Matched (Matched, #1) in What's the Name of That Book???

Jul 24, 2011 karen rated it liked it

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 01, 2014 Wealhtheow rated it liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, ya

From the glossy cover I expected this to be another clone in the YA dystopias-with-love-triangle genre. And that does describe the basic set up pretty well: Cassia is a teen just coming of age in a regimented society, and her first clue that the Society does not always know best is when she accidentally gets matched for marriage to two boys at once. But the love triangle takes up very little space or energy, and the real tension is not in what boy Cassia will pick, but whether she will choose to ...more

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Feb 20, 2011 Melissa Rochelle rated it it was ok

Shelves: library, dystopian-apocalyptic, young-adult, read-2011

This book is just OK and it certainly doesn't fill the hole that The Hunger Games leaves behind. For one, I'm not entirely sure why this society is the way it is other than someone decided that society needed to only allow perfect genetic matches. Normally, not knowing wouldn't bother me, but the story wasn't enough to make me not notice that there was something missing. I was never invested in the characters - Xander was nice enough, Ky was mysterious enough, and Cassia was just stupid enough.. ...more

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Jan 08, 2011 Jessie rated it it was ok

Meh. It seems like the author owes a LOT to The Giver and 1984 for her portrayal of a totalitarian society where everyone is equal and no one has choices. Once again we are faced with what is essentially a love triangle plot--it seems like no matter what I try to read in YA that's what I find (curse you, Twilight, for ruining it for everyone).

I did like some of the world-building stuff regarding how the officials created this utopia and how they maintain control, but it wasn't really enough for ...more

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May 04, 2010 Liz rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-star, young-adult, dystopian

I had pretty high expectations going into Matched, because the premise sounded too intriguing not to be awesome. When it comes to YA dystopian novels, the bar has been set quite high for Condie, considering how successful The Hunger Games trilogy has been, not to mention the fact that Lauren Oliver’s sophomore novel, Delirium, is so highly anticipated. I certainly had a few problems with Matched, but overall it’s a book that has stayed with me and already has me anticipating the sequel.

After rea I had pretty high expectations going into Matched, because the premise sounded too intriguing not to be awesome. When it comes to YA dystopian novels, the bar has been set quite high for Condie, considering how successful The Hunger Games trilogy has been, not to mention the fact that Lauren Oliver’s sophomore novel, Delirium, is so highly anticipated. I certainly had a few problems with Matched, but overall it’s a book that has stayed with me and already has me anticipating the sequel.

After reading the first few chapters, my first thought was that Condie’s writing is magical. She does a truly fantastic job of world-building. I will admit that the feeling of her writing being awesome and exceptional did not stick with me throughout the entire novel, but I never thought it was bad. Condie does a great job of writing realistic, likeable characters. At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of Cassia, but she quickly grew on me. I loved Xander because of his loyalty to Cassia. As for Ky, I had moments where I wasn’t fully sold on the romance, but that could change over the next few books.

There were lots of awesome plot twists which kept me guessing throughout the story. The ending was a little too-anticlimactic for my tastes, and I would’ve liked a bit more info throughout the story. Right now, when I look at the position that Condie left her characters in, I’m honestly not sure how they are going to get out. However, she also left a pretty big unsolved mystery hanging in the story, and I have a feeling that I will be blown away by however Condie solves it, so I’m ultimately not too concerned about whether or not I’ll enjoy the next few books in the series.

When I first read an ARC of Matched I struggled a lot with the ending, but two months later I’m editing my review and realizing that Cassia and her story have really stuck with me. Matched is an original novel with a fresh premise. I would recommend this novel to anyone who’s looking for a new, unique dystopian series. I can’t wait to see where Condie takes us next. ...more

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May 17, 2013 The Book Maven rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2013, read-teen-fiction, read-dystopia-postapocalyptic

Will the publishing industry ever stop green-lighting the publication of YA Dystopian novels? I think more than a few observers have wondered this as they’ve watched a long line of books with enigmatic cover jackets march their way onto the shelves and promise tales of oppressed, plucky heroes and heroines fight back against Big Brother. Sadly for those observers—although happily for me and fans of the genre—I’d venture to say that we haven’t reached the end of this particular trend.

In Matched, ...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Cindy rated it really liked it

THAT WAS FUN! Think of a young adult version of 1984, complete with a totalitarian government, "artifacts", a forbidden romance, rebellion, and the "prisoners dilemma". I LOVED this book. I'm apparently on a young adult kick and I'm even more sad to have a broken kindle...no immediate sequels in my hands!
But I cannot wait to read the sequel! ...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Malina rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopia

I enjoyed the story overall. It has reminders of "The Giver". I think it is well written and the characters likeable and intriguing. But why did I keep hoping she'd just fall in love happily with Xander and forget about Ky? I understand Ky is supposed to represent passion but I feel like she could develop that with Xander just as well and he's not a doomed man. I think it is an interesting discussion of choice and free will though. ...more

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Mar 10, 2011 katie rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, young-adult, 2011

I really loved this book, but couldn't quite give it 5 stars because Hunger Games is my comparison. This was nearly as good though and I can't wait for the rest of the trilogy! ...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Kelaine rated it it was ok

Shelves: teens, tweens, romance, dystopia-utopia

Giver read-a-like. Literary/poetry allusions/inclusions.

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Jun 08, 2010 Debbie Barr rated it it was amazing

A beautiful dystopian story, set in a world where every choice is made for you. What you eat, what you wear, and who you love are all decided by the Society. But what happens when the society makes a mistake?

Written with beautiful prose and captivating world-building, Matched will appeal to a wide range of readers, romance and dystopian fans a like. The use of poetry from Dylan Thomas and Alfred Lord Tennyson give the story an added depth of richness that makes you think. A lovely way to start o ...more

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Oct 22, 2010 Debbie is on Storygraph rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library, science-fiction, 2012, dystopian, young-adult

I've wanted to read this for a while. It appears that the young adult fiction market is exploding with dystopian fiction - which I love. I just wish that the adult SF genre is doing the same. I didn't know too much about what the book was about give the rather vague blurb. But once I started reading, I was absolutely fascinated... oddly enough, not really by the plot but at the world building and the implications of Cassia's match (and not-match) means for the world. ...more

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