Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie
November 30, 2010

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.

My Review:
I really enjoy dystopian novels so when I found out about Matched, I couldn't wait to read it! The premise was very interesting and the romance was swoon worthy! I absolutely cannot wait for Crossed, the next installment in this trilogy!

When a girl turns 17, the society hold a match banquet for them and other girls their age where they are "matched" to a guy that suits them. When Cassia finds out that she's matched with Xander, her childhood friend, she feels relieved! It is a rare occurance for a girl to be matched with someone that she knows, so Cassia and Xander both feel satisfied with the match. At least, until Cassia views her microcard to learn more about Xander and Ky, another boy whom she knows, pops up on the screen! This causes all kinds of problems for Cassia and jump starts her journey where she learns more about Ky and some really bad things about her society.

The society in this novel is really, really horrible. They have destroyed countless historical relics and control every aspect of each persons life. I really don't know how anyone could thrive in a society like this and I think that was the point. The society makes sure that everyone is doing what they are supposed to and if anyone falls out of line, they know it. I was really shocked when I learned what they do on a persons 80th birthday, the day they are supposed to die. So scary and disturbing!

While Cassia begins her journey as a meek and easily controlled girl, her time with Ky molds her into a beautiful person, inside and out and she really comes into herself. She starts questioning everything the society does and wonders if it really is for the better of the population. She also begins to ease away from Xander and become much closer to Ky. She learns much from Ky and falls deep for him by the end of the story.

Ky was such a wonderful, sweet, and loving guy. His questionable past has shaped him into the person that he is and influences how society sees him. While his life seems grim, he makes the best of it and Cassia makes him a much happier person. I really enjoyed seeing how love changed him and Cassia. I especially enjoyed what a strong person Ky was. He doesn't bow down to society and its views, which makes him a really special guy. Ky was definitely the perfect fit for Cassia.

Matched is a wonderful dystopian love story that ends on a perfect note. While it is a cliffhanger ending, it leaves the reader begging for the next novel, Crossed. Matched is full of mystery, intrigue, romance, and dystopian elements. I highly recommend this book!

My Rating:

5 Stars