Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed by Ally Condie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


First let me say that I need to take a cue from something I saw The Story Siren say, that she doesn't read other reviews. Because in the case of this book, I wonder how much of my dissatisfaction is because I read other reviews of people that were not completely pleased with this book. I also wonder how much is because it is the "sophomore" book in the series, which often aren't as good as the first. Let me be clear, it wasn't bad, it was a good story, but it just didn't live up to how much I loved the first book in the series,Matched. After thinking about it, here is why I think that is. I liked the whole society part of the first book, the 100 books, movies, songs, etc. I liked being a part of all that. This book took our characters out of that society and put them out in the wilderness basically. And while I do enjoy books like that, it just didn't keep up with where the first story went. It reminds me of my displeasure with Mockingjay, the 3rd in the Hunger Games trilogy. I think I didn't enjoy the 3rd book because there was no "hunger games" in it. It sounds as if the 3rd book in the Matched series may get back to the setting that pulled me in to the series in the first place. And I did like learning more about Ky, as well as about the people who weren't in the society, and why things became the society like that. All in all I believe it furthered the story, told us what we needed to know, but I'm ready to read on and hopefully get back into the society.



View all my reviews

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The 3rd and final installment of the Hunger Games Trilogy that I have been waiting on pins and needles for since last spring. Let's just say it was very intense. Didn't like it quite as much as the first two. Probably because what was so unique about the first two was the actual Hunger Games themselves. In this book, the rebels are at war with the Capitol. We've found out that District 13 wasn't destroyed in the original war as the Capitol led everyone to believe, they just moved underground. The Capitol left them there on their own because this was where the nuclear weapons had been made back then, and so they had their own way to fight back. Katniss has been rescued and brought back to District 13, along with as many people from District 12 that they could rescue before or after the Capitol bombed it and destroyed it. Peeta was not rescued, the Capitol is holding him, and we can only assume torturing him and using him to try to lure Katniss out so that she won't be the "Mockingjay" or face of the rebels. Katniss's mother and sister, as well as her friend Gale have all been rescued.

There have been Team Gale vs. Team Peeta factions since the last book. We really get into that whole thing in this book. In fact, there is even one scene very reminiscent of the tent scene between Edward and Jacob in Eclipse. Maybe it only was that way to me because I know the Twilight series inside and out, but still. How much influence does Twilight truly have on the YA authors of the future? I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just remarking on it.

I think I like the way it ended, not sure. I as usual was reading as quick as possible to find out what happened. I will have to go back and read again just to make sure. And I'm sure I will. I already need to go back and read Catching Fire again, because since I've only read it one time all the way through, there is stuff I forgot that I need to revisit, and maybe that will help me make sense, enjoy more, this final book.

So, I recommend it to all who have read the series for it's closure, but if this had been the first book in the series, it wouldn't probably be as popular as it is.

New Blog: Waiting on Wednesdays

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

In the spirit of just getting started with this meme, I will put up the one book that I am really, really eagerly waiting for. The 3rd installment in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay.

I have loved this series since I read it last fall when I was helping choose the current Truman book award nominees. I loved it so much, that when my Greater Gator class in the spring decided they didn't want me to read the Lightning Thief to them, I decided to go ahead and read the Hunger Games to them, and get them started on their Truman reading for the next year. They LOVED it! So many of them immediately checked the book out from the library, or purchased both it and it's sequel Catching Fire from the book fair so that they could read ahead as we only read it for 20 minutes 4 days a week.

In Mockingjay we should be catching up to Katniss Everdeen after she has miraculously survived the Hunger Games twice. Unfortunately, we already knew that Katniss was on thin ice from the message delivered to her by President Snow in the 2nd book. And it seems all that has happened this time around has led to unrest in the Districts against the Capitol. Unrest that was just below the surface, waiting for someone like Katniss to give it breath and life. But now all of Katniss's friends and family are in danger, and the Capitol which loved her, the girl on fire, is now not happy with what she stands for. This is what I'm most looking forward to at this time.