Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile, Nov 2012
Number of Pages: Hardcover, 369 Pages
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Teen
Plot:
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.(Goodreads.com)
Personal Thoughts: I'd read a LOT of reviews on this book before I picked it up and even read some that related this book to The Giver by Lois Lowry (which is one of my favorite novels from high school). I agree that it can be related to in certain ways, but I liked Oria on it's own and it took me a few chapters to get used to this new society and how things worked.
Cassia is a typical teenager who looks forward to all that her life in this odd society can allow her to have - a match, a job and a family. What's odd is that it doesn't exactly turn out the way you'd think when she gets home from her Match Ceremony. A second boy appears on her screen, a boy who's status in the society means that he isn't able to be matched with a girl. She gets curious anyways and starts to build a relationship with this boy, known as Ky. Even though her match was actually her best friend in the whole world, Xander.
It's a compelling story of rebellion and love and learning how to make your own decisions and how to follow or not follow the rules. It's an interesting story with an amazing cast of characters. But I will warn you, I was in tears by the last chapter of this book! I won't tell you why, but my heart was breaking and I'm ready to read book two to find out what happens! (:
Recommended Age Level: 13+
Rating: 4 out of 5
Reviews/Awards:
Teen Buckeye Book Award 2012
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2011
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books of the Year for Fiction 2010
Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee 2013
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