MATCHED
By Ally Condie
Blurb 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.
I love Condie’s style of writing — her prose can be so beautiful and poetic, I ate it right up. In fact, to start with, that’s exactly what hooked me — her writing style. lol I mean, the premise is awesome too, I just love the way Condie frames her descriptions.
My only problem with this story was that I never really connected with Cassia. Obviously that’s a personal issue though, and not something to dissuade anyone from reading it.
The world Condie created here is incredible, and I can’t help wanting to know more, more, MORE about this society that seems to be falling apart through the novel. There are a lot of questions unanswered about how the world got to where it is, or what’s going on outside of Cassia’s sheltered life, but I understand why Condie did it this way. We can’t see what Cassia doesn’t know — and she’s only just beginning to figure things out herself.
Now, most of the plot centers around romance, so if you aren’t a fan of romance — well, just be aware. I personally love a good romance, especially when I have someone to cheer for and against. (I’m so rooting for Xander!)
This is more of a quiet story of love and discovering who you are than the battling dystopia’s I’m used to reading. That was a bit of a surprise (though not necessarily bad), and so the action doesn’t really get ratcheted up until the end of the book. When it does though, it most certainly leaves you wanting more.
Overall, I enjoyed the story very much — and definitely plan to pick up CROSSED, the next book in the trilogy. I’ll be honest, the whole time I was reading this book, I was on the fence about it, but once I got to the end I knew for sure I couldn’t leave Cassia’s story there. I have to read more. From the ending of MATCHED, I think it’s safe to bet that CROSSED will be even better.
Tell me, have you read MATCHED? What did you think?
What about you guys? What’s on your wish list?
