Review: Matched by Ally Condie

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.  synopsis taken from Goodreads


I couldn't resist picking this book up because the cover is just so dang pretty and I'm glad I did. The plot reminded me alot of The Hunger Games, which i loved, with it's dystopian society and female main character torn between her two guys.   I didn't really feel the connection between Cassia and either guy. She and Xander have a 'just friends' type relationship and even after being matched, there is never any real heat between them. Ky isn't even on Cassia's radar until his face flashes on the screen so why the sudden draw? It just seemed as though she sought him out because of the glitch and not out of genuine interest. I understand curiosity but it only takes you so far. As the relationship progresses I begin to understand the draw of him a little more but still there is no real connection that I could feel that went any deeper than friendship.  So, the love triangle aspect fell a little short for me and I found myself more intrigued by the different aspects of the society than the characters themselves.

I did enjoy the book, though not as much as The Hunger Games. Not sure why exactly, it just didn't draw me in as much. A great book is one that I can't hardly put down, that I'll stay up way too late reading and carry around with me to read as I do my chores. Matched wasn't quite there for me but was a good book nonetheless and i will likely grab book #2 when it comes out and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the genre.