Our latest BlogHer Book Club review is Matched by Ally Condie, which oddly enough, I had already read! It's like that moment in school when you are assigned a paper on a subject that you wrote about last year and you are like, SCORE! I mean, they are asking me to talk about a book that I was interested in enough to read before it was assigned. I felt like quite the over achiever. Add in the fact that I have already also read book two of the series, and book three is released soon, and it was the perfect time to look back and evaluate my thoughts and feelings on Matched.
What's that? I am talking about book two and three? Oh yes, Matched is book one of a trilogy. So if you are into trilogies (who isn't) then you might want to keep reading. Also, if you are into teenage love triangles and Dystopian societies (again, who isn't) then this book also fits the bill. The story takes place sometime in the future after our current civilization has fallen and The Society has taken control. On the surface, The Society has a pretty good deal going. I mean, they have gotten rid of sickness and disease which is a plus, but they have also taken away pretty much all free will, which is a minus. They have picked the 100 most important books, paintings, poems, ect, and beyond those 100, all else are destroyed and illegal. They pick your job, they pick your mate, they pick your entire life.
The story begins with Cassia going to her Matching ceremony, where The Society will tell her who she is meant to be with. This is where the problem begins. She is matched with her best friend Xander, but for just an instant an image of another boy, Ky flashes on her screen. This mistake by the Society opens the door for Cassia to question everything they have ever told her. And to wonder what it would be like to not be limited and controlled by the government. To choose who she wants to be with, to choose what she reads and who she gets to be as an individual. As she begins to question things, more and more cracks show in the world of The Society has created.
So on the surface this series sounds great. It sounds like exactly what I would love! Hence the fact that I had already read it. But... I don't actually know what my complaint is. But there is a complaint. I don't love this series. As a matter of fact, I put it near the bottom of the list of these types of series that I have read. At first I thought maybe I was just burned out on dystopian stories, but that isn't it. I read some after this that I loved. It's just not that orignial. It's not that compelling, it's really just okay. Nothing amazing.
That being said, I will definitely read book three. Because I have to finish out the series. But for me, from book one to book two, the story gets less interesting, not more. And I do not have high hopes for the finale. If you love dystopian societies and are searching for a new series to dive into, you can check out Matched. It's good, just not great.
We will be discussing Matched with the BlogHer book club for the next serveral weeks. Come join the conversation!
I had the same reaction. It wasn't awful; I just didn't connect with any of the characters.
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