Matched, by Ally Condie

My first impression of Matched was teen romance meets The Giver (one of the best books ever). Like the Giver, Matched is set in a future utopian-seeming society where the main character, a teenager, is starting to notice that their perfect society isn't so perfect. The societies in the two books are similar too, but the few differences are what matter in the story of Matched.

The story follows seventeen year old Cassia who is about to find out who her match is. Instead of our messy system of marriage and divorce, anyone who wants to be matched gets put into a computer and gets sorted with the person they best fit with from anywhere in the country. Cassia, to everyone's great surprise, is matched with her best friend, Xander. Then, when Cassia plugs in her microchip with Xander's info that everyone gets about their match another face turns up for a second. Not any face, but the face of Ky Markham, a childhood friend with a mysterious past. Cassia finds out that Ky is an Aberration, someone who is pushed to the lower ranks of society for various reasons. An Aberration is not allowed to be matched which makes the whole situation even stranger. As the story moves along Cassia and Ky grow closer while she feels confused about her feelings for Xander and Cassia and her family commit secret criminal acts, such as reading a poem. Yes, reading a poem is illegal in Cassia's world because after our generation made a mess of things the leaders decided that we only need a hundred poems, a hundred songs, a hundred paintings, a hundred history lessons. Another messed up thing-the society controls meals. They provide everyone's food and you're not allowed to share yours with anyone because it is specially tailored to your bodily needs or what the government wants to feed you. Also, people are killed at age 80. And they all wear a brown uniform every day. Their leisure hours are controlled. Everything is controlled. There is no creativity. Which explains the bubble on the cover. Cassia isn't bothered by any of this until she starts hanging out with Ky.

The entire time while reading Matched I kept thinking about Xander. He is any girl's dream guy- good-looking, smart, really really nice, responsible, ambitious...........You name it, he's got it. Everyone is jealous of Cassia because she got matched with the most amazing guy ever AND he's already her best friend but instead of being grateful, she goes and falls in love with the misunderstood social reject. Makes sense, doesn't it?

5 stars. Matched should be required reading. It's more than a teen romance-this book will make you think.

Love the cover-gorgeous and symbolic