Name: Matched
ISBN: 9780585423645

Allyson Braithwaite Condie

All her life, Cassia has never had a choice. The Society dictates everything: when and how to play, where to work, where to live, what to eat and wear, when to die, and most importantly to Cassia as she turns 17, whom to marry. When she is Matched with her best friend Xander, things couldn't be more perfect. But why did her neighbor Ky's face show up on her match disk as well?

Matched

Kellie Davis

This book was alright. I liked the idea of it. It just fell kind of flat for me. No real climax. The book was still enjoyable for a quick read but nothing amazing about it.

Monicap

Some people don't like this book, but I don't get why. It's SO.
SERIOUSLY.
EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sarah Sammis

★ // (DNF) interesting at first, then she chose the other guy instead of the bestfriend, and i just thought, nah i don’t have time to waste for that.

peyton 

this book was so good the only reason it’s not a five because i wish it was a stand alone

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

Colleen

** spoiler alert **
           *This review contains minor spoilers involving the overall theme of this book and the dull characters within!

This book popped up as a suggested title after I read The Hunger Games and Divergent. And because at the moment reading more YA dystopian books sounded like a good idea, I added it to my reading list. I have since realized that most of these YA books are just riding the wave of dystopian popularity left in the wake of The Hunger Games. As such, most of them lack any depth, and Matched is no exception.

Matched is essentially your standard teen rebellious love story in a dystopian setting. After reading this book, I looked back at the description and picked up the warning signs that I missed: the word "romance" being used multiple times and the general wording used. Then there was the fact that the plug on the cover came not from a reputable author or review but from MTV.com. (Note to self: avoid books that MTV endorses!)

There was not anything original or enticing about the future-world featured in the book. There was no deep meaning, moral, or good symbolism. It was the same tired ideas of government control and the start of rebellion. Except that in Matched, the rebellion is barely more than a whisper and far removed from the main character, Cassia. While she does realize what is happening more as the book proceeds, the focus of the book is her silly little love triangle. In fact, the only symbolism that came across ties into the cover picture: a pretty girl in a bubble, oblivious to anything going on outside. While the bubble cracks some and Cassia becomes more aware of the government's manipulation, she mostly remains your typical love-struck, rebellious teenager. I suppose you could blame her lack of personality on the controlling government, but that wouldn't fix the monotony of this book. If you are going to have a book be character driven and have almost no plot, then those characters need to be captivating!

The love triangle was painfully predictable. It might have been forgivable if I was drawn to the characters at all, but there was nothing compelling about them. So reading about reading about Cassia and Ky walking up and down the same hill every day and making goo-goo eyes at each other was vexing. I think the most frustrating thing was that Cassia had known guy number two for most of her life, but barely knows he is alive until she is told she can't have him. Then she proceeds to defy the government and screw over guy number one - the poor sucker who actually liked her. It talks about how before that she didn't even know what color #2's eyes were. She is told he is forbidden and instantly becomes obsessed with him. The author even throws in little bits of Cassia trying to convince herself that she really did love him all long. It is best summed up by guy #1 who says something to the effect of, "We were both there, but you CHOSE to see HIM."

Overall, the writing was stilted, the characters were tedious, and the plot was almost nonexistent. I think I need a break from YA books.

Kayla 

Mikayla Hall

Literally one of my all time favorite books!

Audrey Lord

Oh I am so glad my sister suggested I read this book. I do not feel like it's a love triangle. More of finding yourself, loving yourself and those around you

Emmalie Stearns

Entertaining, not mind riveting, not a must read, but entertaining.

dorah luxieux

lowkey this book reminded me of divergent because of the whole society thing and this book was just great. i wished it was a show or a movie because i just want to see what everything would look like because my mind isn't enough.

Talia Dominguez 

*spoilers* 
well, let me tell you that I like this book but at the same time I kind of don't!!! I REAlly like this book because it is based on a totally different world that has a different society. I couldn't imagine living in a society where Cassia lives! I would just hate not being able to make my own choices in my own life and live somewhere where there is limitations for everything. I think i would die , literally. It was a great read. Now what I don't like of this girl named Cassia Reyes , was her poor choosing. Well I mean I would probably had chosen the same choices she did if i was in her place, but is just not fair how someone so innocent can get affected so badly by her choices! That would really hurt if I was the one getting affected . To make my point clear, I don't like when the narrator has to choose who to stay with between two other persons, if person a or person b. Here in this book, she had to choose between trying to stop falling in love with Ky or just not to hurt xander. She literally didn't had to choose between them two. in means of who to be with, but I feel like she did and that irritates me. Aside from that , i Liked this book very much.

One word: predictable. 
Kinda reminiscent of Delirium, or Uglies. Predictable, yes, but also really good. I really love the way Ally Condie writes, the way she makes the words fit together, like poetry. This book is beautiful.

The story was kinda common, boy loves girl but girl loves the mysterious brooding guy. But I really liked the setting, and the way the government is so much more controlling than in the other dystopian books Ive read. In some ways, I would like to live in this world with no disease, no hunger, and no poverty. The citizens have everything they need, they have perfectly planned lives, and they even get the exact kind of food they need delivered right at their doorstep. A perfect world (in the surface).

In someways I can empathize with Cassia (btw, I love her name). But even at the end part, I was still more attached to Xander than Ky. I feel like Cassia would've been happier with Xander, plus he knows her better. But, of course, if she stuck with Xander, there shouldnt be any reason to continue the series. HAHA.

All in all, the book was pretty good. Exactly the type of romance I like.

Gaja N

Caterina P.

In a world where society makes all of the decisions, Cassia has no reason to believe that the society will do her wrong. The Society decides what to read, what to watch, and finally what to believe. But when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility.

Ofelia

** spoiler alert **
           And when I see Ky again, which I know will happen, I will whisper the words I have written in his ear, against his lips. And they will change from ash and nothing into flesh and blood.

Molto carino.
Sembra un misto di 1984 e the Giever, condito con una storia d'amore che però non è banale né scontata. La protagonista Cassia non è la classica eroina da libro young adult. E' un personaggio con cui è davvero facile immedesimarsi, che è facile capire e seguire e lo stesso vale per gli altri personaggi della storia che non sono piatti e non esistono solo in funzione di Cassia ma hanno una loro storia ed un loro perché.
Insomma, questo libro mi ha davvero preso e ora voglio il seguito.

mevi

2 stars.

This book has mixed reviews when I decided to pick it up. Some people  loved  this book, while others absolutely hated. Unfortunately, I'm the latter. The plot drives the story, not the character. The main character idly sits by letting the world go on, making minimal decisions. The romance in the book was something that should not have been focused on. This book is a poor rendition of 1984. Definitely do not recommend this to anyone.

Arianna DeWitt

I love this book so much! My mom recommended this book to me and I don’t regret reading it. I’ve started the second book and so far I’m loving it too! I highly recommend it.

Sean Valencia Monte

This was an amazing book! It gave me divergent vibes. The plot was written well and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The characters were very well though out and I would definitely read it again. I was rooting for Ky to be with Cassia! This Romeo and Juliet feel made it so interesting.

Allison Garrett

Very slow at first, but the further I got into it I couldn't put it down

Holly Klein

Kind of boring, not much to say, I don't remember much, maybe I'll try again sometime.

Leah Patton

Although slow moving, Matched makes its message clear with beautiful writing and lovely descriptions. Also, the Cassia and Ky actually become in love, if you know what I mean. I hate it in books when the main character and her potential love interest meet and BAM! They're in love. Cassia, although interested in Ky, doesn't just fall into love like she's walking into a black hole. She walks. There is an actual story of their romance, the meeting, the developing of Ky's story, the attraction begins to form, and finally the romance become's something definite and defined. You have a story there, not just steamy random encounter's where they are taken from hating each other to making out. Not that they can't be surprised that they find themselves attracted to someone they never thought they would be attracted to, I feel there just needs to be a transition into actually liking that person. People don't just make out with others that they hate just because they happen to have a pretty face or nice muscles.

Toni

I absolutely loved it. I could barely put it down. I usually read paranormal romance novels so this was different for me and I enjoyed the change. The characters and places are extremely well written. This book is definitely one of my new favourites. I'm desperately waiting for the next in the series, Crossed.

Julie Viravaux

** spoiler alert **
           I read this years ago (maybe nearly a decade ago ?) so I just had vague memories of the plot of this book. I remembered the love triangle (obvious cliché that was the reason I chose this book at the time if I'm being honest), the dystopic society (reason why I'm picking it back up today) and the call to rebellion that it gives you at the end. 
I feel that as a 20 years old I definitely did not read this book the same way as I did as a kid. 
Cassia was much older than me then and represented this "I'm not like the other girls" image that you cultivate as a "unpopular" kid in school. And yet now that I'm the oldest, I still follow her decisions approvingly (tbh I don't know if I would have told/left Xander he is still my favourite). 
This is still a good story, it's not amazing or life-changing. But it's still one I remember I liked and I still like now.