matched & goose girl

Matched by Ally Condie


"In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die."

This book is about Cassia who lives in a society where everything is decided for you. She is matched to her perfect mate, who is her best friend. Everything seems perfect until she sees a glimpse of another face on the screen, causing her to question who her ideal mate is as well as everything else about the society.

When I first heard about this book, I was pretty excited. The plot sounded really great! But after reading it, I'd probably give it 2.5 out of 5 stars. It's an interesting, poetic read but the story just wasn't moving or original enough for me. It is like a combination of The Giver and Hunger Games, except not nearly as good as either.

I still think it is a good book to read, and the ending is definitely intriguing. I will still read the sequel for sure.


The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale


This is a story about Ani, the crown princess of Kildenree. Because of her unique abilities to speak with birds and her horse Falada, her mother sends her off to marry the prince of Bayern. Along the way, her lady-in-waiting, Selia, gathers her own following and kills Ani's guards, sending Ani off to fend for herself while Selia takes Ani's spot. Ani disguises herself as a goose girl while she tries to right everything.

I loved this book! It was a simple fairytale I had never heard of, but I really enjoyed it. I love Shannon Hale's writing style and I think she could make almost any story appealing and worth reading. If you haven't read her Austenland novel, that one is fabulous! I would give Goose Girl 4.5 out of 5.