Book Review - Matched (Matched #1) by Ally Condie

Title: Matched (Matched #1) 
Author: Ally Condie 
Year: 2010
Page: 366
Genre: Fiction - Young Adult, Dystopian

FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from goodreads.com):
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.

First Sentence:
Now that I have found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night?

My Thoughts:

Why this book?

• I first heard about this from DeRaps Reads (see review here), wow that was almost 6 months ago, and my library finally has it! Since I really enjoyed The Hunger Games, I thought this would be a good dystopian to try after that series.

First thought:

• Can't wait till Book 2!

Cover Art:

• Perfect. One of the better book covers I think - suited the book wonderfully, the bubble, the green dress... and it is just refreshing and eye-catching.

Title:

• Catchy and also fitted the story well.

Writing:

• As a YA, pretty easy to read. I started reading it Friday night and finish it yesterday

Plot:

• While the plot didn't have as many twists and turns as The Hunger Game, it was quite engaging. Some commented that it was slow but I didn't think it was too slow (and we all know I couldn't finish slow books...) 

Characters:

• While this has another 1 girl-2 boys as main characters book, I didn't mind it so much. I liked Cassia fine, liked Ky fine, liked Xander fine... in fact, there weren't any characters I couldn't really stand.

• I do wish there were more developments between Cassia and Ky because at times it seemed just too convenient 

• Cassia's job as a sorter sounded interesting, since it is a little bit related to my job

• Also enjoyed reading about the relationship between Cassia's parents and how they protected and loved their families in their own way

• Wished we got to know Cassia's grandfather a little bit better

• The relationship between Cassia and her best friend Em was a little lacking though

Ending:

• I think it helped that I knew it was a trilogy ahead of time. For once I didn't mind too much that this is a trilogy (maybe last year I just needed a break, but it seemed like 99% of YA books became a trilogy!)

Emotion:

• As I read, I couldn't help but think what it'd be like to live in such a "perfect" world, and it's scary to think I don't want to live in such a world. While everything seems perfect, orderly, fair, "equal", it really isn't... would you choose it if equality means you loose individuality?  

• I think what I liked most about this book, is that it made me think.

What I Learned:

• What IS a perfect world? Someone's idea of perfect probably isn't another's

PS:

• After I finished the book, I read some other reviews, and the negative reviews mostly had to do with the fact that the concept of the story was very similar to The Giver. I haven't read the Giver, but it's on my TBR. Now I can't wait to read it to see if I'd still like Matched as much. Sometimes, the concepts might be similar, but how the story is delivered makes a difference. I mean, look at Disney princesses story (I must have that in mind because I just finished Cinderella Ate My Daughter) - most of them were about these girls suffering some type of hardship, but they were all pretty and with some good fortune or magic or something else, the prince fell in love with them and they lived happily ever after.

• I was debating whether to give it 4 or 4.5 Stars. The Hunger Games (Book 1 and 2) I gave 4.5. After deliberating for a bit, I think I still like The Hunger Games better because it had more action, plus I felt more emotionally attached and cared about the characters more

Read this Author again?

• Yep! Hopefully book 2, Crossed, won't disappoint! Might check out her other books too, and whether I'd read them will depend on the premise.

Quote:

It is strange how we hold onto the pieces of the past while we wait for our futures. (p11)

Is falling in love with someone's story the same thing as falling in love with the person himself? (p196)

"The Government has decided that artifacts promote inequality among members of Society," (p204)

Overall Rating:
4 Stars. If you like The Hunger Games, you'd probably like this too!

 



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