ENTERTAINMENT: BOOK REVIEW

Matched, by Ally Condie

Reviewed by Candace, age 19, California
Sweet Designs Featured Writer


Featured Gold Star Writer Bio

The Society is a "perfect utopia." Once children are of age, they go to their Match Banquets and see who they will be partnered with for the rest of their lives. For society's benefit everything is chosen for them - their jobs, their mates, even their time of death.

Cassia has always felt that's no big deal. She is certain that whomever she ends up with will be the perfect match. During the banquet, her match turns up on the port screen. But what happens when her match turns out to be her best friend Xander? Will this ruin their friendship? And what about the other face that flickered on the screen? Cassia thinks she knows this guy too. Two guys appearing on the port screen is not supposed to happen.

Cassia has never been a rule breaker. She has never questioned anything, because she's never had any reason. But now Cassia has some questions of her own. The other face that appeared on the port screen was Ky Markham, a boy who lives in her neighborhood. Is Ky the boy she would be happy with for the rest of her life? Or is it Xander, the friend she's always cherished since childhood? Cassia needs to discover the truth, even if it means disrupting the perfect Society she's always known.

Matched is a wonderful dystopian novel. Every chapter is a page turner, and I was tempted to read ahead to find out what happens next. One drawback is the world Condie creates, which is rather vague. However, this isn't too much of an issue in this novel because Condie's characters are so realistic. They act like typical mercurial teenagers, changing their minds from one minute to the next. The plot is suspenseful as well, and built to a satisfying climax. Condie's best strength is her diction. Her sentences are poetic and every word she chooses is perfect.

Matched deserves four out of five stars.



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February & March Magazine Issues

March 15, 2012

The February and March issues of Sweet Designs Magazine are now online, featuring a combined 53 new articles and features!!

- Cover: Stephanie Lynn reflects on 5 years
- Cover: India (of Darn-licious knitwear)
- Life in the dumps (moving in with my bf)
- The difference between men and women
- Angels among us (parts 1 and 2)
- Arts graduates & the dark night of the soul
- Triple threat (how I survived my teen yrs)
- Dating isn't easy (my true story)
- How to turn not-so-great gifts ... (fashion)
- Ten reasons to love being single
- Taking the big leap (college)
- Valentine's Day (not what you'd expect!)
- The last of the cold (hopefully) (fashion)
- A month full of love
- Ten tips for successful airline travel
- Reasons I love writing for SDM
- Who needs love?
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- The life I'm glad I don't have (fiction)
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- The 30 hour famine
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- Dear John
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- 3 Fun ways to rock spring's hottest trends
- Neglected teeth
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- Deadly, by Julie Chibbaro (book review)
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