[Review] Matched by Ally Condie

Title: Matched

Author: Ally Condie

Publication: 12 December 2010 (UK/AUS)

Publisher: Razorbill (Imprint of Penguin UK)

Review Copy: PB, Won (Thanks Between the Lines!)

Pages: 360

My Rating:

Blurb:  

ON HER SEVENTEENTH BIRTHDAY,
CASSIA MEETS HER MATCH.  SOCIETY DICTATES
HE IS HER PERFECT PARTNER FOR LIFE.

EXCEPT HE'S NOT.

In Cassia's society, Officials decide who people love.
How many children they have.
Where they work.
When they die.
But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy, she is determined to make some choices of her own.
And that's when her whole world begins to unravel . . .

My thoughts: 

It is so very hard to read similar books so close together, because it inevitable leads to comparisons. I probably would have enjoyed Matched that little bit more had I not read Delirium by Lauren Oliver earlier. On its own, Matched is a beautifully heart-breaking and poignant portrayal of a futuristic world. But more than that; the themes that are explored can inherently be universal. It all boils down to: How legitimate is the word of the "Society", the dominating forces of the community? That said, Matched is so much more than the love story that it is being pinned down as, though it is pretty much love that drives the whole story.

I'll try my best not to spoil anything, and anything that could be classified as big plot points have been mentioned in the blurb, so it's not a spoiler by technical standards.

Cassia Reyes is a seventeen-year-old girl who has been Matched with her best friend, Xanda. Things couldn't have gone more right, the one girl in the local Hall wearing the pretty green dress gets to spend the rest of her life with a guy she knows. However, a glitch in the system - when the wrong face appears as her match, just for a second - lets Cassia's mind wander to dangerous fields.

Cassia was a bit annoying, but it was kind of justified due to circumstances (falling in love with someone who is not her match). She constantly went on about Ky, and it was painful to read about because Xander is such a sweet guy. Ky lets Cassia be free, whereas Xander is strong and they've been best friends for ever. I have always gone with the best friend, rather than the new guy (though in this case, Ky was in their group of friends too, but Cassia never knew him that well until the events in Matched). I'm a bit torn between the two. Hopefully I can make up my mind in the next installment...

After having read the whole book, the cover bears so much more symbolism and importance. I love those kinds of covers! A bit slow at times, to the point where I wouldn't feel the absolute need to stay up even later to read a couple more chapters. However, all in all, a good read.

Matched is an evocative novel set in a world that was familiar yet entirely different; with beautiful prose that was both expressive and easy to read. It is refreshing, and ultimately, at its core, a reflective take on society and how messy love can become even in the midst of autocratic control.

Really sorry I couldn't write a better review. It was really hard, but I tried. Bottom line: I enjoyed it, a lot.

Trailer:

Other Reviews:
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Buy:
Live in Australia?
Fishpond | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Borders | The Nile

Live elsewhere?

Amazon | The Book Depository

I am in no way affiliated with the above sites, nor with Condie or the publisher. I do not receive any money for reviewing or linking.



Links:


Official Website
Author Website

Learn more about Matched and read more reviews at Goodreads!