Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched

Author: Ally Condie

Publication Date: November 30th, 2010

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Genre: YA/Dystopia/Romance

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Synopsis:

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: This is another one of those books that I wish I hadn't waited so long to read. It's been out for a couple years, and has been sitting on my shelf for about one of those years. I finished a book the other night and I didn't have any review books or library books so I stood in front of my shelves wondering which of my way to many unread books I should read. I am so glad I finally picked this one. It's been waiting far too long, it deserved my attention much sooner.

It's a dystopian much like any others. In a completely government controlled world. Where even what you eat, wear, do with you spare time and even who you date and marry is decided for you and there is literally nothing you can do about it. Kind of like The Giver, or 1984.  But it was still unique in it's design, rules, and plot. I found myself engrossed from the very beginning. It was one of those books that you leave you in one spot for hours because there's just no way you're putting it down. In fact, that thought never even crosses your mind.

Cassia is completely content in her life, and after matching ceremony every thing seems to be perfect. She has been matched with her closest friend and a very handsome young man named Xander. But it's the next day when she is given her chip with all Xander's information that everything changes. Because his face wasn't the only one that appeared. Nothing is the same after she sees Ky's face. And Cassia begins to see that the system is indeed quite flawed and she desperately wants to break free of the prison she didn't even realize she was living in.

Cassia's and Ky's love is of course completely forbidden. And I swear it works almost every time. Give me a forbidden love and I'm just sucked right in. I can't help it, actually, show me someone who isn't suckered in, frantically turning pages to find out how things work out for them. Wanting so badly for them to just be able to be in love.

I loved Cassia and I loved Ky. They were both strong willed, independent, unique minded people. Ready to face the consequences for the merest thing such as poetry. Which may seem small to us, but obviously that would change if only 100 poems were chosen to keep and any thing outside those ones were destroyed. I don't really know how I felt about Xander. I didn't feel his character to be very strong and overly devloped. He seemed more like a prop for a love triangle to me. Although I did feel bad for him because it was obvious he was in love with Cassia and could not have been happier when paired with her. And she does love him back, just not in the electrifying way that she loves Ky. Unrequited love is always painful, so for that I did pity him. But other than that I was pretty much neutral on all issues Xander.

As Cassia and Ky continue with their little rebellions, like learning to write, keeping banned poetry, and just plain being in love. They continue to discover just how terrible their government is. And that maybe they can't even hold their people together.  Not only is it full of holes, but it seems to cracking and falling apart.

The book was compelling, gripping, and captured my heart. I had to go online and buy the second installment, because I wasn't willing to wait around for who knows how long for my next trip into town to the nearest book store. I swear, it's completely unfair that my town has no book store. Luckily we do have a nice library, and all the ladies there know me by name haha. If you are a fan of Dystopians then this is definitely a must read, especially so if you enjoy the tension that comes with love triangles. Wonderfully awesome book! I cannot wait for Crossed to get to me!