|
|
|
|
|
Seventeen-year-old Cassie Reyes lives in a metaphorical glass bubble—in a society where a totalitarian government chooses where you work, what clothes you wear, who you marry, and when you die. Cassie trusts those choices; she’s never had a reason not to—not until she’s matched with her future husband.
At first, she’s elated that her lifelong best friend, Xander Carrow, has been chosen for her. He’s the perfect fit, since they already know each other so well. Then, one night, while she’s once again viewing the microcard that holds the identity of her match, another face flashes in front of her before vanishing. A face that she recognizes and is drawn to. The face of a boy named Ky.
Cassie suddenly finds herself taking risks in a world where something as simple as the possession of an illegal poem would result in dire consequences. Yet she can’t help falling for Ky, even as her heart aches over causing Xander pain. Now she has to gather strength and courage to follow a long-dead poet’s advice: “Do not go gentle…”
Matched is an achingly beautiful love story in defiance of a totalitarian government that doesn’t understand that love and the desire for freedom of choice call humanity to rise up and conquer oppression.
Cassie and Ky’s developing romance is so endearing and sweet, it’ll take you back to your own first experiences with love—before life kills the innocence of it and leaves you jaded. You’ll desperately want these two to end up together, even though it may cost them dearly.
The emotional tension will leave you shaken with anxiety, since you know that the characters are being watched at all times and one wrong move could put a horrible spin on the romance. At the same time, you’ll cheer for those who ask the questions that others are afraid to ask. In addition, the underlying sense that something is wrong within the society (besides it being under totalitarian rule) also makes for a suspenseful read.
Matched is the best young adult romance I’ve read all year—probably the best in two years. But Cassie and Ky’s story does not end here. I look forward to seeing how hard they fight to be together in the second book of the trilogy, Crossed. I’m already in my pajamas with it waiting for me on my nightstand.
|
|
|
|
