Matched

Matched
Author(s)	Ally Condie
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Matched trilogy
Genre(s)	Young adult/ Romance/ dystopian
Publisher	Dutton Juvenile
Publication date	November 30, 2010
Media type	Print (Hardback)
Pages	384
Followed by	Crossed

Matched is a young adult novel written by Ally Condie that takes place in a dystopian future.

Inspirations and publishing history

The idea for Matched came in 2008 when Condie's husband asked her "What if someone wrote the perfect algorithm for lining people up, and the government used it to decide who you married, when you married, etc.?". Condie was also inspired by a time when she chaperoned a high school prom and other experiences such as falling in love and becoming a parent. It took her about nine months to write the book.

Plot synopsis

The story begins with protagonist Cassia Reyes getting ready for her Match Ceremony. She is toying with a compact given to her by her Grandfather, an "artifact" that is one of the rare surviving objects from the old world. Inside of the compact, she keeps her pills. The pills are blue (to keep you alive without food if needed), green (to help with anxiety), and red (its function is uncertain). Her best friend, Xander Carrow, shows her his cufflinks, which are his artifacts. The Match Ceremony is held by the Society, which uses algorithms to determine the perfect mate for its citizens when they turn 17. At the ceremony, Cassia gets a surprise when she is matched with Xander. It is rare for two people in the same Borough to be assigned to one another. Regardless, they each receive their match microchips in a silver box, which they can use in their home's port to learn more about one another.

When Cassia puts her microchip into the port, Xander is not the only one who comes up on the screen. Worst of all, she recognizes this boy as Ky Markham, a boy who went to her school but recently got a job. She is worried when a Society Official switches the microchip and reassures her that Xander is her match. The official tells Cassia that Ky will not be matched with anybody because his father committed a crime, which makes Ky an Aberration. The Official gives Cassia clearance to talk about the microchip switch with her Grandfather, who will die the next day. Cassia visits her Grandfather, and he is shocked to learn about the microchip switch, as it is never heard of. He tells Cassia to "wonder".

The next day, Cassia and her family visit her Grandfather for his Final Banquet. The Society has people in Cassia's Borough die before midnight on their 80th birthdays. They each bring a gift for their Grandfather. When it is Cassia's turn to visit her Grandfather alone, he asks to see the compact. He twists the bottom of the compact and reveals a piece of paper. On this piece of paper is a poem by Dylan Thomas and Alfred Lord Tennyson. The Society had eliminated all art, music, books, and poetry except for a hundred of each. Cassia's own Grandmother was on the committee of people who chose out the Hundred Poems. Cassia knows that having the poems in her possession is dangerous, as people have been severely punished for having things like this before.

A series of encounters with both Xander and Ky make Cassia wonder who she was really meant to be with. Her father failed to give her Grandfather's DNA to the Society after his death. When Cassia learns that it was on purpose, she overhears her father lying to her mother, making her wonder if the Society got their Match wrong.

Because her Grandfather loved to hike, Cassia takes it up as an activity, mandated by the Society. Ky Markham has also signed up for the hiking activities, and he sees Cassia read the poem in the woods. She has to destroy the paper, which she cannot do at home because the incinerator will recognize the odd paper. So she pretends to visit her father, who works in "restoration" (destroying old world artifacts), and she throws the poem into the incinerator there.

During hiking, Cassia convinces Ky to teach her how to write in cursive. Nobody in the Society knows how to write, only how to type. Cassia and Ky's relationship gets stronger and stronger over the weeks. Ky slips Cassia more notes and drawings telling him about his story. Ky lived in an Outer Province and his family was killed by the Society. One day, the rain turned from blue to black and death fell down on his family. An Official took Ky to live with his Aunt and Uncle since their child was murdered in an accident that should have been monitored by the Society. One day, he brings her an unregistered artifact: A compass. He had seen her compact and wanted to show her something that looked like it. For her birthday, Ky gives her another poem by Dylan Thomas, one which is banned. He reveals that he can trade valuable items for forbidden material if he goes to a specific spot in the Museum.

Cassia's best girlfriend, Em, borrowed her compact for her Matching Banquet. It was noticed by Officials, who scoured Cassia's street, confiscating the artifacts because they believed that they didn't promote equality. Xander helps Cassia hide Ky's compass in a Newrose bush in the Markham's yard. The Officials said that the artifacts would be put into the museum.

One day, Cassia takes a sorting exam to find her a job. She sorts people who work in the Nutrition Center, and Ky is one of them. Ky's performance falls in the middle of the performance range, something that Cassia has noticed that he does to blend in in other situations, too. An Official tells Cassia that these types of workers don't live long, and subtly reveals that they poison their workers, just as they poisoned her Grandfather. Cassia, in an attempt to protect Ky, sorts him as a high performer, hoping that this will give him a promotion and a longer life. Ky and Cassia finally reveal that they love one another during a hiking session. They finally kiss.

One night, Cassia awakes to hearing screams in her street. The Officials have come to take Ky away, and his Aunt is screaming in the streets like the night that her son died. Ky's Uncle, Patrick, tells all of his neighbors that Ky is not going to be "reassigned" like the Officials claim. He reveals that there is a rebellion in the Outer Province and that they are taking Ky away to fight, where he will definitely be killed. The Officials demand that everyone take the red pills, which are revealed to take away the most recent 12 hours' from memory. Cassia steps on her pill and pretends to take it.

Cassia's family find out that they will be relocated to the Farmlands the next day. Cassia goes to the museum to get information about Ky, pretending to visit her artifacts (which are not there). Instead, she sees a map of the Boroughs and realizes that the Sisyphus River runs near two Outer Provinces, one which Ky must be in. As she leaves the building, she is met by an Official who reveals to her that the entire love affair between herself and Ky was planned by the Society, something that they do every once in a while to see what happens. Cassia can tell that the woman is no good at lying, and does not believe her. Cassia leaves.

Xander is waiting for Cassia on her front steps, when he reveals that he is not affected by the red pills. He tells stories of himself and Ky from a long time ago (Xander caught Ky using his artifact when he was lost and Xander threatened him telling him to find and steal two red tablets. Or else he would tell everyone about his artifact and get Patrick and Aida in trouble. Ky stole Xander's parents tablets causing a huge mess with officials investigating. Xander was furious and wanted to tear Ky apart but Ky waited for him holding the 2 red tablets and said "you don't mess with others lives " he offered for each of them to take the tablet and start all over. The tablets didn't work on either of them) , saying that he gave Ky a hard time because he was jealous of the way that Cassia looked at him. Cassia gains hope that perhaps the Society did not create her feelings for Ky after all. Xander is supportive of her wanting to find Ky, and agrees to help teach her how to use the compass through secret codes he will write in love letters. Xander is hopeful that, when this all passes, that he and Cassia may have a future together.

While taking a train to the Farmlands, Cassia's father reveals that he knows about her feelings for Ky. He says that the family will do everything they can to help her find him, beginning by reporting her to the Society for her rebellious attitude. Cassia is grateful for this, as it gives her three months' hard labor in a Borough that is near where Ky is suspected to be. The book ends with Cassia thinking about the last note that Ky sent her, which reaffirms his love for her. She wants to find him.

Reception

Matched received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, who praised Condie for "[peeling] back layer after dystopic layer at breakneck speed". The reviewers noted its similarity to The Giver but said it is "a fierce, unforgettable page-turner in its own right". Susan Carpenter of the Los Angeles Times called it a "wonderful debut," praising the way Condie used the style of writing to reflect Cassia's feelings. Darienne Hosley Stewart, reviewing for Common Sense Media, gave Matched four out of four stars, praising Condie for "[crafting] a fine addition to the genre" that was a "great coming-of-age story" rather than a "hand-wringing love triangle, or a ho-hum story of teen rebellion". She also thought the characters were "complex and surprising" and Cassia's awakening and understanding of the Society "[felt] authentic".

Sequel

Matched is the first installment of a trilogy. The next book, Crossed, was released November 1, 2011.

Film adaption

Disney purchased the film rights to the Matched trilogy on September 16, 2010, before the book had been released. Paramount Pictures had taken place in the bidding war, but Disney eventually won. Adam Shankman (who directed A Walk To Remember and directed and produced Hairspray) and Jennifer Gibgot have signed on to produce the film. It is unknown if the film has begun production.

External links

• Ally Condie's website
• Matched Official Website