Matched

Dear Viewers,
I'm so sorry for having not posted for SIX months! I'm really mad at myself for my lack in consistency! I promise I will keep up from now on.....I was under school and exam pressure, and had absolutely NO time to post! From now on, I will post at least once a month. Now......here's my latest review!

Matched, an award winning book by Ally Condie drags you into the dystopian world of the future. Cassia trusts the Society for anything that needs to be done. Even whom she is going to marry. So when Xander (her best friend) is stated to be her destined partner at her Match banquet, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal husband, until she sees Ky Markham's (another of her classmates) face flash for an instant on her tablet before the screen fades to black.

The Officials tell her that it's an honest mistake made by one of the employees and that she should focus on the happy life she's supposed to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to question the Society's decisions and choices, wondering why the citizens don't have as much freedom as was given in the olden days. After the Officials find out about their secret relationship, Ky is taken away, leaving Cassia to choose between him (a dangerous and rebellious life) and Xander (a safe but a Official-watched life).

The main focus of the book was Cassia, and her choices; how they affected her and those around her. This romantic dystopia gave rise due to Ally's yearn for writing a romance, which quickly changed into a novel set in the future. I personally loved this book due to Ally's writing style. Although she used simple vocabulary and such, it was as if I was tied to a rope that dragged me deep into the plot, to watch the scenes unfold. I found many euphemisms, but unfortunately, no allegories as I had expected (I really thought that there would be at least one because of the setting and the story's structure). The theme which I found mostly used was "Love always conquers all evil". A symbol which I found was constantly used were birds. I guess that they might be used to portray a sign of fore coming freedom. I feel that this book was a lot like the Giver, by Lois Lowry. Both, were taken in the far future and in a time where people are controlled by a higher force of the Elders and have almost no voice of their own.  Overall, I love this book for its quirky romance, writing style and purely the idea for this type of setting. This book is ideal for those 12+.