Author Appreciation Day 8: Adoring Ally Condie

Day eight of Author Appreciation month is going to the one and only, Ally Condie!

Ally Condie is the author of the New York Times bestselling Matched trilogy, including Matched, Crossed and Reached. I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Condie when she was on a book tour (I believe it might have been the Dark Days tour?) and they stopped in Colorado. She is very sweet, I must say.

A friend of mine actually recommended this book to me. I ordered it online, I remember, and was a little curious about it. I wasn't really sure I was going to like it, to be honest, because I had assumed it would just be a story about a girl stuck in a marriage she didn't like at all, and she was in love with this bad-boy, and I was going to be bored because I knew how it had to end; with the other love.

Boy, was I wrong, and was I glad I had listened to this friend!

Cassia is a very entertaining and likable character. She is strong and quick witted, and actually pays attention to both her parents, and her younger brother, Bram. This shocked me, because honestly, I cannot remember the last YA novel I've read, where the heroin actually acknowledges the fact that she has parents or a family. Including her grandfather, who has reached full term on his life in Matched, but is mentioned frequently in Crossed. I proudly admit I cried during her grandfathers final banquet, and last words as well.

On to the triangle. Xander is a boy who she has known her whole life, and it is a real shock to be matched with someone you already know. That being said, we couldn't leave it boring, right? So enter Ky, (whom of which I think Cassia has more chemistry with, to be honest) a boy with a dark past who Cassia grows close to.

I really don't want to give anything away, because this book is so amazing and I would rather you read it for yourself, but I will say that at the end of Matched, I was determinedly on Team Ky (and so angry with myself for finishing it before Crossed was released!). 

But then I had to go and start Crossed, then, didn't I? I was reminded how much I did like Xander, even if to me he gets a little needy and whiny at times. He is still very sweet, and this keeps me on my toes in the triangle, instead of going blue in the face cheering for Cassia to choose one side or the other. Right now, I cannot tell you who I want her to end up with (well maybe I'm still Team Ky, shut up).

Where as I've heard wonderful things about Matched, I have not heard the same about Crossed, which puzzles me. Maybe it's because I'm not that far in, yet? I'm not sure. I will let you all know once I finish! As of now, I like it.

The conclusion to the trilogy, Reached, will be available November 13th, 2012, so get on Matched and Crossed, and I'll meet you at the book store this Autumn. ;)