Just today, I finished the last book to Ally Condie's Matched trilogy and immediately, I knew I had to talk about the books. I had to.
Basically, Matched is another story set in the dystopian setting, has a love triangle going on, and the main character driven to fight against the government. Yes, it may sound like any other trending dystopian trilogy right now, but for some reason, I think Matched has a world that I can easily absorb, and the plot have me turning pages after pages.
For a quick summary, Cassia Reyes lives under The Society (the ruling government) and The Society controls everything. They control where a person lives, what a person eats, what a person's job would be, and who they get marry to. The Society does all these are in hopes to keep everybody safe and aims for perfection in life. The story starts with Cassia attending her Match Banquet (where she will know who The Society matched her with) and found out that she is matched with her best friend Xander Carrow. Although she is matched with the best person she could ever ask for, Cassia finds herself falling for another boy, Ky. And due to love, she starts to wonder about the world she is living in.
All right, let's get started with my personal rants about the trilogy. If you have not read the book, don't go on. I do not want to spoil the book for you.
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[Warning: May be very Xander-biased rant]
Book 1: Matched
I absolutely adore the first book. It is the very reason why I am so keen on finding the rest of the trilogy after reading Matched. It is just a really good book! It's the kind of book you don't want to put down once you pick it up.
Seeing The Society is a world that is foreign to the readers, there are many things we are unclear about. Ally Condie introduces information with appropriate pace. She does not throw mountains of information at one go - which is really bad, for me. I can't take in so many new information at once.
Honestly, when I started reading the book, I really thought the Xander and Cassia will not be Matched together, and they spend rest of the trilogy trying to be together... because they are absolutely adorable together... So when I found out that Cassia does get Matched with Xander, I could clearly hear my heart shattering into pieces. She is not going to end up with Xander! How can this be?!
Which simply means, yes, I like Xander more than Ky. And I root for Xander.
Which can also explain one of the reasons why I keep flipping pages, because I want to read more of Cassia and Xander's interaction. I want to see more of Xander. Come on, he's smart, blue-eyed and handsome. How could you not like Xander?
So I spent most of the other half of the book feeling bad for Xander.
Book 2: Crossed
Now, this book does not keep up with my expectation of it - perhaps it is because Matched is so good, Crossed simply does not meet the bar. Crossed did not make me want to flip pages after pages. It had me thinking "When will this book end?"
Most of the time, Cassia is out of the Cities. She is sent out to work camps and then, she sends herself to the Outer Provinces looking for Ky. Then, when Ky is nowhere to be found in Outer Provinces, she ran to the Carving. Basically, all through Crossed, she is out in the wild searching for Ky, discovering the Rising, making new friends, and seeing things she will never be able to see back in The Society.
I guess Crossed is where we really understand Ky's circumstances. Ally Condie tells the story by alternating between Cassia and Ky's point of view. We get to understand Ky a little more - and reinforces the fact that: Hey, Ky is really in love with Cassia. And so is the other way around. Besides, it also gives Cassia the more reasons to go against The Society.
Perhaps I am Xander-biased that I do not really enjoy the fact Xander only appear in the beginning chapters. But I do appreciate Cassia dreaming of Xander while she is in the Carving, and the fact she held onto the blue tablets Xander gave her. At least I know Cassia did not cast Xander away because she is in love with Ky. Xander needs some attention.
Book 3: Reached
This is where things start picking up. After joining the Rising, Cassia and Ky are once again separated. But knowing Ky is safe, Cassia does not worry as much as she did in Crossed.
Then, this is the book whereby I thank Ally Condie for writing in Xander's point of view. It does make up his lack of presence in the second book. In Reached, we get more Xander!
Xander is working as an Official/undercover Rising in the medical department. Through Xander, we understand more about the people who are immune to the red tablet, and the Plague. So many scientific terms! But it's all right because it helps to understand their frustration in curing them. And through this book, my love for Xander intensifies because he is a freaking medic whose priority is helping people. Can you imagine him wearing a white coat?
However, because first half of the book actually had all three main characters separated, Xander befriended his colleague, Lei. He mentioned that she is a few years older, Matched, and celebrated Contract (I guess married or engaged). Then, I was relieved because I had an odd feeling about Lei. Then, it starts feeling like Lei is hitting on Xander. She looks for him while helping with the patients, asking him countless questions about the Plague, and telling him he has blue eyes like her Matched. Maybe I was jealous, but I was questioning if Lei was to be trusted. She could be an undercover pro-Society in the Rising. If the Rising can have undercover people in the Society, why couldn't the Society do the same?
And the unfortunately, and fortunately, Lei isn't pro-Society nor is she pro-Rising. She is simply a wise girl who misses home and her Match. Then of course, Xander and Lei. Both who lost their first love, and Xander who learnt beyond the Society through Lei. It is quite painful to digest the fact about Xander and Lei. All these while I am rooting for Xander and Cassia...but who am I kidding, it is obvious it is Cassia and Ky. But still.
And yes, I still flip pages after pages anticipating for more Xander and Cassia's interaction.
It is nice though, to learn that Cassia, Ky and Xander are a team. They are basically dependent on each other. Although Ky and Xander are both in love with Cassia, they never really fight with each other. They understand each other's need for Cassia. Ky feels better knowing Cassia is with Xander, and Xander understands why Cassia doesn't leave Ky alone in the infirmary. Look at the friendship. It is incredible. As Xander-biased, I can't even feel a slightest hate towards Ky. Their friendship is so heartwarming that I can't even.
I really like it when Anna refer to the three of them as The Pilot, The Poet and The Physic. It has a nice ring to it.
Although at the end of the book, it does not really tell if Anna has won the election, but I am certain that The Society will not win this round. Cassia and Ky deserves a happy ending after all they have been through - and so does Xander.
The world in this Matched trilogy has certainly changed.
Also, tribute to Indie: the bold girl who flies the air ship like a boss - even though you like Ky in the end instead of Xander (why is Xander always neglected in the end?), you rock Indie. You rock.
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End of rant.
Conclusion: Matched trilogy is awesome.
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