Atlantia

By Ally Condie

Can you hear Atlantia Breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamed of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all Rio’s hopes for the future are shattered when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected choice, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long silenced—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the corrupted system constructed to govern the Divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.

Ally has a truly beautiful way of writing in this latest novel. It’s as if we hear a singing melodic voice as we journey with Rio, who has spent her life hiding her true voice. This is an introspective novel, one that focuses, not on the world Rio inhabits, but on her own self-discovery and growth. I’ve seen many negative reviews stating that this novel is boring and the world building is non-existent. These reviews miss the crux of this novel in my opinion. Atlantia is a novel about family, about sacrifice and about learning to find yourself and love who you are despite everything else. I really resonated with this book, which pulled at my heart in the simplistic way that Ally was able to bring Rio’s inner struggles to life. Can you hear Atlantia breathing? That’s what the flow and tone of this book was like, at times it breathed quietly, other times it wheezed and strained, sometimes it screamed for air, and then you are breathing quietly once more. The simple beauty of this book is like feeling the sunlight on your face in the middle of winter, something you have to stop and be still to appreciate fully. It’s lovely.

I give it a 4 out of 5 

Crossed

By Ally Condie


Rules are different outside the society. Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky—taken by the Society to his sure death—only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.


I got this sequel to Matched yesterday...and finished yesterday. I was sick and so the perfect opportunity to read presented itself. I'm quite taken with the tone of this novel, as well as the love story and the dystopian future where choice is all but gone. This is a novel that focuses a lot on the power of words, poetry, and love, and freedom. There is a sweet lyrical rhythm to Ally's writing that I love, that speaks to your heart. I really enjoyed the first half of the book as Cassia and Ky are telling their stories of how they plan to find each other again. The novel takes turns between Ky's perspective and Cassia's. There are new characters introduced that I both liked and didn't like. This books mostly takes place in the Outer Provinces in the Carving (the canyons) that are reminiscent of Utah's Bryce Canyon and Zion's Park. I can't really tell much without giving things away, but I will say that I was happy with this second book and will read it again. Sometimes when I inhale a book that way I miss details, and I really love the poetry of it.

Below is an excerpt, the first chapter in Ky's perspective just to give you a taste!

Matched

By Ally Condie

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.

I was really looking forward to this book, although a little worried that it wouldn't be well-written and I'd puke from over-done teenage romance and angst. I was molified, however, to find that this book was centered around love, but not gushy teen love. It's a lot about fighting for the right to make choices, and to live your own life. I think I can pinpoint my decision of liking this book to how the author pulled Thomas Dylan's poem, "Do not Go Gentle" into the main plot. I love that poem, so I was won over. :) The story is intriguing, and reminiscent of the triangle in The Hunger Games between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. Except lots better because she actually decides who to be with before you're dying to slap her to make her choice. Sad day however, it is a continuing story, for which I was once again annoyed. Tis the trend nowadays. I recommend it for people who like books like The Hunger Games, Twilight (yes you) and The Maze Runner.