Matched by Ally Condie

Summary from Amazon- For Cassia, nothing is left to chance--not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials have determined optimal outcomes for all aspects of daily life, thereby removing the "burden" of choice. When Cassia's best friend is identified as her ideal marriage Match it confirms her belief that Society knows best, until she plugs in her Match microchip and a different boy’s face flashes on the screen. This improbable mistake sets Cassia on a dangerous path to the unthinkable--rebelling against the predetermined life Society has in store for her. As author Ally Condie’s unique dystopian Society takes chilling measures to maintain the status quo,Matched reminds readers that freedom of choice is precious, and not without sacrifice.--Seira Wilson

My Thoughts:

When I first started reading Matched by Ally Condie, I couldn’t put the book down. She captured my attention with her beautiful words that contrasted sharply with the cold, strict world she was writing about, and I couldn’t get enough. However, as I read on, my feelings about the book became more mixed. I noticed a lot of similarities between Matched and other young adult novels I have read. For example, Cassia must choose between the boy who was chosen for her and the one she truly loves, just as Mary had to do in Carrie Ryan’s Forest of Hands and Teeth. In addition, the teens are assigned jobs in a manner similar to the method in City of Ember. I also found it ironic that though Cassia doesn’t do what the Society expects her to at the end, she does exactly what I expected her to do. Though I found Matched unoriginal in some ways, I still managed to enjoy it.