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Matched #1
Matched
In the Society, officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.
Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.
Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic.
Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.
Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic.
369 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 2010
About the author
Ally Condie
32 books14.2k followersAlly Condie is a former high school English teacher who lives with her husband, three sons and one daughter outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, running, eating, and listening to her husband play guitar.
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October 5, 2011
Official Transcripts
June 21, 2001 • AOL Chatroom AuthorTalk
ACondieHottie: Oh my gosh! Lois Lowry! You're actually online!
2timeNewbery: Sigh. Hello, Allie.
ACondieHottie: It's Ally. With a 'y'!
ACondieHottie: I can't believe u forgot! Don't u read my letters?
2timeNewbery: I've received them, yes.
ACondieHottie: Ur my favorite author! Ur books R so rad!
ACondieHottie: Especially The Giver! I love that one! It's so aweum!
ACondieHottie: Jonah's world is so neet! I want to write a book just like it!
ACondieHottie: I wish The Giver had more romance, though. My book would have romance.
ACondieHottie: Do u like romance? Have u ever been in love?
ACondieHottie: I haven't. I wish 2 boys would fight over me. That would b awesum!
ACondieHottie: Are u still there?
2timeNewbery: Yes.
ACondieHottie: If 2 boys fought over u, which one would u pick?
ACondieHottie: Would u choose the brooding, rebellious, artsy hottie or the gentle, good-natured boy you've known ur entire life?
ACondieHottie: I don't know who I would choose! It would b so confusing!
ACondieHottie: Do u ever get confused?
ACondieHottie: Are u still there?
2timeNewbery has logged off.
April 5, 2004 • AOL Chatroom AuthorTalk
ACondieHottie: Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!
2timeNewbery: Hello, Allie.
ACondieHottie: Ally!
ACondieHottie: I started writing a book!!
2timeNewbery: Good luck with that.
ACondieHottie: I have a question. How do u create tension in a book?
ACondieHottie: I can't seem to create any tension in my book!
ACondieHottie: Do u create tension by setting the story in the future? Because The Giver is set in the future, and it is really tense!
ACondieHottie: What if I capitalized random words? Does that create tension or uncertainty? Maybe that's what they'll do in the Future. ;)
ACondieHottie: Kissing is not Allowed in the Society!
ACondieHottie: lol
ACondieHottie: Are u still there?
2timeNewbery has logged off.
January 1, 2008 • Yahoo Instant Messenger
ACondieHottie: Happy New Year Day!!!
2timeNewbery: Hi, Amy.
ACondieHottie: Ally! Ally Condie!
2timeNewbery: Sorry.
ACondieHottie: I'm almost finished with my book, but I keep writing myself into corners.
ACondieHottie: In fact, my book just seems to trundle along happily, nothing much really happening.
ACondieHottie: It's actually kind of boring. I've fallen asleep a couple times while writing it! lol.
ACondieHottie: The more I try to make things happen, the less action there is. Maybe I should just have my characters kiss each other. Or long to kiss each other, even though it is not Allowed. ;)
ACondieHottie: Can I tell you something?
ACondieHottie: I really want my book to be just like yours! Really good and profound!
ACondieHottie: Don't get me wrong. My book is about horny teens, truth, and justice in a repressed society and yours is just about truth and justice in a repressed society. So it's different. But the same!
ACondieHottie: Because ur a genius and I like ur ideas. :)
2timeNewbery has logged off.
May 18, 2010 • Yahoo Instant Messenger
ACondieHottie: Eeeeeeeeeeee!!!! Ur online!!!
2timeNewbery: Hello, Allie.
ACondieHottie: Ally!
ACondieHottie: Did u receive the ARC of my book, Matched? I mailed one 2 u last week!
2timeNewbery: Yes.
ACondieHottie: What do u think?
2timeNewbery: I think you should find yourself a lawyer.
ACondieHottie has logged off.
June 21, 2001 • AOL Chatroom AuthorTalk
ACondieHottie: Oh my gosh! Lois Lowry! You're actually online!
2timeNewbery: Sigh. Hello, Allie.
ACondieHottie: It's Ally. With a 'y'!
ACondieHottie: I can't believe u forgot! Don't u read my letters?
2timeNewbery: I've received them, yes.
ACondieHottie: Ur my favorite author! Ur books R so rad!
ACondieHottie: Especially The Giver! I love that one! It's so aweum!
ACondieHottie: Jonah's world is so neet! I want to write a book just like it!
ACondieHottie: I wish The Giver had more romance, though. My book would have romance.
ACondieHottie: Do u like romance? Have u ever been in love?
ACondieHottie: I haven't. I wish 2 boys would fight over me. That would b awesum!
ACondieHottie: Are u still there?
2timeNewbery: Yes.
ACondieHottie: If 2 boys fought over u, which one would u pick?
ACondieHottie: Would u choose the brooding, rebellious, artsy hottie or the gentle, good-natured boy you've known ur entire life?
ACondieHottie: I don't know who I would choose! It would b so confusing!
ACondieHottie: Do u ever get confused?
ACondieHottie: Are u still there?
2timeNewbery has logged off.
April 5, 2004 • AOL Chatroom AuthorTalk
ACondieHottie: Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!
2timeNewbery: Hello, Allie.
ACondieHottie: Ally!
ACondieHottie: I started writing a book!!
2timeNewbery: Good luck with that.
ACondieHottie: I have a question. How do u create tension in a book?
ACondieHottie: I can't seem to create any tension in my book!
ACondieHottie: Do u create tension by setting the story in the future? Because The Giver is set in the future, and it is really tense!
ACondieHottie: What if I capitalized random words? Does that create tension or uncertainty? Maybe that's what they'll do in the Future. ;)
ACondieHottie: Kissing is not Allowed in the Society!
ACondieHottie: lol
ACondieHottie: Are u still there?
2timeNewbery has logged off.
January 1, 2008 • Yahoo Instant Messenger
ACondieHottie: Happy New Year Day!!!
2timeNewbery: Hi, Amy.
ACondieHottie: Ally! Ally Condie!
2timeNewbery: Sorry.
ACondieHottie: I'm almost finished with my book, but I keep writing myself into corners.
ACondieHottie: In fact, my book just seems to trundle along happily, nothing much really happening.
ACondieHottie: It's actually kind of boring. I've fallen asleep a couple times while writing it! lol.
ACondieHottie: The more I try to make things happen, the less action there is. Maybe I should just have my characters kiss each other. Or long to kiss each other, even though it is not Allowed. ;)
ACondieHottie: Can I tell you something?
ACondieHottie: I really want my book to be just like yours! Really good and profound!
ACondieHottie: Don't get me wrong. My book is about horny teens, truth, and justice in a repressed society and yours is just about truth and justice in a repressed society. So it's different. But the same!
ACondieHottie: Because ur a genius and I like ur ideas. :)
2timeNewbery has logged off.
May 18, 2010 • Yahoo Instant Messenger
ACondieHottie: Eeeeeeeeeeee!!!! Ur online!!!
2timeNewbery: Hello, Allie.
ACondieHottie: Ally!
ACondieHottie: Did u receive the ARC of my book, Matched? I mailed one 2 u last week!
2timeNewbery: Yes.
ACondieHottie: What do u think?
2timeNewbery: I think you should find yourself a lawyer.
ACondieHottie has logged off.
December 5, 2013
As seen on The Readventurer
First thing first. I think Ally Condie owes at least half of her seven-figure paycheck to Lois Lowry. The entire dystopian world is lifted directly from Lowry's The Giver. Almost everything interesting in Matched is very familiar - the idea of highly controlled Society (the Community in The Giver), the prearranged Matches, uniform clothing, the pills suppressing emotions, predetermination of everyone's life course, euthanized elderly, regulated personal possessions, the precision of the language, the family structure. The list goes on and on... What Condie adds of her own is too often doesn't make much sense - people are not allowed/can't write, but they know how to read and operate computers; Matches and procreation are controlled but teens can still snog around a bit; and what is the sorting job all about, I still have no idea. I am not the biggest fan of The Giver our there, but that novel had a horrifying, structured, world hiding behind its simplistic language. What hides behind the words of Matched is sheer emptiness. And boredom and unoriginality.
If all "borrowed" dystopian ideas are stripped away, what is left is a tepid, G-rated teen romance affair with an obligatory love triangle and magical love connections. Even the male love interests are the same old tired cliches - a sweet and loyal best friend type and a mysterious, hurt, emo type quoting poetry. Yawn! Yawn! Yawn!
Ally Condie's writing is serviceable enough. So are the characters. No male character requires a restraining order against him, no female - a head check for putting up with abusive crap. But is this (and a pretty cover) really a recipe for success these days? There is nothing in this novel to get excited over. There is no urgency to Condie's writing, no passion. Just dull characters, dull relationships, dull conflicts, dull conversations...
I can't whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone, it simply doesn't offer anything new or noteworthy. But some fans of lukewarm-romance-driven stories like Birthmarked or Beautiful Creatures might enjoy it I suppose.
Do I really need to say I am not coming back for more?
P.S. Apparently, Disney picked it up for development! WHY?!
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118...
First thing first. I think Ally Condie owes at least half of her seven-figure paycheck to Lois Lowry. The entire dystopian world is lifted directly from Lowry's The Giver. Almost everything interesting in Matched is very familiar - the idea of highly controlled Society (the Community in The Giver), the prearranged Matches, uniform clothing, the pills suppressing emotions, predetermination of everyone's life course, euthanized elderly, regulated personal possessions, the precision of the language, the family structure. The list goes on and on... What Condie adds of her own is too often doesn't make much sense - people are not allowed/can't write, but they know how to read and operate computers; Matches and procreation are controlled but teens can still snog around a bit; and what is the sorting job all about, I still have no idea. I am not the biggest fan of The Giver our there, but that novel had a horrifying, structured, world hiding behind its simplistic language. What hides behind the words of Matched is sheer emptiness. And boredom and unoriginality.
If all "borrowed" dystopian ideas are stripped away, what is left is a tepid, G-rated teen romance affair with an obligatory love triangle and magical love connections. Even the male love interests are the same old tired cliches - a sweet and loyal best friend type and a mysterious, hurt, emo type quoting poetry. Yawn! Yawn! Yawn!
Ally Condie's writing is serviceable enough. So are the characters. No male character requires a restraining order against him, no female - a head check for putting up with abusive crap. But is this (and a pretty cover) really a recipe for success these days? There is nothing in this novel to get excited over. There is no urgency to Condie's writing, no passion. Just dull characters, dull relationships, dull conflicts, dull conversations...
I can't whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone, it simply doesn't offer anything new or noteworthy. But some fans of lukewarm-romance-driven stories like Birthmarked or Beautiful Creatures might enjoy it I suppose.
Do I really need to say I am not coming back for more?
P.S. Apparently, Disney picked it up for development! WHY?!
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118...
January 2, 2020
that feeling when you enjoy a book, go and check out other reviews, see it has a friend average of 2.99, and then you silently question everything about your life. 😂
i dont know what to say other then i liked this. i thought it was fresh, original, and entertaining. i thought the plot was cool, i found myself caring about the characters, and im looking forward to the next book.
my entertainment standards must be pretty low. lol.
↠ 4 stars
i dont know what to say other then i liked this. i thought it was fresh, original, and entertaining. i thought the plot was cool, i found myself caring about the characters, and im looking forward to the next book.
my entertainment standards must be pretty low. lol.
↠ 4 stars
February 14, 2011
Matched drew me in with it's unique summary and beautiful cover, unfortunately that is where my fascination ended.
I wanted to like this book.... actually I wanted to love it, but I didn't. I had a very hard time getting though this novel. I even had to take a break from it completely, and I only kept reading because of the encouragement from others that had read it, insisting that it would get better. It didn't get a whole lot better for me.
I guess my biggest problem was that I was bored for most of the novel. I was bored with the story, the characters.... everything. Cassia was selfish, and dull. I tried to like her, but she never really gave me much reason to. Her relationships with Xander and Ky were impassive, I understand that Xander was 'chosen' for her, so there were going to be fireworks every time they touched, but I still didn't even understand their appeal as friends, not just as a romantically involved couple. And the obsession with Ky... why? And that's all that it felt like to me, an obsession. I didn't feel or see the energy between them.
The Society wasn't explained very well. Why is The Society there? How did it come to be? Why the current precautions? Why are there people that live in The Society and others that don't? There is a war going on? Why? Where? With who? I had more questions than anything.
I didn't know enough about the characters and the life they were living to really care about them. It felt like a very long prologue to another story.
The few chapters at the end of the story piqued my interest somewhat, but even then it was tainted with how I had felt through most of the entire novel. It was beautifully written... but I just couldn't get into it.
Still undecided on reading the rest of the trilogy.
I wanted to like this book.... actually I wanted to love it, but I didn't. I had a very hard time getting though this novel. I even had to take a break from it completely, and I only kept reading because of the encouragement from others that had read it, insisting that it would get better. It didn't get a whole lot better for me.
I guess my biggest problem was that I was bored for most of the novel. I was bored with the story, the characters.... everything. Cassia was selfish, and dull. I tried to like her, but she never really gave me much reason to. Her relationships with Xander and Ky were impassive, I understand that Xander was 'chosen' for her, so there were going to be fireworks every time they touched, but I still didn't even understand their appeal as friends, not just as a romantically involved couple. And the obsession with Ky... why? And that's all that it felt like to me, an obsession. I didn't feel or see the energy between them.
The Society wasn't explained very well. Why is The Society there? How did it come to be? Why the current precautions? Why are there people that live in The Society and others that don't? There is a war going on? Why? Where? With who? I had more questions than anything.
I didn't know enough about the characters and the life they were living to really care about them. It felt like a very long prologue to another story.
The few chapters at the end of the story piqued my interest somewhat, but even then it was tainted with how I had felt through most of the entire novel. It was beautifully written... but I just couldn't get into it.
Still undecided on reading the rest of the trilogy.
June 18, 2020
1.5 stars
March 30, 2012
Soo... basic storyline being of a society where officials decide every aspect of a person's life from the big stuff as in who they'll marry (or be 'matched' with) and when they'll die to the little stuff like what they eat, how they dress and their daily routines. The story tells how Cassia is matched to a boy but falls for another and suddenly begins to question the rules of the society, heading as she does so straight into a world of secrets and danger. Great sounding plot, am I right? Too bad it turned out to be rather mediocre in practice.
Well, for me this book managed to redeem itself right near the very end and escape being the "it's ok" marker. One of the biggest problems was the hype about this book, I've been waiting to get my hands on this for ages, just dying to sink my teeth into it - after all, dystopian fiction is my one true literary love. So, because of this, the disappointment fell even heavier. I love the idea but there were just so many things about the story that made me feel it never really took off and reached it's full potential. To make my point, I'm going to review the novel as two parts: first as a dystopian novel, and then as a love story.
As I already mentioned, I love dystopian societies and I have done ever since I read Nineteen Eighty-Four when I was twelve. However, my love for dystopia is concentrated on the high action and/or shocking tragedy that define the genre. In my opinion, it's hard to feel a great sense of dystopia in Matched. Nothing majorly tragic or gripping happens until the last few chapters and by then you've lost touch with the story and the characters. It's slow-moving and, though I never thought I'd use this phrase in a review, it 'lacks drama'. If you compare it to 'The Handmaid's Tale' or 'Declaration' for example, there's none of that built up tension throughout. I read these books on the edge of my seat feeling every emotion with the protagonists and even beginning to panic at the peaks of the two novels. Matched just never got my blood pressure up, there was no sense of urgency or despair. For a long time the society didn't really seem that bad at all. Where's the dystopia? The action? The despair? Maybe I'm just a twisted individual but the society wasn't 'bad' enough for me.
And the love story. Because that's the other thing this novel is about. Well, the only time I felt any real connection or chemistry between Cassia and Ky was in the last few chapters, I could sense that the author was attempting to build it up slowly but I never latched on to it. In fact, for a good while all I did was feel sorry for poor Xander and wish she'd just except a life with him and let Ky get on with being mysterious and weird. But, it did pull back and the novel ended with me wanting Cassia to go find him. There may be hope for this love story yet.
The ending was the most commendable part of the novel. I'd started to think that there would be no point in me buying the second book in the series as the first one had done nothing for me. And then the ending left me interested, engrossed and eager to find out more. It opened up a wider mystery that would have been so much better if the author had built it up by slowly alluding to it throughout the novel, then I wouldn't have been so shocked to find that the book wasn't so terrible overall. I will say, though, I loved her Grandad from Cassia's first conversation with him, I found him cute and lovable - far more intriguing than any other character.
I might get the second book because of an unexpected need to find out where the author will take us next. I did enjoy parts of it, especially the ending, I'm just a strange individual who's more into dark dystopia, I have too high expectations of the genre. Also, with the girl in that stunning green dress, it will look way too pretty on your bookshelf.
January 9, 2011
Book Review
Okay I promised I'll write an in depth review so here it is and I'll try to not put biggie spoilers. (I'm going to use Q & A style of reviewing this time)
What made you pick-up the book?
> I actually watched a book trailer in Youtube (the link to that vid was way down there somewhere) so and yeah I got intrigued by that video and then I go to goodreads and read reviews about it. I was a bit shock about the mix reviews, some was positive and some was negative. So because of it I think I should read it so I have to know for myself if it's good or not.
What are your expectations before reading it?
> I actually have lower expectations since I've read a couple of negative reviews and they said it was very similar to The Giver by Lois Lowry. Honestly I didn't like The Giver (I just gave it two stars) and at first I thought that maybe I wouldn't like the book but at least I'd love to give utopia a second try.
What do you love about the book?
>Okay there are many things I love about this book:
a. Writing Style- it was prose with a mix of poetry (somewhat lyrical) so if you adore Maggie Stiefvater's or Carrie Ryan's style of writing you probably would love Ally Condie's style as well.
b. Cassia (the heroine)- actually the heroine was not annoying and she has a strong voice. To be more specific, her character at first was a weak one and as the story progresses, her way of thinking changes and it got deeper and deeper. She actually got a good character development and she has a lot of epiphanies about her so-called perfect society and that's what I love about her.
Everything around her seems perfect when you look at it superficially but when you try to analyze it deeper there society was perfect but they have no choices, no freedom at all, they're like society's puppets.
c. The love story- at first the love story was idk just a love story, but it has actually implies idk what you call that uhhhm symbolism or whatever...so yeah this is what I just think about it:
Xander vs Ky
or this could mean (own interpretation folks)
Conformity vs. Rebellion
Known vs. Unknown
Perfection vs. Imperfection
Love that was dictated by Society vs. Love that was dictated by oneself
d. Ky and Cassia's relationship- it builds up (it actually builds up *sorry for the repetition folks*). So yeah I just wanna rant those other books wherein yeah the boy meets girl or rather the girl meets boy and then baaaaaaam for 5 seconds they freaking love each other (like they're soulmates or idk destined for each other *gags*). Come on that was so unrealistic when authors do that, it seems they're too lazy to write the part of you know "getting-to-know-each-other" part of a relationship *coughs*. So yeah :) that was what I like about this book, I mean yeah whatever idk how to explains it but they actually have that "getting-to-know-each-other" thingy.
And idk when I was reading this book I felt like I'm not reading it (if you know what I mean), I felt like I was existing inside the book. Like I was Cassia and I felt all her emotions and I empathize with her problems and I can see her world right into my eyes.
So yeah I just felt that while I was reading this, I would definitely pick every choices that Cassia made. I know that in my hearts of heart I would fall in love with Ky even though it was forbidden, even though my Society says that Xander was the one I was suppose to marry. I mean there's just something about Ky that pulls you into him even if it was dangerous. Ky was mysterious and his story was what urge me to know more about him (just like Cassia). Is it that wonderful when you actually was curious to know more about a person because of his/her imperfection and rather of his/her perfection?
What do you hate about the book?
a. It was unoriginal.
> Actually there's something about this book that screams out Rip-off and Plagiarism *ever read The Giver and Hunger Games?*. Yeah but I think since this book was in the genre of utopia/dystopia, maybe there were just a few things/elements that will be always similar like:
-The Political Intrigue
-Human vs. Society
-Rebellion
-"The Government/Society Lied" thingy or "Your whole life was a lie" thingy
-the protagonist will always have moments of "Epiphany" on the book
-Social Manipulation sort of stuff
-Philosophical and Political morals/ideas that would be shove into your throat as the storyline progresses
b. I felt that the book was idk the term uhhhhm "bridge" or "exposition/ introduction" for the other books. I mean in this book there are hints that some people outside the province were actually rebelling and there's like a war blah blah blah. But in this book the rebellion was not yet elaborated so I think that will be for the next books to come.
c. I love it but the ending, I felt that it wasn't an ending at all. Idk there are so many questions that are left hanging and I felt that to be able to really judge this book you need to read the whole series and how things will be played out in the end. So yeah I need the next book pretty fast!
What are other books you want to recommend with the same genre?
Okay so I just list them here, I'll divide dystopia and utopia and will sort of rank them out:
Dystopia:
1.
(5stars)
(5stars)
(both 1 star and 5stars)
2.
(5stars)
(2stars)
3.
(5stars)
4.
(4stars)
(2stars)
Utopia:
1.
(5stars)
2.
(2stars)
3.
(2stars)
Note:
Weeeeee! I just finished Matched and it was AMAZING. I want more!!!
I love Ky Markham btw he kinda reminds me of someone *daydream for a moment*
*coughs*the guy I fallen in love with in High School*coughs*
(Eeeeeeeeeeek,
*violently shoves someone*)
Yeah and I just want to share a conversation with my classmate here:
(So yeah I think I just recommend Matched by Ally Condie to my friend, because this book has zero violence but has an amazing Dystopia theme *it was quite similar to the Giver but this one has romance and the writing was breathtakingly beautiful*)
Yeah, idk what else to say, I will have an in depth review of the book on Sunday.
**********************************************************
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaeNWL...
(very nice book trailer here)
Okay I promised I'll write an in depth review so here it is and I'll try to not put biggie spoilers. (I'm going to use Q & A style of reviewing this time)
What made you pick-up the book?
> I actually watched a book trailer in Youtube (the link to that vid was way down there somewhere) so and yeah I got intrigued by that video and then I go to goodreads and read reviews about it. I was a bit shock about the mix reviews, some was positive and some was negative. So because of it I think I should read it so I have to know for myself if it's good or not.
What are your expectations before reading it?
> I actually have lower expectations since I've read a couple of negative reviews and they said it was very similar to The Giver by Lois Lowry. Honestly I didn't like The Giver (I just gave it two stars) and at first I thought that maybe I wouldn't like the book but at least I'd love to give utopia a second try.
What do you love about the book?
>Okay there are many things I love about this book:
a. Writing Style- it was prose with a mix of poetry (somewhat lyrical) so if you adore Maggie Stiefvater's or Carrie Ryan's style of writing you probably would love Ally Condie's style as well.
b. Cassia (the heroine)- actually the heroine was not annoying and she has a strong voice. To be more specific, her character at first was a weak one and as the story progresses, her way of thinking changes and it got deeper and deeper. She actually got a good character development and she has a lot of epiphanies about her so-called perfect society and that's what I love about her.
Everything around her seems perfect when you look at it superficially but when you try to analyze it deeper there society was perfect but they have no choices, no freedom at all, they're like society's puppets.
c. The love story- at first the love story was idk just a love story, but it has actually implies idk what you call that uhhhm symbolism or whatever...so yeah this is what I just think about it:
Xander vs Ky
or this could mean (own interpretation folks)
Conformity vs. Rebellion
Known vs. Unknown
Perfection vs. Imperfection
Love that was dictated by Society vs. Love that was dictated by oneself
d. Ky and Cassia's relationship- it builds up (it actually builds up *sorry for the repetition folks*). So yeah I just wanna rant those other books wherein yeah the boy meets girl or rather the girl meets boy and then baaaaaaam for 5 seconds they freaking love each other (like they're soulmates or idk destined for each other *gags*). Come on that was so unrealistic when authors do that, it seems they're too lazy to write the part of you know "getting-to-know-each-other" part of a relationship *coughs*. So yeah :) that was what I like about this book, I mean yeah whatever idk how to explains it but they actually have that "getting-to-know-each-other" thingy.
And idk when I was reading this book I felt like I'm not reading it (if you know what I mean), I felt like I was existing inside the book. Like I was Cassia and I felt all her emotions and I empathize with her problems and I can see her world right into my eyes.
So yeah I just felt that while I was reading this, I would definitely pick every choices that Cassia made. I know that in my hearts of heart I would fall in love with Ky even though it was forbidden, even though my Society says that Xander was the one I was suppose to marry. I mean there's just something about Ky that pulls you into him even if it was dangerous. Ky was mysterious and his story was what urge me to know more about him (just like Cassia). Is it that wonderful when you actually was curious to know more about a person because of his/her imperfection and rather of his/her perfection?
What do you hate about the book?
a. It was unoriginal.
> Actually there's something about this book that screams out Rip-off and Plagiarism *ever read The Giver and Hunger Games?*. Yeah but I think since this book was in the genre of utopia/dystopia, maybe there were just a few things/elements that will be always similar like:
-The Political Intrigue
-Human vs. Society
-Rebellion
-"The Government/Society Lied" thingy or "Your whole life was a lie" thingy
-the protagonist will always have moments of "Epiphany" on the book
-Social Manipulation sort of stuff
-Philosophical and Political morals/ideas that would be shove into your throat as the storyline progresses
b. I felt that the book was idk the term uhhhhm "bridge" or "exposition/ introduction" for the other books. I mean in this book there are hints that some people outside the province were actually rebelling and there's like a war blah blah blah. But in this book the rebellion was not yet elaborated so I think that will be for the next books to come.
c. I love it but the ending, I felt that it wasn't an ending at all. Idk there are so many questions that are left hanging and I felt that to be able to really judge this book you need to read the whole series and how things will be played out in the end. So yeah I need the next book pretty fast!
What are other books you want to recommend with the same genre?
Okay so I just list them here, I'll divide dystopia and utopia and will sort of rank them out:
Dystopia:
1.
(5stars)
(5stars)
(both 1 star and 5stars)2.
(5stars)
(2stars)3.
(5stars)4.
(4stars)
(2stars)Utopia:
1.
(5stars)2.
(2stars)3.
(2stars)Note:
Weeeeee! I just finished Matched and it was AMAZING. I want more!!!
I love Ky Markham btw he kinda reminds me of someone *daydream for a moment*
*coughs*
(Eeeeeeeeeeek,
*violently shoves someone*)Yeah and I just want to share a conversation with my classmate here:
Joyzi: Hey I recommend you to read the Hunger Games it was so amazing blah blah blah and I read it like in one sitting cuz I can't put it down and Peeta was so sweet and everything blah blah blah, best book ever blah blah
Friend: ah okay :)
After a few days...
Joyzi: Hey have you finished the Hunger Games?
Friend: No I don't want to read it.
Joyzi: Why?
Friend: I kinda go to wikipedia and I found out it was a violent book, children killing children kinda.
Joyzi: Yeah it was pretty violent. Why? Don't you wanna read something that has gore on it?
Friend: Sorry friend but violence is not my cuppa.
(So yeah I think I just recommend Matched by Ally Condie to my friend, because this book has zero violence but has an amazing Dystopia theme *it was quite similar to the Giver but this one has romance and the writing was breathtakingly beautiful*)
Yeah, idk what else to say, I will have an in depth review of the book on Sunday.
**********************************************************
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaeNWL...
(very nice book trailer here)
March 13, 2011
Everything in this book is so CLEAN! I loved that. You have to understand, I had a "thing" for utopian societies in high school. BRAVE NEW WORLD, THIS PERFECT DAY, HARRISON BERGERON . . . oh, yes! I've read them all. And what struck me about some of them was that it was supposed to be the perfect, future society, but everyone just seemed so sweaty . . . But not so in the Society. Everything is carefully sanitized. Clothes are clean, or quickly changed when they are not. The world has been cleaned up: there are only one hundred poems left, one hundred paintings . . . because too many choices, too many THINGS contributed to the confusion of their ancestors (us, in short). The world has been streamlined, recycled, and recreated into this sterile perfection, and it fascinated me. I loved the fact that Cassia feels like things are spiraling out of control, and they are, for her. But she continues to eat her specially prepared meals, continues to go to work and to the school, so the temptation to succumb, to go back to the dreamy calm of no choices and no worries is always there. The reader wonders until the last page: what will she do? Will the Society pull her back in, or will she rebel? Her dilemma is artfully done, and there is appeal in both of her choices. It was what kept me reading, along with the flawlessness of this serene Society which Ally Condie has created.
So, this book has been heavily promoted. (I should be so lucky as to have PR like this!) And with that comes the fear that the book itself isn't very good, just the PR team. Well, have no fear, my people! The book is worth the hype. This is 1984 for teens, and it works. Also, I myself am not a "romance" person, particularly when it comes to YA. I will admit there have been other books in which my eyes rolled so much I feared they would fall out. I loved the romance in this one, I thought it was very natural and very well done.
Two thumbs way up for Ally and MATCHED! Can't wait for the sequel!
So, this book has been heavily promoted. (I should be so lucky as to have PR like this!) And with that comes the fear that the book itself isn't very good, just the PR team. Well, have no fear, my people! The book is worth the hype. This is 1984 for teens, and it works. Also, I myself am not a "romance" person, particularly when it comes to YA. I will admit there have been other books in which my eyes rolled so much I feared they would fall out. I loved the romance in this one, I thought it was very natural and very well done.
Two thumbs way up for Ally and MATCHED! Can't wait for the sequel!
June 17, 2021
i am about to tell you the least surprising thing ever:
i was one of those kids who ate lunch in the english teacher's classroom in middle school.
her name was Ms. Costello, she was like probably 25 years old and had a specific intense celebrity crush i can't remember, and she once told us all in passing that you should put lotion on while your skin is wet and i ascribed to her philosophies so intently that i now cannot physically tolerate the sensation of lotion on dry skin.
she is important to me and i would die for her. unrelatedly, i haven't even seen her in passing in 10 years and i have no idea what she's up to.
anyway. there were maybe 3-4 girls who lunched with Ms. Costello, and we used to take books from her in-class library all the goddamn time. teacher's pet privilege pays.
this is one that we all read, like we were a love-starved pubescent micro-book club. we basically exclusively read dystopian stuff with love triangles, and we lived for it.
i loved this then (because it met my singular standard of Girl Like Me Is Adored By Multiple Hot Teenage Boys), but i reread it later and. well. didn't.
didn't reread it AND didn't love it.
but i still have the memories! <3
again, part of a project i'm doing where i tell you all i'm reviewing books i read a long time ago but i trick you into learning about me.
i was one of those kids who ate lunch in the english teacher's classroom in middle school.
her name was Ms. Costello, she was like probably 25 years old and had a specific intense celebrity crush i can't remember, and she once told us all in passing that you should put lotion on while your skin is wet and i ascribed to her philosophies so intently that i now cannot physically tolerate the sensation of lotion on dry skin.
she is important to me and i would die for her. unrelatedly, i haven't even seen her in passing in 10 years and i have no idea what she's up to.
anyway. there were maybe 3-4 girls who lunched with Ms. Costello, and we used to take books from her in-class library all the goddamn time. teacher's pet privilege pays.
this is one that we all read, like we were a love-starved pubescent micro-book club. we basically exclusively read dystopian stuff with love triangles, and we lived for it.
i loved this then (because it met my singular standard of Girl Like Me Is Adored By Multiple Hot Teenage Boys), but i reread it later and. well. didn't.
didn't reread it AND didn't love it.
but i still have the memories! <3
again, part of a project i'm doing where i tell you all i'm reviewing books i read a long time ago but i trick you into learning about me.
July 5, 2018
yeah.
this is one i might be too old for. a lot of people compare this to The Giver, and i get it, in that they are both these forced-utopias, but then, so is The Stepford Wives, yeah? but since i didn't like the giver, i can't really complain that this was a rip-off, because neither of them did very much for me, so i'm not going to go waving any flags around in either's defense. you are on your own, books...
but if i had to.
this one may have been slightly more entertaining to me because it was less dated. and of course, they both take place in a temporal neverland, so it's not that it is actually dated, but that the ideals of the society just feel more shiny chrome in this one. but this is a utopia with cracks. and they are starting to show. and i like that.
i like reading these dark-future novels just for the details - to see how they differ. and even in the ones i am not in love with, there are always one or two details that make me think - "oh - interesting take on the subject"
in this version, everyone is beautiful and fit - everyone automatically receives their required amount of calories so no one is overweight or enjoys food - it is purely fuel, except on v special occasions.
books and ideas are stripped down to 100 poems, 100 songs, etc.
museums are for unnecessary things like jewelry and trinkets from the past
marriages are arranged between teenagers to create the most productive pairing/offspring
everyone dies at 80.
those are the facts, but at the end of the day, it is still a pretty basic love triangle, so - yawn.
it is frustrating because there seem to be so many opportunuties for rebellion, but no one really takes advantage of that, including the author. there are tiny, teen-angst rebellions, but they are almost factored into by the society as inveitable, as part of a learning curve. i wanted to hear more about that, and the ripple effect those had to group dynamics and obedience in adults. maybe in the sequel?? which i will read because even books like this that are only okay have enough page-turning-ness to keep me interested.
or maybe i am just a sucker.
it's a pretty tame, pretty unchallenging read - probably good for those reluctant teen readers, it just doesn't push the YA envelope enough for my old haggard tastes.
come to my blog!
this is one i might be too old for. a lot of people compare this to The Giver, and i get it, in that they are both these forced-utopias, but then, so is The Stepford Wives, yeah? but since i didn't like the giver, i can't really complain that this was a rip-off, because neither of them did very much for me, so i'm not going to go waving any flags around in either's defense. you are on your own, books...
but if i had to.
this one may have been slightly more entertaining to me because it was less dated. and of course, they both take place in a temporal neverland, so it's not that it is actually dated, but that the ideals of the society just feel more shiny chrome in this one. but this is a utopia with cracks. and they are starting to show. and i like that.
i like reading these dark-future novels just for the details - to see how they differ. and even in the ones i am not in love with, there are always one or two details that make me think - "oh - interesting take on the subject"
in this version, everyone is beautiful and fit - everyone automatically receives their required amount of calories so no one is overweight or enjoys food - it is purely fuel, except on v special occasions.
books and ideas are stripped down to 100 poems, 100 songs, etc.
museums are for unnecessary things like jewelry and trinkets from the past
marriages are arranged between teenagers to create the most productive pairing/offspring
everyone dies at 80.
those are the facts, but at the end of the day, it is still a pretty basic love triangle, so - yawn.
it is frustrating because there seem to be so many opportunuties for rebellion, but no one really takes advantage of that, including the author. there are tiny, teen-angst rebellions, but they are almost factored into by the society as inveitable, as part of a learning curve. i wanted to hear more about that, and the ripple effect those had to group dynamics and obedience in adults. maybe in the sequel?? which i will read because even books like this that are only okay have enough page-turning-ness to keep me interested.
or maybe i am just a sucker.
it's a pretty tame, pretty unchallenging read - probably good for those reluctant teen readers, it just doesn't push the YA envelope enough for my old haggard tastes.
come to my blog!
May 14, 2021
Matched (Matched, #1), Ally Condie
Matched, by Ally Condie, is the first novel in the Matched trilogy.
The novel is a dystopian young adult novel about a tightly-controlled society in which young people are "matched" with their life partners at the age of 17.
The main character is seventeen-year-old Cassia Reyes, who is Matched with her best friend, Xander Carrow.
However, when viewing the information for her Match, the picture of another young man - Ky Markham, an acquaintance outcast at her school - is flashed across the screen.
As Cassia attempts to figure out the source of the mishap, she finds herself conflicted about whether her Match is appropriate for her - and whether the Society is all that it seems to be.
This book is followed by Crossed and Reached.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و دوم ماه نوامبر سال 2016میلادی
عنوان: مجموعه همسان کتاب اول: همسان؛ نویسنده: آلیسون (آلی) کوندی (کاندی)؛ مترجم: محمدرضا قاسمی؛ تهران، آذرباد، 1394؛ در 386ص؛ شابک دوره 9786006225753؛ شابک کتاب اول: 9786006225760؛ از مجموعه همسان کتاب اول؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان امریکایی سده 21م
عنوان کتاب دوم این سه گانه عصیانگر است
این مأموران هستند، که تصمیم میگیرند، شما که چه کسی را دوست بدارید، کجا کار کنید، چه زمانی بمیرید؛ «کاسیا»، همیشه به تصمیمات آنها، باور داشته است؛ با یاری آنها میتوان، زندگی ای طولانی، شغلی عالی، و جفتی ایده آل داشت؛ پس وقتی که چهره ی بهترین دوستش روی صفحه ی نمایشگر همسانی نقش بست، «کاسیا» میدانست، که او همسر آینده اش است...؛ تا وقتی که دید، یک چهره ی دیگر نیز، پیش از آنکه صفحه ی نمایشگر سیاه شود، برای یک لحظه به نمایش درآمد؛ حالا «کاسیا» با انتخابهای غیرممکنی روبرو است؛ انتخاب بین «زاندر» و «کای»، بین زندگی ای که یک عمر آن را میشناخته، و مسیری که هیچکس دیگری، جرأت نداشته، در آن گام بگذارد؛ انتخابی بین کمال و عشق؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 23/02/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Matched, by Ally Condie, is the first novel in the Matched trilogy.
The novel is a dystopian young adult novel about a tightly-controlled society in which young people are "matched" with their life partners at the age of 17.
The main character is seventeen-year-old Cassia Reyes, who is Matched with her best friend, Xander Carrow.
However, when viewing the information for her Match, the picture of another young man - Ky Markham, an acquaintance outcast at her school - is flashed across the screen.
As Cassia attempts to figure out the source of the mishap, she finds herself conflicted about whether her Match is appropriate for her - and whether the Society is all that it seems to be.
This book is followed by Crossed and Reached.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و دوم ماه نوامبر سال 2016میلادی
عنوان: مجموعه همسان کتاب اول: همسان؛ نویسنده: آلیسون (آلی) کوندی (کاندی)؛ مترجم: محمدرضا قاسمی؛ تهران، آذرباد، 1394؛ در 386ص؛ شابک دوره 9786006225753؛ شابک کتاب اول: 9786006225760؛ از مجموعه همسان کتاب اول؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان امریکایی سده 21م
عنوان کتاب دوم این سه گانه عصیانگر است
این مأموران هستند، که تصمیم میگیرند، شما که چه کسی را دوست بدارید، کجا کار کنید، چه زمانی بمیرید؛ «کاسیا»، همیشه به تصمیمات آنها، باور داشته است؛ با یاری آنها میتوان، زندگی ای طولانی، شغلی عالی، و جفتی ایده آل داشت؛ پس وقتی که چهره ی بهترین دوستش روی صفحه ی نمایشگر همسانی نقش بست، «کاسیا» میدانست، که او همسر آینده اش است...؛ تا وقتی که دید، یک چهره ی دیگر نیز، پیش از آنکه صفحه ی نمایشگر سیاه شود، برای یک لحظه به نمایش درآمد؛ حالا «کاسیا» با انتخابهای غیرممکنی روبرو است؛ انتخاب بین «زاندر» و «کای»، بین زندگی ای که یک عمر آن را میشناخته، و مسیری که هیچکس دیگری، جرأت نداشته، در آن گام بگذارد؛ انتخابی بین کمال و عشق؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 23/02/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
January 19, 2015
1.5 stars
Usually I can power through a crappy book and make it to the end but man oh man I just couldn't do it with this damn book.
I feel like this entire book was just an intro for the rest of the series. A super. Long. Dragged out. Intro. The conflict was introduced but nothing ever really happened with it. All of the sudden she's in love, like what?
Just not a fan.
1.5 stars only bc I like the writing style, the content was lacking
Usually I can power through a crappy book and make it to the end but man oh man I just couldn't do it with this damn book.
I feel like this entire book was just an intro for the rest of the series. A super. Long. Dragged out. Intro. The conflict was introduced but nothing ever really happened with it. All of the sudden she's in love, like what?
Just not a fan.
1.5 stars only bc I like the writing style, the content was lacking
May 12, 2021
2 Stars
(P: Poor, or D as in Dull)
Actually something in real life made me read this. (some of the things happening in our society is terrifyingly similar to this, I’m afraid!)
What if we didn’t have a choice over our lives?
The world building, the society, was simple & disciplined, too strict, too nosy, recording everything & knows what you will choose for the special occasions. (this actually reminded me of “Winter Soldier” Marvel movie.) I cannot believe how no one protested yet, I could’ve throw it across the wall if it wasn’t on my phone!
What if you could read only 100 books?
Listen to Only 100 music?
Only 100 poems survived?
& everything else was forgotten forever…
Can you imagine??
What if you could only wear clothes with a few colours?
& you couldn’t even choose that one person, the Special one, you would live with for the rest of your life, because the society decided that for you.
No choices.
No privacy.
You can’t have whatever your heart desires.
Even your dreams are not safe anymore.
This world seems like a nightmare to me.
(the italic part is my opinion just to be emphasized how horrible the world is, not from the book.)
Vibes: Divergent & Shatter me (Dystopian)- this world was better than Shatter me & very simpler than Divergent
Great beginning.
slow middle.
shocking end.
It was good & fascinating at first, intriguing, but then it felt like a journal, filled with unimportant details of a routine life & chores, annoyingly too many short sentences & slow pace.
The author needed to add some excitements to this book. Some rebels, some protests, some people who ignored the laws.
The characters were naïve & stupid, accepting what the strict society forced them to do. I wanted a badass heroine ignoring or defying the law, someone like Katniss or Tris, but Cassia was too plain to be a protagonist, she has her doubts, yes, but when you don’t act on them, it feels like you don’t have a problem with them. (I know it needs a courage & effort to go against the flow.)
good news is, she changed at last. (though annoyingly very slowly!)
in the end, I started to like Cassia & Xander.
of course we have a love triangle. (no surprise there.) which actually I think could’ve been built good, had the potential at least, but actually it was not. (& I blame the plain boring heroine for that.
I only care about Ky here & want to see his history & what he would do, what would happen to him.
It actually had some great pace in the end & with what happened there, I will not abandon the series!
If you like too much Romance & a lot of Poetry, you might like this one. I’m not a romance reader, I'm a child of action fantasy & adrenaline adventures with sub-plot romance.
maybe one day, something hit my head to continue this series. (as I've heard book 2 is even slower than this one)
but not today, not now.
(P: Poor, or D as in Dull)
Actually something in real life made me read this. (some of the things happening in our society is terrifyingly similar to this, I’m afraid!)
What if we didn’t have a choice over our lives?
The world building, the society, was simple & disciplined, too strict, too nosy, recording everything & knows what you will choose for the special occasions. (this actually reminded me of “Winter Soldier” Marvel movie.) I cannot believe how no one protested yet, I could’ve throw it across the wall if it wasn’t on my phone!
What if you could read only 100 books?
Listen to Only 100 music?
Only 100 poems survived?
& everything else was forgotten forever…
Can you imagine??
What if you could only wear clothes with a few colours?
& you couldn’t even choose that one person, the Special one, you would live with for the rest of your life, because the society decided that for you.
No choices.
No privacy.
You can’t have whatever your heart desires.
Even your dreams are not safe anymore.
This world seems like a nightmare to me.
(the italic part is my opinion just to be emphasized how horrible the world is, not from the book.)
Vibes: Divergent & Shatter me (Dystopian)- this world was better than Shatter me & very simpler than Divergent
Great beginning.
slow middle.
shocking end.
It was good & fascinating at first, intriguing, but then it felt like a journal, filled with unimportant details of a routine life & chores, annoyingly too many short sentences & slow pace.
The author needed to add some excitements to this book. Some rebels, some protests, some people who ignored the laws.
The characters were naïve & stupid, accepting what the strict society forced them to do. I wanted a badass heroine ignoring or defying the law, someone like Katniss or Tris, but Cassia was too plain to be a protagonist, she has her doubts, yes, but when you don’t act on them, it feels like you don’t have a problem with them. (I know it needs a courage & effort to go against the flow.)
good news is, she changed at last. (though annoyingly very slowly!)
in the end, I started to like Cassia & Xander.
of course we have a love triangle. (no surprise there.) which actually I think could’ve been built good, had the potential at least, but actually it was not. (& I blame the plain boring heroine for that.
I only care about Ky here & want to see his history & what he would do, what would happen to him.
It actually had some great pace in the end & with what happened there, I will not abandon the series!
If you like too much Romance & a lot of Poetry, you might like this one. I’m not a romance reader, I'm a child of action fantasy & adrenaline adventures with sub-plot romance.
maybe one day, something hit my head to continue this series. (as I've heard book 2 is even slower than this one)
but not today, not now.
May 10, 2015
5.5 scorching soul-matched stars....
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
"I push myself hard.The words of Thomas poems so wild and beautiful that i keep reapeating them silently as i run..Do not go gentle,do not go gentle,do not go gentle,until realization hits me :There's a reason thy didn't keep this poem.
This poem tells you to fight."
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
"I smile as Xander's face appears on the screen.I reach out to touch the words COURTSHIP GUIDELINES on the screen but before I do that Xander's face darkens and then disappears.
My heart stops,and i cant beleive what i see.A face comes back into view. And its not Xander."
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
"Why are there so much green and brown and blue here ?"He asks me.
"Maybe because they are growing colours and so much of our Province is agriculture".I say."You know.How blue is the color of water ,and brown the color of fall and harvest.And green is the color of spring."
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
"You know,you dont need me.You could teach yourself" he says."You could look at the letters on your scribe or your reader."
"There not the same.",i tell him."They dont connect like yours.I've seen your kind of writing beofre ,but i don't know what its called."
"Cursive",he says softly."It's harder to read , but its beautiful .I'ts one of the old ways of writing."
"That's why i want to learn."
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
“Every minute you spend with someone gives them a part of your life and takes part of theirs.”
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
“Once you want something, everything changes.”
MY THOUGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: honestly ? This book defiantly surpassed all my expectations...Thats probably the reason im giving this a 5. i loved the dystopic theme and the strong character buiding the author decided to follow on .
But again,Yes,there's no denying.i did find the plot moving to a bit to slow, but then again the book's great narration and unpredicated ending,defiantly made it self up to me .
all in all..not a bad read ! will definatly be checking out the rest of the series soon.And yes, this book will be going into the set of "My favourites" , what can i say ? LOL i just liked it better than "HUNGER GAMES" ;D Cant wait for the movie to be out anyway ! ♥
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
"I push myself hard.The words of Thomas poems so wild and beautiful that i keep reapeating them silently as i run..Do not go gentle,do not go gentle,do not go gentle,until realization hits me :There's a reason thy didn't keep this poem.
This poem tells you to fight."
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
"I smile as Xander's face appears on the screen.I reach out to touch the words COURTSHIP GUIDELINES on the screen but before I do that Xander's face darkens and then disappears.
My heart stops,and i cant beleive what i see.A face comes back into view. And its not Xander."
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
"Why are there so much green and brown and blue here ?"He asks me.
"Maybe because they are growing colours and so much of our Province is agriculture".I say."You know.How blue is the color of water ,and brown the color of fall and harvest.And green is the color of spring."
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
"You know,you dont need me.You could teach yourself" he says."You could look at the letters on your scribe or your reader."
"There not the same.",i tell him."They dont connect like yours.I've seen your kind of writing beofre ,but i don't know what its called."
"Cursive",he says softly."It's harder to read , but its beautiful .I'ts one of the old ways of writing."
"That's why i want to learn."
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
“Every minute you spend with someone gives them a part of your life and takes part of theirs.”
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
“Once you want something, everything changes.”
MY THOUGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: honestly ? This book defiantly surpassed all my expectations...Thats probably the reason im giving this a 5. i loved the dystopic theme and the strong character buiding the author decided to follow on .
But again,Yes,there's no denying.i did find the plot moving to a bit to slow, but then again the book's great narration and unpredicated ending,defiantly made it self up to me .
all in all..not a bad read ! will definatly be checking out the rest of the series soon.And yes, this book will be going into the set of "My favourites" , what can i say ? LOL i just liked it better than "HUNGER GAMES" ;D Cant wait for the movie to be out anyway ! ♥
September 2, 2022
[This in no way is to offend the author, it's just a personal opinion and if I offended anybody please let me know!🍩]
I- I didn't even finish it. Um...
But I didn't like the 90 pages I read, so I'll be a judgmental witch and give it one star.
And add a lot of tags. Because that's what a good, trusting, and loving individual does.
When you find that person, hit me up if you will.
Okay, so, I've given it a lot of thought and have decided NOT to reread this. Why? Because I poured all the acid I needed to cleanse my eyes with, down with the Stuck With You review. I shall not make myself suffer again.dang it, I want to read it so badly though
From what I remember (which again, is not that much) there was a girl. And there was a guy. And both annoyed me so utterly much that I *clears throat* Well, I... I decided not to pursue this novel's path to self-destruction.
Perhaps I'm being overly prejudiced and biased, but as I'm not willingI actually am, but I'm trying to contain myself from waltzing into a whole butt load of painful QuIRkInEsS to read this again, I'm afraid any and all rants must be confined to this space of mine. The space we call:
~Why In The Bloody Heck Was I Thinking~
See, I have a lot of books in that section of my brain. Books I should NOT be thinking of reading just to rant about them. So, *organizes flashcards*, I shall abstain myself from that certain decision.
apart from the fact that this is a series and if I WERE to read this and not like it, I'll make myself read the rest of the series thus, creating a line straight to Book Hades
I apologize to all those who loved it because surely, there was something good about the story. Something I didn't get to watch unfold.
*takes off eyeglasses* That is all, fellow Jury.
I shall take my leave now.
I- I didn't even finish it. Um...
But I didn't like the 90 pages I read, so I'll be a judgmental witch and give it one star.
And add a lot of tags. Because that's what a good, trusting, and loving individual does.
When you find that person, hit me up if you will.
Okay, so, I've given it a lot of thought and have decided NOT to reread this. Why? Because I poured all the acid I needed to cleanse my eyes with, down with the Stuck With You review. I shall not make myself suffer again.
From what I remember (which again, is not that much) there was a girl. And there was a guy. And both annoyed me so utterly much that I *clears throat* Well, I... I decided not to pursue this novel's path to self-destruction.
Perhaps I'm being overly prejudiced and biased, but as I'm not willing
~Why In The Bloody Heck Was I Thinking~
See, I have a lot of books in that section of my brain. Books I should NOT be thinking of reading just to rant about them. So, *organizes flashcards*, I shall abstain myself from that certain decision.
I apologize to all those who loved it because surely, there was something good about the story. Something I didn't get to watch unfold.
*takes off eyeglasses* That is all, fellow Jury.
I shall take my leave now.
March 25, 2013
Sometimes I decide that a book isn’t for me based on some silly, almost non-existent reason, and then I stubbornly stick with my decision until something forces me to reconsider. In this case, I avoided Matched like the plague because the entire plot seemed to be based on a love triangle, but I was forced to change my mind when I came into possession of the audiobook. With hours of driving ahead of me, I had no choice but to give it a chance. And I loved it.
Matched is extremely character-centric. There’s very little plot to speak of, and there aren’t many oscillations in the narrative structure. While it’s a beautiful, gentle read, exciting isn’t a word that applies. In all honesty, I didn’t mind one bit, the character growth was enough to keep me happy and my mind fully occupied.
I won’t go into the love triangle lest I spoil what little plot there is. Suffice it to say that it’s not really a love triangle as it’s clear from the beginning what Cassia feels for Xander and what she feels for Ky. As someone who dislikes love triangles on general principle, I must confess that this one wasn’t nearly as torturous as I’d originally assumed.
I love that Condie approached the Society in a very mature way, always aware that while it might be bad for some, it saved many others; and I don’t just mean those who hold the power, but regular people who are better off because the Society took care of them. This is somewhat new in dystopian literature and I admire Condie for thoroughly exploring the gray areas and not portraying the Society as the source of all evil. What is awful and constrictive for some may very well be great for others. Cassia’s thoughts about those who are not free-spirited by nature and who are very comfortable being taken care of by the Society endeared her to me greatly. She was never judgmental or harsh, and she understood that people find comfort and happiness in different things, and that for some, nothing works better than having all their decisions taken away from them.
Some things about the Society were more believable than others but I took them all in stride as inevitable parts of the genre. However, there was one thing central to the story that I simply couldn’t accept. In the Society, people use tablets to write, but no one writes or reads cursive anymore. In fact, they have nothing to write with and they’d surely get into trouble for even attempting it. As someone who’s spent years studying language(s), I find it hard to believe that people would allow themselves to lose their ability to write. I’ve read a research or two a couple of years ago that focused on this possibility (and it was considered to be a possibility), but it seems very unlikely to me.
I suppose I should write a few words about Kate Simses, the audiobook narrator, as well. At first I was uncomfortable with her mellow, almost childish voice, but as I got to know Cassia, I realized that it fits her perfectly. (That said, she also narrated Shatter Me, and somehow I doubt her voice worked as well for Juliette.) She never fell into the trap of overdoing male voices as so many narrators do, and I really liked how easily she used her voice to make the differences between Ky and Xander even more pronounced.
Matched is a read only for the patient, but it is very rewarding. If you’re like me and you’re avoiding it because of the love triangle, learn from my mistake. I should have read it much sooner.
Matched is extremely character-centric. There’s very little plot to speak of, and there aren’t many oscillations in the narrative structure. While it’s a beautiful, gentle read, exciting isn’t a word that applies. In all honesty, I didn’t mind one bit, the character growth was enough to keep me happy and my mind fully occupied.
I won’t go into the love triangle lest I spoil what little plot there is. Suffice it to say that it’s not really a love triangle as it’s clear from the beginning what Cassia feels for Xander and what she feels for Ky. As someone who dislikes love triangles on general principle, I must confess that this one wasn’t nearly as torturous as I’d originally assumed.
I love that Condie approached the Society in a very mature way, always aware that while it might be bad for some, it saved many others; and I don’t just mean those who hold the power, but regular people who are better off because the Society took care of them. This is somewhat new in dystopian literature and I admire Condie for thoroughly exploring the gray areas and not portraying the Society as the source of all evil. What is awful and constrictive for some may very well be great for others. Cassia’s thoughts about those who are not free-spirited by nature and who are very comfortable being taken care of by the Society endeared her to me greatly. She was never judgmental or harsh, and she understood that people find comfort and happiness in different things, and that for some, nothing works better than having all their decisions taken away from them.
Some things about the Society were more believable than others but I took them all in stride as inevitable parts of the genre. However, there was one thing central to the story that I simply couldn’t accept. In the Society, people use tablets to write, but no one writes or reads cursive anymore. In fact, they have nothing to write with and they’d surely get into trouble for even attempting it. As someone who’s spent years studying language(s), I find it hard to believe that people would allow themselves to lose their ability to write. I’ve read a research or two a couple of years ago that focused on this possibility (and it was considered to be a possibility), but it seems very unlikely to me.
I suppose I should write a few words about Kate Simses, the audiobook narrator, as well. At first I was uncomfortable with her mellow, almost childish voice, but as I got to know Cassia, I realized that it fits her perfectly. (That said, she also narrated Shatter Me, and somehow I doubt her voice worked as well for Juliette.) She never fell into the trap of overdoing male voices as so many narrators do, and I really liked how easily she used her voice to make the differences between Ky and Xander even more pronounced.
Matched is a read only for the patient, but it is very rewarding. If you’re like me and you’re avoiding it because of the love triangle, learn from my mistake. I should have read it much sooner.
September 6, 2016
WHAT MADE ME READ THE BOOK?
It's a trailer I watched on Youtube, and I was intrigued about it.
Matched Trailer
At first, I thought it was just another best friend-loves-best friend-loves-new guy thing. I was right, but not what I expected. It got better and better as I read more.
(Note: If you think like a writer, you'll know something that might happen.)
The plot reminded me a little of Hunger Games (perfect/imperfect Society, rebellion) but it's still great.
In the middle of the book, I just then noticed that blue eyes, blonde hair = Peeta, black hair, dark blue eyes = Gale. And then I dismissed the thought. How can I like something if I keep comparing it to others?
The characters:
Cassia, the protagonist, is not annoying, thank goodness! She's not a damsel in distress. As the story progress, so does her character. She changed into a strong person which made the story more interesting.
KY. What can I say about him? A mysterious guy who keeps everything to himself, but when he and Cassia get to know each other, we learned about his story. It's not a lot to take in because he gave it piece by piece.
Xander, the best friend. First, I really really liked him. I thought he was perfect for Cassia, for the Matched. They don't need the microcard because they already know each other. I still liked him until the end, but I prefer the main guy.
A lot of talking; less action.
I like the writing style; it's beautiful . The words blend together perfectly.
KY and Cassia have a perfect chemistry. The way their love story blossom, oh so sweet ♥
I don't want to live inside this book. Creepy. They don't have a choice in whatever they do.
Ms. Ally Condie did a great job with this book!
The ending is quite fast. I can't wait to read Crossed!
It's a trailer I watched on Youtube, and I was intrigued about it.
Matched Trailer
At first, I thought it was just another best friend-loves-best friend-loves-new guy thing. I was right, but not what I expected. It got better and better as I read more.
(Note: If you think like a writer, you'll know something that might happen.)
The plot reminded me a little of Hunger Games (perfect/imperfect Society, rebellion) but it's still great.
In the middle of the book, I just then noticed that blue eyes, blonde hair = Peeta, black hair, dark blue eyes = Gale. And then I dismissed the thought. How can I like something if I keep comparing it to others?
The characters:
Cassia, the protagonist, is not annoying, thank goodness! She's not a damsel in distress. As the story progress, so does her character. She changed into a strong person which made the story more interesting.
KY. What can I say about him? A mysterious guy who keeps everything to himself, but when he and Cassia get to know each other, we learned about his story. It's not a lot to take in because he gave it piece by piece.
Xander, the best friend. First, I really really liked him. I thought he was perfect for Cassia, for the Matched. They don't need the microcard because they already know each other. I still liked him until the end, but I prefer the main guy.
A lot of talking; less action.
I like the writing style; it's beautiful . The words blend together perfectly.
KY and Cassia have a perfect chemistry. The way their love story blossom, oh so sweet ♥
I don't want to live inside this book. Creepy. They don't have a choice in whatever they do.
Ms. Ally Condie did a great job with this book!
The ending is quite fast. I can't wait to read Crossed!
August 12, 2021
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One of my current reading projects is going through books I really enjoyed when I was young and revisiting them to see how well they hold up as an adult. Part of that is a low-key flex ("look what amazing taste I had!") and part of that is morbid curiosity. What we like as kids doesn't always hold up to adulthood. I think any of us who have sampled Dunkaroos or Capri Sun in a moment of weakness know that. What once tasted like the nectar of the gods now tastes like sugar water and tainted memories. Oh, woe.
MATCHED is one of those dystopian books that came out on the coattails of THE HUNGER GAMES. It reads like someone decided to write a crossover fanfic between THE GIVER and TWILIGHT, which I am weirdly okay with. Maybe it's because I really love romance novels, the trashier the better. And this book is pretty trashy. It takes place in a highly regimented futuristic society where people are Matched by the government, and most of history has been systematically destroyed. 100 History lessons, 100 Songs, 100 Poems, etc. were preserved because the thinking went that if there were fewer things around, what you had would be easier to appreciate. But we know that's not really why. Because they also don't write, either.
Also, everyone dies by age 80 in a ritualistic ceremony called The Final Banquet, which is ominous as fuck, so kudos to the author for coming up with that. It definitely has Logan's Run vibes.
On the day of Cassia's Match, though, the unthinkable happens-- she sees not one, but TWO boys. Faster than you can say "love triangle" Cassia begins wringing her hands over her true match, childhood friend and steadfast follower to the rules, Xander, and the dangerous bad boy who came from The Place Where Bad People Live who is classified as something called an Aberration, Ky. I'll give you three guesses who Cassia really likes.
I read this book for the first time in college. I thought it was really fun when I read it and I think I initially gave it five stars. When you're crushing out term papers and spending late-nights studying for final exams, you don't really want heavy reading, so books like this were really fun for me. It's easy to read, with clean, fluid prose, and there isn't really a lot of depth to the world-building so it isn't that hard to follow. So you know, the same things that would make it a good book for young readers also make it an easy read for stressed-out college students, which I was.
I think if you pick this up expecting Orwell or Huxley, you're going to be mad. But if you read this as a YA soap opera, it's kind of fun escapist reading. I didn't actually think it was that bad, but I also enjoyed other similarly maligned dystopians, like THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and WITHER, and I think what happened to this book probably happened to those books, too: oversaturation of the market. They came out when people were already deciding that they were done with dystopians and moving on to The Next Big Thing, which I believe was toxic New Adult romances, if I recall correctly. What keeps this book from being too tedious, though, are the sinister moments, like the Final Banquet, and other little hints into the darker aspects of this world. I kind of wish there had been more of those.
In short: pick this book up if you love yourself some trashy teen drama, a la the CW.
3 to 3.5 stars
October 4, 2010
When I heard Condie's trilogy was being pushed as the next big thing, I instantly expected this to be cheap, tantalizing but empty, and poorly written. Is my faith in the publishing industry that low? Sadly, sometimes yes. Then I met Ally. She's adorable, down-to-earth, and not at all tainted by the buzz. Ever since, I've been anxiously trying to get my hands on an ARC of Matched. I really wanted it to be as good as her publisher thinks it is.
I sat down Friday afternoon with my friend's ARC (and more than a little anxiety) and didn't close the book until I finished. I don't know how Condie managed to make a perfect society where nothing ever happens so intriguing, but she does. From the beginning she pulls you into this world and keeps you interested. You never know when an Official is going to pop up in Cassie's seemingly perfect life to call her out for insubordination to the society's propaganda.
Condie ties a clean writing style into this sterile dystopia which builds on the naivete of its citizens. It's not simplistic in a poorly written sense--there are moments when Condie shines with beauty--it's simplistic in a stylistic sense. And it works too in capturing Cassie's teenage mind.
Condie's weak point is her characterization. I never fully grasped Cassie or Xander or Ky beyond a general characterization, but my fear for the characters and curiosity about the love triangle was strong enough to make me keep turning pages. And I doubt the depth I wanted and my other issues with plot and character will faze the intended audience. This isn't crossover fiction; it's purely YA. I can see why her publisher wanted this. It has that "it" quality in YA commercial fiction that I can't quite explain but that will grip its teenage audience the way other reads may not.
I won't go into my usual in-depth review since most people haven't read it, but if you read YA commercial fiction, you don't want to miss this one. The scoop from someone I know who's read a draft of the sequel is that it's amazing, but we'll all have to wait a year for that one. Matched comes on November 30. Go, preorder it now.
(About the cover: Am I the only one who doesn't like it? I never would have picked this book off the shelf. The glimmery background is cool, but the gray doesn't stand out. The dress, which is supposed to be the gorgeous dress Cassie wears to her Matching, is meh, and her hands don't line up with the bubble, which irritates me. I'm glad Dutton is pushing a book with writing talent, but I think they could have done better on the cover.)
I sat down Friday afternoon with my friend's ARC (and more than a little anxiety) and didn't close the book until I finished. I don't know how Condie managed to make a perfect society where nothing ever happens so intriguing, but she does. From the beginning she pulls you into this world and keeps you interested. You never know when an Official is going to pop up in Cassie's seemingly perfect life to call her out for insubordination to the society's propaganda.
Condie ties a clean writing style into this sterile dystopia which builds on the naivete of its citizens. It's not simplistic in a poorly written sense--there are moments when Condie shines with beauty--it's simplistic in a stylistic sense. And it works too in capturing Cassie's teenage mind.
Condie's weak point is her characterization. I never fully grasped Cassie or Xander or Ky beyond a general characterization, but my fear for the characters and curiosity about the love triangle was strong enough to make me keep turning pages. And I doubt the depth I wanted and my other issues with plot and character will faze the intended audience. This isn't crossover fiction; it's purely YA. I can see why her publisher wanted this. It has that "it" quality in YA commercial fiction that I can't quite explain but that will grip its teenage audience the way other reads may not.
I won't go into my usual in-depth review since most people haven't read it, but if you read YA commercial fiction, you don't want to miss this one. The scoop from someone I know who's read a draft of the sequel is that it's amazing, but we'll all have to wait a year for that one. Matched comes on November 30. Go, preorder it now.
(About the cover: Am I the only one who doesn't like it? I never would have picked this book off the shelf. The glimmery background is cool, but the gray doesn't stand out. The dress, which is supposed to be the gorgeous dress Cassie wears to her Matching, is meh, and her hands don't line up with the bubble, which irritates me. I'm glad Dutton is pushing a book with writing talent, but I think they could have done better on the cover.)
January 12, 2011
Really disliked it. I found it espcially hard to believe in her love for (insert forgotten name) as she barely knew him and all that napkin stuff was really cringy. Didn't feel for the guy at all, since all he seemed to want was for somebody to feel sorry for him. I would have prefered it if she'd fallen in love with her best friend but been given a different match. The fact that the matches were so sucessful most of the time was the biggest let down for me.
I also disliked how 'deep' we were supposed to think she was just because she liked some poems. I found it really difficult to believe she could have any real appreciation of words growing up in that kind of society.
People were far too happy with the situation. While the premise is interesting it doesn't live up to its potenial. I would have prefered a little more unhappiness in the society, not much, just a few more whispers behind closed doors.
Also, barely anything actually happened in the story, till the very end and it was chock full of flashbacks-most of them irrellevant! The amount of times she brought up her grandfather was shocking, ok they had a close relationship-I get it!
Urgh.
I also disliked how 'deep' we were supposed to think she was just because she liked some poems. I found it really difficult to believe she could have any real appreciation of words growing up in that kind of society.
People were far too happy with the situation. While the premise is interesting it doesn't live up to its potenial. I would have prefered a little more unhappiness in the society, not much, just a few more whispers behind closed doors.
Also, barely anything actually happened in the story, till the very end and it was chock full of flashbacks-most of them irrellevant! The amount of times she brought up her grandfather was shocking, ok they had a close relationship-I get it!
Urgh.
January 1, 2018
I actually quite enjoyed this book.
Not because it was a great book per say, but more because it was a very fast and easy read. I did reach page 167 in just a couple of hours.
But even tho I enjoyed it, I don't know if I'm intrested enough to keep going with this series.
I've heard that the second book is not worth reading since nothing really happens in it, so I did plan to skip it and just read some spoilery review for it but I also don't know feel like picking up the last book in the series.
I just don't care enough about the characters and the situation to invest time in it. Even more so because I have a huge TBR that I do actually want to read.
There wasn't anything that really bugged me about this book and I don't know why it get's so much hate, but personaly... I'm just not invested enough.
Not because it was a great book per say, but more because it was a very fast and easy read. I did reach page 167 in just a couple of hours.
But even tho I enjoyed it, I don't know if I'm intrested enough to keep going with this series.
I've heard that the second book is not worth reading since nothing really happens in it, so I did plan to skip it and just read some spoilery review for it but I also don't know feel like picking up the last book in the series.
I just don't care enough about the characters and the situation to invest time in it. Even more so because I have a huge TBR that I do actually want to read.
There wasn't anything that really bugged me about this book and I don't know why it get's so much hate, but personaly... I'm just not invested enough.
Cassia lives in a society where everything is already chosen for her. From the food that she eats to the cloths she wears, everybody has a programm to follow and no one dares to disobey.
People are led to belive that everything that happens is for the best.
• The food they give them is personal picked for each and everyone of them to keep them strong and energized without them gaining any excess weight.
• They are monitored when they exercise, so they don't over work themselves.
• They all wear the same clothes and have to obey to the same rules which mostly are not to disturb other citizens.
• They are all sorted into jobs from a young age based on their abilities.
to name a few. But perhaps most importantly,
• When they reach 17 they go to a banquet where they are "Matched" with another person of a different gender based on their statistics, whom they supposed to marry one day. (Unless they chose to stay Single for ever which however means that they can't have any children.)
Our story begins the night of Cassia's Match banquet where she get's matched with her best friend Xander.
However when she get's home and takes a look at the chip they gave her with Xander's information, she is surprised to see another face too. Someone she also knows.
Don't knowing what to do since the society never makes mistakes, she decides to tell no one.
When one day an officer approches her and tells her that everything was a mistake, that someone found it funny to put Ky as a match to her even tho he won't ever be able to get married because of his status, she feels relived but also curious.
What does she actually know about Ky? They have been friends for a long time but he keeps a low profil and doesn't get close with anyone.
So when they find themselves in eachothers company more often, they grew closer and as closer she comes to Ky, the more she finds flaws to the socitey they live in.
But in a world where everything you do is monitorized, how many times can you break the rules before you get caught?
January 4, 2018
Bitch, puhlEAz! This book is just a crappier, romance-oriented, version of the Giver, and I didn’t even like that one! It has the whole, "We are a perfect Utopian society, with order, and control. Yeah, we don’t tell you much about who we are and what we do, like ever, but none of y’all have turned into Tin-foil Hats, so just continue on with life, and do as we say. Cheerio!”
At 16 (I think it's 16, I’m too lazy to go check), there is this Matching ceremony, where teenagers are paired by the government to become... mates? Thanks Sarah J Mass. You’ve taken over my vocabulary. What next? My life decisions??
Anyways, home girl Cassia, gets matched with her best friend Xander and is all like, "Yippy! I am gonna have a great life, and live happily ever after!" But when when the idea of a different guy being an option comes into play, things turn into, "Oh dang, sorry Xander, but I'm droppin' yo' ass! Even though I don't know much about this new guy, other than the fact that he likes drawing in the dirt, like a 3 year old."
I actually only read like maybe 70 pages of the Giver, but I got enough of the gist to recognize that this book is just an unoriginal copy cat.
*insert Billie Eilish’s Copycat* Such a badass-bitch-song! ....Could totally be my theme;)
At 16 (I think it's 16, I’m too lazy to go check), there is this Matching ceremony, where teenagers are paired by the government to become... mates? Thanks Sarah J Mass. You’ve taken over my vocabulary. What next? My life decisions??
Anyways, home girl Cassia, gets matched with her best friend Xander and is all like, "Yippy! I am gonna have a great life, and live happily ever after!" But when when the idea of a different guy being an option comes into play, things turn into, "Oh dang, sorry Xander, but I'm droppin' yo' ass! Even though I don't know much about this new guy, other than the fact that he likes drawing in the dirt, like a 3 year old."
I actually only read like maybe 70 pages of the Giver, but I got enough of the gist to recognize that this book is just an unoriginal copy cat.
*insert Billie Eilish’s Copycat* Such a badass-bitch-song! ....Could totally be my theme;)
November 9, 2022
Once upon a time,
There was a girl who wandered through the stacks until she saw the word "Matched” in lime,
With a squeal she snatched it down,
Admiring the model's gown,
In delight she read the back,
And Hallelujah - nothing did the description lack,
Love, rebellion and more,
Surely reading this wouldn't be a chore,
So she started out on page one,
And immediately she wanted to shoot it with a gun,
But bravely she read on,
All the while thinking "what a con",
The MC had a contrived love for poetry,
Plus there was no chemistry,
And are those people crying over cut down trees?
With a sigh she rolled her eyes "what is this shit?"
Definitely not great teen lit,
Through the whole book she snored,
Oh yes she was utterly bored,
At the end friends asked her thoughts,
Turns out a fan she was not,
So she left the wretched book to rot.
The End
There was a girl who wandered through the stacks until she saw the word "Matched” in lime,
With a squeal she snatched it down,
Admiring the model's gown,
In delight she read the back,
And Hallelujah - nothing did the description lack,
Love, rebellion and more,
Surely reading this wouldn't be a chore,
So she started out on page one,
And immediately she wanted to shoot it with a gun,
But bravely she read on,
All the while thinking "what a con",
The MC had a contrived love for poetry,
Plus there was no chemistry,
And are those people crying over cut down trees?
With a sigh she rolled her eyes "what is this shit?"
Definitely not great teen lit,
Through the whole book she snored,
Oh yes she was utterly bored,
At the end friends asked her thoughts,
Turns out a fan she was not,
So she left the wretched book to rot.
The End
September 20, 2018
“Every minute you spend with someone gives them a part of your life and takes part of theirs.”
I didn't have high expectation coming into this book. This turned out to be a good thing, because I can only imagine how angry I'd be if I thought this book was going to be good...it wasn't. I wouldn't go so far as to say that this book was terrible, but it just had nothing appealing at all. If you have read The Giver by Lois Lowry, then you would know that it had a very distinct and inspirational, dystopian setting. It is the basis for practically every dystopia, so I have no problem when I see parallels between The Giver and whatever other book I'm reading. That being said, I was ticked off that Matched literally takes The Giver's setting and has no unique spin on it. It's the exact same setting! It was like Ally Condie decided to write her own fanfic of The Giver. I imagine her train of thought was something like this:
Oh my gosh, what if the Giver had love triangles and kissing! Lots and lots of kissing! That would be puuuuuuuuurfect! You don't need a plot, just have tons of making out, especially since it's not allowed! And one of the boys must write poetry! Because that makes him so dreamy and hot, and not cliche at all! Ooh, and how about I make Pretty Boy super sweet and nice! That will make it impossible for my Mary Sue to choose between them! Mwhuahahaha!
I'm not even kidding, I truly believe that's what the author was thinking when she wrote this.
Ugh, this book. Just, ugh!!! The main problem was the snail pace. If it went any slower it'd be going backwards (which it might have been, come to think of it). Literally nothing happens! NOTHING! Where's the action? Climax? Turning point? Anything!? The whole darn book was nothing but Cassia's relationship with Ky! Speaking of which, why is every male Asian character in YA literature named Ky? *sigh* Anyway, Ky is the cliche, rebellious emo guy that's in every teen romance book, except wait! There's more. He writes POETRY! Yes, poetry!
Someone shoot me already.
It can't get any worse than that, right? Think again...
“Angels?” “You know. The ones in the old stories. How they can fly to heaven.” “Do you think anyone believes in them anymore?” he asks. “I don’t know. No. Do you?” “I believe in you.”
I've never groaned so much while reading a book, in all my life. I couldn't help myself! Some of the dialogue was absolutely awful! Thankfully, Cassia and Xander's conversations weren't super cheesy and/or annoying. Xander is the typical best-friend-who-I-love-like-a-brother, and he's hardly even in the book! And even when he is, all Cassia thinks about is Oh Ky, I wonder what his lips would feel like on mine... Cassia wasn't an awful protagonist, but she was just so boring! I actually forgot her name when I first started writing this review.
I have a few questions about this book...just a few.
-What the heck is sorting and how is it significant to the Society? Forgive me if I'm wrong, but at any point in the book was it specified what you use sorting for??? You expect me to believe that Cassia spent her whole life sorting number on a screen for no apparent reason, and not a single soul in the Society questions this? The only time Cassia actually sorts anything, it's of workers being separated into groups based on their proficiency. She spent her entire life preparing for that!? Give me a break.
- No one in the community can write.
Let me get this straight. In a community where EVERYONE knows how to read and type on computers don't know how to WRITE!? What the heck? Where's the logic in that!? Sure, she might not know how to write cursive, but not being able to write at all? Are you serious?
-I'd like to know how the blue pills work. They're for emergencies, but what exactly does that mean? Is it some kind of intense painkiller or a magical pill that mends bones? Either guess is possible, because WE AREN'T TOLD ANYTHING! Also, I couldn't help but think of this every time the pills were mentioned.
-Ahem, I couldn't seem to find an antagonist in this story, do I need glasses? I seem to recall that one Official being in the story, but she couldn't possibly be the villain since she was only in the story like three times...right? Well, that's about as close as we get to an antagonist!
And don't even get me started on the ending! That was supposed to be a cliffhanger? Really? I honestly didn't even realize the story ended and had to reread the last 5 pages just to be sure (so I could celebrate). It was abrupt, inconclusive, and doesn't even make me want to read the sequel.
There wasn't necessarily anything I hated about this book, but I couldn't find anything that I really liked. I'll cut Condie some slack, the cover was beautiful, writing was decent, and Ky & Xander, cliche as they are, were fairly likable. But, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone...unless you're a fan of cliche love triangles and haven't read The Giver? Maybe? On another matter, this is the first rant on my blog! I'm so proud of myself! ;)
May 31, 2010
So I didn't expect them to at all, but a little part of me was really hoping Scholastic would come to BEA with a stack of galleys for "Mockingjay" the way they did with "Catching Fire." Of course they didn't, they wouldn't want to ruin the end of the trilogy before it's released. But a girl can dream.
So, anyway, there was a big gap in my galley pile that could only be filled by some quality YA distopian fiction. When I went to the YA Editors' Buzz panel and heard about "Matched" I thought "Yes! This is what I'll read instead."
And then--blah. The editor dutifully talked this book up and it did not rise to my expectations. There is no urgency to this book at all, and it's not terribly creative. My favorite part of distopian fiction is slowly uncovering the new world the author has shaped. What are people's roles in this society? Why is everyone acting so weird? Ohh, what's that pill for?! But there was no real mystery here. Cassia's "Society" is pretty much just a cross between "The Giver" and "1984." But halfway through the book I really didn't care what the red pill did, and when we found out I thought "yeah, I guess that's about right." I also thought "If you're only allowed to take those pills at the command and in the presence of a high official, then why do people carry them around with them at all times, anyway? Shouldn't the officials just carry them so no one takes one accidentally, or on a dare?" But no, we had to manufacture the one thing everyone wonders about in this society, so it's there in their little tablet vials.
And then plot is just a romance, and not a terribly compelling one. I know, I'm 27, and I'm not supposed to give a shit about teenage romance. But some authors make me care. Suzanne Collins made me care, John Green makes me care. This is more "Twilight" love triangle romance where I don't really care about anyone involved, and therefore am ambivalent about the outcome. And then there isn't really anything else to this story to keep me entertained. If we're supposed to care about the weird unrest occurring within "The Society" we're not given enough information to do so convincingly. So here I am, sitting with a bunch of 17-year-olds freaking out about first love, and I kind of want to punch them in the face.
This book will probably be reasonably successful. Everyone loves a distopian future setting these days, and if "Twilight" is any indication, girls will gobble up the romance. (Although neither Ky nor Xander is the next Edward, so maybe I'm wrong. Teenagers these days, right?! Huh?) Me, I'm just going to wait impatiently for "Mockingjay" to finally come out.
So, anyway, there was a big gap in my galley pile that could only be filled by some quality YA distopian fiction. When I went to the YA Editors' Buzz panel and heard about "Matched" I thought "Yes! This is what I'll read instead."
And then--blah. The editor dutifully talked this book up and it did not rise to my expectations. There is no urgency to this book at all, and it's not terribly creative. My favorite part of distopian fiction is slowly uncovering the new world the author has shaped. What are people's roles in this society? Why is everyone acting so weird? Ohh, what's that pill for?! But there was no real mystery here. Cassia's "Society" is pretty much just a cross between "The Giver" and "1984." But halfway through the book I really didn't care what the red pill did, and when we found out I thought "yeah, I guess that's about right." I also thought "If you're only allowed to take those pills at the command and in the presence of a high official, then why do people carry them around with them at all times, anyway? Shouldn't the officials just carry them so no one takes one accidentally, or on a dare?" But no, we had to manufacture the one thing everyone wonders about in this society, so it's there in their little tablet vials.
And then plot is just a romance, and not a terribly compelling one. I know, I'm 27, and I'm not supposed to give a shit about teenage romance. But some authors make me care. Suzanne Collins made me care, John Green makes me care. This is more "Twilight" love triangle romance where I don't really care about anyone involved, and therefore am ambivalent about the outcome. And then there isn't really anything else to this story to keep me entertained. If we're supposed to care about the weird unrest occurring within "The Society" we're not given enough information to do so convincingly. So here I am, sitting with a bunch of 17-year-olds freaking out about first love, and I kind of want to punch them in the face.
This book will probably be reasonably successful. Everyone loves a distopian future setting these days, and if "Twilight" is any indication, girls will gobble up the romance. (Although neither Ky nor Xander is the next Edward, so maybe I'm wrong. Teenagers these days, right?! Huh?) Me, I'm just going to wait impatiently for "Mockingjay" to finally come out.
August 9, 2020
Ten year old me is currently hurt because I re-read a childhood book and it turns out
it... wasn’t good
*Crickets chirp as I re-read Twilight*
So we’ve basically got Cassia who lives in this SoCietY (Joker memes rise up) where they’ve got one hundred of everything (books, poems, films etc.) because the old world was full of clutter or something. (I mean, one hundred is still a supremely small number though, like even a thousand probably makes more sense).
Anyway, everything is chosen for you - your job, when you die, your MATCH. Teenagers are “matched” with someone who will be their partner for life. And Cassia gets her best friend, Xander who’s super nice and cool except what’s this? Someone else is matched to her for like a second. It’s Ky, the aberration, the ultimate emo-boy. The officials basically explain it was a joke, but Cassia’s all like “nooo, I don’t think so.” So she decides to go out and get to know this boy, fall in love etc.
I don’t hate this book, it’s just.... well it’s a book. It adds nothing new or intriguing or different to make it stand out. The writing is pretty simplistic, but it gets the job done. And I don’t particularly hate the characters. Cassia makes good decisions and develops as she works out this controlling society is not all it’s cracked up to be. Xander is nice, if not a little boring. Ky is pretty emo - he has a tough life, he composes poetry, he can write! (Characters can type on computers, but don’t know how to actually write. Strange.) The romance is actually okay too. Neither boys are mean or possessive, in fact both of them respect her and aren’t trying to flirt with her all the time. Like that is not easy to find in YA fiction these days.
The plot is what’s boring. It’s really just about Cassia discovering she may like this dude and she should be allowed make her own choices . Revelations.
I liked the world, but apparently it’s all stolen from The Giver, so that’s disappointing. The ending was actually interesting and I’ll probably read the other two books for fun. However, as I re-enter the world of childhood memories, this was probably a gentle stepping stone before it all goes downhill :)
it... wasn’t good
*Crickets chirp as I re-read Twilight*
So we’ve basically got Cassia who lives in this SoCietY (Joker memes rise up) where they’ve got one hundred of everything (books, poems, films etc.) because the old world was full of clutter or something. (I mean, one hundred is still a supremely small number though, like even a thousand probably makes more sense).
Anyway, everything is chosen for you - your job, when you die, your MATCH. Teenagers are “matched” with someone who will be their partner for life. And Cassia gets her best friend, Xander who’s super nice and cool except what’s this? Someone else is matched to her for like a second. It’s Ky, the aberration, the ultimate emo-boy. The officials basically explain it was a joke, but Cassia’s all like “nooo, I don’t think so.” So she decides to go out and get to know this boy, fall in love etc.
I don’t hate this book, it’s just.... well it’s a book. It adds nothing new or intriguing or different to make it stand out. The writing is pretty simplistic, but it gets the job done. And I don’t particularly hate the characters. Cassia makes good decisions and develops as she works out this controlling society is not all it’s cracked up to be. Xander is nice, if not a little boring. Ky is pretty emo - he has a tough life, he composes poetry, he can write! (Characters can type on computers, but don’t know how to actually write. Strange.) The romance is actually okay too. Neither boys are mean or possessive, in fact both of them respect her and aren’t trying to flirt with her all the time. Like that is not easy to find in YA fiction these days.
The plot is what’s boring. It’s really just about Cassia discovering she may like this dude and she should be allowed make her own choices . Revelations.
I liked the world, but apparently it’s all stolen from The Giver, so that’s disappointing. The ending was actually interesting and I’ll probably read the other two books for fun. However, as I re-enter the world of childhood memories, this was probably a gentle stepping stone before it all goes downhill :)
February 10, 2011
I liked this well enough, but feel that it's a little slight in plot and structure; I also wasn't enthralled by any of the main characters. Overall, it's a quick, entertaining read, but not a particularly deep or memorable one. This is one of those rare occasions when the film might actually be better than the book.
July 3, 2020
This was... awful.
Like, ugh, what sort of fresh hell did this Divergent-Shatter Me try-hard emerge from?
*shudders*
Like, ugh, what sort of fresh hell did this Divergent-Shatter Me try-hard emerge from?
*shudders*
December 16, 2022
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Might Contain Spoilers*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Re-read review:
This book has an interesting concept. I remember liking it way back in the days and in 2021 I started thinking about this book again. I remembered bits and pieces and got curious if I would still like it. Normally I would avoid re-reading YA as most of the time they end up being to immature for me; not the stories but the characters. The book centers around Cassia, who has waited for the Match Banquet here whole life. It is where she'll see, for the first time, the face of the boy who will be her Match, the one she'll marry at twenty-one and have children with around twenty-four. However, things doesn't go as planned when a mistake happens and matches her with two boys, her childhood best friend and Ky, a guy she knows but doesn't really know. Even though she was told it was a mistake, Cassia's eyes starts to open and her heart starts to fall.
Overall, like I said; interesting concept, however, the book contains lots of information and everything feels a bit shallow. I think, perhaps, that it is the writing style that brings this book down. I feel so apart from Cassia, so much on the outside because of the way it is written. And Cassia herself felt like she didn't really have a personality. While I could see Cassia and Ky falling in love over the course of months, I still felt like it could've felt deeper. I think Ky was the best part of the story as he has some mystery to him but Cassia kinda brings it down. That said, I finished the re-read and I did like it somewhat, but the writing puts me off and shallow characters aren't my thing. Cassia also tended to be a bit immature, but I guess it's how she's molded so I can't fault her for it. I'm not sure I could continue the series... perhaps I'll just look at spoilers...? I still cannot believe that my second book for 2022 was a freaking YA... Clapping myself on the shoulder for that one. I should also say that that immature characters aren't the only reason me and YA doesn't work anymore... let's just say I missed sexual tension and sex scenes. I know, I'm that fucked up.
The characters:
→ Cassia Maria Reyes (17), main character.
→ Xander Thomas Carrow, Cassia's best friend and her match.
→ Molly, Cassia's mother, an Arboretum worker.
→ Abran, Cassia's father, who works months in old neighborhoods that are being restored and turned into new Boroughs for public use; a Restoration supervisor
→ Lea Abbey, a girl Cassia thought would choose to be "Single" but went through the Match Banquet and got matched with Joseph Peterson.
→ Bram (10), Cassia's brother.
→ Em, Cassia's best girlfriend.
→ Ky Markham, Cassia's mistake match. This was a mistake because he would never be anyone’s Match as he's an Aberration: Aberrations live among us; they’re not dangerous like Anomalies, who have to be separated from Society. Though Aberrations usually acquire their status due to an Infraction, they are protected; their identities aren’t usually common knowledge. Only the Officials in the Societal Classification Department and other related fields have access to such information. It’s through no fault of his own. But his father committed an Infraction. The Society couldn’t overlook a factor like that, even when they allowed Aida and Patrick Markhams to adopt Ky. He had to retain his classification as an Aberration, and, as such, was ineligible to be entered in the Matching pool. Ky is Aida’s nephew. Her sister’s son. He received his permanent work position a year ago; works at the nutrition disposal center.
→ Sera and Piper, friends of Cassia.
→ Norah, co-worker of Cassia at the sorting. Higher position than Cassia.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Young Adult) Science Fiction > Dystopia Romance (M/F).
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
Triggers? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Ky Markham.
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Umm, probably not.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes, if you like YA, shallow characters and a bit of predictability.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2.5 stars.
First read review:
Rating: 4 stars.
January 26, 2022
Yes, I am aware I have read this way too many times
4 stars
This is a beautiful work of art.
Here's why I liked this book: Cassia made her own choices. She did what she thought was right. Let's look at Katniss. Katniss was the mockingjay because people told her that's what she needed to be. Cassia took a step back and saw the flaws in her own system. Nobody had to tell her. True, her grandfather helped her, but look at her father. Cassia's father loved the Society. He thought it was perfect and Cassia could have just stayed with her father and nothing would have happened.
I could go on and on about how this book is different from the hype. Yes, it has a love triangle, and yes it has a standard government, but here's the difference: Cassia was her own person because she wanted to be.
4 stars
This is a beautiful work of art.
Here's why I liked this book: Cassia made her own choices. She did what she thought was right. Let's look at Katniss. Katniss was the mockingjay because people told her that's what she needed to be. Cassia took a step back and saw the flaws in her own system. Nobody had to tell her. True, her grandfather helped her, but look at her father. Cassia's father loved the Society. He thought it was perfect and Cassia could have just stayed with her father and nothing would have happened.
I could go on and on about how this book is different from the hype. Yes, it has a love triangle, and yes it has a standard government, but here's the difference: Cassia was her own person because she wanted to be.
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