Matched

by Ally Condie

I listened to Ally Condie at an author's night recently. Her personality is infections and I enjoyed learning more about her. When I first looked at MATCHED I must admit I was entranced by the cover itself. From there I flipped open the cover and read the blurb inside and I was hooked completely: "For Cassia, nothing is left to chance — not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry."

MATCHED is the story of Cassia, a seventeen-year-old girl. She, like the rest of the citizens, trusts the Society to make the best choices for her. These choices include everything from a career to who she will marry. The problem comes when she sees an unexpected picture. From then on she is torn between doing what is best for her, her family, and her friends, and doing what actually feels right.

From the very beginning, I was creeped out by the Society. It reminded me a lot of THE GIVER in the idea that people follow blindly along when the leaders of the community tell them to do something. They don't know any better but as a reader I just want them to understand what is so wrong with the whole idea. The character of Cassia is someone who I really felt for as she tried to decide what choices she should make. There are a lot of other characters in the story that are easy to relate to such as her grandfather and parents. This book is great for a lot of reasons, not only because it made me appreciate the choices I do have in my life, but it makes me appreciate the opportunities I have every day to create something. I'm really looking forward to CROSSED which comes out in November.