Matched Trilogy

I read these books for the first (and only) time a couple of years ago when a friend of mine suggested them to me. I hadn't met anyone else who had heard about it, but it seems like recently I have seen these books being carried around everywhere. Which is what made me decide to put them on here. For those of you who haven't read them yet, this is the Matched Trilogy, by Ally Condie. This is a story similar to "The Hunger Games" and "The Divergent Series". Cassia, the leading lady, is happy with the life she has. The Officials make all the rules and choices and she is about to be assigned her mate. When Xander's face appears, her best friend, she knows that her life couldn't be more perfect. Right before the screen turns off though, the face changes to Ky, a boy that she has grown up with but doesn't know very well.

Now she wonders which one is her true match. The Officials want her to be with Xander, which would make her very happy. Yet there is something about Ky that she can't shake, and she feels like maybe The Officials made a mistake. When she finds out why she wasn't matched to Ky it only adds to her confusion and she can't help wondering if The Officials really know what's best. As Cassia finds more and more unsettling information about her Society, she is put in a position between choosing the predictable and safe, or choosing the dangerous and unknown.

The series follows Cassia in her journey to rebel against The Officials as she searches for Ky. She leaves her community to venture to the outskirts of society in an attempt to save Ky's life. She goes on a life altering journey and eventually reunites with Ky, only to be separated again once they decide to join the Rising. Cassia is assigned to work inside the Society, where she realizes that Xander still has claim on a large portion of her heart. Meanwhile, Ky is stuck on the outside of the borders, unable to make any contact with her. In the end all three of them are brought back together and Cassia has to make her final decision.

This trilogy is written very well, with characters that come to life. The first book was a page-turner and the romance was exciting and gripping. The next two books seemed to drag on. Yes, they continued the story. Yes, they had some suspense, action, and romance. I just couldn't really get in to them. Out of all the dystopian books that I've read, these ones are on the lower end of my favorites list. I wouldn't go so far as to not recommend it, because they are good books. They just aren't they type of books that I will read again and again. They are appropriate for readers of all ages and are written in a way that makes them easy to get through. If you have any other dystopian novels that you have enjoyed, I'd love to hear about them!