One of these things is kinda not like the others
Futuristic dystopia is the new vampire. It is official.
In Cassia's society, everything is predicted for you. The Officials know what job you're best suited for and which person you should marry - or if you should marry at all. Cassia is thrilled when she's Matched with her childhood crush and good friend, Xander. In a few years' time they will marry and start a family of their own. But then an anomaly occurs: while reviewing the Match information, Cassia briefly sees the face of another boy, a boy who has been marked as an Aberration - the kind of person the Officials keep a close eye on. Suddenly, Cassia begins to question things, starting with her evolving feelings about Ky the Aberration. As she learns that the Officials keep things from the citizens - poems, songs, art, even the ability to create - Cassia is now longer satisfied with going along with society's plans. Even when it appears that the Officials are targeting her and her family, she turns more and more to Ky for guidance and comfort. When Ky shows her the kind of world they could live in, Cassia makes up her mind that she must do all she can to make it happen.
The comparisons to The Hunger Games write themselves, so I'll skip that part. Actually, as I was reading this, I was reminded more of Fahrenheit 451. The parallels are much more similar: an innocent and successful member of a clean-cut society goes into shock when a person who will soon die (in this case, Cassia's wise grandfather) inspires the protagonist to start thinking outside of the box. As with Ray Bradbury's story, the seemingly perfect society only appears that way because it stifles creativity and, ultimately, the free will of its citizens. In this way, Condie's story is intelligent and thoughtful. Cassia's burgeoning awareness is illustrated very nicely and at a pace that for the most part fits her character. Of course, Bradbury never touched on teenage love triangles, which is why we have the Cassia-Ky-Xander issue. This is also handled well, with none of the characters painted in black and white. There is also a nice motif built around primary colors, which have different meanings depending on the context and Cassia's growing knowledge of her society.
But there are some issues I have with the book. The characters of Cassia and Ky are just not as interesting as they need to be. Ky especially seems to be more of a collection of stale traits (the soft-spoken but focused rebel) than a personality. Their side of the romance is passionate in theory, but it never moved me. Overall I think this is because the plot moved too slowly and couldn't rise to the occasion - at least until the end, when all sorts of things are revealed in rapid and exciting progression. By the end, Cassia evolves into the kind of person who could fight against society's expectations; it just took too long to get there.
As much as I like Matched's message about the need for art, expression, creativity, and free will - and I really do - other parts of the plot seem a bit underwritten. A more patient reader may perhaps get more out of it, and the book is good enough that I hope you might try. Rating: 3.5 crushed red pills out of 5.
The comparisons to The Hunger Games write themselves, so I'll skip that part. Actually, as I was reading this, I was reminded more of Fahrenheit 451. The parallels are much more similar: an innocent and successful member of a clean-cut society goes into shock when a person who will soon die (in this case, Cassia's wise grandfather) inspires the protagonist to start thinking outside of the box. As with Ray Bradbury's story, the seemingly perfect society only appears that way because it stifles creativity and, ultimately, the free will of its citizens. In this way, Condie's story is intelligent and thoughtful. Cassia's burgeoning awareness is illustrated very nicely and at a pace that for the most part fits her character. Of course, Bradbury never touched on teenage love triangles, which is why we have the Cassia-Ky-Xander issue. This is also handled well, with none of the characters painted in black and white. There is also a nice motif built around primary colors, which have different meanings depending on the context and Cassia's growing knowledge of her society.
But there are some issues I have with the book. The characters of Cassia and Ky are just not as interesting as they need to be. Ky especially seems to be more of a collection of stale traits (the soft-spoken but focused rebel) than a personality. Their side of the romance is passionate in theory, but it never moved me. Overall I think this is because the plot moved too slowly and couldn't rise to the occasion - at least until the end, when all sorts of things are revealed in rapid and exciting progression. By the end, Cassia evolves into the kind of person who could fight against society's expectations; it just took too long to get there.
As much as I like Matched's message about the need for art, expression, creativity, and free will - and I really do - other parts of the plot seem a bit underwritten. A more patient reader may perhaps get more out of it, and the book is good enough that I hope you might try. Rating: 3.5 crushed red pills out of 5.
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