Nitpicky: The summary on the inside flap states: “But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.” Xander was in the book for a total of about 15 pages at the very beginning. Is the “he” that Cassia refers to Ky or Xander? Mysteries, mysteries… I’m very curious as to the wording Condie used in the last chapter. “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson The writing, while not as beautiful as Lauren Oliver’s, was supplemented by poems (Dylan Thomas’ “Do not go gentle into this good night” in the first book, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “Crossing the Bar” along with a few Emily Dickinson poems, in this one) that gave the writing a poetic feel. I’m excited to see what Condie does with Indie in the final book and if Hunter and Eli make an appearance. Indie I particularly like because it seems that she will be the person who breaks apart the love triangle that was starting to form (oh, that Dreaded Love Triangle). I enjoyed the new characters that Condie introduced. In the faraway stretches of the Carving the fire colors of the sandstone grow shadowed with blue from distant clouds.”

The land rises and falls like water, its high jagged peaks and deep slot canyons striped with the colors of the Outer Provinces-gradation of orange, red, white. The Carving isn’t one canyon, one mountain, but many-a network of interlocking formations that goes on for miles. They’re the tips of formations as large as mountains. But when you get closer-when you reach the edge and look onto the Carving-you realize that the stones aren’t small at all. There it is on the horizon-the landmark of my childhood.įrom where we are now, I can’t see all of it-just pieces of red or orange sandstone jutting up here and there.

But I still know exactly where I am because of what I see in front of me. There are fields like this one all over the Outer Province. The field we walk is orange-sanded and black-rocked, yellow-grassed with plants that grew green this summer. “I don’t know the village itself but I know the area.

Matched reached crossed