Matched

Starred review from October 4, 2010
All her life, Cassia has never had a choice. The Society dictates everything: when and how to play, where to work, where to live, what to eat and wear, when to die, and most importantly to Cassia as she turns 17, who to marry. When she is Matched with her best friend Xander, things couldn't be more perfect. But why did her neighbor Ky's face show up on her match disk as well? She's told it was an error, but something once noticed clamors for attention, and now Cassia can't look away. Ky has many secrets, but the most stunning to Cassia is something she never suspected still existed: creativity. As they fall in love, Cassia's eyes are opened to the truth of the Society, and she knows she can no longer blindly follow its dictates. But the Society isn't through with them, and things get much, much uglier. Condie's enthralling and twisty dystopian plot is well served by her intriguing characters and fine writing. While the ending is unresolved (the book is first in a trilogy), Cassia's metamorphosis is gripping and satisfying. Ages 14–up.

In a feathery voice, Kate Simses depicts 17-year-old Cassia Reyes and the dystopian world she lives in. Cassia is excited about learning the identity of the young man with whom she's been "matched." Romantic matching is one of the five functions controlled by the Society, which oversees its citizens' lives to ensure optimal outcomes for all. When Cassia momentarily sees the image of a different young man as her match, her destiny is forever changed, and events that reveal the deceptions of her Society are set in motion. Simses effectively portrays Cassia and is equally adept with the characters that surround her, especially her younger brother and her mother. A fascinatingly disturbing audio experience. A.C.P. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine