Review of Matched by Ally Condie

Matched came out on the 30th of November, and was perhaps one of 2010's most anticipated releases. I feel like the last person in the blogosphere to have read this, but here goes.


The Society doesn't leave anything to chance. Everything is controlled and planned. In The Society you get Matched based on genetically compatibility at 17, marry 4 years later, have 10 years to have children, and then die on your eightieth birthday.

Cassia's lived her life so far never questioning The Society and its officials, until the day of her Matching banquet, where two boys' faces appear on the screen: Xander, her best friend,  and Ky, the Aberration who shouldn't even be in the Matching Pool.

She's told this is just a glitch and to accept Xander as her Match, but as she gets closer to Ky, she comes to realise that she should get to choose. That everyone should.

I loved the premise and the world-building in this book. Though, the setting, to me, felt a little too similar to that of Lois Lowry's The Giver, it was thorough and well-designed. The plot was good, and I was pleased to find the ending left room for more books. Making a series from books that could just as well be stand-alone is one of my pet peeves.

The characters irked me at times. Though I can understand where they're coming from, considering the time they spent in such a controlled society, they felt...dispassionate. I couldn't make myself really feel for them.

The writing style was beautiful, though I felt like there wasn't enough action to pull off the present tense. I'd be interested in ready other books by Ally Condie, though not necessarily books about these characters.

I give Matched a 3 out of 5, and brace myself to be flamed for less-than-loving a book so hyped up.