Matched [Paperback]

Ally Condie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2011 | Series: Matched (Paperback - Trilogy) (Book 1)

On her seventeenth birthday, Cassia meets her Match. Society dictates he is her perfect partner for life. Except he's not. In Cassia's society, Officials decide who people love. How many children they have. Where they work. When they die. But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy, she is determined to make some choices of her own. And that's when her whole world begins to unravel...

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Best Books of the Month, December 2010: For Cassia, nothing is left to chance--not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials have determined optimal outcomes for all aspects of daily life, thereby removing the "burden" of choice. When Cassia's best friend is identified as her ideal marriage Match it confirms her belief that Society knows best, until she plugs in her Match microchip and a different boy’s face flashes on the screen. This improbable mistake sets Cassia on a dangerous path to the unthinkable--rebelling against the predetermined life Society has in store for her. As author Ally Condie’s unique dystopian Society takes chilling measures to maintain the status quo, Matched reminds readers that freedom of choice is precious, and not without sacrifice.--Seira Wilson

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Amazon Exclusive: Author Q&A with Ally Condie

Q: What inspired you to write Matched?

A: Matched was inspired by several experiences—specific ones, like a conversation with my husband and chaperoning a high school prom—and general ones, like falling in love and becoming a parent.

Q: How do you think Matched differs from other dystopian novels?

A: I think it’s different in that it’s perhaps less action-oriented and more introspective. This is really the story of one girl, Cassia, learning to choose.

Q: The cover for Matched is so eye-catching and mysterious. What does the image represent to you?

A: I cannot imagine a more perfect cover for this book. To me, the image is a clear representation of Cassia, the main character, and the way she is trapped in her world. It’s kind of a lovely world—the bubble is beautiful—but it’s confining nonetheless. And, of course, the color green is very important to the book. I’m just so thrilled about this cover. Theresa Evangelista, the designer, and Samantha Aide, the photographer and model, are incredibly talented.

Q: In Matched, each member of the Society is not only assigned a spouse, they’re also assigned a job, and Cassia, your main character, is a data sorter. If you lived in the Society, what job do you think you’d have?

A: I would definitely not be a data sorter. I am terrible with numbers and patterns. I think I would probably be a teacher or instructor. Or maybe one of the people did a mundane task, like dishwashing. I have a feeling that I wouldn’t fare very well in the Society.

Q: Dylan Thomas’ classic poem, “Do Not Go Gentle,” is part of a theme that you’ve woven throughout Matched. Do you remember when you first came across this poem? What made you decide to use it in your novel?

A: I don’t remember when I first read this poem, which is pretty embarrassing. But I do remember the first time I heard a recording of the author reading it. I remember feeling almost reverent, and paying close attention to how he said the words and went through the lines. This poem came to mind almost immediately when I started writing the book. It’s probably the most universal poem I’ve ever encountered. The first line alone resonates immediately with almost everyone.

Q: What do you like about writing for teenagers?

A: Everything. I like talking with teenagers themselves about books. I like trying to capture the teenage voice. And I like writing about teenagers because they have SO MUCH happening in their lives, and they are passionate about those things.

Q: What were some of the books you loved as a teen? Did any of these books influence Matched at all?

A: I loved (and still do) Anne Tyler and Wallace Stegner. I remember being introduced to those authors in ninth grade and being floored by the beauty of their writing. I also loved anything by Agatha Christie. I think these books did influence me—not in any concrete, specific way, but in that I wanted to write a story about a character worth caring about even though/because of the fact that she is flawed and human.

Q: What would you like your readers to take away from the experience of reading Matched?

A: I hope they can take away whatever they need from the story. I hope there is something there for a reader--whether it’s relating to a character or reading a scene that feels true or anything else.

Q: Will there be more books featuring Cassia, or set in the world of Matched?

A: Yes! There will be two more books in the Matched trilogy.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up–In a story that is at once evocative of Lois Lowry's The Giver (Houghton, 1993), George Orwell's 1984, and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, Condie introduces readers to the “perfect” Society. Cassia Reyes is a model student, daughter, and citizen. How could she not be when the Society has everything planned and functioning perfectly? All of her needs are met: food, shelter, education, career training, and even her future husband are selected by officials who know what is best for each individual by studying statistical data and probable odds. She even knows when she will die, on her 80th birthday, just as the Society dictates. At her Match Banquet she is paired with Xander, her best friend and certainly her soul mate. But when a computer error shows her the face of Ky, an Aberration, instead of Xander, cracks begin to appear in the Society's facade of perfection. A series of events also shakes her dedication to Xander and puts her future in jeopardy. Cassia exhibits some characteristics of Winston Smith and Lenina Crowne in her silent rebellion against societal control and in her illicit friendship with Ky but ultimately, and more satisfyingly, she is more like Lowry's Jonas. Her awakening and development are realistically portrayed, and supporting characters like Cassia's parents and her grandfather add depth to the story. The biggest flaw is that the story is not finished. Fans of the Giver will devour this book and impatiently demand the next installment.–Anthony C. Doyle, Livingston High School, CA. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Speak; Reprint edition (September 20, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014241977X
• ISBN-13: 978-0142419779
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (484 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,529 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Adventure & Thrillers
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Love & Romance

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

226 of 240 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Romantic and Thought Provoking, October 4, 2010

By 

S. Power (Detroit, Michigan, United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Matched (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Matched follows Cassia, a girl living in a Utopian/Dystopian society where everything is predicted and controlled by the government including who they will be mated with for life. Cassia's government mandated match is a lifelong friend of hers but when she plugs her data card in to see his information another face pops up on her screen. Cassia falls for Ky and starts to question the rules of her society.

Cassia's dystopian world is more like The Giver than other horrifying dystopian societies that have been popular in recent dystopias such as the Hunger Games. Her society is seemingly perfect but also heavily regimented and controlling. To make things more frustrating everytime Cassia does something that she feels is out of the ordinary one of the officials tells her that she was predicted to act in that way. She's never overtly threatened and there is no risk of bodily harm but there is always a risk of being watched. The romance and love triangle which is heavily featured in the story is sweet. There is a large focus on poetry and art which could encourage younger readers to seek out the poem that Cassia treasures.

Age Appropriateness: This is a story that will be enjoyed by the entire YA audience. The story is complicated enough for older readers, yet the romance is set at a distance enough that younger readers will not be put off. The romance is the focus of the story (making this a girly book) along with the importance of poetry and creating things that are original. There is nothing in this novel that would disturb parents. The romance is G rated and there is no substance abuse or violence. The society is disturbing but in a thought provoking way as opposed to one that would give an easily influenced child nightmares. The lexile is 680 putting the reading level of the text around a fourth grade reading level making it a good book for reluctant readers.

91 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a great story with one thing that bothered me, November 23, 2010

By 

Tabitha (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Matched (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

The premise to this story is very interesting, and I really liked the way everything was set up. The Society controlling everything, making the citizens dependent on it, making changes and interfering as it sees fit, etc. I loved the way the story unfolded as well as the direction it took. The pacing was spot on, the characters were interesting, and I thought the voice was just perfect.

In fact, there was only one thing that gave me pause...but it was a big thing, and bothered me throughout the story. And that was why Cassia went in the direction she did. I wanted to see more of her thought process here. I wanted to feel her curiosity in a palpable way, because I'm sure she was feeling it. But I didn't feel it, and so subsequent actions felt...off. I think that with just a tiny bit more, this could have been a story that blew me out of the water. Instead, it was just good. :)

Since it was still quite good, I give it two thumbs up. Also, this is good for younger and older teens since the content is PG and still compelling enough to keep an older teen interested.

123 of 147 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not enough dystopia, too much obsession over a boy., December 5, 2010

By 

Roxana W. "Roxy" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Matched (Hardcover)

Some vague spoilers, nothing huge, but be warned.

So it was okay. I wanted to read this book because I'm a sucker for dystopian novels, but the few clear dystopian details were really the only things I enjoyed in this book.

The setting: I like that there are tablets that people carry, particularly the green one, because I find it interesting that they would end up creating a society that can't really handle pressure naturally since they're accustomed to "handling" it by taking the calming green pill. To me, it reflects a little on the way our society handles medication for things like anxiety, and at the same time it would be interesting to analyze a society that took calming pills over even simple nerves. But the novel doesn't get that deep into the pills, not as much as I'd like it to.

The world, quite frankly, isn't all that clear to me. At some point, I thought the author was going to leave us in the dark on a lot of details, as is often the way with dystopian novels, but it's like she couldn't fully decide on a clear setting. I'm probably being nitpicky, as I often am, but I'm used to authors being very clear on what they want you to know and what they don't want you to know in order for you to fully grasp the world they've made. The author also unfortunately did not seem to know how to pace the information she *did* give us, because early on I felt overwhelmed with information that I didn't even understand.

The characters: Cassia is an annoying- sometimes infuriating- protagonist. The girl sees the wrong guy on her screen and then obsesses over him like crazy. She decides she's in love with him at a point that doesn't make sense. For a good while her obsession with him is over his ~mysterious~ background. In other words, she doesn't actually know what this kid is like (something she sort of acknowledges) but she's pretty much already chosen to throw everything away for him. The girl also jumps into a streak of rebellion pretty easily for someone who was so content with following the rules to begin with. It just wasn't convincing for me, and too much of Cassia's story was centered around obsessing over Ky so there came a point early on where I stopped caring about her. I love me some romance in any novel, but when it starts to feel like that's the only thing that matters then I get a little annoyed.

And we don't really get a well-fleshed out character for Xander either, but with the way Cassia was obsessing, and with how cheesy Ky was at times, I was starting to really hope she'd just go back to him in the end. Since that doesn't seem likely, I at least hope that someday he finds a girl that isn't as irritating as Cassia was.

The writing: This was just... bad. This was one of those books that often makes you want to say, "I don't think that word means what you think it means." It was also obvious that too often the author was trying to sound poetic, thoughtful, and deep, but instead came off as awkward and nonsensical. She often had "deep" thoughts that didn't fit well whenever she threw them in. It would be like, "I didn't tell dad about the (insert secret) and I felt wrong keeping a secret from him for the first time. But maybe we all keep secrets from each other?" or "It felt strange to be rebelling this way against rules I was previously accustomed to. But maybe we all rebel in some ways?" She kept tacking on some universal thought to her personal experiences and I couldn't help but laugh at how hard the author was trying to make her protagonist sound enlightened or thoughtful.

It isn't mind-meltingly horrible, but I'm not really interested in the sequel. I'd really rather not read any more situations in which Cassia obsesses over Ky for reasons I can't really comprehend. Try reading it if you must, but you're way better off going for The Hunger Games. Now *that* is a good dystopian novel/trilogy.