College

So ever since I got back to college, I haven't even picked up a book, besides a textbook.  It's quite terrible, actually.  I'm kind of reading Triangles by Ellen Hopkins, but I'm not very far, and I just started reading Crossed by Ally Condie (the sequel to Matched) in my bio class this afternoon.  So, I don't have any books to review or mention at all really.

Filling My Day With

So, today, instead of reading, I filled my entire day with catching up on my tv shows that I've been behind on. I'm entirely caught up on How I Met Your Mother, Criminal Minds, Teen Mom 2, and Grey's Anatomy.  I'm working on The Real World right now. I'm not a huge fan of the show, but I started watching when it was in New Orleans I think two seasons ago? I'm really attracted to the drama of it, haha.  This season has interested me because the guy is from Michigan and someone that I know knows him, so I decided to check into it and I've been really liking it! I've gotten through about six episodes now.  The entire house seems to get along really well, which I think is a first, but yeah! So, that's what I've been up to. Not looking forward to going back to school in a few days and not being able to just lay around and watch tv anymore. haha.

Currently Reading

Currently I'm reading the book 11/22/63 by Stephen King. I've been reading it on and off for about a week now, and I'm more than halfway through the 800 pages of it. It hadn't really caught my interest until I got to the point where I am, which is where "George" is waiting and stalking Lee.  It's getting really interesting and I'm excited to see where it goes! Also, I started Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card on my dad's iPad a few weeks ago and haven't gotten a chance to finish it since my dad is practically attached at the hip to that thing.  I'm about half way through that one as well, and it's quite interesting! I'm excited to see what happens to the society since Ender is pretty much a genius.  All right, back to reading! (pictures from goodreads.com)

Matched by Ally Condie

"Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow."
(Picture and Summary from Amazon.com)




Review:
This book had me hooked from the very beginning.  The idea of being matched with your soul mate seems like an awesome idea.  You wouldn't have to worry about dating jerks, you would be with your soul mate from the day of your match, and you would be happy.  Sounds awesome, right?  But when Cassia discovers Ky's face instead of Xander's, her whole thought process changed.  Cassia went from thinking the society was a great help to seeing the flaws within them.  I thought the character change of Cassia was portrayed really well.  You see how Cassia evolves from one side of the spectrum to the other, and how it ultimately helps her make a huge decision.


The character portrayal of Cassia and Ky's relationship is amazing.  You can really feel Cassia falling in love with Ky from the very sight of his face on her screen.  Also, Cassia's relationship with her Grandfather is just so real.  They explain that not many people have that kind of relationship with their grandparents, therefore, Cassia's is special, and they really seem to be kindred spirits.  You can really tell where Cassia gets her sense of rebellion from.  I would have liked to see more about Xander and Cassia's relationship, because Xander really seems like a great guy to Cassia and he clearly loves her, yet Cassia seems to be a little bit close minded, but I have a feeling we're going to get more character information in the next book.


Matched had me captivated from the very instant I started it and I could hardly put it down.  The characters really captivate you and the idea of the society was definitely new.  I can't wait to read Condie's second part of this series, Crossed!