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Quick answer: If you loved Matched, read Ally Condie's Matched, then Lauren Oliver's Delirium, then Veronica Roth's Divergent, and Kiera Cass's The Selection and Lois Lowry's The Giver. All are dystopian young adult novels about control and choice.
Ally Condie's 2010 novel follows Cassia in a society that chooses everything for its citizens, until she questions the system. It is a gentle dystopia with a romantic plot. These picks share its mood.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matched | Ally Condie | 12+ | readers who like quiet dystopia |
| Delirium | Lauren Oliver | 13+ | readers who like romance |
| Divergent | Veronica Roth | 13+ | YA dystopia fans |
| The Selection | Kiera Cass | 13+ | readers who want romance |
| The Giver | Lois Lowry | 12+ | readers who like ideas |
| The Hunger Games | Suzanne Collins | 12+ | readers who want intense action |
| The Maze Runner | James Dashner | 12+ | readers who like puzzles |
| Red Queen | Victoria Aveyard | 14+ | readers who like court intrigue |
| Gone | Michael Grant | Teen | no adults |
| The Testing | Joelle Charbonneau | 12+ | competitions |
| The Darkest Minds | Alexandra Bracken | 13+ | readers who like road-trip dystopia |
| Legend | Marie Lu | 13+ | readers who like cat-and-mouse |
| Cinder | Marissa Meyer | 12+ | fairy-tale and sci-fi fans |
| Uglies | Scott Westerfeld | 12+ | readers who like social critique |
| The City of Ember | Jeanne DuPrau | 9-13 | underground mysteries |
1. Matched by Ally Condie
Cassia questions the system that chooses her mate. Gentle and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like quiet dystopia.
2. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Lena lives in a world where love is a disease and falls for a boy. Lyrical and tense.
Best for: readers who like romance.
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Tris chooses a faction in a divided Chicago and discovers she does not fit. Fast and popular.
Best for: YA dystopia fans.
4. The Selection by Kiera Cass
America Singer enters a competition to marry a prince. Romantic, with a hint of dystopia.
Best for: readers who want romance.
5. The Giver by Lois Lowry
Jonas lives in a society without pain, and learns its secrets. Short and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like ideas.
6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Katniss volunteers to take her sister's place in a televised fight to the death. It is not magic, but its high stakes and quick pace appeal to the same readers.
Best for: readers who want intense action.
7. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Thomas wakes in a glade surrounded by a deadly maze and must solve it with other boys. Mystery and suspense on every page.
Best for: readers who like puzzles.
8. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Mare, a Red girl with a Silver power, is forced into a deadly court. Fast and twisty.
Best for: readers who like court intrigue.
9. Gone by Michael Grant
Everyone over fourteen vanishes from a town. Fast, violent and gripping.
Best for: no adults.
10. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
Teens compete for a place in college, and the stakes are deadly. A tense, quick dystopia.
Best for: competitions.
11. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Ruby, a teen with powers, escapes a camp and joins other fugitives. Fast and emotional.
Best for: readers who like road-trip dystopia.
12. Legend by Marie Lu
June, a prodigy soldier, hunts Day, the country's most wanted criminal. Fast, with dual narrators.
Best for: readers who like cat-and-mouse.
13. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Cinder, a cyborg mechanic, is drawn into a royal plot in a futuristic Cinderella story. Quick and inventive, with sequels.
Best for: fairy-tale and sci-fi fans.
14. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Tally lives in a world where everyone is made pretty at 16. Fast and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like social critique.
15. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Two kids in an underground city try to solve a mystery as the lights fail. Atmospheric and clever.
Best for: underground mysteries.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Matched: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Matched. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For similar dystopias, read Delirium, Divergent or The Selection. For classics, try The Giver. For action, pick The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner. Matched is slower and more romantic than most.
Related: 15 Books Like Wings of Fire Kids Will Love: Dragons, Quests and Animal Adventures · 12 Dystopian Books Like the Hunger Games | Best Books to Read Like Hunger Games
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Matched?
Ally Condie, in 2010.
Is it a trilogy?
Yes: Matched, Crossed and Reached.
What age is it for?
Teens 12 and up.
What should I read next?
Try Delirium.
Which book here is best for underground mysteries?
Try The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, which suits readers looking for underground mysteries.
Which book here is best for readers who like social critique?
Try Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, which suits readers looking for readers who like social critique.
Which book here is best for fairy-tale and sci-fi fans?
Try Cinder by Marissa Meyer, which suits readers looking for fairy-tale and sci-fi fans.
Which book here is best for readers who like cat-and-mouse?
Try Legend by Marie Lu, which suits readers looking for readers who like cat-and-mouse.