Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Series: Matched #1
Genre: Dystopian Romance (YA)
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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.

Imagine living in a world in which everything is controlled–the things you eat, the clothes you wear, the job you do, the house you live in, the things you do during your free time, the amount of free time you get, and the person you fall in love with.  This is the world Ally Condie created for Matched.  At first, you think the world is Utopian–no violence, everyone being on equal ground, etc.  But, as the story progresses, you realize more and more how dystopian the world actually is.

During the entire story, you feel bad for the citizens’ lack of freedom, even though they’re not openly (or blatantly) oppressed like the characters are in The Hunger Games trilogy.  The citizens believe the Society is doing everything in their best interest and they’re so complacent about their lives, they don’t realize that they’re being oppressed until one little mistake is made or something out of the ordinary happens to catch their attention.  But, even then, everyone is quick to believe whatever the Society tells them why whatever happened happened, everyone except Cassia as she begins to see and realize the truth.

I was completely blown away by Matched. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I’m excited to find out what happens in the next book.