Matched
ISBN13
9780141334783
Review published
29/12/2011
By Reviewer
Alex
Star Rating
By Author / Illustrator
Ally Condie
Age range(s)
11+
Review
In a Society that controls everything - jobs, life, death and even love - Cassia has the amazing luck to be Matched with her best friend Xander. She must now raise a family and spend her life with him. But a technical glitch shows her another possible Match: her friend Ky. As she becomes closer to Ky Cassia finds herself falling for him, but acting on her feelings could spell disaster for them and both their families. Ally Condie has created a fascinating futuristic dystopia in this first part of a planned series, and though the reader is given a great insight into some of the sinister and bizarre facets of this society, she holds enough back to increase demand for the next installment. Standout scenes include her grandfather's death, when he is carefully poisoned in order to kill him on his eightieth birthday amidst a series of touching yet sinister ceremonies, and Cassia and Xander's first date, complete with an official chaperone to reduce enjoyment and romance as much as possible. Cassia's development throughout the story is profound yet believable, her rebellious feelings gradually cultivated by the seditious hero Ky and by the machinations of the Society which threaten everyone she loves. The strong message about the importance of making your own decisions and preserving your own personal autonomy will, as always, strike a chord with confident teenage readers who feel that their freedom is unfairly curtailed, and the love triangle at the centre of the story will appeal to many teenage girls. An impressive debut - watch out for the sequel!Ages 12+ Reviewed by Alex Kingsbury, SLS librarian
