Synopsis:
In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

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 with complete certainty that 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.

Review:
This book was alright for what it was. Though originally heavily marketed as “the next Hunger Games”, the only true similarities are that they are book dystopian fiction. It was quite interesting how the people were sectioned off as either good, abominations or abnormals, and how one could end up with such a tag. It was an intriguing way of looking at life; everyone is scientifically tested to find their optimal match, and everything else is scientific tracked and done for optimal results as well. It seemed very much a simpler version of Brave New World, and if you are looking for a similar story, I would highly recommend that. I did quite enjoy how lifespans were explained and dealt with, for it made both life more predictable, and more frustrating. All in all, the story itself was rather predictable, but that didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment.

Thus continues the two paper books a month trend I will continue to this year as I attempt to not hold on to books to merely ferment if I haven’t read them. All in all, this book was alright, but not gripping enough that I intend to buy the next book or keep the physical book (original bought for my classroom library, what feels like a lifetime ago) on the shelf.

Star rating: ✯✯✯