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book club for february: ‘matched’ by ally condie
I don’t know why we’ve never done this before on sophistimom—it seems so obvious. Of course we need a book club!!
Our first book for the club will be Matched
Here’s what it’s about:
Cassia lives in a world where nearly everything is decided for her: what she eats, how she sleeps, where she works. She is even told whom she is to marry.
At her matching banquet, she sees the face of her best friend, and everything seems perfect. A peaceful life stretches out before her.
But when a glitch in the system shows her for a fraction of a second she is matched to another boy she knows, she starts to imagine her life in a different way. And starts to question everything she has ever known.
For our book club, the comments section will not be spoiler free. Write what you think and feel about it. However, if you post a comment, please note at the top of your comment what chapter you will be discussing.
For example, if you have read the entire book (or not), but will only be commenting on material up to the fifth chapter, let’s say, then at the top of your comment, please write: SPOILER ALERT, CHAPTER 5. And then proceed.
Sound fun?? Okay, everybody. Can’t wait to see what everybody writes. If you need a copy of the book, you can purchase a copy from amazon by clicking here
23 Responses to “book club for february: ‘matched’ by ally condie”
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Sounds fun- and sounds like an interesting book. Will have to see if I have enough time to participate!
Just put a hold on this book at the library. Hope it comes in soon.
Yeah! Love book clubs and love to get your take on things. Thanks for starting this. I will head to the library today!
I read this book when it first came out and absolutely loved it! The sequel is coming out 11.01.11 and I can’t wait. I am obsessed with dystopian story lines. Always makes me think about how I would be if the world turned that way. How far is everyone? Are you enjoying it so far?
I love Matched! I think we should come up with some questions that can spark some discussion about this book. So I guess I’ll start. First of all, in CHAPTER 1, Cassia goes to her Matched ceremony wearing a beautiful green dress. With her choices in life so limited, what is the significance of being allowed to choose the color of her dress? What do you think the color green symbolizes? And what part does it play in the rest of the story?
That’s a great idea, Julie—to start with some questions.
CHAPTER 3 SPOILER—Okay, I don’t actually know if it is in chapter 3, but I figured, everybody would be safe to that point. . .
I wonder if it has a tie in with the tablets. That’s the thing about trilogies—the answers don’t come until later books.
CHAPTER 5—
I just found this list of the 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written. I have a sneaking suspicion these books never made it to the 100 Books in Cassia’s World.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_Most_Influential_Books_Ever_Written
Okay, loving this book. I just finished Chapter 6. In response to the green dress, green seems to symbolize life, energy, and Cassie has that. With having less choices it makes the ones that they do have–even small dress color ones–so significant–makes the event even more special. Very restricted society seemingly to allow for something????
I’m going to see if I can get this from the library and start!
Spoiler Alert–finished it! This was awesome, and so along the lines of The Giver, 1984, Brave New World type which I like. So, who put Ky in the matching pot? Did the Society really do it? The ending seemed a little rushed to me? Anyone else? They are gone and then she is at a work farm?
So sad they are in a Society that just plays with them–they knew about the mis-match and statisically knew how it would turn out, but wanted to see if they were correct, and the lady could write a paper on it. How depressing is that? What really is their own in this Society? Is there any choice? Really liked it. Thought provoking and looking forward to November for #2. Thanks for the suggestion Jaime!
**I’ve FINISHED the book, so there are SPOILERS** I got a signed copy of this book at the BYU Bookstore. (I know, right? Totally awesome.) I liked it overall, but I would have changed a couple of things. (I’m an editor, so I always change everything.) I thought the Society was interesting with the play on statistics. (Perhaps the Society set up the mismatch to make sure they can handle outliers and avoid revolts?) I think the green of Cassia’s dress could symbolize change, especially since it was a choice most girls passed, which cemented her character as a forerunner of change. As for the rest of the series, I am most interested in Xander’s character and how the pill doesn’t work on him. I did think it was a little slow paced, and I agree that the ending was a little fast compared to the rest of the book, though I did like it. Overall, I am definitely invested in the series.
WHOLE BOOK–SPOILERS—Wow, everybody, great comments. I’m so glad everyone is reading it. I agree with Karly. I would like to know more about why Xander is immune to the pill. And the pace is slow, but I tend to think the tension is building, and that as the series progresses, the pace will pick up. Perhaps it is slow to show that the people themselves are passively accepting how the society controls them, and that little by little, they—or some of them—are starting to question that.
I also liked how she thought she was the only one with secrets, and that by the end of the book, she observed that probably everyone had their secrets.I think this book is a comment on the human right to be free to choose, and that no matter how effective or efficient a society is to suppress that right, it will never prevail in the long run. In the end, humanity will always fight to preserve the right to choose.
I like the idea of green symbolizing change. I also thought it symbolized life and growth and a connection to the earth that you see in her mother and her grandfather and with Cassia’s interest in hiking the Hill.
I’m also interested in learning more about why Xander is immune to the red pill.
Why do you think Cassia chose Ky over Xander? Was it the allure of not being able to have him? Did you see a real relationship develop between them? Why do you think she didn’t choose Xander? (Who, in my opinion, has a lot of heroic qualities.)
oops! I meant to say SPOILER ALERT on that earlier comment. Sorry! But it is almost the end of the month, so maybe I’m okay??
I haven’t read everyone’s comments since I am only about 1/2 way through the book. (Although my eyes still happened to fall on Julie’s spoiler! Oops. I guess I should’ve averted my eyes a little better.) So hopefully I don’t just repeat what anyone else has said. I just can’t stop thinking about how one man’s utopia is another man’s distopia. And about how similar this is to Satan’s plan. He wanted to take away all our choice so that everybody HAD to be good, just like the Society. Gah. Glad I don’t have to live there!
Spoiler–whole book
Just finished reading this for our mother-daughter choice this month. So many similarities to the Giver. I agree that the book was a little slow-paced. It will be interesting to see what developes in the next two books…the questions this book left me with are actually more interesting than the book itself.
I loved this book, but it was a little slow paced. I read it over the Christmas break, and fell in love with the story. It is very interesting; I agree with Amber, dystopian stories are the best. I’m looking forward to the sequel.
Liked the book a lot–I think it was meant to be slow– LULLING the reader into the setting just as it gradually pulled the people from the past to the Society…
I know I’m really late, but maybe there are some people still interested in discussing the book.
Spoiler Alert–whole book:
Lynette, that’s an interesting idea. It was kind of a slow, fairly calm book (until they take Ky) and it’s interesting to think that maybe it was on purpose, making this book more like the green tablet that gives people a sense of calm (even as there’s a war raging in the outer provinces).
What point did everyone think Condie was trying to make about the role of art and literature in the book? I sort of saw it as a statement about how necessary they are to free thinking and seeing things as they really are. Just look at how much one line of a poem could change Cassia’s outlook–”do not go gentle.” The Society had to restrict art and literature (and even the ability to create them!) in order to keep people from questioning what was going on.
Completely as a sidenote, wouldn’t it make a great English assignment to have students pick their own “100 poems” (or 30 or 20) and make an anthology? Sorry, just showing my inner teaching nerd.
i was wondering if anyone knows were the dress on the cover is from. plz and thank you
Becca–I think that would be a cool assignment. Ally is an English teacher herself, so I wonder if she’s ever made an assignment like that.
Hey the second book is already out it is the third that is coming out November 13, 2012 and try not to finish the book until then because i finish them both and the end to the second one is nonexistent.
I think this is an awesome book im 15 and never like to read but this is a good book i love it? I love to. Be matched with my guy bff!