Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched
Matched #1
Author: Ally Condie
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Dystopian
Released: November 30th 2010
Review Source: Loaned
Available: Amazon

Summary: (from goodreads) 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.

First I'd like to say that I am a big fan of dystopian novels. It all started when I read my favorite book for the first time- The Giver by Lois Lowry. With that said, I am not happy that this book kind of let me down. And it reminded me entirely too much of The Giver.

Matched is set in the future where The Society controls every single aspect of every one's life. What they read, what music they listen to, what career they go in, what their diet should be..the list goes on.

The story follows Cassia and it starts where she is going to her Matching ceremony. The Society will "match" her with whoever is her best...well, match.
She is very happy with her match and the next day when she inserts the information card she sees a different face than the one of who she was matched with. And so it makes her "wonder." And to wonder is not a good thing.

I will not lie, I was not completely invested in the story. I didn't feel a connection with any of the characters except for her Match.
It's not that the characters aren't like able. I just couldn't relate to them. I did not understand how the "love" in the love story came to be. It wasn't confusing. I just didn't feel the love.

Although I didn't completely fall in love with this book, it kept me interested enough to finish. This might not be my cup of tea, but that doesn't mean it isn't yours.