Book: Matched by Allie Condie

Publishing Info: Published by Dutton Juvenile; 366 pages in hardcover

Goodreads summary: 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.

Matched was a really interesting book.  I was struck by how much it reminded me of The Giver.  A society that has 100 poems, 100 songs, and 100 history lessons so that people don’t get overwhelmed?  A society that matches your spouse for you?  Dying at the age of 80 because that’s a good age to die?  Definitely a society that reminds me of The Giver.

I was really intrigued with her idea, though.  The idea that the Society controls every aspect of your life, and having no input whatsoever, is scary.  For Cassia and everyone around her, it’s completely normal to have everything decided for them.  No one questions it or goes against it.  But Cassia slowly starts to see that there could more than one path for her.

I’m getting a little tired of love triangles, and unfortunately, it looks like they’ll be hanging around for a while.  Condie clearly wants us to want Cassia and Ky to be together, but I can’t really like him.  Sure, he’s interesting, mysterious and off-limits to Cassia, but she’s ignoring her childhood best friend and match, Xander.  Cassia doesn’t seem all that happy she was matched with Xander, especially when Ky appeared on her screen for a couple seconds.  Poor Xander- not only is he not as developed as Ky, but he doesn’t really stand a chance.

I like that Cassia slowly starts to see that things could be different, but I HATE that she starts to question things because of a boy.  At least there wasn’t much romance in the book.  However, her focusing on Ky was annoying given that she kept reminding herself that Xander was her match.

It moved pretty slow, so it’s probably laying the groundwork for the next book.  I wish Condie had mentioned how the Society was formed and how they got to the point that they had to control everyone’s move.  Perhaps it is mentioned in the next book?

Still, I found the book really interesting.  I can’t imagine have to narrow things down to just 100, or having to match people.  I thought the world was really interesting, even though it wasn’t mentioned how they got that way.  Everything was very orderly, and there was a place for everything.  I wouldn’t want to live in such a regimented society, but who knows what I’d actually do if I had to live in such a world?

It gets a 4 out of 5.  It’s well-written and things are not as perfect as they seem.