In search of a page turner for my upcoming trip to Chicago, I looked to my go to source of all knowledge, NPR. Did you know that npr.org has a books section? Well, they do and that's where I found, Nancy Pearl Presents 10 Terrific Summer Reads. After reading through her suggestions, I wrote down a couple of titles and took my list to Barnes and Noble, were I picked up a copy of Matched by Ally Condie.
I started reading it at work while the computers were down and I had to force myself to put it down as to not read the whole thing before I left on my trip the next day. I finished it within a week.
It is young adult fiction about a teenage romance in a post-apocalyptic society governed by a totalitarian government that would make Kim Jong-Il proud. Within the first couple of chapters I got the distinct impression that the author was Mormon, so I wasn't at all surprised when I discovered that she lives in Salt Lake City. She explores some interesting themes of agency, predestination, love and civil disobedience that have kept me thinking. It's a bit reminiscent of John Christopher's, Tripods Trilogy that I read in elementary school. And I was excited to learn, as I neared the end of the book that there is indeed a trilogy in the works for Matched as well.
Which leads me to speculate, could this trilogy rise to the level of Meyer's Twilight series? It probably isn't really fair to compare the two but having read the first book of both series, I can't help myself. (Yes, I did read Twilight but did not continue on with the series because I found the whole thing to be too frustrating). I found the heroine in Matched to be a strong, independent and courageous character that I couldn't help but root for. In fact, I quite liked all of the characters.
I'm totally excited to read the next book when it comes out in the fall - gosh, this hasn't happened since HP.
I am going to have to read this one!
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