Matched

Book 1

By: Ally Condie

Narrated by: Kate Simses

Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted the Society’s choices. And when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, she is certain he’s the one - until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now she is faced with impossible choices: Between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s ever known and a path no has dared to follow...between perfection and the truth.

Look for the sequel, Crossed, and the epic series finale, Reached!

©2010 Ally Condie (P)2010 Penguin

Critic Reviews

“[A] superb dystopian romance.” (The Wall Street Journal)

“Strong feminist ideals and impressive writing that’s bound to captivate.” (The Los Angeles Times)

Giver Goes Green

Cassia lives in a futuristic society where all decisions are made for her/them, including whom to marry. When paired with her handsome best friend, she glimpses the picture of another boy and spends the book getting to know him and questioning authority. The plot is just like Lois Lowry's, "The Giver". However, the characters and love triangle are more detailed and appeal to a teenage girl audience of 10-14. Good read for your teenage daughter and could be an interesting movie or CW series.

The narrator does a great job, but was an inappropriate choice. She sounds like she's 12 years old and not as intelligent or strong as the main character, Cassia. I may have enjoyed this one more if I'd picked up the book instead.

Wow

I was worried about picking up this book because so many people were bashing it as a rip off of 'the giver'. I could not find many reviews that praised this particular story. I have not read the giver so i cannot agree with them, but i did read this book and i can say that i loved it. The structure of the society was not as big a part of the story for me as the events surrounding the characters was.

The book takes place in a dystopian society and you are immersed in it so much that when Cassia begins to open her eyes it is subtle. I really enjoyed that fact because in a lot of YA books the main character is really blunt with their epiphany. I enjoyed the way it was written and how realistic it felt even though the environment is like nothing we have experienced. I am excited for the next installment, but if the book were to end here i would not be dissatisfied. The main character is strong and she really kept the story interesting. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a story of teenage rebellion and strong characters.

The narrator did a great job. No complaints here.

A Kinder, Gentler Dyastopian Society

When my sister suggested this book to me, I wasn't sure I would like it. Genetically engineered societies means that disabilities are eliminated by default. That makes it difficult for me to "find myself" in the book because I already know going in that neither I nor my husband or son would be found in this oh-so-perfect society. But that wasn't a problem. Ally Condie crafted together such an artful weaving of character and setting with just enough ties to our own world to be believable that I was pulled in right away. Told from the point of view of someone who genuinely believes in the infalability of the Society and its statistics, Cassia moves right along as she reasonably explains away euthanasia or drug-induced amnesia while the reader's heart pounds at the deceptive logic of it all. There is a love story at the center of the book, but it wasn't the love story itself that pulled me in. Unlike other love triangle tales, one potential match isn't "wrong" and the other "right." I truly believe that Cassia would have been/will be happy with either Xander or Ky. To me, that's not the point of the story at all. Is it better to have the choice or not? No matter how perfect the society is planned to be, it will always come down to the power held in the hands of imperfect people.

Others have criticized the book for being nothing new, but I think that's unfair. Have dystopian tales been told before? Sure. Do others examine the same debates regarding personal freedom, secret knowledge, finding the right spouse? Absolutely. Matched, in my opinion, tells it well on its own merits.

I found this book to be so well crafted that it demanded my attention. Most of the time, I can balance reading multiple books at a time: one on audio, one on ebook, one on paper, etc. While I was reading Matched, however, it claimed my inner voice. I would try to read another book and find myself hearing Cassia and having to stop and remember that this was an entirely different world. For me to have that reaction alone says something.

On a lighter note, as a teacher who still emphasizes the value of cursive writing and poetry, I loved the twist Matched brought to those two arts often dismissed in today's society. There is a value in creating rather than simply sifting through facts and regurgitating the right ones at the right time.

I loved it, despite the mixed reviews

Any books that are about dystopian societies are a must listen in my opinion. I love this genre even if it's a bit formulaic at times. Throw in a good romance or love triangle and I am instantly hooked.

Although this wasn’t as great or as dark as some of the other’s in this category it was still a solid and enjoyable listen. If you like your dystopian novels more on the romantic side (Delirium, The Selection) then you will enjoy this one too. However, if you prefer them a little more on the action/adventure side (Divergent, The Hunger Games) then perhaps you should skip this one.

Overall I really liked this book and will continue with the trilogy. The narration was excellent and really made the story come alive.

4 Stars!

What happens when all choices are made for you.

This story is set in a dystopian future where everything you do is planned for you. The ‘Society’ decides what clothes you wear, where you work, who you will marry, when you will have children, and when you die. The story revolves around three main people: Cassie, Ky, and Xander. Cassie and Xander have known each other since birth and Ky since he was around 10.

When you are 17 you get to go to a Match Banquet and find out who you are going to marry. At Cassie’s banquet they call Xander as her Match.

Everyone is so happy that Cassie and Xander are matched, now neither child will have to leave to live in another city with their match. Even though Cassie knows just about everything about Xander, she puts the data card into the computer port at her home just to see what is on it. She is very surprised that Ky’s face pops up … just for a second, but it was there.

The Society rushes in to tell her it was a mistake. Because of something Ky’s father did, Ky has been given the label ‘aberration’ and will never be allowed to be Matched. Now she is curios and that curiosity will lead her to want to learn more about Ky. The more Cassie learns, the more she realizes that she is in love with Ky. Real love. The type of love expected from her by Xander as his Matched girl. But Ky’s love is against the rules. If Cassie breaks the rules not only will she be punished, but her whole family could be punished also.

We enjoyed listening to this book. When we picked it, we didn’t realize that it was a trilogy, so you can imagine our surprise when it didn’t have a final conclusion at the end. As a matter of a fact, there were many things hinted at but never explored. So you are left feeling that you only got part of a story. I am sure that is a trick by the author to get us to want to read the next in the series when it finally comes out. Which we will do, but still …

Kate Simes has the voice that sounds closer to 10 or or 11 than 17, but it didn't distract from the story

Decently good YA read

Any additional comments?

This series was definitely written from a more juvenile point of view. It held my interest but there were times when I was bored and wanted to just get to the point. Also, most of the things that happen are incredibly unrealistic. Having said all that, I did still enjoy listening to the books. There was enough that was entertaining and creative that it kept me wanting to know more.

All the narrators were annoying except for Xander in the 3rd book. Cassia and Ky's narrators were reading the book like it was whimsical poetry and was really annoying.

Tiresome

Would you try another book from Ally Condie and/or Kate Simses?

I became almost as tired of the Society as the main character did. The reading felt a bit monotonous, the narrator over-enunciated just about everything; it felt rote. But the story itself also felt a bit plodding, so perhaps that wasn't the fault of the narrator.

What three words best describe Kate Simses’s voice?

Childlike

Was Matched worth the listening time?

No. Unfortunately.

Satisfying Dystopian YA Fiction

Another in the plethora of dystopian YA fiction that is to be found, Matched is actually quite good and different from The Hunger Games and Divergent. It's less death-defying, which is the huge difference. There's no violence.

But there is a controlling Society who manages every single part of a person's life, down to the person whom they are to marry. And this is where this particular dystopian story differs.

This story is told well. Some of the prose is quite lovely. The characters are full people. And as a first in a trilogy, it's a good start. I'm intrigued enough to want to read the second book, Crossed.

The narrator is very good, with the perfect youthful voice for the first person narration.

So.........................slow

Why? Why is the ally condie trying to torture me? I spent money to be entertained. Instead I find my ears bleeding, begging for the point of this God awful story.

Imagine your friend telling you, in detail, about a huge promotion they received, only they begin the story a month prior to the date of the actual promotion. In. Freaking. Detail. All 30 dull, irrelevant damn days. In detail.

Your friend is talking just to talk. Condie, I'm forced to assume, is writing for the same narcissistic reason. Either that or she herself was trying to figure out where the hell she was going with it...idk, man.

Matched

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would. I think hearing the voices, rather than just reading the book, added quite a bit to the story.

What about Kate Simses’s performance did you like?

I liked that she changed voices and used some emotion. Other narrators don't do that as much.

Any additional comments?

I do plan on continuing on with the series.