“Matched” by Ally Condie was easily one of the most intriguing yet confusing romance novels that puts a twist on the trope of an ‘arranged’ partnership. The book is a perfect blend of romance, sci-fi and action; however, the book does heavily rely on predictable plot twists.
The perspective of the book is from the main character, Cassia, as she goes through a whole journey of self-discovery and rebuilding herself back up after she found that her whole society was a lie. Cassia then finds her authentic self and perfect lover.
Condie made the book empowering in the sense that Cassia is sending out a message that no young person should be letting other people decide what is best for them – especially who they are going to be with for the rest of their lives.
Condie also adds a lot of stereotypical sci-fi novel plots that have been seen within books like “Divergent” by Veronica Roth or even “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. All of these books hold similar themes and plots of the two lovers having to fight with society, just as Condie has done with this novel.
The clichés within the novel seem to make the book a bit duller than the others in its league, but sometimes the reader just needs a bit of a predictable, well-written romance in their lives.
Overall, “Matched” is a swoon-worthy book for the die-hard lovers of sci-fi or romance fanatics. It is a truly captivating novel and will make you want to read the next novel in the series.