Crossed | Book Club Babe

Rating: 2 out of 5

Ok, well that was underwhelming. I just finished Crossed, the second book in Ally Condie’s Matched trilogy. Sometimes I think I’m just too nice to a book series. I think to myself, “Oh, it’ll get better…I’m sure it’s just building up to some action-packed scenes…Ok, then maybe it’s more of a character novel…” etc. etc.

This book fails like many sequels, because it follows the notion that the second novel is allowed to be the least exciting of trilogies. Just the bridge from beginning to end! But honestly, if you write like that, why have the bridge at all?

In this installment, the chapters flip-flop between teenage love interests Cassia and Ky’s perspectives. They’ve escaped the corrupt Society and are desperately looking for each other while discovering answers on how to join the rebellion called the Rising. During their travels, they meet a few other ostracized youth and bond together through their turmoil.

If it sounds interesting, sorry, it’s not. It takes half the book for Cassia and Ky to reunite, and all they do is spout off melodramatic drivel and kiss every now and then. This series will obviously be compared to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, because both authors are Mormon and cater to the high school girl demographic. However, at least Meyer understands sexual tension! Mormon or not, if you’re going to write about teenage love, throw in some raging hormones at least, sheesh!

This book is just straight-up dull. Much like Meyer’s sequel New Moon, it sucks when you present a love triangle and then don’t include the entire triangle in the book! Why should I care about characters like Xander, if they’re not going to stick around? However, whereas Meyer created a passionate rivalry between Teams Edward and Jacob, I don’t feel the chemistry between Condie’s characters. She suffers from too much telling and not enough showing–just because Cassia and Ky say they love each other, doesn’t mean I’ll believe them.

Basically, all these characters do is run around in the wilderness. I was greatly disappointed, but I feel I’ve invested enough in the series to finish it when the last book comes out at the end of this year. This series better not go from great to horrendous like The Hunger Games trilogy did–otherwise I might stop reading YA fiction for a while.

Next on my to-read list is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night…I need to take a break from fluff for a while. And be on the lookout for my audiobook review of Mindy Kaling’s autobiography!

The time’s come to review my final two books of 2011, which I read this past summer. Both books are young-adult fiction, Abandon by Meg Cabot and Matched by Ally Condie.

Abandon by Meg Cabot (Rating: 4 out of 5)

One of the first books I reviewed on this blog was Cabot’s vampire sequel Overbite, which I would not recommend unless you absolutely cannot get enough of anything vampire-related. However, I have read almost every single one of Cabot’s novels, and for the most part I love them to bits. Her most famous series, The Princess Diaries, is excellent, and I also love her Runaway and Queen of Babble trilogies. So naturally, when I heard that she’d be releasing a novel during the spring based on the ancient Greek myth of Persephone and Hades, I was excited. I wrote my 20-page senior project on two poems about Persephone (Tennyson’s “Demeter and Persephone” and Swinburne’s “Hymn to Proserpine,” which I’ll probably discuss in a Masterpiece Monday sometime). As a Classics minor, I was ready to get my nerd on with this modern adaptation.

Persephone and Hades are reincarnated in this story as 17-year-old Pierce Oliviera and her love interest John Hayden. After a near-death experience a couple years earlier, John is determined to bring Pierce back to the Underworld. The novel suffers from weaknesses seen in other Cabot works, namely predictability and cheesy dialogue. However, she nicely infuses folk tales from Florida’s history and incorporates other mythical elements like the Furies. While many might find Pierce annoying and John more of a kidnapper than boyfriend material, I didn’t mind it because their relationship should be more like Phantom of the Opera at first, because what girl with any brains would willingly choose death over her loved ones? (*cough*Bella Swan*cough*). I could be wrong, but I trust that Cabot will have their relationship grow some more before Pierce makes her decision. Can’t wait for the sequel Underworld to come out in May 2012!

Matched by Ally Condie (Rating: 4 out of 5)

This dystopian novel which was published last year ponders the idea of having the government choose your significant other. At her Match Ceremony, 17-year-old Cassia Reyes is partnered with childhood friend Xander Carrow, which proves to be a rare match since they live in the same borough. All the teenagers receive a microchip with their match’s personal information, but when Cassia insert hers in her home port, another boy named Ky Markham pops up on the screen. Unfortunately, because Ky is known as an Aberration for a crime his father committed, he’s not supposed to be matched with anybody. So what explains this anomaly?

In this world, people survive on soma-esque pills to cure anxiety and erase memories, all their time is scheduled, and they are euthanized on their 80th birthdays. Only 100 poems and 100 songs have been approved to exist, but Cassia comes across a forbidden copy of Dylan Thomas’ “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” which sparks her need to rebel against the system. While some may call this yet another love triangle tale like Twilight, I enjoyed the mystery–and of course the literary references. I’m looking forward to its sequel Crossed, which I received for Christmas. Keep an eye out on this trilogy, because Disney bought the film rights before the book was even released! What’s up with Mormon authors like Ally Condie and Stephenie Meyer making major bank on their young-adult novels? Coincidence? Or should I seriously think of converting to board this success train? Well, either way, Matched was worth its hype, and I hope Crossed doesn’t disappoint!

Now that I’ve caught up, I’ll be posting my master list of 20 books, from best to worst, by Thursday. Hope you enjoy it!