Matched

MATCHED by Ally Condie (Dutton 2010) would be easy to dismiss as another of the batch of dystopian novels to emerge over the last few years. However, the detail of the "civilization" and the incredible complexity of the main character, Cassia, her conflict over what is expected versus what might be perhaps wrong, make this a stand out. In a futuristic society, the government has done its best to eradicate conflict and sadness and disease. One of their solutions to simplify life has been to narrow down the art forms to 100: 100 poems, 100 songs, 100 pieces of art. The rest is destroyed by the sorters, people like Cassia's father, who demolish library collections a page at a time. Everyone has a job to do; it makes them feel useful even if there are machines which could do the work. Cassia is a gifted sorter herself and hopes for a good job when her tests have concluded. As Cassia approaches adulthood, she and the others attend a banquet where they are introduced to the person to whom they will be matched. Cassia is pleased to learn that she is matched with her childhood friend and neighbor Xander. But when she explores the disk containing Xander's information she sees that there is another person matched to her, also a neighbor. Ky has been adopted by his aunt and uncle; he has already been given a job delivering the nutrition to the families int e a neighborhood (meals are all delivered and controlled for optimal nutrition). How can this be possible? Has there ben a mistake? And what is Cassia to make of the poem her Grandfather passes on to her before his appointed time to die? These are a few of the intriguing questions Condie poses in this riveting novel. <555>

So, there are a great many possibilities for a Reading Ladder here:

FAHRENHEIT 451
THE GIVER
THE HUNGER GAMES
UNIDENTIFIED
LAST BOOK IN THE UNIVERSE
TOMORROWLAND
CHAOS WALKING series
MAZE RUNNER
SHIP BUILDER
1984
BRAVE NEW WORLD
HANDMAID'S TALE
FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH
THE LOST CONSPIRACY