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Matched trilogy by Ally Condie
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Stacia (the 2010 club), groupaholic, YA-MA founder
(last edited Mar 05, 2012 03:29PM)
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Aug 25, 2011 11:39AM
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message 2:
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Stacia (the 2010 club), groupaholic, YA-MA founder
(last edited Sep 01, 2011 02:14PM)
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Matched was just okay for me. It didn't start to really get interesting until the last couple of chapters. The ending did put me on the hook to read book 2 though, so maybe the second book will be better.
Yeah the book was quite slow but I liked how it picked up as her mind was opening to new ideas. Delirium felt very similar at first but then went off in a different direction. I am looking forward to the second book, it says Nov 1st... I hope that's the same in the UK too!! :D
Yeah, I thought it was just okay too. I might have been expecting too much though, so it might not be as 'not good' as I thought. Not sure if I'll read the second.
I liked Matched. I didn't mind the pacing. I felt it took its time, but without dragging. I think that the mistake in marketing this book was that they pegged it as the next Hunger Games just because it's dystopian, and I hate it when they do stuff like that because it makes people think that it's something it isn't and then when they read it they feel like they've been misled. But I digress.. I enjoyed the lyrical writing style and Cassia's transition from naive innocence to experienced enlightenment I guess you could call it. I've seen a lot of people say they didn't like the focus on 'romance' or that they didn't believe the relationship, but I don't think it was meant to be about the two boys as much as having the freedom to choose. Anywho, I think Crossed will up the action and I'm looking forward to more of Condie's writing style which I loved.
I agree that comparisons tend to kill books before they're out of the gate.
I've had the Crossed ARC since like May or some ridiculous shit. I still haven't read it. Lol. Mainly because I wanna re-read Matched beforehand since I can't really remember much. Idk why no one really liked it. I ADORED it.
I havent been able to buy or start this series..dosnt seem interresting to me at all ;o
I can't wait to read crossed. I loved the Hunger Games trilogy, but this was absolutely nothing like it - but it certainly has it's own charms. The pacing was slow, but this world had a lot more explaining than did the Hunger Games IMO, and it was more alien from ours than the Hunger games as well. THG was far more relatable in a lot of ways - these people are almost robotic. Audra
Bunny wrote: "I've had the Crossed ARC since like May or some ridiculous shit. I still haven't read it. Lol. Mainly because I wanna re-read Matched beforehand since I can't really remember much. Idk why no one r..."It wasn't that I disliked the book, but I felt like nothing really started to happen until the end, and then I was right there wanting more.
I had some issues with Wither as well, but liked it more than Matched, and I read them both around the same time.
I liked this a lot though I did read it right after Hunger Games and it suffered in comparison, at least as far as the action is concerned. Matched is more of a quiet novel of discovery and it's girlier than HG. Still, Condie's writing is solid and her characters are well-fleshed-out. The love triangle is believable and the ways of the Big Brother-ish government are revealed in small moments of real dread. I'm looking forward to Crossed.
I felt the same way a lot of you felt too. I felt the first half was a bit slow but by the end I loved it! Sometimes I think authors just struggle with how to introduce a new world to us and to get everything "set" for the real storyline. I have read ones, though, that were a lot slower than this. I still enjoyed it enought to keep reading it and it totally was worth while in the end. I really hope that Crossed picks up right where we were and doesn't take too much time getting us back to the story. I can't wait!
Ok so I didn't read anyone's comments on matched because I am starting it today. I hope its good...
I listened to the first five chapters of Matched but I gave up as the story just didn't hold my interest and I found the style a bit irritating.
So just finished reading matched and I actually liked it. Yes in the middle there's a lot of talking and not much action but the end really makes up for it....can't wait to start crossed!
I liked this a lot more than expected. Initially wasn't too excited about the love triangle, but I found it didn't bother me much, because like Jenny said earlier, it's more about having the right/freedom to choose than just the angst of being into two guys. The setting was quite similar to The Giver though, which took a little bit of the mystery out of the book. Looking forward to the next one, put myself on the waiting list at the library for Crossed, hope it doesn't take too long.
message 17:
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Stacia (the 2010 club), groupaholic, YA-MA founder
(last edited Dec 21, 2011 02:22PM)
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Has anyone read Crossed yet? I have it, but can't seem to get motivated to pick it up.I thought the book trailer was kind of interesting (other than the girl sucking at trying to fake taking a pill).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovn8-...
Haven't read it yet but I'm antsy to start. :) I actually liked the first a lot so excited to see how it picks up where it left off.
Oh good. Maybe if someone else likes it, that will be the kick in the butt I need to read the book. Either that, or maybe someone will want to buddy read, forcing me to have to read it.
I've read it. I have spoilers in my review but they're covered.I really don't want to put people off, I loved the first book but the second, for me, wasn't as good. I think it's more a filler until the next book, which most book 2s are!
But I really am looking forward to book three!!!
Yeah, I'm in the exact same position. I've got it, but haven't picked it up yet. I'll buddy read with you if you want, Stacia, though Rachael doesn't exactly give a glowing recommendation, lol.
It might appeal to you though :) The ending was good :)
Crossed took me a bit more time to read than Matched (which I devoured in one sitting), only because this one is more about character development and relationships than plot. Several of the characters find out more about themselves, meet new friends, deal with trust issues, etc etc. That's why it seems to roll a little bit slower, but it's still an intriguing read. I don't think Condie would have written it that way if understanding how the minds of the characters work wasn't crucial to book 3.
Crossed just became available at the library yesterday, so I'll get to it in the last two weeks. If I don't go in with too many expectations, I'll probably enjoy it more ;)
Maree, I'd be down sometime in January if you want to.
I have crossed on the pile for january - one of my other groups is doing a popular shelf read of speculative fiction next month and crossed is on there
Yeah, sounds good Stacia, Dee (and Vivian?).Melea, I kind of thought the first one was a little slow, lol. But we'll see how this one goes. :)
I know that the first week is sort of hard for people because of other group commitments. I also know that weekends can be hard. How's Monday the 12th looking for everyone? We could discuss the book in this topic if we all want to read it sometime around then (give or take).
I think my loan will have expired by then, so if I get to it, it'll be before that. I'll let you know what I think if I get around to it :)
Good deal. Whenever you want to share Vivian, that's fine. If anyone else wants to join in, that's good too.
Just finished Crossed and I liked it as much as Match - 3-3.5 stars. There is a lot of character development/history, which I personally like and a couple surprising reveals. Crossed is similar to Match in that there's a lot of nothing happening, but I enjoyed getting to know the characters better.
But two books with not a lot happening? You're scaring me now!
Don't get scared off, I think it's just not as action-packed as a lot of other series that I read. I wasn't bored by the book, but it's not necessarily exciting either. It's the middle book of a trilogy and feels like it. A lot of character development and set up for the final book. It does leaves you interested in what happens next.
i think that its not action-packed is key...unlike other dystopia books where they focus on huge revoluations, matched and crossed looks more at individuals rebelling and how even small actions can affect the over all
I was so bored with the book that I didn't even finish it. I need fast-paced dystopian's where stuff actually happens and the characters are more appealing.
message 37:
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Stacia (the 2010 club), groupaholic, YA-MA founder
(last edited Dec 24, 2011 11:54AM)
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That's what I'm worried about.I can see what you mean Dee, and it makes sense, but it seems like the less-action thing has been common in the last few Dystopia series I've read, so I've been craving some serious rebellion.
Oh, and welcome to the group Mariya. Always nice to see another familiar face. :)
Okay, so I'm in the middle of it. Yeah, it's not serious action, but there's stuff going on. It's probably going to get an average rating from me.
Did you end up finishing Maree? I see that you and Dee went ahead and got to it, so I'll probably go ahead and just try to read it sometime later this week/early next week.
i finished it up yesterday...it was my read while the dog that is on crate rest explores the bedroom book...its def. a middle book in that lots goes on and yet not much does...if that makes sense
I did finish it, and Dee's right in that lots of stuff happens, but none of it is really important. It's a journey book, the transition from the first book to the third, and probably could have just been a couple chapters in the next book instead of drawn out into a whole book. But, then perhaps you wouldn't get how difficult and long their journey was. I bet I could sum up all the plot important things that happen in Crossed in one sentence.
Can anyone clear up the world for me? It's been so long since I read book 1, and I'm not remembering half of these zones and whatnot. This story is taking place on a futuristic version of Earth, correct? Everytime an airship is mentioned, I'm thinking of some weird space/steampunk mashup.
future earth, i don't know if its supposed to be the US or where
message 45:
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Stacia (the 2010 club), groupaholic, YA-MA founder
(last edited Jan 13, 2012 01:25PM)
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Not long after I posted this, I saw another reference to Tennyson and almost smacked myself because I had already seen one in the book. I'm pretty sure that if we were dealing with an alternate world, the author wouldn't be referencing our dead writers.I think what threw me was not just the airship thing, but also the region names sounded like planets for some reason.
lol...basically after everything happened, the powers that be got to together and came up with the list of 100 which was the only music, books, poems etc allowed in the land
I enjoyed Matched but Crossed definitely bored me. They spent 3/4ths of the book wandering around with hardly anything happening. I do want to read the 3rd book but I may forget about it...
I agree Becca. I guess I never came back and said anything about Crossed after reading it. The first couple chapters of Crossed fooled me into thinking the book was going to have more action, then nothing really happened.It ended up being a 2 to 2.5 star read for me, just falling short of okay...
I'll only read the third book because it's the last one. If the series continued longer, I'd say forget it.
I think that's basically where I'm at as well, Stacia. I'll read the third, because something exciting has gotta happen now (right? right?).It's kind of the same place I'm at with Fever, though I think Fever was better (the second book in the Chemical Garden Trilogy).
I like the books when I'm reading them, but they don't really leave a lasting impression. They're quick, easy reads that will entertain me for a couple hours and most of the time, that's enough for me. If it was longer than a trilogy though, I don't know if I'd bother continuing.
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Books mentioned in this topic
The Giver (other topics)Crossed (other topics)
Reached (other topics)
Matched (other topics)
