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 abut 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.
In my words: Matched is narrated by seventeen year old Cassia, who lives in a future society where everything is decided for her and life is very planned out, exact, expected, and safe. The book begins the night of her Matching ceremony and follows her through the summer afterwards. During her Matching ceremony she is Matched with her best friend, Xander. What could be more perfect, right? She doesn't have to go through the trouble that the other girls have to go through, she knows her match and he's right there for her to see and be with every day. Cassia has never doubted the Society before or their choices for her, but once Xander's face disappears and Ky Markham's face appears for just a brief moment, Cassia is faced with a choice - something she's never had to deal with before. Is she meant to be with Xander, her best friend who she knows so well, or Ky, the mysterious boy who teaches and challenges her?
My Rating: 4/5
My thoughts: I received Matched last year for Christmas and, as sad as it is, I just now read it. I really, really wish I hadn't waited until now to read it because it really was very good. I read the majority of the book within one sitting, which is very unusual for me. I can never sit still for that long! There were things I didn't like about the book, like the incredible amount of scene cuts to the point where it felt like each chapter was 10 small chapters put into one and the sometimes lackluster descriptions, but those were so minor in comparison to everything else that I eventually got over it. On the positive side, though, I was intrigued by the characters, particularly Ky Markham. I'm such a sucker for mysterious characters, especially attractive ones that you also pity a bit. There were times when I was angry at him, times when my heart ached for him, times when I cried for him, times when I was attracted to him, and that's what I like in a character. I like to be able to feel for the characters and I thought Ally Condie made that possible in all sorts of brilliant ways. I would definitely recommend this book.
Published: November 30, 2010
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 384
NEXT REVIEW (coming soon): The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan
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