Sunday, February 19, 2012

Matched by Ally Condie



book cover

Matched
by Ally Condie


ISBN-13: 978-0-525-42364-5
Hardcover: 388 pages
Publisher: Dutton Books
Released: 2010


Source: Borrowed from the library.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
In the Society, Officials decide. Who you marry, where you work, when you die. It's based on the highest probabilities for a happy life.

And it is the perfect, fulfilling life...as long as you don't question it. Cassia has always trusted their choices. It's a small price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend is named her Match, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one...until she sees another face flash across the screen, also designated as her Match. The Officials tell her it's a mistake, but Cassia knows and cares about both boys.

Both would be good Matches, and she knows it. But she's not allowed a choice, and that makes her question how the Society is run. She must chose between the path the Society has laid out for her--despite it's flaws--or follow her own path, unwilling to abandon the 1% for the happiness of the 99%.


My Review:
Matched is a young adult speculative fiction book set in the future. It's written in first person, present tense, though it's written well enough I quickly stopped noticing this. (I normally never fully get into a book written this way.) It's the first book in the series. I appreciate that it didn't end on a cliff-hanger, though it does leave you wanting to continue the story.

I liked that the kids were not in physical danger. It's a story about relationships and decisions: which decision is right, what are you willing to risk for the people you care for, and is happiness and a long life the ultimate goal of life? The suspense came from watching Cassia realize the flaws in Society and question if purely going by the numbers was the best way to make decisions. It's a journey of discovery about what's below the surface of Society as well as a story of how friends, family, and Cassia's two love interests show love for her and each other. I really liked how the main characters were motivated out of love for each other rather than selfish desires.

The world-building was excellent, and I lost myself in the story. The characters were engaging, complex, and made realistic decisions. Simply put, I really enjoyed this story.

There were no sex scenes. There was no bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this well-written book.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Amazon's Look Inside.

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