Matched (Matched, #1)

Nov 20, 2010 Tatiana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of tepid teen romance driven novels

Recommended to Tatiana by: Annalisa

Shelves: 2010, ya, why-the-hype, dystopias-post-apocalyptic, series-dropped-lost-steam, ala-ya-2011, romancelandia, b

As seen on The Readventurer

First thing first. I think Ally Condie owes at least half of her seven-figure paycheck to Lois Lowry. The entire dystopian world is lifted directly from Lowry's The Giver. Almost everything interesting in Matched is very familiar - the idea of highly controlled Society (the Community in The Giver), the prearranged Matches, uniform clothing, the pills suppressing emotions, predetermination of everyone's life course, euthanized elderly, regulated personal possessions, th...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Ghirardelli rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who enjoy love triangles I guess

Recommended to Ghirardelli by: My eyes

Shelves: dystopian, why, um-what, that-cover-unf, the-hell-was-this, ya, damn-love-traingles, plot-was-on-vacation, structure-whats-that

The fart was this? I just...the FART WAS THIS?!

That beautiful cover is mean. It drew me right in with its pretty lime green bubble bait of death. Can't help wanting to have some of my favorite color on my reading shelf. Hnnnnng. It said, "READ ME OR I WILL MURDER YOU FAMILY." And I bought it so it'd stop glaring at me in the teeny-bopper section of B&N.

I opened Matched, and snails came at me with their shells and antennae of slime and grime and chime and dime. SNAILS EVERYWHERE. I couldn't m...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Kira rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, could-have-been-worse, lost-the-will-to-live, ya, so-boring-i-ate-my-own-face, tstl-heroine, will-never-ever-finish, lolwut

This book reminds me of Insidious.

I borrowed it from the library and watched it with my sister one afternoon, expecting horror greatness. I popped some corn, we bumped elbows and on it went. She grabbed a cushion for safety.

While the starting creds are up, I look at the box and say to her, "It's PG-13."

She screws up her face. "What?"

"PG-13," I say. "Look."

"Hm." She looks back at the screen, then at the creepy picture of the silhouette monster with big scary claws on the back. "Well, thirteen-ye...more

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Feb 13, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Matched drew me in with it's unique summary and beautiful cover, unfortunately that is where my fascination ended.

I wanted to like this book.... actually I wanted to love it, but I didn't. I had a very hard time getting though this novel. I even had to take a break from it completely, and I only kept reading because of the encouragement from others that had read it, insisting that it would get better. It didn't get a whole lot better for me.

I guess my biggest problem was that I was bored for mos...more

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Oct 04, 2010 Annalisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, dystopia, romance, speculative

When I heard Condie's trilogy was being pushed as the next big thing, I instantly expected this to be cheap, tantalizing but empty, and poorly written. Is my faith in the publishing industry that low? Sadly, sometimes yes. Then I met Ally. She's adorable, down-to-earth, and not at all tainted by the buzz. Ever since, I've been anxiously trying to get my hands on an ARC of Matched. I really wanted it to be as good as her publisher thinks it is.

I sat down Friday afternoon with my friend's ARC (and...more When I heard Condie's trilogy was being pushed as the next big thing, I instantly expected this to be cheap, tantalizing but empty, and poorly written. Is my faith in the publishing industry that low? Sadly, sometimes yes. Then I met Ally. She's adorable, down-to-earth, and not at all tainted by the buzz. Ever since, I've been anxiously trying to get my hands on an ARC of Matched. I really wanted it to be as good as her publisher thinks it is.

I sat down Friday afternoon with my friend's ARC (and more than a little anxiety) and didn't close the book until I finished. I don't know how Condie managed to make a perfect society where nothing ever happens so intriguing, but she does. From the beginning she pulls you into this world and keeps you interested. You never know when an Official is going to pop up in Cassie's seemingly perfect life to call her out for insubordination to the society's propaganda.

Condie ties a clean writing style into this sterile dystopia which builds on the naivete of its citizens. It's not simplistic in a poorly written sense--there are moments when Condie shines with beauty--it's simplistic in a stylistic sense. And it works too in capturing Cassie's teenage mind.

Condie's weak point is her characterization. I never fully grasped Cassie or Xander or Ky beyond a general characterization, but my fear for the characters and curiosity about the love triangle was strong enough to make me keep turning pages. And I doubt the depth I wanted and my other issues with plot and character will faze the intended audience. This isn't crossover fiction; it's purely YA. I can see why her publisher wanted this. It has that "it" quality in YA commercial fiction that I can't quite explain but that will grip its teenage audience the way other reads may not.

I won't go into my usual in-depth review since most people haven't read it, but if you read YA commercial fiction, you don't want to miss this one. The scoop from someone I know who's read a draft of the sequel is that it's amazing, but we'll all have to wait a year for that one. Matched comes on November 30. Go, preorder it now.

(About the cover: Am I the only one who doesn't like it? I never would have picked this book off the shelf. The glimmery background is cool, but the gray doesn't stand out. The dress, which is supposed to be the gorgeous dress Cassie wears to her Matching, is meh, and her hands don't line up with the bubble, which irritates me. I'm glad Dutton is pushing a book with writing talent, but I think they could have done better on the cover.)(less)

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Oct 11, 2011 Ashleigh Paige rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: the-shameful-shelf-of-get-rid-of-it, from-the-library, h-y-p-e-project, a-whole-new-level-of-boring

Also appears on The YA Kitten. Read and reviewed for the H.Y.P.E. Project (details here).

Basically, this is your book if you want more bland romance and less dystopia in your YA dystopia.

The night of Cassia's Matching, she is as nervous as she can be. Why wouldn't she be? It's one of the biggest nights of her life, the night she will meet her Match and see who she will spend the rest of her life in love with. Her best friend Xander is announced as her Match, unusual enough as it is because two M...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Kimberly Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kimberly Joy by: Goodreads People

Shelves: trilogy, dystopia, romance

WHAT MADE ME READ THE BOOK?
It's a trailer I watched on Youtube, and I was intrigued about it.

Matched Trailer

At first, I thought it was just another best friend-loves-best friend-loves-new guy thing. I was right, but not what I expected. It got better and better as I read more.
(Note: If you think like a writer, you'll know something that might happen.)

The plot reminded me a little of Hunger Games (perfect/imperfect Society, rebellion) but it's still great :)
In the middle of the book, I just then...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia-utopia, romance, ya-na, 2011, boring, love-triangle

Soo... basic storyline being of a society where officials decide every aspect of a person's life from the big stuff as in who they'll marry (or be 'matched' with) and when they'll die to the little stuff like what they eat, how they dress and their daily routines. The story tells how Cassia is matched to a boy but falls for another and suddenly begins to question the rules of the society, heading as she does so straight into a world of secrets and danger. Great sounding plot, am I right? Too ba...more

Soo... basic storyline being of a society where officials decide every aspect of a person's life from the big stuff as in who they'll marry (or be 'matched' with) and when they'll die to the little stuff like what they eat, how they dress and their daily routines. The story tells how Cassia is matched to a boy but falls for another and suddenly begins to question the rules of the society, heading as she does so straight into a world of secrets and danger. Great sounding plot, am I right? Too bad it turned out to be rather mediocre in practice.

Well, for me this book managed to redeem itself right near the very end and escape being the "it's ok" marker. One of the biggest problems was the hype about this book, I've been waiting to get my hands on this for ages, just dying to sink my teeth into it - after all, dystopian fiction is my one true literary love. So, because of this, the disappointment fell even heavier. I love the idea but there were just so many things about the story that made me feel it never really took off and reached it's full potential. To make my point, I'm going to review the novel as two parts: first as a dystopian novel, and then as a love story.

As I already mentioned, I love dystopian societies and I have done ever since I read Nineteen Eighty-Four when I was twelve. However, my love for dystopia is concentrated on the high action and/or shocking tragedy that define the genre. In my opinion, it's hard to feel a great sense of dystopia in Matched. Nothing majorly tragic or gripping happens until the last few chapters and by then you've lost touch with the story and the characters. It's slow-moving and, though I never thought I'd use this phrase in a review, it 'lacks drama'. If you compare it to 'The Handmaid's Tale' or 'Declaration' for example, there's none of that built up tension throughout. I read these books on the edge of my seat feeling every emotion with the protagonists and even beginning to panic at the peaks of the two novels. Matched just never got my blood pressure up, there was no sense of urgency or despair. For a long time the society didn't really seem that bad at all. Where's the dystopia? The action? The despair? Maybe I'm just a twisted individual but the society wasn't 'bad' enough for me.

And the love story. Because that's the other thing this novel is about. Well, the only time I felt any real connection or chemistry between Cassia and Ky was in the last few chapters, I could sense that the author was attempting to build it up slowly but I never latched on to it. In fact, for a good while all I did was feel sorry for poor Xander and wish she'd just except a life with him and let Ky get on with being mysterious and weird. But, it did pull back and the novel ended with me wanting Cassia to go find him. There may be hope for this love story yet.

The ending was the most commendable part of the novel. I'd started to think that there would be no point in me buying the second book in the series as the first one had done nothing for me. And then the ending left me interested, engrossed and eager to find out more. It opened up a wider mystery that would have been so much better if the author had built it up by slowly alluding to it throughout the novel, then I wouldn't have been so shocked to find that the book wasn't so terrible overall. I will say, though, I loved her Grandad from Cassia's first conversation with him, I found him cute and lovable - far more intriguing than any other character.

I might get the second book because of an unexpected need to find out where the author will take us next. I did enjoy parts of it, especially the ending, I'm just a strange individual who's more into dark dystopia, I have too high expectations of the genre. Also, with the girl in that stunning green dress, it will look way too pretty on your bookshelf.(less)

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Dec 03, 2010 Misty rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ala-2010, arc-or-galley, own, juvenile-ya, dystopia-postapocalyptic, signed, cover-appeal, excited-for, read-in-2010, disappointing-or-excited-for-nothin, 2010-debuts__tenners

3 for enjoyment, 2 for substance.

[Warning: I'm not sure if this turned out to be a review or a philosophical discussion, or some freaky lovechild of the two. Bear with me...]

Matched can be an enjoyable, engaging read, but it more often tends to be melodramatic and overwritten at times. It's the type of story that definitely requires willing suspension of disbelief -- otherwise, you'll constantly be asking yourself how this world came to be, and wondering what happened to all of the rebellious sp...more 3 for enjoyment, 2 for substance.

[Warning: I'm not sure if this turned out to be a review or a philosophical discussion, or some freaky lovechild of the two. Bear with me...]

Matched can be an enjoyable, engaging read, but it more often tends to be melodramatic and overwritten at times. It's the type of story that definitely requires willing suspension of disbelief -- otherwise, you'll constantly be asking yourself how this world came to be, and wondering what happened to all of the rebellious spark and subversive traits that are so innate in human nature. But if you're willing to go with it, Matched has some of those aspects that are the hallmark of a good dystopia, especially the most crucial and intriguing aspect inherent in dystopian works: the question of the trade-off. Is it okay if the rules and lifestyle a society/government/ruler sets provides for the general well-being and/or happiness of most people, at the expense of personal freedoms and choices?

In the case of Matched, everything is so controlled and absolutely micromanaged by the Society that choice is nearly non-existent. And this does not just apply to marriage and mating; people in the Society are told when and what to eat, what to wear, what jobs to perform, how many kids to have, and when to die. But as a result, people are generally happy and healthy, prosperous, long-lived and fulfilled. So the question is, what's so bad about having all choices made for you, if they are seemingly the right ones? Of course, no one really wants to agree to this. We are all controlling and need to feel we have power in our own lives. And more than that, are you really living if you never make decisions, never make mistakes?

So all of that ↑↑ is going on in the back of your mind while you're reading Matched, and it adds this nice little layer of tension and doubt to the story that I really liked. But at the same time, even though it raises some interesting questions, it's still the story of one girl and a choice between two boys -- potential Matches -- when there should be no choice (according to Society). We've seen this formula before, sure. And having it narrated by one person, and having a very finite number of people actually effected by the choices made for most of the story can cause a disconnect. I sometimes felt myself questioning Cassia, and the idea of selfishness. Things happen very quickly -- her entire turn-around is so quick and so total that it did threaten to break my WSOD. But weirdly, at the same time, it sort of made it more realistic. And I did like Cassia, for the most part. And Xander and Ky, her Matches. Ky's background and the handling of his character, especially, added a great element to the story, and aided my willingness to "go with it".

But I think there are people that aren't going to be able to enter into and enjoy this story, and will see nothing more than a sometimes too melodramatic and formulaic typical teen dystopia, or a bland rip-off of some of the dystopian greats, like The Giver and A Brave New World. Also, even for those who do enjoy it, it may be the type of story to fade from mind quickly. But for others, this is certainly going to be a fast favorite, and they will find themselves really invested in the fates of Cassia and her beaux. As for me, I'm somewhere in the middle. Someone in a discussion thread on Goodreads mentioned that it would have been more interesting if it were queer, and I have to say, YES, that would have been brilliant. The dystopian element would have been much more powerful and meaningful in that case. But as it was, I enjoyed it while I was in it, and I'll read book 2 for sure -- but I won't necessarily be waiting at the edge of my seat for it.

*Please note: I read an ARC of Matched, so the final version may (and probably will) differ.
I received the ARC at ALA.(less)

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Jan 08, 2011 Joyzi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Peeps who don't mind The Giver and The Hunger Games rip-off

Recommended to Joyzi by: Youtube

Shelves: 5-stars-or-more, ya-books, reviewed, political-intrigue, fiction, dystopia, e-book, sci-fi, book-series, author-american, favorites, thought-provoking

Book Review

Okay I promised I'll write an in depth review so here it is and I'll try to not put biggie spoilers. (I'm going to use Q & A style of reviewing this time)

What made you pick-up the book?
> I actually watched a book trailer in Youtube (the link to that vid was way down there somewhere) so and yeah I got intrigued by that video and then I go to goodreads and read reviews about it. I was a bit shock about the mix reviews, some was positive and some was negative. So because of it I t...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Phoebe added it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, dystopian, science-fiction, romance, chick-lit

Matched is yet another YA-hype magnet. Because of the seven-figure deal the novel netted author Allie Condie, it was almost impossible to go in without preconceptions (and I'm not generally one to avoid spoilers, anyway). I'd heard Condie read prettily-written snippets on NPR; I'd also perused reviews on GoodReads decrying it as a derivative spin on YA-dystopic classics like The Giver.

But the truth is a bit more complex than that. Its taken me a few weeks to mull over my reaction to Matched, the...more Matched is yet another YA-hype magnet. Because of the seven-figure deal the novel netted author Allie Condie, it was almost impossible to go in without preconceptions (and I'm not generally one to avoid spoilers, anyway). I'd heard Condie read prettily-written snippets on NPR; I'd also perused reviews on GoodReads decrying it as a derivative spin on YA-dystopic classics like The Giver.

But the truth is a bit more complex than that. Its taken me a few weeks to mull over my reaction to Matched, the story of Cassia Reyes (don't let the name fool you; she's written white as toast), whose faith in her structured, near-future society is shaken when she discovers that her arranged marriage to her neighbor, Xander, was not as perfectly plotted as she thought. On the day following her MatchBanquet, a sort of dystopian prom where her future nuptials to Xander are announced publicly, Cassia finds that she may have been meant for someone else, another neighbor, the supposedly broodalicious loner Ky.

I was really impressed by the opening of the novel, despite my reservations. It's in the first seventy pages or so that Condie's prose really shines. Though stylistically sparse, her writing is surprisingly rich with sensory details. The Match Banquet was particularly well realized--you can practically feel the rough texture of the green dress she wears, and though the emotional relevance and richness flags a bit when we're returned to her bland suburbs, Condie eventually works us up to a grandparent death scene that had me openly weeping. We're talking poignant, emotionally accurate stuff. I was surprised, and had trouble understanding the level of haterade I'd encountered.

Then I read the rest of the novel, and began to understand.

It's not that Matched is particularly bad--it is, in fact, not particularly anything. Though the dystopian world building here is far sounder and more seamless than the glaringly problematic world of the similar, upcoming Delirium by Lauren Oliver, they suffer from what is essentially the same problem: a chronic lack of passion.

Cassia is sweet, but bland. Her two potential matches, Xander, and Ky, are sweet, but bland, and quiet, but bland, respectively. Her parents are good people that I could hardly be roused to care about. The most compelling characters--Cassia's grandfather, who bites it in the first hundred pages, and her younger brother, who hardly figures into the plot--aren't quite well-drawn enough to feel real. The Society that rules Cassia's world is never threatening enough to seem truly dangerous, and the supporting characters are essentially interchangeable. A few scant weeks after reading, I'd be hard-pressed to tell you why or how any of them belonged here.

There are hints of complexity, but these are introduced almost as an afterthought. Cassia has one friend who suffers from panic attacks, and whom her betrothed, Xander, treats with surprising sympathy. This sympathy is promising (my first thought is that there might have been a love relationship between the two), but is ultimately meaningless. There are suggestions that Xander and Ky may have shared a long history of friendly rivalry and perhaps just plain friendship--but this is insufficiently developed, too.

Rather than fleshing out these points of fascinating character conflict, Condie gives us, instead, a repetitive and plodding story. Cassia and Ky climb a mountain over and over again and exchange bland poetry and something akin to boring indie comics. They share chaste kisses and hold hands. Their affair has none of the heat of genuine teen love, or even the unfulfilled promise and pain that we got in, say, Twilight. This isn't just passion put off for later. It's a relationship that might as well be between asexuals.

Condie's writing holds more potential than many YA writers who write books I didn't care about: I know she's capable of being affecting, and, though, yeah, her world is derivative, at least it's not gratingly irritating. I can see picking up the second book, but if it remains as bland and inoffensive and just plain boring as this, I can't imagine reading the series through to the end.(less)

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Mar 17, 2013 jess♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, fav-book-boyfriends, dystopian, thought-provoking-books, ya-books, cutie-couples, i-own, kick-ass-protagonist, loved-it, true-love, smokin-chemistry, perfect-romance, beautifully-written, best-reads-of-2012, forbidden-love, heart-breaking, heart-warming, cliff-hanger

4.5 Do Not Go Gentle stars

I've been putting off writing a review about Matched for as long as I can, so I think it's finally time to try and summarise my thoughts about the book in the best context possible.

The Plot
Rating: 4 stars.
In a dystopian futuristic America, the society dictates everything from what you eat to who you marry and when you die. There is no room for negotiation or argument with these rules: no choice but to conform to every direct demand. To rebel means to have an aberration...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: annoying-love-triangle, audiobooks, dystopia, just-another-book-crush, tbr-pile-challenge, ya, own-a-dtb, reviewed-in-2013

Sometimes I decide that a book isn’t for me based on some silly, almost non-existent reason, and then I stubbornly stick with my decision until something forces me to reconsider. In this case, I avoided Matched like the plague because the entire plot seemed to be based on a love triangle, but I was forced to change my mind when I came into possession of the audiobook. With hours of driving ahead of me, I had no choice but to give it a chance. And I loved it.

Matched is extremely character-centric...more Sometimes I decide that a book isn’t for me based on some silly, almost non-existent reason, and then I stubbornly stick with my decision until something forces me to reconsider. In this case, I avoided Matched like the plague because the entire plot seemed to be based on a love triangle, but I was forced to change my mind when I came into possession of the audiobook. With hours of driving ahead of me, I had no choice but to give it a chance. And I loved it.

Matched is extremely character-centric. There’s very little plot to speak of, and there aren’t many oscillations in the narrative structure. While it’s a beautiful, gentle read, exciting isn’t a word that applies. In all honesty, I didn’t mind one bit, the character growth was enough to keep me happy and my mind fully occupied.

I won’t go into the love triangle lest I spoil what little plot there is. Suffice it to say that it’s not really a love triangle as it’s clear from the beginning what Cassia feels for Xander and what she feels for Ky. As someone who dislikes love triangles on general principle, I must confess that this one wasn’t nearly as torturous as I’d originally assumed.

I love that Condie approached the Society in a very mature way, always aware that while it might be bad for some, it saved many others; and I don’t just mean those who hold the power, but regular people who are better off because the Society took care of them. This is somewhat new in dystopian literature and I admire Condie for thoroughly exploring the gray areas and not portraying the Society as the source of all evil. What is awful and constrictive for some may very well be great for others. Cassia’s thoughts about those who are not free-spirited by nature and who are very comfortable being taken care of by the Society endeared her to me greatly. She was never judgmental or harsh, and she understood that people find comfort and happiness in different things, and that for some, nothing works better than having all their decisions taken away from them.

Some things about the Society were more believable than others but I took them all in stride as inevitable parts of the genre. However, there was one thing central to the story that I simply couldn’t accept. In the Society, people use tablets to write, but no one writes or reads cursive anymore. In fact, they have nothing to write with and they’d surely get into trouble for even attempting it. As someone who’s spent years studying language(s), I find it hard to believe that people would allow themselves to lose their ability to write. I’ve read a research or two a couple of years ago that focused on this possibility (and it was considered to be a possibility), but it seems very unlikely to me.

I suppose I should write a few words about Kate Simses, the audiobook narrator, as well. At first I was uncomfortable with her mellow, almost childish voice, but as I got to know Cassia, I realized that it fits her perfectly. (That said, she also narrated Shatter Me, and somehow I doubt her voice worked as well for Juliette.) She never fell into the trap of overdoing male voices as so many narrators do, and I really liked how easily she used her voice to make the differences between Ky and Xander even more pronounced.

Matched is a read only for the patient, but it is very rewarding. If you’re like me and you’re avoiding it because of the love triangle, learn from my mistake. I should have read it much sooner.

(less)

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Jul 30, 2011 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: why-yes-i-ya, dysto-teque

yeah.

this is one i might be too old for. a lot of people compare this to The Giver, and i get it, in that they are both these forced-utopias, but then, so is The Stepford Wives, yeah? but since i didn't like the giver, i can't really complain that this was a rip-off, because neither of them did very much for me, so i'm not going to go waving any flags around in either's defense. you are on your own, books...

but if i had to.

this one may have been slightly more entertaining to me because it was le...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Inge rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, young-adult, im-from-da-futuuure, high-expectations-got-disappointed, crap-romance, love-interest-is-lame, main-character-is-a-dumb-cow, put-a-sock-in-it

1.5 stars

Wow. That was not what I expected at all. What a total snorefest. I was prepared to be blown away by the awesomeness hidden in these pages. Instead, I was so so disappointed. Such a shame, because the idea sounded amazing and I was so excited, I didn’t hesitate one second when I saw it in the bookstore even though it’s cheaper to buy online. I was expecting it to be fantastic, but unfortunately, it wasn’t. Not at all. It didn’t even come close to fantastic. Frankly, it was boring. Dul...more 1.5 stars

Wow. That was not what I expected at all. What a total snorefest. I was prepared to be blown away by the awesomeness hidden in these pages. Instead, I was so so disappointed. Such a shame, because the idea sounded amazing and I was so excited, I didn’t hesitate one second when I saw it in the bookstore even though it’s cheaper to buy online. I was expecting it to be fantastic, but unfortunately, it wasn’t. Not at all. It didn’t even come close to fantastic. Frankly, it was boring. Dull. Yawn-inducing. Every character had less personality than a paper bag. My mind kept dwelling while I was reading and it is not supposed to do that, because books are supposed to grip me! Damn you, Matched, I told you to make me love you!

I wish I could give this book points for the setting, but we all know that barely happened. I know nothing about the Society or why it became that way, and why they think it's better like that. Very little explanation was given. Pages and pages were spent on talking about writing in the sand and a compass and poems and how special Ky is. I didn’t care about any of that. I wanted to read other things, like why is everyone so freaking dull?! I wanted to know more about all the Hundred Everythings, why and how it happened. I don’t understand the sorting or how it works. I don’t understand why the artifacts had to be taken away or why the maple trees had to be cut. I don’t understand why everyone follows these ridiculous rules like tame lambs, never questioning anything, always obeying. I don’t understand anything because she doesn’t explain anything because she goes on and on about Ky. YES, WE GET IT. SHE LOVES KY. Look at aaaaaall the fucks I give!

I wanted to like this book. I really did, but I was so bored the entire time, I was sighing and rolling my eyes and pulling faces. Everything around me was more interesting than Matched. It was very easy to think about other things while I was reading and I felt like skimming, but I forced myself to continue, thinking it would get better in the end. Unfortunately, it didn’t. More stuff happened but I still couldn’t bring myself to care. I won’t go as far as saying this was a piece of shit, because it wasn’t, but it just wasn’t for me.

Too bad.(less)

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Oct 05, 2011 Lissa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

I don't normally talk about covers, but this one is just so perfect, if a little obvious. Cassia in the green dress she wears to her Matching ceremony, trapped in a bubble and pushing gently at the sides. Obvious, yes. Effective, yes.

Let me tell you what happens in this book.

Cassia is all set to marry whoever the Society tells her to marry. The day after her unexpected and highly rare Match to her best friend Xander she sees the portrait of another boy she knows, Ky, appear on her computer scree...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Daria ♞ rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: beautiful-covers, own, craptastic-books

I didn't like it. I was really excited to read it when I first got it, the cover was so interesting and the fact that I heard so many good things from teachers...TEACHERS. So when I got it I was pretty sure it was going to be awesome. But the book turned out that it was incredibly dry till the ending, where it started to pick up a bit. Cassie was annoying to read as and I personally didn't like her. I found myself being really frustrated with her and why she wouldn't just DO something. She just...more

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May 31, 2010 evelyn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: readin2010

So I didn't expect them to at all, but a little part of me was really hoping Scholastic would come to BEA with a stack of galleys for "Mockingjay" the way they did with "Catching Fire." Of course they didn't, they wouldn't want to ruin the end of the trilogy before it's released. But a girl can dream.

So, anyway, there was a big gap in my galley pile that could only be filled by some quality YA distopian fiction. When I went to the YA Editors' Buzz panel and heard about "Matched" I thought "Yes!...more So I didn't expect them to at all, but a little part of me was really hoping Scholastic would come to BEA with a stack of galleys for "Mockingjay" the way they did with "Catching Fire." Of course they didn't, they wouldn't want to ruin the end of the trilogy before it's released. But a girl can dream.

So, anyway, there was a big gap in my galley pile that could only be filled by some quality YA distopian fiction. When I went to the YA Editors' Buzz panel and heard about "Matched" I thought "Yes! This is what I'll read instead."

And then--blah. The editor dutifully talked this book up and it did not rise to my expectations. There is no urgency to this book at all, and it's not terribly creative. My favorite part of distopian fiction is slowly uncovering the new world the author has shaped. What are people's roles in this society? Why is everyone acting so weird? Ohh, what's that pill for?! But there was no real mystery here. Cassia's "Society" is pretty much just a cross between "The Giver" and "1984." But halfway through the book I really didn't care what the red pill did, and when we found out I thought "yeah, I guess that's about right." I also thought "If you're only allowed to take those pills at the command and in the presence of a high official, then why do people carry them around with them at all times, anyway? Shouldn't the officials just carry them so no one takes one accidentally, or on a dare?" But no, we had to manufacture the one thing everyone wonders about in this society, so it's there in their little tablet vials.

And then plot is just a romance, and not a terribly compelling one. I know, I'm 27, and I'm not supposed to give a shit about teenage romance. But some authors make me care. Suzanne Collins made me care, John Green makes me care. This is more "Twilight" love triangle romance where I don't really care about anyone involved, and therefore am ambivalent about the outcome. And then there isn't really anything else to this story to keep me entertained. If we're supposed to care about the weird unrest occurring within "The Society" we're not given enough information to do so convincingly. So here I am, sitting with a bunch of 17-year-olds freaking out about first love, and I kind of want to punch them in the face.

This book will probably be reasonably successful. Everyone loves a distopian future setting these days, and if "Twilight" is any indication, girls will gobble up the romance. (Although neither Ky nor Xander is the next Edward, so maybe I'm wrong. Teenagers these days, right?! Huh?) Me, I'm just going to wait impatiently for "Mockingjay" to finally come out.(less)

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Mar 06, 2012 Cortney rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: annoying-mc, dystopia-is-not-for-me, series-dealbreaker, boring-at-times, nothing-nice-to-say, so-disappointed, young-adult

Got half-way through and just couldn't finish. I kept waiting for something to happen and it never did. I feel like I have read this story before. Cassia has the perfect life, but of course she doesn't want it...She wants the guy with the mysterious past (Ky)...And of course her perfect match (Xander)is totally okay with her wanting to be with someone else...blah blah blah
I didn't feel like sitting through that so I skipped to the end and was still bored.

Done with this series.

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Dec 03, 2011 Karen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People looking for something to pass the time

Recommended to Karen by: Can't remember

Shelves: bleak-situation, bored-out-of-my-wits, meh, to-be-shitted-on, did-you-plagairize, endless-plot-searching, fail, i-suffered-feel-sorry-for-me, wtf-just-happened

Ummm... Semi-spoiler alert (is there even such a thing)?

I haven’t written a review in a long time, so forgive me if I seem out of touch.

Let’s get started shall we?

In my opinion, the only thing worse than a horrible book, is a boring book. A book that you cannot get through without an alarmingly large number of yawns and breaks to get your daily required fix of entertainment (that the book failed to provide). Reading this book was like a chore. I didn’t enjoy it, I didn’t like it and I didn’t f...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kathryn by: Tiffany

Shelves: first-in-a-serie, books-i-own, read-2011, cover-lust

I was first introduced to this book by Tiffany.
As much as we love reading the same genre books like Fantasy,Children and Young Adult, we realized that we haven't read enough same books together this year.

Tiffany use to say that if I were to write a book, this is how I would write one. That when she read it, it reminded her very much of me.
After having read this book, I must say that I am very flattered.

Honestly, this is only the third Dystopian novel I have read after The Hunger Games and Di ...more I was first introduced to this book by Tiffany.
As much as we love reading the same genre books like Fantasy,Children and Young Adult, we realized that we haven't read enough same books together this year.

Tiffany use to say that if I were to write a book, this is how I would write one. That when she read it, it reminded her very much of me.
After having read this book, I must say that I am very flattered.

Honestly, this is only the third Dystopian novel I have read after The Hunger Games and Divergent. And let's face it, there is no book that matches the intensity and popularity that is Hunger Games. But as far as choosing which book was better between "Divergent" and "Matched", I would no doubt pick "Matched" in a heart beat.

The author's writing had so much music and poetry in them that I didn't mind at all how it was slow building or Cassia's indecisiveness. Which I have no doubt that it clouds my judgement a little bit since I am such a sucker for both.
But still, it was a world of unfairness and bitterness like any other Dystopian worlds and who wouldn't want to read about a hero/heroine trying to make right of it?
Don't be fooled though, Cassia is not your typical heroine. Actually, she doesn't seen the type of a person to have what it takes to be the leader of a rebellion. It is also not a typical love triangle, it is bearable knowing that her love for Xander was not the same for Ky. That in truth, as much as she wanted to refuse, she listened to her heart.

It is definitely not the kind of book that you want to jump right into the next, but it stirs my heart deeply and touches my soul. I would love to read to second book very soon. =)

So many to choose from! but this passage sang to me particularly.

Lightning. Once it is forked, hot-white, from sky to earth, there is no going back. It's time. I feel it, I know it. My eyes on him, his on me, and both of us breathing, watching, tired of waiting. Ky closes his eyes, but mine are still open. What will it feel like, his lips on mine? Like a secrets told, a promise kept? Like that line in the poem -a shower of all my days- silvery rain falling all around me, where the lightning meets the earth? The whistle blows below us and the moment breaks. We are safe. For now.
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May 02, 2013 Scott Pilgrim rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Scott by: Goodreads

Shelves: dystopia-post-apocalyptic, big-disappointments, cheesy-romance, series-i-want-to-continue

Matched is an extremely slow-paced book that is entirely focused on romance. There is little to no plot in this book and nothing really happens throughout most of the book. The characters were pretty flat, poorly developed, and pretty ordinary. Also there seems to be a lack of world building and I want to know how this dystopian society came to be.

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Jul 27, 2012 Kacennnka rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, books-i-own, read-in-czech, favorites

Řekněte, kdo nikdy netoužil po dokonalém životě? Po dokonalém partnerovi, perfektním zdraví, rodinném zázemí, dobré práci...? Teď si představte, že tohle všechno byste mohli mít. Žít dlouhý a spokojený život, naprosto zdraví a šťastní. Však jako pokaždé je tu ale. Cena za dokonalý život je poměrně vysoká; přijdete totiž o svobodné uvažování, o možnost vybrat si, co v životě budete dělat, koho si vezmete, kde budete bydlet...

Cassia byla přesvědčená o neomylnosti Správců. Věřila, že vědí, co děla...more Řekněte, kdo nikdy netoužil po dokonalém životě? Po dokonalém partnerovi, perfektním zdraví, rodinném zázemí, dobré práci...? Teď si představte, že tohle všechno byste mohli mít. Žít dlouhý a spokojený život, naprosto zdraví a šťastní. Však jako pokaždé je tu ale. Cena za dokonalý život je poměrně vysoká; přijdete totiž o svobodné uvažování, o možnost vybrat si, co v životě budete dělat, koho si vezmete, kde budete bydlet...

Cassia byla přesvědčená o neomylnosti Správců. Věřila, že vědí, co dělají a že vědí, co je pro lidi dobré. A také si myslela, že nechybují. Všechna tato přetvářka dokonalosti se ale rozpadla v tu chvíli, co se na obrazovce, kde měl být ztvárněn její dokonalý životní partner, zjevila tvář úplně jiného kluka, než který jí byl přiřazen.
Opravdu je společnost tak dokonalá? Je možné, aby Správci neměli takovou kontrolu? Ale co když vědí přesně, co dělají, a to, co se na první pohled zdálo jako chyba nebo kanadský žertík, nebylo ani jedno z toho? A co kdyby tu byla nějaká možnost, že by si každý mohl řídit svůj život po svém? Nebo si alespoň vybrat, koho by chtěl milovat...

K Dokonalému páru jsem byla hodně skeptická. Už loni jsem se do toho pustila v originále, ale asi po sto stranách to odložila na dobu neurčitou. Nebylo to tím, že by se mi to špatně četlo, ale tím, že mě kniha nijak nechytla a navíc se začaly objevovat zvěsti o českém překladu. Proto jsem si nebyla úplně jistá, že by mě to mohlo chytnout v češtině, ale přesto jsem si pro knihu běžela do knihkupectví hned v den vydání. Neměla jsem žádná velká očekávání, protože už jednou mě to nebavilo, a také jsem měla jisté tušení, do čeho jdu, a byla přesvědčená, že tomu nedám víc než tři hvězdičky. Světe div se, mýlila jsem se.

Začátek byl kritický. Nemohla jsem se do toho ani trochu začíst a při slovech "seznamovací večírek" knihu málem vyhodila z okna. Možná je to trochu paradox, protože překlad je opravdu povedený (a bez zbytečných chyb v textu!), ale za ta slova bych vraždila. Ačkoliv jsem u toho v jistých chvílích vážně trpěla, protože se mi zdálo, že se to strašně vleče, dostala jsem se dál a přestože se to příčí s většinou názorů, prostředek se mi zdál mnohem lepší, stravitelnější. Pro tuto chvíli jsem byla přesvědčená o čtyřech hvězdičkách, protože jsem si myslela, že mi kniha už nemá co nabídnout. A mýlila jsem se znovu.

Posledních zhruba padesát stran bylo zlomových. Stalo se tam toho strašně moc a byla jsem z toho slušně mimo. Kniha získala naprosto jiný rozměr, začala jsem to pozorovat z jiného úhlu a konečně jsem svět dokázala vidět očima Cassiy. Neskutečně mi konec rval srdce a já nemohla uvěřit tomu, jak to mohla autorka udělat. Nemluvě o tom, že jsem v tom nejnapínavějším musela odejít a nechat knihu ležet na stole. Byla jsem z toho vážně vedle a pořád si přehrávala v hlavě poslední události.

Cassia se mi jako hrdinka vážně líbila. Celkově se mi líbilo, jak pomalu začala sundavat růžové brýle a pomalu, krok za krokem, odhalovala, co se děje za nimi. Cassia byla prototypem vzorné holky, která věděla, kde je její místo a co se od ní očekává, přesto se začala bouřit. Stále ale myslela na svou rodinu, Xandera a Kye a nebyla sobecká. Uvědomovala si, že ohrožuje i je a také, co by se mohlo stát, kdyby porušila pravidla příliš. Věděla, kde jsou její hranice a že se pohybuje na tenkém ledě, ale srdci někdy neporučíš.

Ky je pro mě pravým hrdinou knihy. Pomalu se odhaluje jeho příběh, který je ale stejně pořád zahalený mlhou a ještě nějakou dobu potrvá, než ho spatříme celý. Ky je takovým druhem hrdiny, kterého si musíte oblíbit. Já osobně jsem se snažila hledat sympatie spíš u jeho soka Xandera (který v knize bohužel nedostal moc prostoru), ale nešlo to. Ky si mě získal svým příběhem - jedinečným, tajemným a hlavně smutným. Ky přesně věděl, co a jak. Vyrůstal jinak a byl chytrý. Věděl, jak se chovat a jak k sobě nestahovat pozornost. Ale když už začal odhalovat svůj příběh, přetvářka nestačila. Roky snažení byly ty tam a on se musel postavit čelem k tomu, co ho čeká.

Dokonalý pár je kniha primárně se zabývající city. Ale nejen city postav v knize, ale také vašimi. V knize byla spousta silných momentů, kdy jsem si začala uvědomovat, jaké máme štěstí, co všechno můžeme mít. Upřímně se děsím to, že by na světě bylo pouze Sto básní, Sto obrazů, Sto písní, Sto příběhů..., a nejen to. Strašně mě zaskočilo, když bylo řečeno, že lidé ztratili schopnost psát svou vlastní rukou. Lidé byli navyklí jen na psaní na počítači a něco jako tužka prostě neexistovalo a psací písmo bylo skoro zapomenuto. A co potom přidělování jídla, aby to bylo zdravé a vyvážené? Proboha, co bych dělala bez čokolády a gumových medvídků?!

Kniha sice vznikla v době velkého dystopického boomu spojeného s Hunger games, ale dokázala si udržet originalitu. Nenajdete tu žádné krvavé boje, napínavou akci a nepůjde o boj na život a na smrt. Nebo alespoň v tomto díle ne. Dokonalý pár je svůj. Nenapadá mě žádná kniha, co jsem četla, kterou bych k němu mohla přirovnat. Je to příběh, který vás chytne, protože vám to bude připadat naprosto skutečné. Sžijete se s knihou a budete vše prožívat s hrdiny a domýšlet si, co se děje za oponou. Je to kniha, která nepotřebuje násilí a krev, aby byla napínavá. Mimo to je Dokonalý pár knihou, která vyzdvihuje posedlost lidí dokonalostí a důležitost mezilidských vztahů.

Ať už máte nebo nemáte rádi dystopii jako žánr, rozhodně vám knihu doporučuji. Jak jsem říkala, je to něco z jiného soudku, něco zajímevého a chytlavého. Osobně jsem ji hodně podceňovala, ale přesto si nemyslím, že právě proto se mi tolik líbila. Pevně věřím, že kdybych od toho čekala hodně, stejně by se můj názor nezměnil. Ano, v knize někdy byly slabší chvíle, ale stejně jsem si to neskutečně užila a už se nemůžu dočkat pokračovaní. Zcela právoplatně jí tedy patří všech pět hvězdiček.(less)

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Jan 15, 2011 Nomes rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, 2010, hype-fail, love-triangle, mixed-feelings, i-thought-i-would-love-this-but

Blurbed by Melina Marchetta: 'Beautifully written with characters that stayed with me long after the final page,' and with it's stunning cover, Matched is the shiny new temptation of the season.

Okay - so I was completely PUMPED about it. I am an unashamed fan of a good love triangle - tension! drama! heart-ache-y choices! swooning! Also - a dystopian, well, it's a fascinating setting to explore all kinds of themes and deliver some twisted showdowns.

So...

Matched begins with the Matching Banquet,...more Blurbed by Melina Marchetta: 'Beautifully written with characters that stayed with me long after the final page,' and with it's stunning cover, Matched is the shiny new temptation of the season.

Okay - so I was completely PUMPED about it. I am an unashamed fan of a good love triangle - tension! drama! heart-ache-y choices! swooning! Also - a dystopian, well, it's a fascinating setting to explore all kinds of themes and deliver some twisted showdowns.

So...

Matched begins with the Matching Banquet, on Cassia's 17th birthday, where Cassia is Matched by the Society to her long time best friend, Xander. She's thrilled, but then a glitch causes things to unravel and Cassia starts questioning more than just her match... Oooh - something's going to go down...

Kind of.

Because the pacing is a slow. It's a deliberate build, more introspective than action. However, I found it compulsively readable. I casually sailed through the first 2/3's and then the final third really comes into it's own. By then it felt like the story was into it's own completely addictive groove and by the time it ended, I was ready to pick up the next installment (Ah, Dec 2011, it's a while away...).

Rather than it being gritty with undertones of foreboding - it is more laying the ground work for a future rebellion and show-down - taking Cassia from a place of acceptance of the Society, to questioning and ultimately finding a strength inside of her that will alter the course of her life. It's very much a coming of age novel set in a manufactured world.

Condie has laid all the groundwork for some thrilling discoveries, impossible choices and deadly stakes. (re: thrilling discoveries, impossible choice and deadly stakes - it was kind of lacking in this title - but I'm thinking they're coming in the next, yeah?)

Xander and Ky are both stand-out characters (although neither had me swooning - what was with that? Two guys and neither one did anything for me?) However, I so appreciated the restraint Condie showed in fashioning the love triangle aspect - it does not tread the well worn path of YA melodrama (although I'm hoping she'll amp it up a bit in the sequels in terms of choices and stakes).

The prose. Some have called it beautiful. It does read effortlessly - and there's a few instances of lovely thoughtful introspection and nice phrases. There's also a lot of prose. As in, occasionally, it feels overwritten - I sometimes felt that urge to skim over redundant paragraphs.

Recommended: This is right in the pocket of the YA market and all my teen readers out there (love you guys!) are sure to enjoy and devour it and maybe even find it earning a starred place on your favourites shelf. It's an entry level novel into dystopian worlds, perfectly suitable for mature middle grade readers. It's a squeaky clean read.

As for adult readers who are still digging the YA scene, it's enjoyable, sure, and perfect for a rainy-day comfort read. As Alexa said: A word of warning though, if you are looking for a book to fill the void left by the end of The Hunger Games, this may not be for you, despite the dystopian tag. Matched is more reminiscent of the coming of age/romance you might expect from Sarah Dessen. It is quiet, and it is beautiful, and it is well worth reading. (and I get what she means) - which worked okay for me as I love that Sarah Dessen vibe.
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Jan 07, 2011 Brittany rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To me , this book was just okay. But don't let my opinion put you off.

This book is about a girl names Cassia Reyes who on her 17th birthday will be 'matched'. Cassia has always trusted in the society and never before questioned them. The society makes everyone's choices and controls how they live their lives -what to read, what to watch, what to believe and who they will be married too. So when her best friend Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete c...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Jen (A Reading Daydreamer) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I bought this book nearly 2 years ago, it sounded to me to like it was going to be an awesome dystopian story that I would enjoy a lot. That was back when paranormal romances were "the thing", and I wasn't even an avid reader yet. Today, though, I know Matched as a mixed-review dystopian. Sadly, I have to agree with the mixed-review part. Matched was a dystopian heavily set around romance, and didn't stand out to me among all of the other dystopians I've read so far.

Matched started off with...more When I bought this book nearly 2 years ago, it sounded to me to like it was going to be an awesome dystopian story that I would enjoy a lot. That was back when paranormal romances were "the thing", and I wasn't even an avid reader yet. Today, though, I know Matched as a mixed-review dystopian. Sadly, I have to agree with the mixed-review part. Matched was a dystopian heavily set around romance, and didn't stand out to me among all of the other dystopians I've read so far.

Matched started off with a bang: the main character Cassia is being Matched with the person she is meant to be with for the rest of her life. I was instantly captivated and I wanted to know more, more, more. But pretty much after that, Matched lost my interest. The rest of the plot was a steady road and didn't have any more exciting moments or fast-paced scenes. It was boring, and stale. It became a bit tedious to get through the entire book.

The world-building was one of the weakest points in Matched. There were no reasons behind their world of the Society at all. Condie threw in concepts that weren't thoroughly explained, leaving me confused and frustrated. Sadly though, I kind of just brushed it off because I couldn't really care less, and I just went along with it. If I were to read the rest of the trilogy (which I probably won't be doing..), I would love to see more concepts explained clearly.

Next are the characters and the romance. Cassia was a strong-willed and rebellious girl in the Society, yes, but there was nothing that made her stand out. I'm sure I'm going to forget her quickly after a month or so. Her relationship with Ky seemed special in the book, but in hindsight, their romance didn't make much sense at all, either. I never really knew their reasoning behind their love, it seemed like she only started to like him because the Society organized it that way. Xander, Cassia's best friend, seemed like a much better choice, and I don't know why Cassia strayed away from him.

The only thing that pretty much kept me going was Condie's writing. It was quite delightful, actually. Condie has beautiful prose and is a master at describing things. Also, the way she incorporated the poetry that Cassia uses to get through her time in the Society was great.

All things considered, Matched was a mainstream dystopian that will get lost in the batch of new ones that are much more unique and memorable. The romance didn't make sense and the world was not very well explained. The only thing that was worth reading was Condie's prose. If you're a fan of dystopians and will read any and every dystopian, check this one out. But if not, I'd say it's okay to pass this one up.

2.5 Teacups for Matched!

THIS REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON A Reading Daydreamer:
http://a-reading-daydreamer.blogspot....

For more of my reviews, make sure you check out the blog!

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Dec 22, 2010 Danny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: december-2010, audiobooks

Do you also sometimes judge a book by it's ending? Totally happened here. For the first part of the book I was bored, the story moves on pretty slow, I was always expecting something... more?!

But the ending totally made up for it!!

The story of Cassia, Ky and Xander plays in a world where everything is decided for you. Of course it's for the best... What you eat, what you work, what you know and of course, also who you love. Every one (apart from the ones that are supposed to stay Single) get "...more Do you also sometimes judge a book by it's ending? Totally happened here. For the first part of the book I was bored, the story moves on pretty slow, I was always expecting something... more?!

But the ending totally made up for it!!

The story of Cassia, Ky and Xander plays in a world where everything is decided for you. Of course it's for the best... What you eat, what you work, what you know and of course, also who you love. Every one (apart from the ones that are supposed to stay Single) get "matched" with another person when they turn 17. Cassia surprisingly gets matched with Xander, her very best friend since ever. Surprising because normally you don't know your Match.

But when she's looking a the "data" she gets about her Match, a face flickers across the screen and it's not Xander - it's Ky! Cassia is confused. The Society never makes mistakes...
Then an Official tells here someone messed with the Matching Data and that Ky will never gets matched because he's an "Aberration". One that stands below every one else in the Society and one that can never ever gets matched....

But now Cassia is intrigued and starts seeing Ky with different eyes.When they get assigned to hik together as a Team they start getting closer and Cassia not only sees Ky differently but also the world they live in ...

As I said, the beginning and the world building was super suuuuper slow and I was most definitely ready for some action.. Honestly I was even ready to give up.
Cassia was so certain everything the Society does is right, even if it means having no right at all to choose. But being together with Ky slowly opens her eyes. In the end I admired Cassia although I didn't like her in the beginning. But it made sense after I thought about it, she needed time to adjust - and it wouldn't be believable if she'd jump and change everything she ever believed it right away.

I loved Xander, Cassia's childhood friend and Match and of course, I felt so soo bad for him.
Just like Cassia I'm in love both boys for different reasons. Ky is a different kind of boy, always on the borders of the oh-so-wonderful Society he had a different angle looking at things.

Living as we do know, imagine the world where you have no free will? I love the uniqueness of this plot and the creation of this world.

The ending made up for everything I missed in the first part of the book which is why I'm now dying to read the next one. And... in the end I also had some water in my eyes!

Audiobook Impressions:
I Loved the narrator! She gave Cassia THE perfect voice in my opinion. She sounded as young as she is and it was simply great. Also she gave the other characters great voices without sounding weird. So the audiobook itself definitely deserves 5 stars!
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May 14, 2011 Realteenreviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: the matched

Shelves: dream-catchers-list, living-destinys-list, north-stars-list, shore-whisperers-list

The Gist:

The Society is perfect. The Officials plan out everything. What you eat and where you work. Who you love, and even when you die. Not making your own decisions is a small price to pay for having a long, healthy life, and the people blindly follow the Society’s rules. Cassia Reyes has complete faith in the Officials’ choices. And there’s no reason she shouldn’t; her life has been wonderful so far. At seventeen years old, Cassia is ready to be paired with her ideal match-for-life at her Ma...more The Gist:

The Society is perfect. The Officials plan out everything. What you eat and where you work. Who you love, and even when you die. Not making your own decisions is a small price to pay for having a long, healthy life, and the people blindly follow the Society’s rules. Cassia Reyes has complete faith in the Officials’ choices. And there’s no reason she shouldn’t; her life has been wonderful so far. At seventeen years old, Cassia is ready to be paired with her ideal match-for-life at her Matching Ceremony. She isn’t surprised when she’s Matched with her best friend, Xander Carrow. Her life continues to be wonderful. But when she sees a second match, things get confusing. Suddenly thrust into a world of rebellion, corruption and lies, Cassia learns that The Society isn’t as wonderful as it appears. Her life is turned completely upside down, and she’s forced to make a choice between what is true and what is perfect.

What We Think
Reviewed by Living Destiny
We got this book a month or two ago as an ARC. (For those of you who aren’t savvy with the book lingo, ARC stands for Advanced Reading Copy). I remember being really excited, because it was a new book to read that everyone else had to wait to read. Yes I’m a dork. But then I had to wait to read it (because North and Dream both got to read it before me). So then I was annoyed, and found myself thinking ‘this book had better be worth the wait’. Well guess what? It actually was.

So, the plot. It reminds me a little of The Giver. It has the same story of the perfect world, where the secret flaws are revealed to the protagonist. It’s nice to get a view of the future that isn’t all perfect technology, but isn’t total chaos either. In this book, the future seems perfect. There are problems, but not many people know about them. It’s like a false sense of security. Creepy, but interesting. I thought the link to poetry throughout the story was nice. It was strange to see how they only saved one hundred of all the arts. I can’t imagine how they would choose what to keep. If I had to be the one to choose, I might...

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Dec 15, 2010 N.L. Riviezzo rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-reads, read-in-2010, teenaged-angst, young-adult

3 stars isn't accurate for this book - more like 2.5 stars. As I was reading this book, I kept thinking that a large part of this book is extremely familiar but I could not place the book I was thinking of. I came to Goodreads to mark this book as read and to read the other comments. There it was - comments on the book I couldn't remember the name of - The Giver. Everything clicked and I have to say The Giver was better even though I am not a fan of dystopian books. The Twilight reference toward...more

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Mar 13, 2011 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: youngadult, dystopian

Everything in this book is so CLEAN! I loved that. You have to understand, I had a "thing" for utopian societies in high school. BRAVE NEW WORLD, THIS PERFECT DAY, HARRISON BERGERON . . . oh, yes! I've read them all. And what struck me about some of them was that it was supposed to be the perfect, future society, but everyone just seemed so sweaty . . . But not so in the Society. Everything is carefully sanitized. Clothes are clean, or quickly changed when they are not. The world has been cleane...more Everything in this book is so CLEAN! I loved that. You have to understand, I had a "thing" for utopian societies in high school. BRAVE NEW WORLD, THIS PERFECT DAY, HARRISON BERGERON . . . oh, yes! I've read them all. And what struck me about some of them was that it was supposed to be the perfect, future society, but everyone just seemed so sweaty . . . But not so in the Society. Everything is carefully sanitized. Clothes are clean, or quickly changed when they are not. The world has been cleaned up: there are only one hundred poems left, one hundred paintings . . . because too many choices, too many THINGS contributed to the confusion of their ancestors (us, in short). The world has been streamlined, recycled, and recreated into this sterile perfection, and it fascinated me. I loved the fact that Cassia feels like things are spiraling out of control, and they are, for her. But she continues to eat her specially prepared meals, continues to go to work and to the school, so the temptation to succumb, to go back to the dreamy calm of no choices and no worries is always there. The reader wonders until the last page: what will she do? Will the Society pull her back in, or will she rebel? Her dilemma is artfully done, and there is appeal in both of her choices. It was what kept me reading, along with the flawlessness of this serene Society which Ally Condie has created.

So, this book has been heavily promoted. (I should be so lucky as to have PR like this!) And with that comes the fear that the book itself isn't very good, just the PR team. Well, have no fear, my people! The book is worth the hype. This is 1984 for teens, and it works. Also, I myself am not a "romance" person, particularly when it comes to YA. I will admit there have been other books in which my eyes rolled so much I feared they would fall out. I loved the romance in this one, I thought it was very natural and very well done.

Two thumbs way up for Ally and MATCHED! Can't wait for the sequel!(less)

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Matched or Crossed or Reached	21	38	4 hours, 59 min ago
Fan club!!!: The Matched Series!	19	7	9 hours, 30 min ago
am i the only one who hated this series?	297	522	11 hours, 9 min ago
do you like love triangles?	50	133	15 hours, 18 min ago
Buddy Read Zone: Matched (Matched Series book 1) 5/3/13	52	32	17 hours, 32 min ago
is divergent, matched or hunger games better?	311	694	18 hours, 19 min ago
Matched Series gr...: Create your own Matched Story!!! :)	13	6	May 18, 2013 11:20am

title link	preview: Matched
avg rating	preview: Matched Goodreads rating: 3.76 (171335 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11310465-matched?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349069649l/11310465.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11310465-matched?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Matched by Ally Condie[/url]

Matched (Matched #1)

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