Matched by Ally Condie

Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton (Juvenile)--a part of Penguin Group
Release Date: November 30, 2010
Edition: Hardcover
* Purchased on my own.

Summary from GoodReads: 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:

Matched was one of those books that I knew I needed to pick up. The plot was intriguing, the cover was gorgeous, and the reviews were--for the most part--positive. Happily, I can say that I enjoyed it as much as I thought I would.

Matched begins with Cassia discovering who she's been matched to and at the time, she's extremely happy with the match--as she should be. However, due to a glitch, she glimpses another face--someone else who she also happens to know. The Officials tell her that it's merely a mistake and that her first Match is correct. However, Cassia begins to question her Match and as things progress, this also changes her view of the Officials as well as how things are done.

Between Ky and Xander, I think as far as teams go... I'm still undecided. Xander is the safe choice and he'd do pretty much anything for Cassia; however, on the other hand, Ky is mysterious and as his past is revealed, I can't help but like him too. By the end of Matched, you'll see who Cassia has decided on--well, at least it seems to me that she's decided on him.

With that said, their society as a whole is pretty interesting. Everyone has to carry around three pills--one blue (the first one they receive), one green, and one red--and if they misplace or lose any of them, it counts as an infraction. The Match Banquet can take place anytime after a male or female turns seventeen and at twenty-one, they get married. The amount of 'free' time you have is limited and your activities during your 'free' time are also limited. Poems, music, and paintings have been sorted and those that were not kept were destroyed. There are--in Cassia's world--one hundred poems, one-hundred songs, and one hundred paintings. What I thought was extremely crazy is that no one is taught how to write. It's a crazy place to live and the only thing I find that I remotely like about it (their society) is the Match Banquet. During Matched Cassia mentions that their society gives them just a taste of freedom and never more than that--this is extremely true and as you watch events progress, you'll see why.

Although I can't make any promises, I think you'll be drawn into Cassia's world and as you watch as the lies surrounding her society get stripped away, you'll find it's a page turner. Honestly, I can't really tell you much more than that without dropping spoilers. I can tell you that although the changes in their society play a key role, the romance is very much there and if you've been thinking about reading Matched, I'd suggest picking up a copy.

Overall Rating: ★★★★★