Had I not come across this book on display at my local library, I probably would have never discovered it. And if you haven't discovered it, you should.From Amazon: "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 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."
The Rating: I have to give MATCHED two different ratings. First, a sort of technical one: **** MATCHED is very well, not to mention beautifully, written. The plot and characters are consistent and believable; it's paced well. It deserves a great rating.
Second, a personal rating: *** 1/2 (Liked it, and some)
Still, MATCHED is not exactly my kind of book, though I still liked reading it.
The Good:
The Society of MATCHED is so intriguing. I've mentioned this before that in dystopian world building is so important to the novel: it's the basis of understanding. Bad world building will lead to confusion and misunderstanding. In MATCHED I asked questions when I should have. I got answers when it felt right--not too soon, not too late. I learned and grew with Cassia. I felt with her, even when I didn't like her decisions. I enjoyed the prose in this. As it has been mentioned by other reviewers, it's very poetic and purposefully so. And it works well.
The Society of MATCHED is so intriguing. I've mentioned this before that in dystopian world building is so important to the novel: it's the basis of understanding. Bad world building will lead to confusion and misunderstanding. In MATCHED I asked questions when I should have. I got answers when it felt right--not too soon, not too late. I learned and grew with Cassia. I felt with her, even when I didn't like her decisions. I enjoyed the prose in this. As it has been mentioned by other reviewers, it's very poetic and purposefully so. And it works well.
The Bad:
MATCHED is very different from other dystopian, and I expected that. It's more a love story than anything else. That's not bad, especially since I understood that right off. But . . . the story moved a bit slow for me. You can't help expecting more action when you're reading about such a controlled environment. Not that there wasn't excitement; there was. Just not at the pace I wished for.
MATCHED is very different from other dystopian, and I expected that. It's more a love story than anything else. That's not bad, especially since I understood that right off. But . . . the story moved a bit slow for me. You can't help expecting more action when you're reading about such a controlled environment. Not that there wasn't excitement; there was. Just not at the pace I wished for.
The Recommendation:
It's worth the read, for sure. As I said, beautifully, poetically written. Awesome love story. Connected, emotional moments. I wouldn't recommend it to my husband (who really liked HUNGER GAMES), but I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed an intriguing love story, and especially if you also like dystopian. It's a good mix.
It's worth the read, for sure. As I said, beautifully, poetically written. Awesome love story. Connected, emotional moments. I wouldn't recommend it to my husband (who really liked HUNGER GAMES), but I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed an intriguing love story, and especially if you also like dystopian. It's a good mix.
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