matched by ally condie (arc)

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Pages: 366
Series: Matched#1
Published: November 30th, 2010
Rating: 3.5/5
Source: Won
Buy at: Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Summary (Goodreads):

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So 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 and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

My Say:

This book is totally some books that I don't know how to feel. I have a mix feeling of it and have to admit that I'm quite frustrated because it doesn't work for me so much. Don't get me wrong. The idea of the story is very original since I never read anything like it before. I don't usually pick any dystopian novel until last January for The End of Marking Time, which I quite like it (maybe it's a thriller).

When I say it doesn't work for me, it's more related to my feeling of the world the author have created. I like the idea of being matched though. When I read first quarter of the book, it was so good that I'm totally hooked but it decreased my anticipation right before the middle of the story. I was like so suffocated to live in that world and I believe I would understand how stress the citizens of that future were in. The character of Cassia, I totally can't feel any connections with her, like something is lacking. She was intriguing, somehow sometimes I felt like she was asking too much of what the place would give. I know they have very limited freedom and kind of bounded with The Society, but just because of Ky appeared on the screen, she just wavered. Other than that, I totally can't understand why they can't write long hand and can't really recite poems too. But I like it when she and Ky recited one together. I found it very sweet. Condie should really explain it at least in a brief. I know it's in future or like not the same time as ours but, I can only accept 50% of that world she created.

Nonetheless, I'm glad I read the book. It's my first time reading a YA Romance Dystopian, feel quite impressed with the author writing style and plot. I did enjoy her passion of creating different world, a fresh spill of matching couples, different colour of pills with different purposes, human dies at 80 and so many things to explore. Even though this book has only an okay type development, I'm actually looking forward to read the sequel, Crossed. I hope to found who's Cassia's choice either Ky or Xander, but I really hope Xander. Personally, I think Ky is just a distraction (BOO!)

I will recommend it to whoever love Dystopians. It's a worth try to read something out of your comfort zone sometimes. But I totally love the book cover!