My true rating of this book is dependent on how the next two books turn out. So...we won't actually know for two more years! (Why do I insist on reading books that I KNOW have sequels on the way? Glutton for punishment, I guess.) You're going to have everyone saying that "Matched is the new Hunger Games!" yet it's not the same. Comparisons can be drawn all over the place, but The Hunger Games is about a government that has so completely fallen apart that they pit their KIDS against each other in a death match every year. Matched deals with a society that's more controlled, where the carefully-laid base is starting to crumble. This makes for a very different story. 
 While I was reading Matched, I really enjoyed it. I liked Cassia's inner monologue as she struggled with the confines set by the Society. I liked how the control that the Society had over its citizens was illustrated through simple things, like how Cassia had never eaten pie. Pie, people! How horrible would that be? I liked the creepy, Big Brother mood that was so pervasive through the whole book and I LOVED Ky. (This might be a controversial statement, but I think the book would be a million times better from Ky's POV.) 
 But since I finished, the book feels like it's lacking--like we haven't actually gotten to the real story yet. Condie has set herself up for some major action in the next book and since Matched wasn't terribly action-packed, I'm concerned for how she's going to handle it all. It's worth mentioning that I read one of Condie's YA books for the Mormon market as a teen and boy, has her writing vastly improved. Also, I'm sure that she's an excellent writer and all, but her new editor must be AMAZING. 
 So did I like the book? Absolutely. One of my favorite themes from the book was the importance of the written word and using it to create/explore. Would I recommend it to people? Definitely. Matched is clean and intriguing and great for discussion. Will I be reading Crossed the minute it hits the shelves? Heck yes! But will I be staying attached to the characters for very long? Unfortunately, not at this point. We'll see what happens.