Matched by Ally Condie

About the Book

Title: Matched

Author: Ally Condie

Series: Matched #1

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Publishing Date: November 30, 2010

Pages: 369 (hardcover)

Goodreads Summary:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow

Characters:

Cassia Reyes: Cassia is the main protagonist of Matched and the narrator of the story. She is 17 years old and is one of the only people to be matched to someone she knows. Although she is matched to Xander she finds herself falling in love with Ky and questioning the ways of the Society.

Xander Carrow: Xander is 17 years old and one of the love interests in Matched. During the Matching ceremony he is paired with Cassia.

Ky Markham: Ky is 17 years old and is also one of the love interests in Matched. He came from the outer provinces and moved to the province of Oria (where Cassia and Xander lived) after his parents had been killed. He was adopted by a family, and he keeps to himself most of the time. In Matched, he and Cassia grow close to each other and end up falling in love.

Setting:

Oria: This is the province where Cassia, Xander, and Ky reside.

Where The Book Left Off:

Cassia wakes up one morning to screaming - only to walk outside and realize that Ky is being taken away. He's being sent to become a solider on the Outer Banks, which everyone knows is a death sentence. The Officials come to break up the altercation and ask everyone to take their red tablets. Cassia destroys her and the official supervising lets her do it. The red tablet causes the users to lose the last 12 hours of their memory, successfully making them forget about Ky's new position. The next day, Cassia and her family find out their being relocated to the Farmlands. Cassia is upset about this and leaves to find Ky. She ends up at the museum and rather than trading a valuable for information she settles on just examining the items around her. 

Before her and her family leave for the Farmlands - the official who monitored the taking of the red pill, informs her that her relationship with Ky was all apart of an experiment - but she also finds out that the Society has no idea who put Ky's name into the matching pool. Before leaving, Xander gives her the materials she needs to find Ky - and also asks her to be open to the idea of choosing him. Because of the red tablets, Cassia's family doesn't remember what happened to Ky - only that he's gone. But they do know that she loves him and they offer to help her. The novel ends with Cassia on the train to her new home waiting for her chance to find Ky.

Next Book:

Crossed