Review: Matched

Hello Everyone!

So I've been reading "Matched" by Ally Condie for a while, and I just finished it last weekend. When I first started to read it, it sucked me in right away. The beginning of the book is captivating, and brings you into the world of Cassia, a teenage girl growing up in a futuristic society that seems perfect...or is it? The government -and everyone- has secrets. Cassia is very accepting at first, and when seeing the world through her eyes, you almost accept it as normal when you read. But as she begins to find out more and more, and you begin to become horrified with the society, she slowly begins to break out of her conformist persona and into her rebellious personality. And, of course there's the matter of her choice between Xander, her (attractive) best friend whom she's been "matched" with by the authorities, or Ky, an (attractive) flash on the screen who might just be meant for her. This is for fans of the Hunger Games, and it's a very good read. But that doesn't mean I am without complaints. For one thing, the society wasn't shocking enough for me. After reading this you may point at me in dismay at how inhuman I am for NOT being shocked, but let's get this straight. They do some crazy things in that society, but I've seen it ALL before. If you're going to write a dystopian novel, you need the shock factor. There is a sequel, "Crossed," but I'm not sure if i'll read it. It's one of those war-torn sequels, where everything is going to fall apart, such as Mockingjay. If there was a book in between (a Catching Fire-esque situation) I would read it, but they jump into the battle to early. This has been a very conflicting review.

-Alice