Do you like dystopian stories? Love triangles? Unanswered questions? Matched is a intriguing story that can hang gently next to The Giver in the grand tome of dystopian literature. Cassie lives in a controlled society in which everyone is given absolutely the perfect amount of everything he or she needs. Statistical science is used to predict their every decision, and based on all the data, each person is provided with the person they will marry, the person who is their perfect fit: their match.

Soon after her Match, however, Cassie begins to see flaws in the society she has been raised to appreciate for its stability. The realization that she doesn’t actually like always being watched and having her choices made for her suddenly makes her world oh so much more complicated. There is a boy, of course, Ky, who, while not her Match, certainly IS her match. He teaches her about creating things instead of just doing things, and he appreciates the secret words that Cassie was given by her grandfather. But Ky isn’t from their city, and his past and both of their choices lead to … of course … a sequel that will tell us the rest of the story. I’m looking forward to it.

What an interesting, fast read. Cassie starts off so naive — and she never gets a harsh teenage edge; she just finally decides what she wants and is wiling to take risks. While is it certainly a dystopian novel, it’s also incredibly romantic and makes you wonder about what our society truly appreciates and what we take for granted. Can there be TOO much beauty? TOO many words and stories? Would it be better to just pick out only the best that there is and then alter society to make everyone’s life as superior as possible, removing everything unnecessary?

I WANT to squeal and say that I adored it, but it was a tiny bit too mild for the depth of the story being told. I got the sense that things will change in the next book, but I was waiting for something more intense to happen. Until the end, things felt very controlled — which I’m sure was intentional, but there you go. I did really like it though, especially the references to writing and poetry. If you are a fan of The Giver, I would definitely put this one on your list.

Rating: None