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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.
In a tranquil future with clean streets and no illness, Cassia excitedly anticipates learning who will be her government-dictated marriage Match. Shockingly, it's her friend Xander. But when Cassia slides Xander's microcard into her port to learn his data (a system designed for the more typical Match to a stranger), Xander's face on the portscreen dissolves—and another face appears. It's Ky, their friend who's an Aberration, prohibited from Matching. This unheard-of glitch, along with an outlawed gift from her grandfather, sows doubt in Cassia's mind. She begins to want the forbidden: to run outdoors, to write words with her fingers instead of manipulating them on a screen, to read poetry beyond the sanctioned Hundred Poems—and she wants Ky, who feels the same. Condie peels back layer after dystopic layer at breakneck speed, Dylan Thomas reverberating throughout. If the Society's at war, who's the enemy? Of the three tablets carried by everyone, what does the red one do? Detractors will legitimately cite less-than-subtle morality and similarities to The Giver, but this one's a fierce, unforgettable page-turner in its own right. (Science fiction/romance. YA)
theReader278
Posted June 29, 2011
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I loved reading this wonderful book! It has a story that keeps you entertained for hours.
136 out of 172 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 14, 2011
this story reminds me of a twist on Hunger Games, Animal Farm, and growing up. it has a somewhat common story line, but well developed characters and a slight twists on the common boy meets girl, boy/ girl fall in love then are seperated, get back together plot. Like the Hunger Games and Animal Farm, it talks about the perfect society and the limitations and control that always seems to go along with it. This is a must read and very interesting!!!
134 out of 152 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Ummmmm....how could I put this simply???? IT IS SO FREAKING AWESOME!!!
Cassia lives in a world like no other. Forced to live by Society rules, Cassia has always did everything she was told, until now.... She see the face of Ky come up on her screen. After a talk with her grandfather, she can't help but wonder if he was her match. Ky, just move to their society and is a complete mystery. Cassia takes a chance and does things she is not supposed to do. If she wants answers there is only one way to find out.....
My gosh, I can't even begin to express how much I loved this story. It was so unique yet mouth watering. Ms. Condie had me reading faster just to find out what the Society was hiding. Cassia's character I loved because she was brave. She stepped out of her bubble and broke all the rules. The male characters Xander and Ky were both great. The both had distinctive qualities that made them a perfect match for Cassia. Both guys were so real and very sweet.
Matched is a book like no other. The drama, the plot, the writing is something mind blowing to read. The love triangle in this book was absolutely perfect. I can't even express how my emotions were being pulled while reading this book. And I love my emotions being played with! This is a must read!
91 out of 112 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This is the book for those who enjoyed more the love triangle in The Hunger Games than the action etc. Seriously, skip if you don't care for triangles/romance in YA fiction.
That said, the triangle is done correctly and it is pretty much resolved by the end of the book. It is easy to become invested in Cassia's torn feelings between Ky and Xander.
There are other elements to the book, like in pretty much every dystopian book I've read so far the people in charge are not what they seem. So there's always some intriguing plot there.
Will I read the next book in the series? Yes, I really want to know
54 out of 67 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I'm probably not the first not the first to say this (and won't be the last), but Delirium by Lauren Oliver and Matched are to similar to be released so close together. But, I'm sure publishing companies think that dystopian fiction is the next big this after the huge success of The Hunger Games series. And I've noticed that how much you enjoy them seems to depend on the order you read them. I still really enjoyed Matched.
Condie does a fantastic job with world building in this novel. So much so that it was my biggest problem with the story. I honestly did not like the world she created. I think my reasons revolve around the fact that I'm not sure why it was this way. Both The Hunger Games and Delirium (and even Uglies) gave reasoning behind the government in place. I wanted to know what happened that it was this way. It might have helped me accept that people had to die on their 80th birthday. Or that a person was only allowed to learn what was in their skill set and nothing more. I also didn't like the 100 items things. I can't imagine only knowing 100 specific things from history, or having only 100 classic books, poems, music, etc. As much as it bothered me, it also intrigued me. I thought it was a terrifying idea.
The characters are outstanding. It's amazing how much Cassia changes throughout the book. It also interesting to see how the little seeds of rebellion are all ready planted all around her. All this slowly comes to the surface as you (and the characters) realize how diabolical the government really is. And, how low they will stoop to keep everything in control. I like Ky. But, I wasn't drawn to him the way Cassie was. It's really hard to enjoy a story when the entire time you want her to pick the other guy. I loved Xander. He may not have anything more than her best friend until they were matched, but he proved time and time again how loyal he was to her.
But, I don't think dystopian fiction fans will be disappointed in this novel. I wasn't.
44 out of 56 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 16, 2010
The whole time I was waiting for something to happen, and nothing really did until the absolute end. Even then I was disappointed. I felt like the book was coasting along instead of actually building up to a climax that never happened. It was written well thought, but I would have liked a better storyline.
37 out of 85 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 3, 2011
Reading this book felt like a bad mixture of the Hunger Games, The Giver, and Twilight. The end result was shallow and left me feeling sick. It was a okay attempt that just didn't make it anywhere close to the big leagues. A wannabe book with an annoying female heroine.
36 out of 89 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Narratively_Speaking
Posted June 28, 2010
I first heard about Matched by Ally Condie through Melissa Marr who posted on facebook a couple of months ago that she had read it and highly recommended it. I immediately loved the cover art and when I read the synopsis, I KNEW I was going to love this book. I KNEW that this was right up my street and I needed to read it. I tried desperately hard to get an ARC - entering every contest I could find and even requesting one from Penguin but alas to no avail. I was also extremely disappointed that I couldn't go to BEA since I live in the UK.
I tweeted my frustrations and how I would just "drop my life" to read this book. Out of the blue I got a DM from an extremely kind fellow book blogger who offered to let me borrow her ARC of Matched. I was dumbfounded. I've done some nice things for bloggers before but it was so nice to be on the receiving end. I can't tell you how grateful I was to get this book and I'm not going to name the person (just in case they don't want to be named) but I will always be grateful and I sure do owe them one.
Matched was everything I expected it to be and so much more. I think my very words were "I want to marry this book and have its offspring". If THAT doesn't tell you how good it is, then nothing will. I will admit that this is the first dystopian novel I've ever read (yes I'm ashamed to say that I have not tackled The Hunger Games or The Mortal Instruments books yet although they're sitting on my shelves, giving me the eye). I got lost in the dystopian world of Matched and more than that, I WANTED to get lost in that world. I find myself even now; days later wanting to dive back into the book just so I can visit Cassia and her world again.
Let me tell you a bit about the world of Matched and what the story is about. Matched is set in a futuristic, dystopian world where everything is controlled by "The Society". Choice is taken away as everything is decided for you in order to live a healthy, extended life. The main protagonist is Cassia, who is approaching her 17th birthday and on that date she is to be matched. The Society will choose a match for her, one that fits her physical and psychological profile. Obviously nervous, Cassia is reassured when her best friend Xander is chosen as her match but what happens when another face flashes on the matching screen then vanishes just as quickly? Faced with impossible questions and impossible choices, just who is her match? And does she dare to find out?
I think this book has huge potential to become a classic. Because it is set in the future, not one part of the text dates it in any way - no texting, no teen speak and no stereotypes. The characters were very well fleshed out and I felt like I bonded with them easily. I loved seeing the world from Cassia's eyes although it might have been interesting to see things from alternative points of view. I was certainly curious to know what Xander and Ky were thinking at times!
As for relationships, there were some extremely sweet and touching moments between the main characters which made me pull funny faces and say "awwww" out loud. Luckily, I didn't have an audience so no explanation was necessary!
I have to say that this is definitely in my top three favourite books of all time and believe me when I tell you that the ending will leave you breathless for more, thankfully a sequel is in the works!
33 out of 46 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The world building in this novel is fabulous! Ms. Condie does an awesome job setting up the rules our main character, Cassia, and the rest of the society have to live by. This novel puts a unique spin on the old school arranged marriage story even though our lovable MC gets matched with her male BFF, Xander. Being matched basically means you know who you are going to marry and have babies with by the time you are seventeen-years-old. No guessing. The decision has been made by 'The Society'.
Ky, the rebel and outcast of the story, has been around Cassia since they were kids, but Ky comes from the Outter Providence which basically means he's a savage in the world of our story. Someone not able to be thrown into the match pool to have a family someday because he comes from a place where people don't follow The Society's rules. Cassia has always been aware of Ky, but finds herself strangely drawn to him after an error that reveals Ky may be her 'match' instead of Xander.
I was pretty torn on who Cassia should choose. One one hand you have her best friend, Xander, who is awesome and loves her and you think how awesome to get matched with someone you know. Plus, Xander would do anything for her. Then, on the other hand, you have Ky, who is mysterious and seems to say the right things at the right times. Gah!!! I'm still torn! I will let you in on a little secret, though. There will be a sequel to this novel! At the end you find out which boy Cassia decides to be with and she is just about to start the true quest to make that happen in the last few pages. So this one leaves you hanging at the end.
28 out of 39 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 6, 2012
This is an amazing book! Easy to get into and a lot like the hunger games! Great read!!
22 out of 28 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 9, 2011
I have yet to finish this book but it is taking me forever to do so. I am only 13 an my friend is reading it which she doesnt read much so i thought it would be pretty good. NOT AT ALL!!!! It was really good in the begining but she just repeated so much information so many times, this book is begining to annoy me. If you are just looking for a book to read find another one. Most of the plot seems to be pulled from other books (expecially The Giver which was much better) and is full of classic, predictable characters.
13 out of 33 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 12, 2011
Not impressed. It was uneventful and drawn out. I had high expectations for this book, based on the reviews. This book didn't live up to any of the hype in my opinion.
13 out of 33 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 9, 2011
Ms. Condie is a promising author that could have benefited from an editor that pushed her a bit more. While the story is interesting, plausible and a bit disturbing, as a distopic novel should be, it is also flatly written and lacking in a satisfying ending.
It is as if Ms. Condie just finished reading 1984 and Harrison Bergeron and tried to recreate them using teen courtship as the plot catalyst.
Good distopics show us a bit of unsettling truth in the world around us. Great ones inspire us to do something about it before our world mirrors the one in the novel. This one fails on both accounts. The parallels to our society are faint at best, and the characters are neither tragic nor very heroic and there is nothing inspiring about the novel at all.
The end of the novel exposes the real problem with the story, and that is the author's lack of courage to show the actual struggle that her characters must endure. The entire novel was pointing to the characters gaining the courage to fight the system, but the fight never happens. She ends the story with barely a hint of the fight to come, and not in one of those "there is a storm a-brewin'" kind of ways, but with a wimpering hope that maybe someday things will turn out all right.
If Ms. Condie would not show us the fight, it would have been better to have the characters give up hope entirely, thus enraging the reader and spurring the reader into action. Instead, the only rage the reader has is over the lackluster ending to what could have been a decent novel.
13 out of 28 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.What was I thinking buying this book?! Previous readers have let me down, let me tell you a little something about this book. The author took up the whole book to describe the setting and what life was like in a "controlled society". The story was unfinished, and not in a good way like if there is another to follow. The author described all the wrong things in detail. The "love" portion of it such as the first kiss and touch are very poorly written. I was extremely dissapointed. If you want to read an awesome book, read The Host. All of the other books I have read are better than this.
12 out of 23 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 27, 2011
If you are a fan of the Hunger Games series and The Twilight series you will absolutely love this book. I can't wait for the next one to come out! The future society that Condie creates is interesting and thought-provoking. In this future we only have 100 poems, 100 songs, and 100 paintings. Can you even imagine? I also enjoyed the relationship development between the main character and her love interest. *Don't want to give too much away :) Check it out I highly recommend it.
11 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 21, 2012
This is a good book for anyone who likes romance and excitement. I'm 10, but, I've talked to adults who love this book. I would not recomend this book for all ten year olds. There are some details that you might call mature. Also, It might not be understandable for everyone. Over all, this is one of the best books l've ever read.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 6, 2012
It remimds me of the hunger games
9 out of 23 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 2, 2011
This may be the worst, most boring book iv ever read. I don't say that with exaggeration either, the story has no humor and the characters are simply boring and lack originality. This book is a cheap version of " the giver" and when i read the plot for this book i was so excited that it might be like that, sadly it was not even in the same league. Don't waste your money on this, even if to were to get it for free don't waste your time on it.
9 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 13, 2011
i was forced to join a book club by my best friend. the "leader" decided to read this book i thought it was awful. I read twilight and shiver and a ton of paranormal romances and this one is by far the worst. it never had a climax. no offense to the author but please don't make a 2nd book i might be forced to read it.
9 out of 27 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 29, 2011
Honestly people this is a FANTABULOUS book but will you just shut up! A review is what you thought of the book! Half of you people are posting REPORTS! Save it for school, or your book club. Reviews are for opinions, and we want to know your opinion not the whole book. If someone reads your "reports" there probably not going to want to read the book because you gave it FLIPPING away! So shut your whole! SIDE NOTE: Great book! Must read ( if you haven't already read a "report!")
8 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
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...