Ally Condie brings the Matched trilogy to a close with a powerful finale, as Cassia, Ky and Xander fight for free will against a totalitarian Society.
The Rising they've been waiting for begins when a sickness breaks out in the book's early pages. Leading the Rising is someone known only as the Pilot, who could be man or woman, dead or alive. Readers will not only question the Pilot's identity, but also his or her integrity, after some ominous occurrences. Cassia and her assigned Match, Xander, work undercover as agents within the Society, while Cassia's true love, Ky, pilots air ships carrying the only cure for the Plague. The rigorously statistical Society is uncharacteristically unprepared for the Plague--as are members of the Rising, when the Plague mutates with devastating effects.
Hearing from all three parties in the Cassia-Ky-Xander triangle will keep readers eagerly turning the pages, as Condie smoothly differentiates their voices, goals, obstacles and choices. The previous books centered on quiet rebellion, but the Rising grows into an insurgence to expose the Society's flawed methods of achieving perfection. Choices well beyond Cassia's pick for happily-ever-after add depth, while the author's picturesque prose will please romantics: "Cassia, I'm in love with you and I want you. So, what will it take for you to feel the same? A whole new world?" asks Xander.
The transformations these characters undergo while fighting for love and the ability to choose their futures make Reached a captivating read. --Adam Silvera, reviewer and former bookseller