I have to admit I do like the progression of the covers, how it goes from her being trapped to breaking out to finally standing triumphantly/defiantly, but it'd be more impressive if Cassie ever actually did anything as a heroine.
This is a great review, given that you had a big old boring pile of next to nothing to work with. It honestly sounds like no thought was put into this at all beyond a few "restrictive/dystopian" ideas, which weren't followed through. I wonder how exactly this got a seven sum figure deal and a bunch of publicity?
I almost universally hate dystopian works just because I can very, very rarely believe that they'd exist without the population just rebelling against them. I don't know if you like anime at all but there's a series called No. 06 that you can watch streaming on www.crunchyroll.com (and yes, it's all legit and legal, woo!) and while it's certainly not flawless, it not only has a dystopia I can actually buy, but it certainly does not erase LBGT issues either (though it's a little bit depressing to read the viewers' comments on the episodes as they try to convince themselves otherwise, sigh).
I suspected Condie was Mormon (well, based on the fact that she lived in Utah, I know, so bad), but I think because she is Mormon the world building makes more sense.
The cancer bit: I felt that the Society and the powers that be did some major genetic tweaking and or other types of manipulating. But something else: the citizens sound like they live healthy lives because the society makes them live healthy, so cancer is caught right away and treated.
The 100 selection: Condie was an English teacher, and the 100 is pretty much, in my opinion, every person with a fine arts degree worst case nightmare, and I think in the second book there's more discussion over how messed up the system is.
I'm with the commenter above me, I don't think you can separate the author's Mormonness from the issues you had with the book. Not least the fact that she's *living* in a restrictive, opaque, somewhat coercive culture. I have to wonder if she actually does see the Society as a dystopia, or if she half disapproves and half approves of it. I'm certainly not surprised that LGBTQ people don't exist in her universe, since that's pretty much the LDS church's dream situation
( ... )
'... the citizens are taught to read but not to write.'
'... Ky teaches Cassia to write'
Erm. And Ky knows how to write because...?
'They barely interact and they know next to nothing about each other, and yet we’re supposed to believe they completely adore each other and will do anything do stay together...'
Bwahaha, it sounds like Arthur and Gwen in Merlin.
The LGBTQ (what's the Q for?) thing, you know I'm as pro- as anything, but I don't think generally I would have a lessened view on a book because of a lack of representation (there are plenty of real life situations without LGBTQ representation, it would bother me to have it thrown into a serious plot for the sake of it). However, in this book it seems to have left significant plot holes, and that should definitely have been dealt with :/
The LGBTQ (what's the Q for?) thing, you know I'm as pro- as anything, but I don't think generally I would have a lessened view on a book because of a lack of representation (there are plenty of real life situations without LGBTQ representation, it would bother me to have it thrown into a serious plot for the sake of it). However, in this book it seems to have left significant plot holes, and that should definitely have been dealt with :/
The "Q" stands for "Queer." :)
I agree with you. While it's not necessary to include LGBTQ themes/characters in every story, it seems Matched is focused on the Society pairing people up, so it feels strange that LGBTQ people aren't referenced. Would matches include same-sex relationships or forbid them?
"The Society claims to have eradicated certain illnesses, such as cancer, through the matched pairings, but while I’m no doctor, I’m not sure that’s how cancer works."
You could possibly reduce the likelihood of cancer. Certain types of cancers are related to genes, for example, a woman with genes BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 is more likely to get breast cancer ceteris paribus than a woman without them. Of course, genes aren't the only thing that causes cancer.
Comments 9
This is a great review, given that you had a big old boring pile of next to nothing to work with. It honestly sounds like no thought was put into this at all beyond a few "restrictive/dystopian" ideas, which weren't followed through. I wonder how exactly this got a seven sum figure deal and a bunch of publicity?
Reply
Reply
The cancer bit: I felt that the Society and the powers that be did some major genetic tweaking and or other types of manipulating. But something else: the citizens sound like they live healthy lives because the society makes them live healthy, so cancer is caught right away and treated.
The 100 selection: Condie was an English teacher, and the 100 is pretty much, in my opinion, every person with a fine arts degree worst case nightmare, and I think in the second book there's more discussion over how messed up the system is.
Reply
Reply
'... Ky teaches Cassia to write'
Erm. And Ky knows how to write because...?
'They barely interact and they know next to nothing about each other, and yet we’re supposed to believe they completely adore each other and will do anything do stay together...'
Bwahaha, it sounds like Arthur and Gwen in Merlin.
The LGBTQ (what's the Q for?) thing, you know I'm as pro- as anything, but I don't think generally I would have a lessened view on a book because of a lack of representation (there are plenty of real life situations without LGBTQ representation, it would bother me to have it thrown into a serious plot for the sake of it). However, in this book it seems to have left significant plot holes, and that should definitely have been dealt with :/
Reply
The "Q" stands for "Queer." :)
I agree with you. While it's not necessary to include LGBTQ themes/characters in every story, it seems Matched is focused on the Society pairing people up, so it feels strange that LGBTQ people aren't referenced. Would matches include same-sex relationships or forbid them?
Reply
"The Society claims to have eradicated certain illnesses, such as cancer, through the matched pairings, but while I’m no doctor, I’m not sure that’s how cancer works."
You could possibly reduce the likelihood of cancer. Certain types of cancers are related to genes, for example, a woman with genes BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 is more likely to get breast cancer ceteris paribus than a woman without them. Of course, genes aren't the only thing that causes cancer.
Reply
Leave a comment