Book Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Title: Crossed

Author: Ally Condie

Series/Novel: Matched Series (Book #2)

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance

Pages: 367

Publisher: Dutton Books

Year Published: 2011

First Line: “I’m standing in a river.”

“The Society chooses everything.

The books you read.

The music you listen to.

The person you love.

Yet for Cassia the rules have changed. Ky has been taken and she will sacrifice everything to find him.

And when Cassia discovers Ky has escaped to the wild frontiers beyond the Society there is hope.

But on the edge of society nothing is as it seems…

A rebellion is rising.

And a tangled web of lies and double-crosses could destroy everything.”

My Rating: ⅘

I’ve been really taking my time with reading lately as I get into my final term in college. This installment into the Match series has really expanded on the first book, as the characters grow and as it says in the description nothing is as it seems, not the environment, the people or the rebellion.

This book introduces new characters and a different understanding of what both the Society and the Rebellion believe in. All in all, I think this book really hits on what makes us human. What makes us think that one thing is good while another is evil? Or is everything just a murky shade of grey in between the two?

When you look at the Society from the inside, it looks quite perfect, because you don’t have to take the time to make choices, but what is life without choices?

Outside the society, things are quite different. For those who have risked and lost, the Outer Provinces are safe for no one. As the characters expanded I began to wonder if this book could possibly live up to the first, and sadly no. It’s a good middle journey, but it’s nothing compared to the introduction. It follows the journey on the outside, but seems to drag on near the ending. The characters are what really carry this story throughout. I look forward to reading the ending in this trilogy, and seeing how the Society turns out.

THANK YOU ALLY CONDIE FOR LETTING US FOLLOW A JOURNEY!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Crossed by Ally Condie

To recap, this second book in the Matched Series takes place on a journey on the outer rims of Society, where nothing as it says in the description, is as it seems. All the characters we knew are evolving with the addition of information and the forthcoming of secrets. The fact that they sent the noncitizens out to die is crazy. And I have the idea that it’s not an Enemy killing them of either. If anything,  they’re getting rid of all the people who refuse to conform, or who show any sign of rebelling. I guess now that we know the Rising is really that close it makes a sad amount of sense. The characters have also really started to expand, and we’re starting to understand where all the different groups are. The Farmers are the most interesting to me, living how they lived in a completely different way from the Society.

Characters:

♥Cassia: She’s starting for herself which is awesome, but I also think she’s doing it for herself to better fit in with one group of people. She’s not really part of the Rising, but she can’t be a part of the Society. I’m getting frustrated because she keeps deliberating between the two men. I thought we made our choice, but really she’s still pondering, so going back to Xander is a horrible idea!!!

♥Ky: I love Ky. I wish he didn’t lie, but I mean I see why he did. He’s a big teddy bear, and trying to protect everyone especially after what he’s been through. Still she wouldn’t be deliberating if she should chose the more straight laced guy. I hope that he pulls it together, but he’s lied too much to make it through. Also quit patronizing yourself for everything you do to survive Ky.

♥Xander: I think Xander’s a good guy. I’m surprised he’s involved in the Rising, but what if he’s playing both sides, waiting for a good deal. He’s not trustworthy either. I just don’t trust these men. I’m interested to see how he explains the blue tablets.

♥Indie: The least trustworthy person in this whole series. Lies, steals, displays all the jealousy. How are you in love with Xander, when you’ve only seen a microcard with him? I’m interested to see how she does in the rebellion.

♥Vick: I loved him. He was a hard ass, but his story was so damn beautiful. To fall in love with someone who might risk your whole future is crazy but also really romantic.

♥Hunter: Another sad story, but he was necessary in our story to better understand all the people who live outside the Society. The farmers were so peaceful and incredible, to have such a sad end to their lives as they knew it. Where did they all vanish to.

Moments to Remember:

♥Final Line: “It looks, I imagine as if someone painted stars or flowers at exactly the right time; a momentary capture of beauty that will too soon vanish.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Series/Novel: Novel

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction and Romance

Pages: 490

Publisher: Vintage Books

Year Published: 2011

First Line: “The circus arrives without warning.”

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.

Within these nocturnal black-and-white striped tents awaits an utterly unique, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air.

Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.

Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way--a contest between two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in a "game" to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters. Unbeknownst to the players, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.

As the circus travels around the world, the feats of magic gain fantastical new heights with every stop. The game is well under way and the lives of all those involved--the eccentric circus owner, the elusive contortionist, the mystical fortune-teller, and a pair of red-headed twins born backstage among them--are swept up in a wake of spells and charms.

But when Celia discovers that Marco is her adversary, they begin to think of the game not as a competition but as a wonderful collaboration. With no knowledge of how the game must end, they innocently tumble headfirst into love. A deep, passionate, and magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

Their masters still pull the strings, however, and this unforeseen occurrence forces them to intervene with dangerous consequences, leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance.

Both playful and seductive, The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern's spell-casting debut, is a mesmerizing love story for the ages.”

My Rating: 5/5

Happy Holidays! I hope that everyone is warm and safe. This book was an excellent surprise it included magic, competition and love. It really made me wonder about the what ifs of human possibilities. It also all tied in so beautifully together, let it be known that at the end of this fantastic novel everything that you have read begins to really hit home and tie together. The author did an excellent job making characters both larger than life, but also realistic, characters a reader gets to know and falls in love with.

I’m so happy to have had the chance to embrace this novel during the school and holiday season although I wished I had had the time to read it in one sitting, I’m grateful that I took the time to fully immerse myself in the circus, the different sights, sounds and just the sense of wonder that is throughout the whole book.

I’m excited that this book was wrapped up in such a beautiful way. A way that made me not long for more but feel a sense of peace at the end.

The setting was so well developed that as I read I felt both at home and full of wonder about the circus and the surroundings, everything was perfectly

THANK YOU ERIN MORGENSTERN FOR PAINTING A BEAUTIFUL STORY THAT HELPS ADULTS IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES OF MAGIC!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny

Spoiler: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Happy holidays all of you lovelies. I hope that you are all safe and warm on this beautiful day/night/evening.

This was a fantastic fall/winter read. I enjoyed the thought of magic all wrapped up in my blankets with a cup of coffee. It was an excellent distraction from all the school work that was flooding in.

The setting in this novel was so well described that I felt as though I was really entering the circus and finding out the mysteries with the participants.

Characters:

♥ Celia: She is really something else. I enjoyed the fact that she was so strong and powerful although it was heartbreaking to see her alone, so when Marco and her hooked up I was excited but also hesitant as they were competitors. As the story went on and we find that only one will survive I began to wonder what in the world they would do to either save each other or to stay together. As the story unwrapped, I began to see what the others were planning, but I had no idea if that would work. In fact, I worried about the fate of everyone in the circus. Would they consider it to selfish to die together and leave the others attached. In the end, I understand why they did what they did, so as to save all those around them.

♥ Marcos: He was a really struggle to get to like after the way he treated his other little friend, but in reality, he was lonely and people have been known to do worse when they are lonely. He is great for Celia. They belong together and were certainly my definition of star crossed lovers. I enjoyed watching their romance unfold and seeing them lose themselves to each other. I’m happy that they were able to pass on the circus to Bailey, Poppet and Widget, they will surely take care of it.

♥ Poppet: She’s a little odd, but truly a smart and loving girl. She cares so much for those around her and I hope that she does not get hurt by that, but her smarts will likely guide her along with her extraordinary talent.

♥ Widget: I worry about him befriending the man in the grey suit. I don’t trust him, to pit others against each other to the death is unacceptable. But he is a natural storyteller, as you can tell by the way he describes the circus throughout the novel.

♥ Bailey: To give up your family and home for the unknown is brave, but to bind yourself to something ever changing and so full of wonder. I hope that Bailey never loses his appreciation for the circus.

I could go on to mention all the other characters, but in reality I could go on forever.

Moments to Remember:

♥Pg. 477

“‘Stories have changed, my dear boy,’ the man in the grey suit says, his voice almost imperceptibly sad. ‘There are no more battles between good and evil, no monsters to slay, no maidens in need of rescue. Most maidens are perfectly capable of rescuing themselves in my experience, at least the ones worth something, in any case.’”

♥Pg. 490

“You are no longer quite certain which side of the fence is the dream.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny

Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Title: Matched

Author: Ally Condie

Series/Novel: Matched (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance

Pages: 366

Publisher: Speak, an imprint of Penguin Group

Year Published: 2010

First Line: “Now that I’ve found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night?”

“Cassia has always trusted the society’s choices.

And when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia is certain he is the one... until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

Now she is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one dares follow… between perfection and passion.

Society matched them, but love set them free.

In society officials decide

Who you love.

Where you work.

When you die.”

My Rating: 5/5

I guess I’m finally admitting it. I love dystopia. I know that it’s a strange love because dystopia is all about the what if’s of our society, but that’s precisely why I enjoy it so much. Who's to say that our society won’t fall into The Society. This book brought on different subjects for readers. A place that seems calm and perfect. A place where people follow the rules and don’t get hurt. But just for one minute, what if you didn’t want to just follow, what if you wanted to choose? That’s unheard off, isn’t it?

This book follows the change of following to choosing, from being subconscious to fully conscious. Cassia is learning things that others may have waited years to discover. It interests me to the fullest. 

I must say that this book being a romance wasn’t something I was interested in but considering the subject materials and the choices The Society makes for you it all makes

perfect sense that love should be anticipated and awaited. The only questions is who's the love of her life truly? And if there is not only one what in the world will she chose?

THANK YOU ALLY CONDIE FOR A DIFFERENT DYSTOPIA BASED ON THE NEED OF CHOICE!

Thank you for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Matched by Ally Condie

I think this is one book that I’ve read the fastest in a long time, and half way through the book I ordered the other two in the series because I simply could not wait to read more, know more and hear more. I even went to the college cafeteria with friends and said, “Hold on a minute guys, I only have 20 more pages” lucky for me they indulge this behaviour.

Matched follow Cassia a young girl living in a society where choices are not necessary. All her life she has seen the greatness that comes from The Society. The perfect amount of food, the perfect job, the perfect family and generally the perfect life. That is until she is Matched. Although she is Matched to her dear best friend, it doesn’t take long to realize that he isn’t the only match in the system for her. What will she do when she is expected to follow the same rules she has always followed, and will the need for safety overwhelm the one for passion?

I loved this book. It was interesting to think about how much easier it would be to have someone make all our choices for us, but at the same time how disheartening it would be never get a choice. To always know that someone else seems to know what’s better for you and where you belong. 

♥Characters♥

♥Cassia: She starts the novel by loving the society and completely trusting in it. And who can blame her. She has never remembered a time that the society has messed anything up in her personal life. She’s lived a happy life. I think that when she sees the possibilities of a different match she begins to wonder, but when her grandfather is put to death at the ripe age of 80, which is customary in the society, she wonders more and more. After getting to know Ky, I don’t blame her for falling for him. He’s hurt and no one understands him. She just wants to

understand him, and he’s the first person he’s let in. I’m surprised that she chooses to continue Ky even with everyone’s warnings, but what else would you do for love.

♥Ky: Ok I didn’t care for him at first, but he’s definitely got a soft spot in my heart. He came from hard beginnings and although we don’t know all of what he’s had to deal with, we do know that he has had a tough life that can’t be expected to get any better. Even after finding Cassia, they are pulled apart. It’s too dangerous for society to see that they might have a choice. I hope on the front lines he will find a way to join his people uprising in the outer province. He shouldn’t have to fight for something he doesn’t believe in. Ps. What the hell did your parents do? Anything?

♥Xander: This poor soul. Thought he found love and then lost it before he even knew what was happening. I hope that he can recover, but I have a feeling he won’t be matched again. People will likely think he is cursed. How grateful I am that the red pill didn’t affect him, but what happened the other time?

♥Grandfather: I thought that I would include him this time instead of parents because he played such a vital role in changing Cassia’s lense on society. He helped her to imagine more. Some place she could chose and be chosen. 

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 188

“When I come out into the foyer, my father and my brother wait for me. ‘You look beautiful,’ my father says.

 ‘You look all right,’ Bram says.

 ‘Thanks,’ I tell him, rolling my eyes.”

♥Pg. 246

“‘I think people should be able to choose who they Match with,’ I say lamely.

 ‘Where would it end, Cassia?’ she says, her voice patient. ‘Would you say next that people should be able to choose how many children they have, and where they want to live? Or when they want to die?’”

♥Final Line: “And they will change from ash and nothing into flesh and blood.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

Title: P.S. I Love You

Author: Cecelia Ahern

Series/Novel: Novel

Genre: Chick Lit, Romance, Adult Fiction

Pages: 503

Publisher: Hachette Books

Year Published: 2003

First Line: “Holly held the blue cotton sweater to her face and the familiar smell immediately struck her, an overwhelming grief knotting her stomach and pulling at her heart.”

“Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mates. But not Holly and Gerry.

They were childhood sweethearts- no one could imagine Holly and Gerry without each other.

Until the unthinkable happens. Gerry’s death devastates Holly. But as her 30th birthday looms Holly discovers that Gerry has left her a bundle of notes, gently guiding her into her new life without him, each signed ‘PS, I Love You’.

With some help from her friends, and her noisy and loving family, Holly finds herself laughing, crying, singing, dancing- and being braver than ever before.

Life is for the living, she realises- but it always helps if there’s an angel watching over you.”

My Rating: 4/5

So I'm a little behind on the times, that's not terribly new. But after an emotional week I decided it was time to get my emotion out with a book, and it proved to be helpful. PS. I Love You follows the emotional story of Holly who has recently lost her dear husband of 7 years and the love of her life for the past 15. This story follows how she copes through her loss with a hilarious group of characters, a crazy city and an even crazier family Holly begins to find her way through her new life.

I grew very fond of Holly. She's a wise woman who I'm assuming many of us can relate to. She's an honest, brave and friendly person who does more than many would given her circumstances.

Obviously she goes through her grief that one would naturally expect after loosing one that she truly cared about. This book is a reminder about what it is to truly love and loose. Is it sad? Of course it is. But it’s so much more than that, it incompases a love that can survive death. A true love.

THANK YOU CECELIA AHERN FOR A LOVE THAT OUTLASTS DEATH!

Thanks For Reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo