Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Cassia’s life is perfect. She has loving parents, a doting grandfather, and she was just matched with her best friend, Xander. When girls turn seventeen, they are systematically matched with their perfect partner. The fact that she knows her match is unheard of, but to Cassia, it’s perfect.

Until a glitch in the system shows her that maybe there was a mistake. Maybe her society isn’t perfect. Perhaps she shouldn’t accept everything the Officials say without question.

All it takes is one mistake to teach Cassia that her life should belong to her, and it’s time to start living it.

And what about the mistake? The boy who should have been her Match instead of Xander?

**

I’ve been so excited to read Matched for a really long time. I was on the waiting list for almost 3 months.

The dystopian aspect of this book was subtle and cunning. The Officials and residents are completely convinced that Society knows best. I loved little details about this story like the three pills every person must carry with them at all times. The green one for anxiety, the blue one to keep you alive for days if there is a disaster, and the red one that you should only take if an Official tells you to. No one knows what it does. Cool, huh?

There were things I was left to figure out on my own, like what “sorting” was, or what a datapod was. I’m still not entirely sure I know, but that’s ok.

I had a hard time with the love story in this book, which is the main focus of the novel. Cassia seems to fall in love with an idea and attaches it to someone.

In the end, I feel like this is a big lead-in to book number two. I enjoyed it, but I feel like I only read half the story. I will definitely be reading the sequels.

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; First Edition edition (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• Source: Local library

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