Matched by Ally Condie
My rating: 3/5 cats
yeah.
this is one i might be too old for. a lot of people compare this to The Giver, and i get it, in that they are both these forced-utopias, but then, so is The Stepford Wives, yeah? but since i didn’t like the giver, i can’t really complain that this was a rip-off, because neither of them did very much for me, so i’m not going to go waving any flags around in either’s defense. you are on your own, books…
but if i had to.
this one may have been slightly more entertaining to me because it was less dated. and of course, they both take place in a temporal neverland, so it’s not that it is actually dated, but that the ideals of the society just feel more shiny chrome in this one. but this is a utopia with cracks. and they are starting to show. and i like that.
i like reading these dark-future novels just for the details – to see how they differ. and even in the ones i am not in love with, there are always one or two details that make me think – “oh – interesting take on the subject”
in this version, everyone is beautiful and fit – everyone automatically receives their required amount of calories so no one is overweight or enjoys food – it is purely fuel, except on v special occasions.
books and ideas are stripped down to 100 poems, 100 songs, etc.
museums are for unnecessary things like jewelry and trinkets from the past
marriages are arranged between teenagers to create the most productive pairing/offspring
everyone dies at 80.
those are the facts, but at the end of the day, it is still a pretty basic love triangle, so – yawn.
it is frustrating because there seem to be so many opportunuties for rebellion, but no one really takes advantage of that, including the author. there are tiny, teen-angst rebellions, but they are almost factored into by the society as inveitable, as part of a learning curve. i wanted to hear more about that, and the ripple effect those had to group dynamics and obedience in adults. maybe in the sequel?? which i will read because even books like this that are only okay have enough page-turning-ness to keep me interested.
or maybe i am just a sucker.
it’s a pretty tame, pretty unchallenging read – probably good for those reluctant teen readers, it just doesn’t push the YA envelope enough for my old haggard tastes.
