That was my first word-reaction after I turned the last page of Matched. I tell you what, Ally Condie can write a heck of a book. I bow to you, milady. Now, I must get myself to the nearest book selling establishment and purchase Crossed. My bank account, however, does not thank you. That's okay, I never pay attention to it anyway.
Matched is what I want to call a blend of Brave New World, The Hunger Games, and Pride and Prejudice.
So, basically it rocked my socks. I'm still reeling from what I've read, and it's been only...*looks at clock**uses calculator to subtract time*...17 minutes since I finished it. All the STUFF is still banging around in my head screaming things like "WHY?!" and "OMG!" and "I love it so much! I just wanna die I love it so much..."
My book reactor (the thing that reacts to books, duh) got put through its paces by Mrs. Condie. And I have to say, "Bravo." It needed the exercise. I missed doing the RTW this week because I slept through the entire day and then worked on a portrait for the rest of it. Hey, I'm on vacation. *shrugs*
So now I know what everyone in the blogosphere has been talking about when they said things like "Matched is so great! You should read it asap!"
I give full props to anyone who recommended it, because it is now going on my Recommended Reads list.
For anyone who hasn't read it yet, I have this to say: do. It's beautiful and remarkable and all of those -able things that are good. It's also a bunch of adjectives synonymous with the above adjectives. Throw some adverbs in and a phrase or two and you have a great glowing review that came from me. As it is, this is all I can manage at the moment. I'm just too caught up in it right now.
On another note, I adore Ky and Xander, although I've never been fond of the letter 'x'. I don't know why. I think I must have missed that episode of Sesame Street.
Cassia is a very easy heroine to read. I liked her and the way she loved words. It reminds me of me, and when she discovers poetry, I felt like I was intruding on something intensely spiritual and private. That's a great thing about this book. The entire work is littered with personality and depth, but I never felt like I was drowning. Instead, the lyricality, I suppose, guides one through the story, lending the musical quality that some of the passages seem to have.
There are soaring moments throughout the book that seem able to lift you above the world contained with the pages so that you can see the specks below as they slide through the routines, oblivious to the gears beneath the surface. It's scary and honest, and I know I won't be able to stop thinking about this world in which the Officials keep order and the Society dictates every choice, even that of love.
I can't wait to get my greedy hands on Crossed. I'm shivering just thinking about it.
