Matched || by: A. Condie

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Pages: 369
Dessert: Tapioca Pudding- This book is light, sweet, and refreshing. 
Website:  http://matched-book.com/

Official Summary: Cassia has always trusted their choices. It's hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one...until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path no one else has ever dared follow-between perfection and passion.

My Review: So in a nutshell, Matched is the story about a girl who is torn between two loves, two choices, and two ways of life. She lives in a world where the government chooses everything for it's citizens, and questioning their authority is not an option. Condie's romantic focus is a cliché love triangle we're all familiar with. "Best friend" or "The New Guy I'm Strangely Attracted to?" As the story progresses, it's no doubt whom Cassia chooses, thus ruling out the "Team Edward vs. Team Jacob" option already. To be honest, the society in which Condie places her characters in, is very much similar to that of The Giver by Lois Lowry. It's not as original, thrilling, or romantic as I expected. Right now, a strong heroine is all the rage. Take Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games or Katsa from Graceling for example. Cassia, however, is just your average love-torn teen who doesn't posses any striking qualities. The book's downfall comes from Condie's shallow interpretation of the teenagers. They're difficult to relate to, not crush-worthy, and have a very limited emotional spectrum. As for the Dystopian element, Matched is far from action-packed, suspenseful, and thrilling. Cassia's government takes hold of its citizens not by violence, but by a carefully selected choice of verbal warnings and words. All in all, I felt the concept of this story had much potential, but the author didn't quite capture the intensity of governmental defiance or the forbidden romance quality I was looking forward to.

I would still, however, recommend this to any teenage girl (or guy, if you're into romance). It makes for a great easy teen-read: perfect for car rides or light reading before bed. This story is a great intro to Dystopian literature, and it's  easy to put down and pick up where you left off. Brava to Ms. Ally Condie on her first Dystopian novel, and although I find the story lacking in several aspects, Matched is a solid story with a seemingly promising sequel.