Matched

//Matched// by Ally Condie

The first time I picked this book up, it didn't grab me enough to keep me reading. However, a year or so later, after reading //The Hunger Games// series, //Divergen//t and //Insurgent//, //UnWind, Legend// and about a dozen other dystopian novels, I picked //Matched// back up and got totally sucked into it. Despite the fact that the society is controlled so tightly, even down to meals, mealtimes and death dates, I found it deceptively lighter than some of the more outwardly gritty dystopian novels. It was exactly the break I needed while still sticking to the genre that I continue to be fascinated by. So I say 'yes,' it's a good addition to the Flume list. I also agree with Brittany that it may be more appealing to a female audience. -Heidi Grant, Nashua High North Media Center

Ally Condie created a futuristic but not unrealistic society in which the government looks out for it's prized possessions, it's citizens. I really loved the idea of everyone carrying around these three pills, blue to help sustain your life if there is an emergency, green to calm you down and red is only to be taken when the Officials tell you to. The idea that everyone carries these around ready to take them without knowing what they really are is amazing. I loved the idea that the Society seemed all knowing, but that they were a fairly kind and just Society to a point. Often time you have societies like Big Brother in 1984, which watches you all the time and doesn't necessarily want to help you so much as completely control you. I like that this Society seemed more helpful if not still quite controlling. I am very curious to see how this all plays out and what Cassia's next move is. Teens who love futuristic/dystopian fiction will fall for this one. It might be a bit more appealing to girls what with the love triangle and all.I would love to see this one on the list.

Brittany Moore Hall Memorial Library

Another of those dystopias with girl protagonists and two boys to decide between. Could appeal to Hunger Games fans 'hungry' for more. I enjoyed this particular book okay (I did like Divergent better), but the sequel Crossed I didn't find as interesting. I have to wait until the whole series is out before I render final judgment. 2012 Update 1/2/13: Just to say that the third book is out now. - Julie @ Nashua PL

I enjoyed reading Matched. I felt that the tension (both romantic and societal) was held throughout the book to keep you interested. You are left wanting to read the next book, but I agree that the sequel was lacking the same excitement. I know many female teens who love this book because it has romance, but also an interesting story line.

Jen Leger Baker Free Library

I loved this book, and can't keep it on the shelf- just bought an extra copy! I enjoyed the benevolent dictator-style of big brother government, as a change from the openly-hostile or "everybody knows the gov't is dangerous- we just don't talk about it" style we usually see in dystopias. It also made me think about creativity & variety, as the Society has limited all art & writing to only 100 pieces. Cassia's first non-approved bit of poetry is a continuing theme through the rest of the book ("Do not go gentle into that good night... Rage, rage against the dying of the light,"), and while I'm not a huge poetry fan, the impact of it in the book definitely got me thinking about poetry, and lyrics, and even spurred me to start a "Verse of the Week" contest in our Teen Room! I agree the 2nd book was a bit of a let-down, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for #3. -Lucia Von Letkemann, Wiggin Memorial Library, Stratham -Update 1/16/13- 3rd book is out- still not as great as #1, and I didn't love the way they "ended" it, but a much better ending than Hunger Games- LV

It's on the TTT list this year. Do we want to promote a book that's on that list? Kelly B. Keene High School, 2/9/12

I found this book disturbing. And not in the generic dystopian society way, but in very specific instances of proof of the terrible thought processes that went into making the Society the way it is. At the beginning of the book, Cassia is a teenaged girl who is about to be Matched, according to a statistical assessment of all of her attributes and characteristics, to a boy her age, which will culminate in their marriage several years from now. The world in which she lives is so exact that their food is delivered at mealtimes by Nutritionists, carefully prepared and balanced for each individual, their rec time is structured, their death time is structured, their careers are assigned, based on years of observation, etc. All of this, while disturbing, is somewhat par for the course in a dystopian novel. What brought me to tears was the fact of the Hundred Songs, Hundred Poems, Hundred Paintings, etc. Some committee at some point determined that there was too much stuff in the world, so they picked what they thought were the best of these things, and anything else became superfluous and was lost. The Society is a place where there is no Dylan Thomas, only one piece by Thoreau (and it's not Walden!), etc. The sheer loss of the beautiful art, music, literature just made me heartsick! That, more than anything else, made me despise the Society. How dare they dictate what ought to be saved for posterity, what things deserve to be experienced?! I'm anxious to read the sequel to see what becomes of Cassia, Xander (her Match), and Ky (the boy whose face she saw for a split second when reviewing her match). This is a great book to put into the hands of teens of both genders and all ages, just to see what they think, engender discussion! Kirsten Rundquist Corbett Lane Memorial Library, Hampton

I second Kirsten's recommendation--I think this is a fantastic book for discussion. It reminded me of Brave New World and other simliar classic dystopian books. It didn't have the shocking violence of The Hunger Games but to me the level of control (down to the portions and type of foods eaten at meals, even outside the home), in addition to the culling of uncountable cultural works, was just as shocking. I was also shocked by what happened to the characters when they thought they were doing the "right" thing. I would recommend this for the final list. Caitlin Andrews, Bedford Public Library

I'm tired of dystopian love triangles! I read this when it first came out and thought it was okay, but not noteworthy. It hasn't seen a lot of action here. I'd vote no. Kathy Pearce, Oyster River HS

Matched was on the 2011 Isinglass List. Do you want to include a book that was on a previous award list for --Amy Inglis Barrington

Of the 4 dystopian series I've read lately, this was the one I didn't care about enough to continue through the other books. I like that it had its own way of looking at a controlled society that was less violent than many of the others. (Sophie Smith, Nashua Public Library)