Remember when I boldly declared Incarceron to be my "hands down favorite book of the year"? Well, I almost had to retract that statement when I finished Matched by Ally Condie. While the novel didn't blow me away as completely as Incarceron, it seduced me so subtlely that I can't stop thinking about it. So, while Matched may not finish first in my 2010 favorites race, it earns a close, close second because, let me tell you, I have a serious case of book love here. It's not so much about the storyline since the novel follows a fairly typical dystopian pattern - it's more about the way Condie spins the yarn. It's got a soft, old-fashioned cadence that makes this futuristic drama read like a fairy tale.
Matched takes place in a world not so unlike our own. In fact, it's been created from the ruins of the society that came before, a population which destroyed itself by overusing technology, natural resources, and independent thought. Having learned from the mistakes of their ancestors, the Officials now control everything in the Society: meals are prepared based on an individual's carefully-calculated caloric needs; careers are assigned according to whom statistics deem most able; Aberrations are kept out to ensure a pure gene pool; lives are terminated at 80 so the elderly never feel useless; and girls and boys are precisely Matched to others whose histories indicate an ability to produce healthy offspring. Everyone follows the rules for the good of their world. After all, "This is as close to perfect as any society has ever managed to get" (114).

Since the Officials never make mistakes, 17-year-old Cassia Reyes expects them to choose her a perfect match. And they do. No one is better suited to her than Xander Carrow, the boy who's been her best friend since childhood. Most girls are given mates from other Provinces - Cassia's ecstatic to be Matched not only to someone from her own city, but to someone she already knows and trusts. She couldn't be happier. Until another face pops up on her matching screen. Another face with which she's familiar. Although the Officials blame the error on a practical joker, assuring Cassia the rulebreaker will be severely punished, the whole situation unnerves her. Seeing the faces of two boys on the Matching screen opens Cassia's mind to something she's never even considered before: the possibility of choosing something - or someone - for herself.
The more Cassia tries to convince herself that Xander is the only Match for her, the more her thoughts fly to the other boy. Ky Markham came from the Outer Provinces as a child and has always been secretive. What does he know of the world outside the Society? Why do his ideas cause her heart to soar, her mind to flood with unimaginable prospects? His ideas challenge and endanger everything she knows. So, why does she want more of them? More of him? The Society has already chosen the perfect man for Cassia. She can't break all the rules for something as illogical as love. Or can she?
While Matched lacks the complexity and nuance of other dystopian epics, it has a refreshing frankness that makes it more variegated than it seems at first glance. Condie asks all the usual questions, but also digs deeper, questioning things like the cost of abandoning creativity and passion in pursuit of greater efficiency or the effects of choice on the health of a human being. Not that the story is all deep, philosophical pondering. It's not. It's also an enthralling romance disguised as a tense, suspenseful adventure. I mean, really, what's not to love? Because, truly, I adored every word.
(Readalikes: Although it has a gentler touch, Matched reminded me of other dystopian classics like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood)
Grade: A-
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for intense scenes
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Matched from the generous folks at Dutton. Thank you!

When my husband saw me reading The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills In Half by Stephanie Nelson, he said, "Couldn't you have written that book?" To which I (very modestly) replied, "Yep." After 13 years of religiously clipping coupons, mailing in rebates and scouring stores for great deals, I think I know what I'm doing on the saving-money-on-groceries-front. And yet, books like this one still grab my attention because, heck, who doesn't want to save even more money? I certainly do. Unfortunately, Nelson didn't have any new-fangled ideas to help me out. She mostly sticks to the basics, walking newbies through the ins and outs of coupon use. So, while the book's a helpful guide for beginners, it's a bit disappointing for us veterans.

If you're new to the savings game, though, you'll want to check Nelson out. The expert shopper runs Coupon Mom, a website dedicated to helping people learn how to shop more strategically. On the site as well as in her book, she explains how to save money by watching for sales, using coupons to further reduce prices, and stockpiling items while they can be purchased most cheaply. Of course, none of that can happen without first learning where to find coupons, how to organize them efficiently, and how to use them to save the most money, all topics Nelson addresses. Since not everyone has the time to turn frugality into a part-time job, she tailors her ideas to fit different shopping styles. She also offers some time-worn tips that can help everyone, even those who never clip coupons: Compare unit prices before automatically buying the biggest can/jar/box of a product; consider growing your own herbs and vegetables; Cook at home to avoid spending at restaurants, etc.

While Nelson's tips are aimed at helping people trim their own budgets, what I most appreciate about her book is the section on using coupons to aid others. From passing on coupons you can't use to people who can to sharing your surplus groceries with friends to donating items to shelters and food pantries, there are so many ways to use your savings to help other people. Scoring groceries for pennies or even free makes it that much easier to pass it on to those in need. Even the expired coupons you're tempted to dump in the trash can be helpful - military families living overseas can use them at their base commisaries. Spreading the savings around is a huge high, especially at this time of year.

If you've been using coupons for awhile, you might not find much that's new in The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half. It's a great refresher course, though, and an excellent guide for newbies. Regardless of your saving "style," you should check out this book trailer. It's hard not to be impressed when watching Nelson in action:

(Readalikes: I haven't read a book like this is some time, apparently. But, if you're interested in saving, try Miserly Moms and Frugal Families by Jonni McCoy.)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: G

To the FTC, with love: I bought this book with some of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.