Book Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Original publication date: November 30 2010
Genre: Young Adult
Format/pages: Hardcover 366 Pages
Format read: ARC
Date read: November 15 2010
Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
Summary from Publisher:
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander’s face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate…until she sees Ky Markham’s face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
The Society tells her it’s a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she’s destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can’t stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.
My Thoughts:
My daughter and I picked up a copy of the Matched ARC over the Summer at Comic-Con. We are both big Hunger Games fans and were so excited to check out the next big dystopian series. We both devoured this novel and think fans of young adult dystopian books will enjoy this new series. Matched is well written, with a great concept, and a love story at it’s center. If you responded to the romantic aspect of The Hunger Games you will appreciate Matched.
The world of the Society is set up very well. The Society plans out your entire life so that you live as efficiently as possible. All meals are delivered to you with the optimal nutrition and calorie content, and your job, school and leisure time are methodically planned and tracked. Cancer has been eradicated, and death occurs for all at the optimum age of eighty. In this Society you are paired with your perfect Match when you turn seventeen. Generally your match is a stranger to you, and it’s unheard of to be matched with someone you know, let alone your best friend. But that’s what happened to Cassia when she is matched with Xander. She couldn’t be happier to be matched with her best friend, until she sees another face she knows on the match screen. She wonders if Ky is really meant to be her match instead.
Cassia has always followed the rules of the Society without question and looked forward to beginning her life with her Match. However, she starts to question whether the Society is as perfect as she always thought. Cassia’s grandfather has encouraged her to think for herself, and she further starts to see things differently as she gets closer to Ky. She starts to notice more and more injustices and struggles with her choice to stay obedient or to rebel.
The dystopian future presented in Matched is intriguing with the heavy reliance on technology and the limited amount of poetry and other art and artifacts allowed. It is believable and depressing to read about this world where most libraries are destroyed and the society does not know how to write. Matched begins to set up some action of a war brewing in other cities. Looking forward to learning more about the other cities and their challenges.
Cassia faces a tough choice between Xander and Ky. They both seem perfect for her in their own way. They are both intelligent and challenging of the Society and care greatly for Cassia.
Matched ends with a bang and I can’t wait to read the sequel to see what happens next. Recommended for fans of the YA dystopian genre, and of love triangles. Matched is a must read for November.
I’ve been wanting to read this bc the story sounds great, and the cover is just gorgeous!
The cover is gorgeous and fits the book perfectly! Thanks for your comment – I will be looking for your review of Matched.
[…] 19. Matched by Ally Condie […]
I have this on my list of books to get, your review just made me want to read it more!