The Matched Trilogy
By Ally Condie

A MUST read for the dystopian fans. Once I picked up the first book in the Matched Trilogy, I couldn’t set it down and HAD to have the next two as soon as I could.

Quick Overview:

The Matched Trilogy consists of ‘Matched’, ‘Crossed’, and ‘Reached’. This series takes place in a dystopian Society where Cassia and her family live. This is a world without illness or disorder. Your food intake is portioned just right for you at certain times of the day. When you turn 17, you attend the ceremony to find your MATCH, whom you will marry and create the perfect genetic mixed babies with. It’s nerve wracking to say the least – but when Cassia’s MATCH isn’t as clear as it is supposed to be – the questions arise. A love triangle in the making. Xander or Ky – how is she supposed to know the right choice??

The first book of the series is mostly given in Cassia’s perspective. In the second book, Crossed, you hear a little more of Ky’s voice with Cassia’s and in the third you hear from all 3 – Xander, Ky, and Cassia.

Matched:

It’s the picture perfect world – everyone has exactly what they need, nothing more and nothing less. Everyone is content and day to day life is defined and easy.

Cassia is fast approaching her 17th birthday and preparing for her Match Banquet, where she will find out the man destined to be her husband and reproduce more perfect humans with her – chosen based on facts, characteristics and stats that deem them to be the perfect Match. This may be the first time she ever sees this man that is to be her future from any province or city within the society borders. Where will she end up?… Couldn’t have seemed like a more fairytale ending when her match turns out to be her BEST FRIEND!!

Xander is perfect – handsome, caring and everything Cassia could imagine wanting for her future.. until her match card has a glitch and someone else’s face appears… The perfect society in her eyes begins to unravel as she questions the meaning of all of this.

Crossed:

Cassia truly unfolds and shows her strength and wonder in Crossed. As she fights against the society because she no longer believes they have the ultimate answer – she finds herself in new territory, facing new dangers, and taking on even higher scale questions.

Cassia’s search turns up what she never expected and brings her to lengths she never imagined.

Reached:

The must-know-what-happens- Conclusion! Take note of the things you read in ‘Crossed’ – things that seemed so miniscule before become huge in this fingernail clenching final book of the trilogy. It pulls the whole journey of ‘Matched’ and ‘Crossed’ together. Battles to be fought. Decisions to be made. Outcomes to be had. This trilogy cap ties up all the loose ends and answers the questions you have been building up throughout the series!

Conclusion:

There were some slow parts throughout the series – and I would have liked to see a few things go differently, but overall I loved it and finished the series rather quickly as a slow reader 😉

If you liked The Giver – You will like this one!

Also a great one for book clubs and conversational piece – touches on a range of topics including technology, relationships, government, rules without backing.. the list goes on. If you found yourself dwelling on the Hunger Games and talking about it for days.. this one will do the same.

Guest Post by Megan Verwey