A review by cornmaven
Matched by Ally Condie

4.0

I actually liked this chick lit dystopia, which revolves around the authoritative matching of teens within an authoritative society bent on domination and control. The pace of the novel is leisurely; it is not the heart pounding structure of The Hunger Games. It paints the same sinister picture of a society which has relinquished control for the sake of safety and perfection. Which presents a grand philosophical question: Is is better to have a perfect society which ensures long life and security at the expense of freedom? Nothing is free in Cassia's world, it is all strictly controlled, supposedly based on mathematical predictions and computer models. And there goes by the wayside humanity. But, to throw it all out means to accept the randomness of fate, terminal diseases, etc. Which is better? Which is ultimately the better choice?
Makes a great discussion point.

The storyline is well told, well written, and the characters well developed; there are surprises at the end, and it made me want to read the next installment.