Matched

Gr 7 Up—In Ally Condie's first title (Dutton, 2010) of a planned trilogy, citizens no longer have the burden of choice—from selecting meals and leisure activities to occupations and life partners, everything is regulated by the Society. Cassia, 17, is so happy the night she is matched with Xander, her best friend. But when she sees Ky's face appear for an instant on the Matching screen, she begins to question everything she believes, despite reassurance that seeing Ky was a glitch in the system. Kate Simses conveys Cassia's confusion and growing love for Ky as well as her determination to somehow make her own choices despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. There are a few jarring notes in this otherwise intriguing world which has clear echoes of George Orwell's 1984. The words police and money aren't mentioned at all until the last quarter of the story, when they suddenly make an appearance and bring those concepts into the Society's more sterile world, which doesn't seem to need money or police. Also, the intermittent music that appears later in the audiobook distracts rather than enhances the building tension. Still, the cliffhanger ending will have teens that enjoy dystopian worlds excitedly awaiting the next installment.—Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI