Matched

Review Time! Note that Matched isn’t out until later this month or early next month depending on where you live! I was fortunate to receive a copy for review from Penguin Australia so thanks Penguin! I have to that the dystopian genre has kind of stolen the show from the paranormal genre!

The Short Story? – I think that after the major success of the Hunger Games Trilogy (seriously awesome series) many authors have gone beyond the standard genres (i.e. paranormal, contempt, fantasy) and have started to experiment with new genres such as dystopian. Matched is probably one of the few dystopian novels I have read besides The Hunger Games, it is also probably the only one I really enjoyed (besides The Hunger Games)

The Long Story? – The unique thing about dystopian is that unlike paranormal, the author has to create a whole new world even if it does have the typical love triangle or the forbidden love cliché. So instead of reading the same plot twenty times with the same characters who have different names, You can enjoy something that is – really hard to come by- original.

In Matched, Cassia’s society is controlled by a ruling party called the officials. Everyone’s life is determined and controlled by these people. What they eat, what they wear, what their job will be, when you will die and more importantly who they are matched with. At the age of sixteen, the matching officials match you with a boy/girl who you will spend the rest of your life with. Cassia is matched with her best friend; Xander who she believes is her perfect Match but what happen when she falls for the wrong boy?

I absolutely loved Matched! It is so different from anything else I have ever read. Ally Condie has done a fantastic job portraying a controlling society where free will is non-existent. It shows us what our lived could have been like. Matched had me hooked from the first page, reading this book was like entering a new world where everything you have learnt is useless and everything that happens surprises you over and over again. Not only was the plot/ storyline a whole new experience but reading the book itself was exciting because it was so unpredictable.

The characters were all very well brought out. Although I cannot possibly think of any way we can relate to them, the emotions they feel are common among us too, not only bringing readers closer the characters but letting us connect with them too.

Another highlight of the story was the cliff hanger ending. I usually frown upon abrupt endings because nothing really makes sense but in this case it was fantastic. It lets the readers in just enough to intrigue them and keep them in suspense, almost willing them to read the sequel!

Fantastic novel, refreshing new genre, amazingly talented author, a book you wouldn’t want to miss.
Rating 4.5/5


Badass Bookie xx