Matched (Ally Condie)

When I first heard about this Matched phenomenon, how it was "just like The Hunger Games" with a dystopian society, I wanted nothing to do with it. I wanted to scream, "NO! No, it is not like The Hunger Games." I did thoroughly enjoy that series, but did it define a new genre? Absolutely not! Don't people read classics any more? The Hunger Games is like Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World. Matched also falls in the shadow of these historic tomes. Who are these younglings, unaware of the larger literary world? But I digress.

Matched was delightful. I appreciated the overarching conflict and authenticity of the character response to it. The relationships among Cassia's family members was particularly enjoyable. I did not, however, fully believe her relationships with her two love interests, at least in the beginning. It took a lot of convincing, but by the end, I accepted it, if only for the sake of the rest of the story.

Sometimes Condie's "poetic" feel was forced. In some portions of the book, it seemed that every paragraph ended with a profound metaphorical statement (and an eye roll, on my part). But overall, this page-turner has me anticipating the next installment, coming November 1st!