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'd heard of this book sometime last year and had seen reviews for it on other blogs, but for some reason or another I hadn't pre-ordered it or picked it up on one of my trips to the bookstore. When winter break for me came along I had a long list of books that I wanted to read while on vacation from school and was already reading those when I started getting headaches and was unable to read as much as planned. But that didn't stop me, I had some credits saved on audible and got some audio books to entertain me and Matched was one of them.
I fell in love with this book instantly. I found myself sitting and just listening to this book even when my headache had gone away. I couldn't do anything else while in the midst of this story but listen to the narrator tell Cassia's story. Her voice was so sweet and clear, it was like I was listening to a friend (my age) tell me about her life and I was enchanted by every word.
At the heart of the story is a very real kind of love triangle and contrary to the way I normally despise these types of plots, this one I didn't mind. Both potential suitors are equally good, in very different ways. The way the author introduced Xander and Ky to readers we feel the same uncertainty and confusion that Cassia does. It was very interesting and full of mystery because we as readers aren't positive what is real and what is simply orchestrated by The Society (government officials that are in charge of practically everything). I found I was putting myself in the heroine's shoes and wondering what I would do and feel in her place.
By the end of the story I had fallen in love with the characters and anxious to find out what happens next. Matched is such a thought provoking read that has just enough feeling of "what if" and "it could happen" that makes everything so believable. It made me stop and think about things in ways I hadn't since reading Suzanne Collins Hunger Games trilogy, but in less violent and graphic ways. This book really showcases what a world *could* become if the government forced everyone to be more equal and stripped the individual ways we can express ourselves. Good stuff!
Peace & Love
~Desilula
The next book in the series is due out November 1, 2011.
Visit Ally Condie's WEBSITE to learn more about her works.
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