In this gripping conclusion to the #1 New York Times-bestselling Matched Trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without.
Starred review from November 5, 2012
As the finale to Condie's Matched trilogy opens, Cassia, Ky, and Xander are separated, working as subversive agents of the Rising rebellion and awaiting their chance to take down the dictatorial Society. Condie doesn't waste time getting to the action: the long-awaited Rising begins in the early chapters, and its ramifications and complications unfold at a steady pace. As a deliberately introduced plague exceeds the Society's resources, the Rising steps in with a cure and tries to prove itself the better choice for the people. Events start to spin out of control as the plague mutates, and it will take extraordinary measures by the reunited trio to bring the story to its unexpected conclusion. Condie continues to draw readers in to her vivid broken world, adding rich color to the story through the interplay between characters and small but important moments. Unpredictable twists and revelationsâyes, that includes a happy resolution to the trilogy's romantic triangleâwill leave readers satisfied with the fates of their favorites. Ages 12âup. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.
June 1, 2013
Gr 7 Up-The final volume (Dutton, 2012) of Condie's "Matched" trilogy centers on the Rising, an attempt to overthrow the Society's data-driven repression. With a cure on hand, those who work for the Rising introduce a new plague. In alternating chapters, Cassia, Ky, and Xandor, the three young protagonists connected by computer matches and personal feelings, relate divergent attempts to deal with a mutation morphing into a lethal epidemic. The Pilot, their elusive leader, arrives desperate for a cure just as a very sick Ky is recovering thanks to Xandor's latest medicine compound and Cassia's devoted care. The concluding volume also includes romantic threads, references to past turmoil, and dark revelations about who's behind the Rising. Narrators Kate Simses, Jack Riccobono, and Matt Burns each establish their characters' youthful energy, inner conflicts, sense of loss, and courageous choices. With a complicated plot and a multilayered back story, listeners should be familiar with the previous two volumes in this dystopian series in order to fully comprehend its conclusion.-Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT
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