Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie
Published: November 30th, 2010; Dutton Juvenile
366 pages

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 Rating:
4 stars

My Thoughts:

                I have been wanting to read Matched for quite a while, so you can only imagine my excitement when I finally found it at the library. I know I'm pretty behind on reviewing it, since it came out in 2010, but I wanted to share my opinion anyways. It wasn't the greatest book I've ever read, but Matched was still an amazing dystopian story. I might be a little bit biased because I'm obsessed with anything dystopian, but I haven't read a single dystopian novel (as of yet) that has let me down completely.

                Matched had some rough edges, but it was overall a good book. Cassia seemed shallow at points, but - in my opinion - that's what happens when you're brainwashed to sit back while someone controls your entire life for you. She was raised to follow instruction, not think for herself, so you can't expect her to be a strong-minded, independent person just yet. I'm hopeful she grows into a stronger personality in the next book, because she had just begun to change by the end of the first book.

                I thought Condie did a great job creating the society - it was detailed, and the government seemed like a menacing force. But there really wasn't much background on how the society formed in the first place. The Society didn't seem loosely thrown together, but at least a little more past info would have helped, such as why the country is divided as it is, and if all of the changes happened gradually over time, or if there was a war that caused sudden changes. I have a few questions, and I hope they're answered in the next book.

                My final problem is that I would have enjoyed a bit more "fireworks" between Cassia and her men. It was simply stated that she and Xander were best friends, but their interactions didn't make it seem that way. Even when they acted like a couple it reminded me of grade school puppy love. Cassia's relationship with Ky was a bit more dangerous and forbidden, but there was a lack of romantic tension built up between them (other than Cassia saying she wanted to kiss Ky). It seemed a little lacking; once again, I'm hopeful to see them develop more in the next book.

                Aside from the things I DIDN'T like about this book, there were plenty of good parts to it, and I expect the problems will be ironed out in the later books. I loved the addition of the poetry in the story, and the way it inspired Cassia to act. And (as I said before) I thought the concept of The Society was original (it just needs to be explained a bit more). This book was really good. It had imperfections, but not so many that I had to set the book down and stop reading it. I enjoyed it, and I would totally recommend reading  Matched, whether you're dystopia obsessed like me, or you just want a good book to read.