Ally Condie's Novel Matched Trilogy

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Ally Condie is a modern author who writes young adult novels that teaches readers of all ages valuable life lessons while still allowing us to go on wild adventures with the characters. Publisher's Weekly says that her novels are an accurate showcase of Condie's “...vivid, poetic writing...” that allows us as readers to see deeply into the character's pain and desires. Condie's writing holds the perfect balance between enthralling and educational with her common themes of love, loss and friendship delicately woven into her novels. In her Matched Trilogy, Condie touches upon less talked about themes such as sacrifice and an over-powered government: What form of government is truly best for society and just how much control should that government have?

Ally Condie is a very reserved woman, leaving little personal information left out for the public's eyes. We do, however, know that her interest in literature has long been inside of her. After four years of studies, Condie graduated from Bringham Youth College and got a job working as an English Teacher in upstate New York. She later moved just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah where she continued teaching at a local high school. This is where she met her husband and settled down with him, later giving birth to four children. Condie published her first book, Yearbook, in September of 2006, continuing the Trilogy with First Day in June of 2007 and Reunion in October of 2008. Condie also wrote two standalone books, Freshman for President in June of 2008 and Being Sixteen in January of 2010.

Condie had been quite successful with her five novels aimed towards teenagers in high school, but it was her husband that gave her the inspiration for Matched. Condie said that she was talking wi...

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...ound between no choice and all choices? No matter what government is chosen, someone will always be unhappy with the decisions being made and that will ultimately become a problem as well. Just as the Dylan Thomas poem suggests, “do not go gentle into that good night” (Thomas).

Works Cited

"Ally Condie." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Apr. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.

Condie, Ally. "What Is Your Inspiration for Writing MATCHED? | Ally Condie." Ally Condie. n.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.

Condie, Allyson Braithwaite. Crossed. New York: Dutton, 2011. Print.

Condie, Allyson Braithwaite. Matched. New York: Dutton, 2010. Print.

Condie, Allyson Braithwaite. Reached. New York: Dutton, 2012. Print.

"Matched Quotes." By Ally Condie. n.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.

Thomas, Dylan. “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” Poemhunter.com. n.p. n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.

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