The Matched Trilogy is an international bestseller written by former English teacher Ally Condie. She lives in Utah with her husband and four children.

The trilogy has been internationally well-received and optioned for film by Disney and Offspring. The original concept sparked from a conversation between her and her husband about the perfect algorithm for government to line up marriages. To choose who to marry is a right not everyone has around the globe and a right that has not long been installed around here.

“Every morning, the sun comes up and turns the earth red, and I think: This could be the day when everything changes. Maybe today the Society will fall. Then night comes and we’re all still waiting. But I know the pilot is real.”

The opening chapter is in Xander’s point of view, a pivotal character not seen much since the first book Matched. Condie’s beautiful prose starts with poetic lines like these and ends just as radiant.

Matched follows the story of Cassia Reyes, a young girl who is accidentally matched to both her best friend Xander Carrow and the strange boy from her neighborhood, Ky Markham. The flawless society has made a costly mistake, and that leads the three of their fates to become dangerously intertwined, only to be split apart in Crossed, the sequel. In Crossed, the point of views alternate between Cassia and Ky, as the sequel becomes both of their stories. They escape the Society, only to infiltrate back into the system under a new motive: the Rising.

Reached, the final installment in the trilogy, begins with each main character: Cassia, Ky and Xander, completing their tasks for the Rising to quickly take control of the Society. There are months where none of the characters see each other. They all tell their separate stories under different point of views that inevitably entwine halfway through the novel.

Matched is the sweet romance, Crossed is the perilous journey and Reached is the ‘medical thriller’.

It’s thrilling because each page turned seemed to be another revelation, big or small. However, the massive revelation that spans over all three books was gradual—it made sense, instead of being a twist thrown in to spice up the plot. Condie had it carefully plotted through each book. It’s not a jaw-dropping revelation like the smaller ones that appear throughout the novel, but rather one that makes you want to slap your forehead and reread all three books to find the clues.

The love in this book is very mature for a young adult novel. It’s not your typical love triangle where one boy is hotter and nicer than the other. Ky and Xander are equally matched—even Condie said she couldn’t choose!

She said they both exemplified parts of her husband she loves. Ky, who is her husband’s left-sided brain, the English major. Xander, who is her husband’s right-sided brain, the economist. Both kind and deserving, a seemingly impossible decision.

But that’s a message in this novel: There isn’t necessarily one true match for a person in the world. One can love two people at once. Cassia loved both Ky and Xander. Ky loved both Cassia and Indie. Indie loved both Ky and Xander. Xander loved both Cassia and Lei. Lei loved both Xander and Vick. It was a carefully spun web of love, easy to get tangled in.

However, Reached does end with satisfying love. The characters pick the love that is right for them in the world they live in. They must choose and end up more than happy with their decisions. It’s a heartbreaking journey for each character, but most make it to the end.

Be sure to check out the Reached playlist at www.allycondie.com. before starting! Get yourself mentally prepared…it’s going to be a rough ride.

Rachel Bongart is a Staff Reporter and Book Blogger for The Spartan Speaks.