Review: Matched

Matched (Matched #1)
Ally Condie
Published November 30th 2010 by Dutton Juvenile 

I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to slap a girl so much as now.

I never had high expectations of this book, but seriously? I love dystopia, but I really can’t stand dystopias that work on the premise of instalove, unless the author can justify that instalove.

 I’m going to find it bad to write this review/rant, because I have NEVER, repeat never, bashed a book before.

Well, there’s always a first time.

Plot

Well, the plot can be summed up this way.

Girl rides on train with Best Friend to her Match ceremony.

Girl vainly states all her beauties while staring at compact.

Girl finds out her match is her Best Friend and is soooo excited.

Girl later sees cute boy on the back screen of her Match and falls in love with him. Because we all know that The True Love that forms fascinating love triangles always occur in few seconds.

Oh yeah. True Love guy is called off-limits. What’s life without a bit of danger?

Oh yes, that was Catherine.

Girl feels bad for Best Friend, now her Match, but wants to be with Cute Boy.

Girl goes on a hike to talk to Cute Boy. Finds out that he has “nice blue eyes”. Swoons.

Rants to herself about his “nice blue eyes”, how life has to be so hard for her because mating is such a difficult matter.

Wants to run away with Cute Boy.

.___. Umm…

After reading six pages, I was fed up with Cassia’s vanity and stupidity (we’ll touch on that later). I felt like slamming it shut and putting it in some forsaken corner and never look at it again. Well, Cat told me to read on because I’ll have a good time laughing to myself.

I think I’m going to stop here, or the entire review will be a full-out rant of Crossed.

Oh wait, it already is.

The Characters

Cassia

To say the least, Cassia is a vain girl. VAIN. Let me quote to you.

                                    “I want to open the compact and check in the mirror to make sure I look my best. But I don’t want to seem vain, so I sneak a glance at my face on its surface instead. The rounded lid of the compact distorts my features a little, but it’s still me. My green eyes. My coppery-brown hair, which looks a more golden in the compact than it does in real life. My straight small nose. My chin with a trace of a dimple like my grandfather’s. All the outward characteristics that make me Cassia Maria Reyes, seventeen years old exactly.” (*Emily narrates in a sarcastic tone*)

And lusty.

“Ky presses next to me blocking her, too. It’s the second time we’ve touched, and although I’m worried about Em, I can’t help but notice it, can’t help but want to lean into him a little in spite of the fact that I still feel Xander’s kiss on my lips.”

Seriously? I can tell you’re reallyyyyy worried about Em.

Besides that, Cassia is a self-centered, whiney little priss.

Am I going to far? I’m going to stop here.

Xander

I think Xander is the only reason why this book didn’t get a 0.5 rating. He’s the saving grace of this book. He was really nice and kind. (I won’t put in that he is handsome because you don’t start liking characters because they are good-looking) I really don’t think he deserved to be treated by Cassia that way. He is smart, and he can think on his feet and act spontaneously. And even after how Cassia betrayed him and his heart time and time again, he helped her. So that means he’s forgiving too.

Ky

I really can’t stand this guy.

I’m Team Xander, by the way. Not that I’ll be reading the sequels.

The Romance

This is the best instalove story I have read in my entire life. (*rolls eyes*) Well, I already did say that this book worked on the premise of instalove, so I maybe you can guess how bad it is. So Cassia sees Ky on her Matching screen, thing, whatever. And she falls in love with him. Great! But then she realizes that she loves Xander too. Oh no! What is she going to do? But she decides that she loves Ky more, so she would rather run off with him. But she doesn’t want to break Xander’s heart. Well, dearie, you already did. So deal with it.

The Language

At least the language here was all right, but I already deducted points from it for the other… components.

Writing Style

Let’s just say that I hated Cassia’s voice. And I think Miss Condie should not have described Cassia in such a way that made Cassia sound vain. That and many other things.

All in all…

Well, seeing from this review, you can probably guess that you shouldn’t read this book unless you are looking for a good laugh at irony or the best case of instalove.

I’m sorry Miss Condie, but this isn’t a sexier version of the Giver. Just. No.

RATING: 1.27

Emily Drema