Matched by Ally Condie

Rating:
Characters: 19/20
Plot: 20/20
Originality: 17/20
Writing: 20/20
Recommendation: 19/20
Overall: 95/100 or A
Source: Publisher
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.
I was really intrigued when I heard about Matched. The premise reminded me of one of my favorite books as a child, The Giver. While there are some similarities, between The Giver and Matched, the many difference made me love it. Imagine a society where everything from your job to your marriage are chosen for you. I found this to be extremely intriguing, because I have always really appreicated all of the choices that I have in life.

Cassia was a very sweet and niave character at the beginning, but slowly she learns about how much the Society is really taking away from her. Her grandfather helped with this discovery by giving her a poem that wasn't allowed. The discovery that she didn't have to be with Xander also helped, because it showed that the Society isn't always right. She begans to question their motives. Ky was such a mysterious and interesting character. I really enjoyed him and wish that there had been more about him. I didn't really understand the appeal of Xander. Cassia and Xander were suppose to be such great friends, but there wasn't really any chemistry between them.

Matched had such an amazing plot. I found it really exciting, because I didn't know what to expect next and the plot had so many twist and turns. I ussually don't enjoy love triangles, but this one was essential to the plot and acctually made it more intense. There was a lot of originality in Matched, like how excaltly was the society made that way or what was happening in the Outer Providences. Condie was a spetacular writer that created such an amazing world with amazing characters. I would reccomend this book to fans of Dystopian Fiction.