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Jessica's Reviews > Matched
Matched (Matched, #1)
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Everything in this book is so CLEAN! I loved that. You have to understand, I had a "thing" for utopian societies in high school. BRAVE NEW WORLD, THIS PERFECT DAY, HARRISON BERGERON . . . oh, yes! I've read them all. And what struck me about some of them was that it was supposed to be the perfect, future society, but everyone just seemed so sweaty . . . But not so in the Society. Everything is carefully sanitized. Clothes are clean, or quickly changed when they are not. The world has been cleaned up: there are only one hundred poems left, one hundred paintings . . . because too many choices, too many THINGS contributed to the confusion of their ancestors (us, in short). The world has been streamlined, recycled, and recreated into this sterile perfection, and it fascinated me. I loved the fact that Cassia feels like things are spiraling out of control, and they are, for her. But she continues to eat her specially prepared meals, continues to go to work and to the school, so the temptation to succumb, to go back to the dreamy calm of no choices and no worries is always there. The reader wonders until the last page: what will she do? Will the Society pull her back in, or will she rebel? Her dilemma is artfully done, and there is appeal in both of her choices. It was what kept me reading, along with the flawlessness of this serene Society which Ally Condie has created.
So, this book has been heavily promoted. (I should be so lucky as to have PR like this!) And with that comes the fear that the book itself isn't very good, just the PR team. Well, have no fear, my people! The book is worth the hype. This is 1984 for teens, and it works. Also, I myself am not a "romance" person, particularly when it comes to YA. I will admit there have been other books in which my eyes rolled so much I feared they would fall out. I loved the romance in this one, I thought it was very natural and very well done.
Two thumbs way up for Ally and MATCHED! Can't wait for the sequel!
So, this book has been heavily promoted. (I should be so lucky as to have PR like this!) And with that comes the fear that the book itself isn't very good, just the PR team. Well, have no fear, my people! The book is worth the hype. This is 1984 for teens, and it works. Also, I myself am not a "romance" person, particularly when it comes to YA. I will admit there have been other books in which my eyes rolled so much I feared they would fall out. I loved the romance in this one, I thought it was very natural and very well done.
Two thumbs way up for Ally and MATCHED! Can't wait for the sequel!
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Reading Progress
June 29, 2010
– Shelved
February 22, 2011
–
Started Reading
February 23, 2011
–
Finished Reading
February 24, 2011
– Shelved as:
youngadult
June 28, 2011
– Shelved as:
dystopian
Comments Showing 1-23 of 23 (23 new)
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I so agree with you, Jessica. I have read this book and loved it. The only disappointing thing was that I have to wait until this coming fall to read the second in the series. I work in the children's section of a library and highly recommend this to patrons that are 12 & up.
Jessica, who's team are you on? Ky's or Xander's?
I love your reviews, Jessica!
Rheannon: Can't decide! Kinda like both Ky and Xander!Klymene: We aim to please! ;)
I'm reading the second book right now its called Crossed and its really good!
Oh, I'm totally team Xander all the way!!
Looking for a book series with no sex scenes for a 12 year old girl......will these be appropriate?
the most sexual thing in these books is mild kissing and handholding.
Kathrine: Totally. This series is very clean.
Though I did not enjoy the romance in this book, there were so many beautiful quotes that came from it. The love triangle felt cheesy to me while reading it, but looking back it was beautiful. As she falls in love with Ky instead of Xander, Condie gives us some prospective. "Is falling in love with someone's story the same thing as falling in love with the person himself" (Condie 196)Cassia asks herself as she analyzes her love for Ky. Around this time, she is falling out of love with Xander. Though Xander's heart was broken with the fact that his own match would not be there after all, Condie finds a way to make it sound beautiful. "Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I'm glad for that" (Condie 216). The poetic normality of her writing is very natural and organic. They seem to flow like conversation, but make you think. This made the story worth reading. If it wasn't for her writing style, I wouldn't have finished the book.
Autumn wrote: "Though I did not enjoy the romance in this book..."Um, perhaps a spoiler warning before you reveal the fate of the love triangle?!
I thought the same thing! So many bad reviews out there but yours it good and true!
This book is a really good book. It's facinating how they are matched up with people they don't know based on their personalities. It must be scary to think and wonder who's going to be the one you will be with the rest of your life. Something I don't understand is why can't they just pick the one they want to be with. What i do understand is that they are matched up with people that have the same personalities and or traits.
I read your great review after I finished the book. Congratulations on a compelling, well-written review.
I went for Xolan... LOVE HIM! :)
I agree with your review and thoughts. I also liked the cleanness of the novel.
I love the concept but I couldn't finish just because I hated the direction the book was going. It's your classic love triangle but the good guy is left behind and I hate when that happens.
I also agree that this book was very clean, and I personally thought that it was a great novel. I sort of don't understand why people hate this book.
OH MY GOSH!!! My favorite author read my second fave book!!
Yeah!!!
: )
This is a great book!!!
I will credit it as having been written for Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.