Monday, June 20, 2011

Review: Matched by Ally Condie

 

Matched
By: Ally Condie
Intended Age: YA
Hardcover: 366 pages
Published November 30th 2010 by Dutton Juvenile
more details...ISBN 0525423648 (ISBN13: 9780525423645)
Series: Matched #1

Synopsis:
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.  -goodreads.com

I listened to this via audio book read by Kate Simses. I borrowed it electronically from the library. This is one of the YALSA Top Ten Nominees for 2011.

First, I have to say I am not a big fan of audio books. I feel forced into the characters voice and usually there is goofy music. Getting past my dislike of audio books was slow, but I listened along to it with my daughter, as she was home sick.

What if we lived in a “perfect” world? All the choices are made for us but “perfect”. Sickness is overcome and death is controlled even comforting, to live in relative painlessness. That is Cassia’s world until she starts seeing some of the costs that perfection has. She begins to wonder, to want. What will this cost her? Her family?

I really enjoyed this book. (Although, I would have rather read it) It reminded me of another of my favorite books “The Giver” by Lois Lowry if you haven’t read it you should!

The concept of the lists of 100’s really horrified me! Life with out diversity and the right to choose and share is too high a price for me. It was a great discussion starter with my daughter about what we see as perfection and gratitude for even the smallest of things including our book of 101 poems.  

This book is the first in a trilogy. Crossed will come out in November 2011. This book definitely sets you up for the next book, yet the ending satisfied me.

I give this 4 out of 5 stars
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, dystopian Sci-Fi

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