Matched

BY: Ally Condie

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.


My Review: If you are a fan of George Orwell's "1984" novel or Lois Lowy's "The Giver", you will love this fun YA version of dystopian society where a young woman is matched with her perfect mate. ...Only, Cassia gets matched with two. The society is well explained and you soon find yourself trapped in it, right along with Cassia. It makes you wonder about some of the simple pleasures we take for granted, pleasures that Cassia knows nothing about, because the society takes them away, with the exuse of making life easier for all. I found the story fun and the world that author Ally Condie created, extremely addicting. The good thing is: There's more! "Crossed" is the sequel that I'm currently half way through and enjoying just as much.

About the Author: Ally Condie is the author of the international bestseller MATCHED, and its sequel, CROSSED. MATCHED was chosen as one of YALSA’s 2011 Teens’ Top Ten, named as one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Children’s Books of 2010, selected as the #1 Pick on the Winter Kid’s Indie Next List, and received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publisher’s Weekly. In a starred review for the sequel, CROSSED, Kirkus called the Matched series an “addictive, layered dystopic trilogy.” A former English teacher (who still keeps her license current, just in case!), she lives with her husband and four children outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, writing, running, and listening to her husband play guitar.