LIBR 237 Resource Reviews: Matched

Matched

By Ally Condie SPEAK (2010) ISBN: 9780142419779

In Matched, set in a futuristic dystopian society, choices are dictated by the totalitarian government rather than the people. Cassia Reyes, a 17-year old girl, had never questioned her lack of free will--until she gets “matched” on her birthday, a ritual that determines if someone will be paired with a person for the rest of one’s life or remain single. Luckily for Cassia, her best friend, Xander, is her match. However, there is a glitch. Xander’s face fades to black and another match is announced, Ky. Before this malfunction, Cassia trusted the Society to make the best decisions for her. After the “matching,” Cassia finds herself thinking about Ky and feeling conflicted about which boy is her true match. Soon, Cassia and Ky begin spending time together--hiking, sharing secrets, questioning the Society’s motives and intentions, and falling in love. Cassia must choose between Xander and Ky as well as obedience and rebellion.

Quantitative: Lexile Level--HL680L; ATOS--4.8

Qualitative: Matched poses little difficulty in the area of language; however, due to the novel’s futuristic setting, new terms and practices introduced may pose some difficulty for novice readers. Some of these challenges arise from: characters’ dialogue, technology, ever-present government officials, and geography. Thematically, Matched presents complex issues that offer multiple access points such as government control and the concept of free will. Cassia is both an insider and outsider to the Society’s conspiracies, which students will need to track not just through Matched, but through the other two books--Crossed and Reached--that comprise the trilogy.

Content Area: English, Social Science--Government

Curriculum Suggestions: Although this book is recommended for students in “upper grades,” due to its themes and access points, I would suggest teachers incorporate Matched as supplemental reading to deepen students’’ understanding of dystopian societies, free will, and arranged marriages, which is usually addressed in senior government classes.

An essential question a teacher might pose is: How do the fictional, futuristic dystopian societies compare to what we see in past and current governmental practices?

Students could explore, research, and address: