Wednesday 30 January 2013

Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched (Matched, #1)

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.
My Review

Read this book. Now.
Okay so you ignored my first piece of advice, as I can see by the fact that you're still reading my review. But seriously, you need to read this book.
When I first bought this book, I bought a paperback version TWO YEARS AGO. I thought it looked good and I was really excited to read it, however when the book made it's way to the top of my "Read it!" pile, I pushed it to one side thinking I didn't feel like reading it right now, I would read it later. So days and weeks and months and years passed by and eventually I lost the book, but I wasn't really fussed. "It wasn't my sort of book, anyway" was the excuse I put into my head and I accepted it for 2 years.
Up until a few days ago, I didn't think i'd ever read Matched, however after reading the Lux and Covenant series, I realised that no paranormal-romance book was going to cut it, the Jennifer Armentrout series were just TOO good. So I cracked open my dystopian to-read list, and discovered that my friend had put Matched onto my Kindle. I decided I might as well give it a go, so started to read.
I'm addicted.
In ONE DAY I read both Matched AND Crossed.
The way Matched is written makes you feel exactly what Cassia, the lead character feels. At the beginning of the book, I actually fell in love with Xander, the best friend. You discover that Cassia has been "Matched" with Xander, and he seems perfect. He actually seems like the best person, gorgeous and funny and kind and sympathetic and I just wanted him to be mine and be mine forever. Then a sharp twist of events turns the tables, and suddenly you find yourself attracted to Ky, the secretive, broody-type, practically the total opposite to Xander! I felt as though I was betraying Xander, and that is pretty much exactly the way Cassia felt. Torn and troubled over who she SHOULD be with, and who she really WANTS to be with.
Of course, the heartbreaking confusion is obviously not enough pain for Cassia, and as the story unfolds, you discover hidden depths to the characters, and the ending? Oh God, the ending.
I cried. It felt as though my heart was being torn apart, ripped into shreds and I didn't know what I would do. But then I started Crossed and things got better.
I've yet to read "Reached" which I think is the final book, but if it's anything like the first and second book, I'll be so happy. This book has DEFINITELY replaced Pandemonium in my Top 3 Dystopian Fiction.
So yet again I emphasise my original point:
READ THIS BOOK NOW.

No comments:

Post a Comment