Matched (Matched, #1)

by Ally Condie

[Ashley]

booknook — Young Adult book reviews

Matched was a pretty awesome book but it didn't totally resonate with me for one reason: the romance. Guys, I'm a romance whore. That's always what will make or break a book for me. If the romance is amazing, I'm willing to overlook so many other flaws. If the romance isn't awesome, the book becomes a bit of a snooze.

My problem with Matched was just that I happened to be rooting for the wrong team in the love triangle. I am totally Team Xander. I mean Ky was okay, but I wasn't that interested in him. He's very closed off and doesn't talk much, so I had a hard time liking him. I didn't dislike him, but there was very little material there for me to really enjoy. But Xander on the other hand, is a total sweetheart! He is exactly what a good boyfriend should be. He's sweet, he's funny, he's attentive, and he's a bit playful and romantic. Swoon! Xander reminds me a lot of my boyfriend because of his sweetness, his humour, and his awesome intelligence. So I guess now it's obvious why I'm Team Xander, huh?

So my problem was that I was all about Xander but Cassia was falling for Ky. So Matched ended up being Ky Ky Ky Ky Ky. The book itself was fine, but I was just frustrated because I didn't like that romance. I was glued to this book up until the point that Cassia and Ky started dominating it, and then I pulled back a little.

I also did feel kind of detached from the story at times. It wasn't very... emotional. I wasn't in love with any of the characters. I mean Xander was great, but even he wasn't jumping off the page or really coming alive. While reading Matched, I wasn't getting excited, I didn't get teary-eyed, I didn't scream in frustration, and my heart never fluttered insanely and it never broke. It was a bit of an emotionless read.

I did find the dystopian parts of this book really intriguing. The society reminded me a lot of Delirium: it's about perfection, peace, and unity — all obtained through control. They control what people eat, where they work, what they dress, how they live, who they marry, and even when they die. I am so ready to see Cassia tear this society down!! It's the kind of thing that's so evil and overbearing that I'm dying to see it collapse and have all the people responsible get what's coming to them! Like the annoying snarky Official who thinks she's so great and knows everything. Yeah, ready for her to crash and burn!

Ultimately I'm really disappointed that I didn't like the romance in this book, because if I did, this book probably would have been at least 4 stars. It was just lacking the delicious, swoony, knee-weakening romance that I was hoping for. Not only did Cassia not choose Xander, but her romance with Ky wasn't that intense or delicious and it didn't make my heart race.

But I enjoyed Matched enough that I will continue with the series at some point!