You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really good love triangle book. Usually with most of the books involving a love triangle it becomes very cheesy, however this one did not.
It foucused on a girl who had grown up following the rules without any question, until the day she finds unexpecte information on her match card. After that she begins to question everything that she thought she knew; about her family, friends, and most importantly the society.
It foucused on a girl who had grown up following the rules without any question, until the day she finds unexpecte information on her match card. After that she begins to question everything that she thought she knew; about her family, friends, and most importantly the society.
3.5/5
(This is my own opinion)
I find the book a little rushed.
I think Cassia should of gave Xander a chance at least. I get it might of been weird, but she didn't even try.
I don't like how in the book they say that they didn't fall in love with each other because of the match mistake, when I think they did.
"Is falling in love with someone's story the same thing as falling in love with the person himself?"
People who have read the other books have told me they aren't worth it.
(This is my own opinion)
I find the book a little rushed.
I think Cassia should of gave Xander a chance at least. I get it might of been weird, but she didn't even try.
I don't like how in the book they say that they didn't fall in love with each other because of the match mistake, when I think they did.
"Is falling in love with someone's story the same thing as falling in love with the person himself?"
People who have read the other books have told me they aren't worth it.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I liked this book. Although it's fairly identical to works like Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 in regards to the theme of repression, what makes this book is its characters. I'm guilty of adoring those characters who break free from tradition because of a burning, passionate fire for the unknown and for possibilities. It's a world set in the future where almost all relics from past civilizations are outlawed. Meals, education, love, books, music.. are all in control by the government. Would you risk your safety and comfortability for mental and creative freedom? It's a quick read and I'll definitely read the second book in the series.
I think I would’ve enjoyed this book at 12, but at 24, it was okay.
The cynic in me says this book is [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447303603s/2767052.jpg|2792775] without the hunger games. I mean, the whole plot of this book is basically a love triangle set in a dystopian society. But even though I had that thought more than once while reading the book, I still liked it. It's not nearly as intense as [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447303603s/2767052.jpg|2792775], but it was still captivating. The setting and the characters really make this book.
I'm really intrigued by this world. The story isn't set too far in the future--maybe only 3 or 4 generations--and I want to know more about how the world developed into this world that they call the Society.
Ky is a super interesting character. He's secretive, he knows things he's not supposed to know, and he's resistant to the government. I want to know more about him. Xander seems like he could be pretty interesting too, but we didn't really get to know him as well in this book. I hope we learn more about him.
And Cassia...I've been annoyed by characters similar to her in the past, but for whatever reason, she didn't annoy me. Her naive innocence was believable but not infuriating. The only thing that seemed strange to me was the way she was so quick to doubt the Society and her Match. For a girl who seemed to accept everything the Society did and even looked forward to some of the traditions, she quickly seemed to question everything. It just seemed a little out of character to me, but it still worked.
Readers who liked the romance part of [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447303603s/2767052.jpg|2792775] will definitely like Matched. It's also a surprisingly clean and innocent book for YA, so it would be great for tweens.
I'm really intrigued by this world. The story isn't set too far in the future--maybe only 3 or 4 generations--and I want to know more about how the world developed into this world that they call the Society.
Ky is a super interesting character. He's secretive, he knows things he's not supposed to know, and he's resistant to the government. I want to know more about him. Xander seems like he could be pretty interesting too, but we didn't really get to know him as well in this book. I hope we learn more about him.
And Cassia...I've been annoyed by characters similar to her in the past, but for whatever reason, she didn't annoy me. Her naive innocence was believable but not infuriating. The only thing that seemed strange to me was the way she was so quick to doubt the Society and her Match. For a girl who seemed to accept everything the Society did and even looked forward to some of the traditions, she quickly seemed to question everything. It just seemed a little out of character to me, but it still worked.
Readers who liked the romance part of [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447303603s/2767052.jpg|2792775] will definitely like Matched. It's also a surprisingly clean and innocent book for YA, so it would be great for tweens.
This was kind of a "fluff" read. I enjoyed it enough while reading it, but I haven't thought about it since. The plot is very romance-driven (not typically my style), and the characters didn't seem very strong/memorable to me. But it is a pretty fun, fast read, and it's clean. I think there are a lot of young adult readers who would really like this book.
This is the first book in a series.
This is the first book in a series.
Update: I have now done a youtube review. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uApymyXH4dA&list=UUR0w5o1RSTQnM1phx46F2Jw
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.
Pro's/Con's
I know that a lot of people have said that they find the pace to slow and that it is a negative point for this book. But personally I thought it fitted the story very well. You get to taste the mood of the story and read about his world in a easy pace. It also gives you the chance to make up your own opinion. It isn't stated in the book that the Union is a bad thing, you can make up your own mind about it. Personally, in the beginning I thought it was a fine system (with exception of the fact that the Union decides when it's your time to die). But when I was reading more and more about it I, just like Cassia, began to change my mind. In this book you get the chance to see this system from multiple points of view which gives you a very nice insight into the system and the positive and negative points from it and I think that by doing this it gives you a fair chance to get your own opinion with a lot of background information.
Another thing that I have read multiple times as a bad point are the characters. Some call them shallow or boring and say that they don't have a mind and opinion of their own. And like my first point, I think that it fits the story very well. I mean, how would you be able to have your own opinion if the Union tells you what is good, what is bad, what you can read and what you can watch? They give the people no chance to rebel or to have a different opinion then the Union. So it fits the characters very well and I also think that Condie has done a great job with the character growth of Cassia and some others. In the beginning they are these mindless little puppets, just doing as they are told and as the story progress they start to rebel, they start to see that the Union hasn't created a perfect world and the way that they deal with it is written down in an amazing way and I have so much respect for Condie because of that.
Even though the book isn't fast paced the ending is very exciting and very open. You can't say exactly what will happen in the next book, just some minor guesses but nothing concrete. I find that very nice and very frustrating because I want to know and read more! Another thing that you get to realize by the ending is that the book isn't just about romance, even though the title might suggest it. It's also about making your own opinion and daring to share that with the world even though they might not agree with you. I find it a very strong and nice theme for this book.
Recommend it?
Yes! Very much yes! Don't let all those comments of slow pace and shallow characters discourage you. If you take the time you will find out that Matched is a very nice and well thought dystopian novel which is about more then just romance. It's about creating your own personality and opinion and of the need to be free and state them if you want to. A very strong and well worked out theme.
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.
Pro's/Con's
I know that a lot of people have said that they find the pace to slow and that it is a negative point for this book. But personally I thought it fitted the story very well. You get to taste the mood of the story and read about his world in a easy pace. It also gives you the chance to make up your own opinion. It isn't stated in the book that the Union is a bad thing, you can make up your own mind about it. Personally, in the beginning I thought it was a fine system (with exception of the fact that the Union decides when it's your time to die). But when I was reading more and more about it I, just like Cassia, began to change my mind. In this book you get the chance to see this system from multiple points of view which gives you a very nice insight into the system and the positive and negative points from it and I think that by doing this it gives you a fair chance to get your own opinion with a lot of background information.
Another thing that I have read multiple times as a bad point are the characters. Some call them shallow or boring and say that they don't have a mind and opinion of their own. And like my first point, I think that it fits the story very well. I mean, how would you be able to have your own opinion if the Union tells you what is good, what is bad, what you can read and what you can watch? They give the people no chance to rebel or to have a different opinion then the Union. So it fits the characters very well and I also think that Condie has done a great job with the character growth of Cassia and some others. In the beginning they are these mindless little puppets, just doing as they are told and as the story progress they start to rebel, they start to see that the Union hasn't created a perfect world and the way that they deal with it is written down in an amazing way and I have so much respect for Condie because of that.
Even though the book isn't fast paced the ending is very exciting and very open. You can't say exactly what will happen in the next book, just some minor guesses but nothing concrete. I find that very nice and very frustrating because I want to know and read more! Another thing that you get to realize by the ending is that the book isn't just about romance, even though the title might suggest it. It's also about making your own opinion and daring to share that with the world even though they might not agree with you. I find it a very strong and nice theme for this book.
Recommend it?
Yes! Very much yes! Don't let all those comments of slow pace and shallow characters discourage you. If you take the time you will find out that Matched is a very nice and well thought dystopian novel which is about more then just romance. It's about creating your own personality and opinion and of the need to be free and state them if you want to. A very strong and well worked out theme.