April 8, 2012

Matched by Ally Condie

Society provides all with a beautiful and worry-free life. What you eat, what you wear, what you do, who you marry, and when you die are all pre-determined for you. Cassia has much to look forward to. Her "matching" ceremony has revealed that she will marry Xander, her life-long friend. Cassia is ecstatic about her match...until she sees a different face revealed on the screen for only an instant, that of Ky Markham. While she loves Xander as a friend, her feelings about Ky grow until she and Ky recognize their love for each other. Cassia now grows to distrust and hate the Society that she once believed in.

The situation of a dystopian future, and a strong female protagonist torn between two likable young men, is reminiscent of the Hunger Games Trilogy. With the emphasis more on the romance aspects, Matched will have a wider appeal to a female audience. While I didn't love the book, it held my interest enough to want to go on to the second book, Crossed. The third, and final book, Reached, is to be published November 2013.
Reed Reads Score: 3.5