed because I enjoyed this book so much! I can't wait to get my hands on the next one, and I hope it's just as amazing as the first book in this series.

I recommend this book to those who like their dystopian reads with some romance! If you also like reading about people starting to rebel against their situation, this would be a perfect read for you. 

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Beautiful Cover(s) of the Day!

The Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie has some of the simplest yet most visually appealing covers in YA dystopian fiction. The usage of simple colour schemes paired with the light background make them sure to stand out in the bookstore!

The blurb:

" In the Society, officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic."

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