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A review by abby_ace_of_books
Matched by Ally Condie
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
The best way I can describe this book is silly.
I read Matched because my sister said I should, and I decided to go for it because why not...it's not that long, and really, what's the worst that could happen? The answer? I want to know how the story ends, but I do not want to go through the process of reading any of it. Which is why I hope my sister will finish the series for me...
Take every dystopian book you've ever read, pick out the blandest pieces of plot/worldbuilding, mush them all together, and you'll get this book. I almost wish I read this on Kindle because then I could annotate any time the book stole plot points from other popular books (and then I see people reviewing this and saying it's "fresh" and "original" and I almost lose my mind). What's the plot you may ask? The (Secretly Evil) Government decides who you marry. Cassia is given two Boys to pick from: Childhood Best Friend (Blonde) or Mysterious Daddy Issue Neighbor (Burnette). Also, her job is literally to "Sort" things...whatever that means. Most of the book is spent in Cassia's mind as she ruminates over how she should love Xander (Love Interest #1) but she's drawn to Ky (Love Interest #2) because he loves hiking (definitely not a surprise tool that will help us later) and poetry (even though everyone in this world can read but not write...which I don't really understand because you just copy the letters??). The plot only picks up in the last, like, 30 pages, and even then, everyone is incredibly emotionless. The dystopian elements themselves are fine, if a bit unoriginal. I don't think anyone actually starts this book with the idea that the Government is good. The plot is just slow, the commentary kind of bland, and overall the whole book feels like I took one of those green pills before I started it.
As with any popular YA dystopia, there's a love triangle...only this one is pretty clear who the better option is. Cassia is surprisingly like other girls at first, which is kind of bad because her only personality is "I'm in love but I can't be." And then she reveals that she likes poetry and that she wants to learn how to write...and then she isn't like other girls. Xander has about as much personality as a saltine cracker (he's like Mal from Shadow and Bone but 100x worse). Ky was okay at first until Cassia started simping for him 24/7, and then I got annoyed with him by default...sorry dude. He is the better love interest though. None of the other characters matter. Her best friend appears, like, twice and her parents feel like they're on the verge of divorce the whole time.
Look, if you really want to read Matched ... go for it. I could definitely see it being someone's guilty pleasure read. Just don't expect it to knock you off your feet.
2.25/5
I read Matched because my sister said I should, and I decided to go for it because why not...it's not that long, and really, what's the worst that could happen? The answer? I want to know how the story ends, but I do not want to go through the process of reading any of it. Which is why I hope my sister will finish the series for me...
Take every dystopian book you've ever read, pick out the blandest pieces of plot/worldbuilding, mush them all together, and you'll get this book. I almost wish I read this on Kindle because then I could annotate any time the book stole plot points from other popular books (and then I see people reviewing this and saying it's "fresh" and "original" and I almost lose my mind). What's the plot you may ask? The (Secretly Evil) Government decides who you marry. Cassia is given two Boys to pick from: Childhood Best Friend (Blonde) or Mysterious Daddy Issue Neighbor (Burnette). Also, her job is literally to "Sort" things...whatever that means. Most of the book is spent in Cassia's mind as she ruminates over how she should love Xander (Love Interest #1) but she's drawn to Ky (Love Interest #2) because he loves hiking (definitely not a surprise tool that will help us later) and poetry (even though everyone in this world can read but not write...which I don't really understand because you just copy the letters??). The plot only picks up in the last, like, 30 pages, and even then, everyone is incredibly emotionless. The dystopian elements themselves are fine, if a bit unoriginal. I don't think anyone actually starts this book with the idea that the Government is good. The plot is just slow, the commentary kind of bland, and overall the whole book feels like I took one of those green pills before I started it.
As with any popular YA dystopia, there's a love triangle...only this one is pretty clear who the better option is. Cassia is surprisingly like other girls at first, which is kind of bad because her only personality is "I'm in love but I can't be." And then she reveals that she likes poetry and that she wants to learn how to write...and then she isn't like other girls. Xander has about as much personality as a saltine cracker (he's like Mal from Shadow and Bone but 100x worse). Ky was okay at first until Cassia started simping for him 24/7, and then I got annoyed with him by default...sorry dude. He is the better love interest though. None of the other characters matter. Her best friend appears, like, twice and her parents feel like they're on the verge of divorce the whole time.
Look, if you really want to read Matched ... go for it. I could definitely see it being someone's guilty pleasure read. Just don't expect it to knock you off your feet.
2.25/5