Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched

Author: Ally Condie

Publisher: Dutton

Series: Matched #1

Pages: 366

Genre: Dystopian

Release Date: November 30, 2010

How Received: Won

Summary: In the Society, Officials decide.

Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one... until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

My Thoughts:

Matched was such a great read. I love the idea of the Matching system and Society, and the methodical way that Society has perfected its response to disease, cancers, and other imperfections. There were so many great messages in this book: freedom to think, freedom of choice, even the most perfect things have imperfections, and to not give up without a fight, among other things.  

I absolutely adored Cassia. You could see the transformation she makes from beginning to end. She sticks to the societies rules because that’s all she’s been told to do since she was born, but once the seeds of rebellion are planted in her mind, they stay there and take over all of her thoughts. You could see her struggle against going against Society, but you could also see the changes made in her and know that she isn’t going to go back. She’s very level-headed, and tried to look at things logically, and that’s what I liked about her.

The romance was a very untriangular-love-triangle. I didn’t even think Xander stood a chance, really. Half of the book involved Cassia struggling with her growing feelings for Ky, and Xander only got a few scenes in. While I’m adamantly “Team Ky”, I could see and appreciate Xander’s personality/character, because he’s essentially a good guy. Assuming Xander had more scenes and a bigger role than just being Cassia’s Match, I might have easily found myself liking both boys. But as it is, I was totally and completely siding with Ky, even before he was introduced. Yep, that’s right, I loved him before I knew him. The depth to his character, the loneliness and sadness and mystery, just added to my love for him, because his personality spoke to me on several different levels.

Pacing in the novel was so-so. It wasn’t the most action packed plot, but I don’t think it was meant to be. It was more about introducing the characters, watching character development, and planting seeds of rebellion into the main character. So while the pacing was not the most action packed, it was great in that it did what it was supposed to: introduce us slowly to the world and catch a glimpse of the discontent emanating from Cassia and the others. It gave us the time to think about the novel, to question things just as Cassia was questioning them.

The plot was interesting. I haven’t read so many dystopians to say with utmost certainty that it was a unique plot, but it was definitely interesting. The world Ally creates is based primarily on the Matching system, so that humans may be conceived with optimal results. There were so many fascinating elements to Society, and I wish we had more time to explore the intricacies of Society.

Which leads me up to my few dislikes of the novel, the first being: everything about the Society was implied. All the rules, all of the customs, all of the terms – none of them were given exact precision. When I read about dystopian books, I like being blatantly told what terms and objects and structures mean what. I enjoy having definitions. I didn’t have that for this book – you basically pick things up along the way, and while it isn’t hard to pick up and understand, it just wasn’t as concrete as being told outright.

One huge issue for me was time. There was virtually no element of time in the book. I wasn’t sure if that was on purpose (because no one in Society knows what time it is – Society keeps time for them – so perhaps Ally was creating that feeling for us, as readers), or if it just wasn’t thought of, or what. I have a very time-oriented mind, so when a book has no timeline, I get... spazzy, actually. I still can’t tell how much time transpired. In some ways, it felt like only a few months (that would make sense, from Spring to Summer), and in others, it felt much, much longer. It didn't take away from the book itself, but it was just a pet peeve of mine.

Cover Musings: It isn’t stunning, but I do love it! I loved the recurring mentions of green in the book, and this cover is no exception. It’s simple, but so complex at the same time. The intrigue factor of this cover is high up there: a girl trapped within the confines of a green bubble. How can you resist picking that up? I know I wouldn’t have been able to! (Also, on my copy, the letters of Matched aren't in white - they're in green. I prefer my copy better).

Memorable Quotes:

I will be somewhere at the end of the middle. The beginning of the end. (pg. 12)

 Still, she harbors a particular affinity for them because of the seeds, which are small and brown but cloaked in beauty, in these thin white tendrils of cotton. Little cloudy parachutes to slow their fall, to help them fly, to catch the wind and glide them somewhere they might grow. (pg. 28)

 Although, if you think about it, I am marking time for my own life, too. Every minute you spend with someone gives them a part of your life and takes a part of theirs. (pg. 65)

 I stop trying to hold onto so many other things—the memory of Xander’s kiss, what my father has done, curiosity about Ky, worry about Em in the music hall, confusion about myself and how I am meant to be and who I am meant to love. I let it all go like a child with a handful of balloons on her First Day at First School. They float away from me, bright and dancing on the breeze, but I don’t look up and I don’t try to grab them back. Only when I hold onto nothing can I be the best, only then can I be what they expect me to be. (pg. 154)

 I’ll tell her and everyone else that I know: they are giving us pieces of a real life instead of the whole thing. And I’ll tell her that I don’t want my life to be samples and scraps. A taste of everything but a meal of nothing.

They have perfected the art of giving us just enough freedom; just enough that when we are ready to snap, a little bone is offered and we roll over, belly up, comfortable and placated like a dog. (pg. 249)

 Everything I dream is something simple and plain and everyday.

That’s how I know they are dreams. Because the simple and plain and everyday things are the ones that we can never have. (pg. 260)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: Matched was an absolutely lovely novel. The idea of Society and the Matching system were interesting. I found myself being more and more curious about Society and its customs. The gradual development of this book – mostly with characters’ interrelations with each other – was very enjoyable to read about. I liked that everything wasn’t so action-packed, but still a lot of stuff was happening at the same time. It, like the cover, was both simple and complex at the same time. I loved Cassia, Ky, and Xander, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book! (It’s almost cruel that we have to wait a year for it!)

Rating: 5/5

**This review was submitted in the 2010 Debut Author Challenge

Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Series: Hunger Games #1
Pages: 374
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: October 1, 2008
How Received: Library

Summary: Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning? 

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

My Thoughts: 

At first, I had my reserves about this series. I had heard about it from reviews, but the entire concept of the Hunger Games repulsed me enough to not really want to read. But when I actually sat down to read The Hunger Games? It did not disappoint. At all. It was full of such epic epicness! Within the first few chapters – the first, actually – I was hooked. I couldn’t put the book down, even if I had tried to.

I loved Katniss. She’s my newest favorite character. She’s strong, level-headed (most of the time), and will stop at nothing to protect those she loves. I was easily won over when she placed herself in front of Prim despite the certain death that would consequently await her. If there was a definition of epic, it would be Katniss.

Peeta was a lovely counterpart to Katniss. He had such charisma that he won me over with the littlest of promptings. He was comic relief and just plain funny despite the grim situation. I loved how he was the “weak” one, when men are usually portrayed as the big, macho protectors of our weak female heroines. The roles were definitely reversed in this book.

The plot was just... epic. The concept of the Hunger Games is repulsive, yet it reels you in, all the same. I found myself wanting to know what happened, to see which kid died, and how. Katniss’s predicament in the arena is so raw, and real, and I found my heart quickening with each page turn. It was so intense that I had to fight myself from not jumping ahead a few pages. I couldn’t take the suspense! There were a few times, I have to admit, that my eyes wandered ahead. I couldn’t help it! The one thing that totally got me was the scene where District 11 gave her the bread, and the scene preceding it. I was bawling.

The ending was just as awesome as everything else. Katniss is even more in danger than she was before. I love it.

I’ve seen all the Team Gale vs Tale Peeta buttons out there, and I have to say (for now, at least) I’m Team Peeta all the way.

Cover Musings: I wasn’t too impressed with the cover for The Hunger Games. That’s probably why I didn’t pick it up sooner. But after reading it? I looooove the cover, for all it symbolizes, and the Mockingjay pin!

Memorable Quotes:

[I had a hard time with quotes, because they either spoiled something or had to be taken in context, so.. I apologize for my meager amount of quotes D: ]

“At first one, then another, then almost every member of the crowd touches the three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and holds it out to me. It is an old and rarely used gesture of our district, occasionally seen at funerals. It means thanks, it means admiration, it means goodbye to someone you love.” 24

“I guess all those hours decorating cakes paid off.”

Peeta smiles. “Yes, frosting. The final defense of the dying.” (252)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: I freaking LOVED The Hunger Games. I don’t know what else I can say besides that. I said epic about a gazillion times in this review -- that's how darn good this book was! I felt like each page turn was like crack. It was sooo good; I’m dang addicted now! If you had the same reservations about this series as I had... FORGET THEM. Just pick this book up right now! Go Peeta! <3

Rating: 5/5

Extras:
Book Trailer! :3 I was going to post another video, but it was a bit spoilerish, so I decided on this instead.

** This post is a challenge entry in the September Spectacular Challenge #5. 

Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Publisher: Random House

Series: Maze Runner #1

Pages: 374

Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction

Release: October 6, 2009

How Received: Library

Summary: When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is black. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as they could remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark.

The Gladers were expecting Thomas’s arrival. But the next day, a girl arrives in the lift—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might be able to find their way home... wherever that may be. But it’s looking more and more as if the maze is unsolvable.

And something about the girl’s arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

My Thoughts:

I’m not new to dystopian novels, but I didn’t know what I was getting into when I picked up this book. I honestly picked it up because there were no other titles that piqued my interest on the “new releases” on my libraries shelves. So I didn’t know it was dystopian.

Let me tell you, I felt as confused as Thomas did when he got to the Glade. I had no idea what was going on, and I wanted answers. The speech was weird—off—because the Gladers have separate words for things, like “klunk” for “poop”. I almost gave up because I hated the way the Gladers spoke. But like Thomas, after a few pages, I was pretty much used to it.

I didn’t think much of the novel at all in the beginning. I just kept going to see if something would get answered. Before I knew it, I was sucked into the book. Hook, line, and sinker.

Dashner posed us with more questions than answers throughout the entire novel, and I felt compelled to find out what was going on with the Glade. Through the quest for answers, Thomas encounters the fear that engulfs the Gladers: Grievers. Grievers are monstrous things with needle like things that prick you; if you don’t get the Grief Serum, you die. The only thing keeping the Grievers out is the walls surrounding the Glade.

I was downright paralyzed with fear for 3/4^th’s of the novel. My heart pounded every time Thomas encountered a Griever (especially the night in the maze) – imagine how he felt, actually living it! He was so grounded, so fearless. He was also a bit whiny at the beginning, but I can sympathize for why. My only gripe about him was that he seemed too perfect. The fact that he’s smart was reiterated at least five times. It seemed almost like everything was falling into Thomas’s lap: he was the one who needed to save Minho and Alby, he figured out the key to the maze, he helped find the Griever hole. He found out all the answers without really trying to.  

This book reminded me a lot of Lord of the Flies – the premise of it was survival of the fittest.

Cover Musings: It’s lovely, for a dystopian science fiction book. The spikes between the walls just screams ominous!

Memorable Quotes:

“The creature was a horrific mix of animal and machine, and seemed to realize it was being observed, seemed to know what lay inside the walls of the Glade, seemed to want to get inside and feast on human flesh.” (pg. 39)

“‘Think about it. Our memories are wiped. We live inside a place that seems to have no way out, surrounded by bloodthirsty monster-guards. Doesn’t that sound like prison to you?’ As he said it out loud, it sounded more and more possible. Nausea trickled into his chest.

‘I’m probably twelve years old, dude.’ Chuck pointed to his chest. ‘At the most, thirteen. You really think I did something that would send me to prison for the rest of my life?’” (pg. 64)

“‘Shouldn’t someone give a pep talk or something?’ Minho asked, pulling Thomas’s attention away from Alby.

‘Go ahead,’ Newt replied.

Minho nodded and faced the crowd. ‘Be careful,’ he said dryly. ‘Don’t die.’” (pg. 329)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: The Maze Runner was so action packed, suspenseful, and fast-paced, I didn’t have to worry about being bored. Event after event after event unfolded almost one right after the other and kept me hooked. The emotional connections with the characters could use development, because I only ever really worried about two characters in the novel (Minho and Chuck). But really, the suspense made up for any other area that lacked development. I really can’t wait for The Scorch Trials, and I’m so glad I don’t have to even wait that long!

Rating: 4/5

Extras: This book trailer freaked me oooout, and made me realize I probably can’t watch this series if it became a movie, haha. But check it out: it’s pretty cool.

Also, don’t miss out on the release of the second novel of the Maze Runner series: The Scorch Trials! http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7631105-the-scorch-trials It comes out on October 12, 2010!