Began reading: 2.1.2016
Completed reading: 4.1.2016
Overall rating: 4 stars
On her seventeenth birthday,
Cassia meets her Match, Society dictates
he is her perfect partner for life.
Except he’s not.
In Cassia’s society, Officials decide who people love.
How many children they have.
Where they work.
When they die.
But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy,
she is determined to make some choices of her own.
And that’s when her whole world
begins to unravel…
Matched by Ally Condie is a young adult novel that combines dystopian concepts with romance, science fiction and fantasy themes. I have wanted to begin this series for so long, but I only bought them for myself this Christmas. I fell in love with the cover, and I was not disappointed with the story.
The book was well-written, and everything was described in great detail. I had no difficulty picturing myself in the scenario with the characters. There were some great quotes, which I will include below. These include:
I don’t move. I don’t want to go inside yet.
If I do, that means that this night is coming to an end, and I don’t want that (p. 21).
Every minute you spend with someone gives them a part of your life and takes part of theirs (p. 25).
Is falling in love with someone’s story the same thing as falling in love with the person himself? (p. 196).
We go through a forest that is complicated and full of tangles and there are no stone cairns to guide us except the ones we build ourselves (p. 221).
Everything I dream is something simple and plain and everyday.
That’s how I know they are dreams. Because the simple and plain and everyday things are the ones that we can never have (p. 260).
We have come so far but never made it to the top (p. 303).
…I am higher now. If I had wings, I could spread them. I could soar (p. 314).
If she had a way to track all my memories, she would see they are pure. That I truly wanted to fit in and be Matched and do everything the right way (p. 341).
This is a difficult balance, telling the truth: how much to share, how much to keep, which truths will wound but not ruin, which will cut too deep to heal (p. 357).
My father has always broken the rules for those he loves, just as my mother has always kept them for the same reason. Perhaps that is yet another reason why they make a perfect Match (pp. 361-362).
More quotes from the book can be found here.
I really love dystopian novels, so it was no surprise that I enjoyed this book. The plot was similar to other science fiction novels that I have read, but I still really enjoyed this book. I’m not entirely sure why people have found the originality of the plot to be a negative on Goodreads, but I really did enjoy reading the plot.
I thought that the story was unpredictable, which was great! I wouldn’t say there were plot twists, but a few unexpected moments throughout which kept me interested. *WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER* For example, the way Cassia’s parents reacted to her announcement that she loved Ky. I hope that the next novel will have a plot twist or more unexpected turns!
A few reviews on Goodreads mention the slow pace of the novel, and I have to agree with them. The story was a little slow-paced for my liking, but I suppose that this novel was more of an introduction to the characters. I’m glad that there weren’t too many ‘major’ events occurring in this novel, as it would’ve been unrealistic and overwhelming. Anyway, I was a little confused about where I was in the book, especially since the structure jumbled. I hope that the next novel will be a little more structured.
*WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER* I also found that the timing for Cassia and Ky revealing their love was unrealistic. There was hardly any reason for them to develop feelings for each other so soon — they only spent a couple of days together, writing. This was a bit of a letdown for me.
My favourite character by far was Cassia, as she developed the most throughout the novel. She’s also responsible, considerate, and not afraid to stand up for her beliefs. I felt bad for Xander, especially since he didn’t do anything wrong. WHY HURT HIM LIKE THIS?! I also felt bad for Ky at the end.
I hope to read more about the secondary characters in the next book. I want to know more about Cassia’s parents, Bram, Xander and Em! Can you tell how impatient I am to read the next novel?
My favourite part of the novel was when Cassia and Ky declared their love for each other.
‘Close your eyes,’ I say to Ky, and I bend down, his breathing above me while he waits. ‘There,’ I say, and he looks at what I’ve written.
I love you.
I feel embarrassed, as though I am a child who has tapped out these words on her scribe and held them out for a boy in her First School class to read. My writing is awkward and straggly and not smooth like Ky’s.
Why are some things easier to write than say?
[…]
Ky looks at me. For the first time since the showing, I see tears in his eyes.
‘You don’t have to write it back,’ I say, feeling self-conscious. ‘I just wanted you to know.’
‘I don’t want to write it back,’ he tells me. And then he says it, right out there on the Hill, and of all the words I have hidden and saved and treasured, these are the ones I will never forget, the most important ones of all.
‘I love you’ (pp. 274-275).
Recommendation time! If you like Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, Naughts and Crosses by Mallorie Blackman and Countdown by Melissa Marr, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Elysium, Oblivion, and In Time.
I will also be reviewing the rest of the books from the Matched series: Crossed and Reached. Keep an eye out for those!
Happy reading!
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