Reached

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.

Ally Condie concludes her dystopian Matched trilogy with REACHED. Cassia and Ky now find themselves part of the Rising even though it prevents them from being together. Cassia's role is to help the Rising within the Society while Ky needs to work from the outside. The love triangle between Cassia, Ky, and Xander comes to a conclusion, as does the characters' quest for freedom. Xander, voiced by Matt Burns, is the first-person narrator in REACHED. Burns's interpretation of Xander presents the character's charm and thoughts, both of which are important for the conclusion of Condie's trilogy. The smooth, lyrical dialogue spoken by Jack Riccobono, Kate Simses, and Burns works best in distinguishing the characters and dramatizing the emotion between them. D.Z. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

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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