A Match Made ... By Someone Else

Matched

by Ally Condie

Do you ever see a book and dismiss it without much more thought because you think you know the general subject matter and assume it won’t interest you? Well, Matched was one of those books for me. For some reason I had assumed it was science fiction-y, and as I’m not crazy about that genre, I always glanced right over it when I saw it on the shelf. Several times. Luckily, I picked it up recently and figured out I was totally wrong and had been missing out on a real treat.

Summary

What if you lived in a world where everything was perfect and orderly? Disease and suffering do not exist, people are placed in the best jobs and living situations for their capabilities, and everything is taken care of and makes sense. This is the world that 17-year-old Cassia lives in, and she has complete trust in the Society officials who keep things running. On the night we meet Cassia, she is on her way to her matching ceremony, where she will learn the identity of her future husband - i.e., her match, and she couldn't be happier with the way things are going.

But there is a glitch that occurs when Cassia goes home and reviews the card of information about her match. She briefly catches a glimpse of another boy's photo. A boy whom she was not matched with, but who, in that brief flash of a photo, raises questions in her mind: what if he is the right one? What if she had a choice?

What follows is a personal struggle in which Cassia begins to see and consider everything in her world differently. She takes a different look at the order and control imposed on her life by the Society, and wonders if this might not be the best way to live. She fights with her own emotions and thoughts, grappling with the success she has seen the Society maintain versus the feelings she cannot deny inside herself. These thoughts and questions drive the story, eventually forcing Cassia to make decisions she never thought she would face.

Worth staying up past bedtime?

When I plucked this book off the shelf at the library, I finished the first three pages before looking up and remembering I was at work. So yes! Author Condie’s description of the Society and the rules and regulations that are maintained are fascinating, and (for me) raised questions about our current ways of living and the impact that technology and information overload can have on people. Cassia’s debate about which boy she should pick got a little old at times, but she was very representative a 17-year-old in that respect. I devoured this book and have already been suggesting it to friends!

Recommended for ages 14 and up.