Young Adult Book Reading Challenges discussion

Team Xander or Team Ky?

Of course, this is not a new concept in YA but time after time readers have strong opinions (myself included) on who the gal should choose. Here, we have boy next door-best friend-handsome-dependable Xander whom Cassia has known her whole life and is thrilled to be Matched with. Then, we have boy next door-Abberation-mysterious Ky whom Cassia finds intriguing for his ability to fit in despite his circumstances.

I won't give you my take yet, but I think that there are some pretty strong hints to what will happen in the books involving these guys, and I can't wait to see if I am right!

(view spoiler)[
I personally thought it was a generic love triangle. I'm not a big fan of the whole mysterious bad boy type character with a brooding and questioning attitude. So, by default, I guess that I would be "Team Xander."

However, she acts so heartless toward Xander once she starts to notice Ky. Xander is such a nice guy, and it hurt me to see her hurt him. I don't know that she really deserves him. Just my two cents. (hide spoiler)]

I have to agree with Julie. At the end of the book (view spoiler)[Ky seems to be the obvious choice (hide spoiler)] and I also thought the love triangle was ... well, not useless exactly but it didn't spark any interest in me. It was like a boring subplot.

I've made no secret in other comments around Good Reads that I dislike love triangles with a passion. The one in this book was almost a non-event. I agree that it was not useless exactly, but ...... :^|

I see your point on the uselessness of a love triangle--it is more fun to just fall in love with one guy right along with the character. I think that I will need some more convincing in Crossed that Cassia made the right choice with Ky, but I also hope that Xander gets his own choice by the third book, because I am pretty sure he feels a bit more for Em than friendship.

I don't think it was any more a subplot than it was in Hunger Games--the fact that the Society planted this desire that sprung into something more, and ultimately will bring on revolution is nearly the same thing.

I, too, felt very luke-warm about the love triangle. If I have to pick one guy that I liked, it would be Xander. He proved himself a loyal friend at least. But chances are Ky will be the winner in this generic arrangement. I can't say I am invested in either of these guys.

I think Ky will win over Cassias heart as well. To me he was too quiet and not mysterious in an interesting, broody kind of way :/

LOL. I know! Even his poetry didn't win me over.

I have to say that I think it went past generic when we learn the whole thing was essentially set up. And though Cassia will undoubtedly be looking for Ky in the next installment, I am sure that she will question her feelings for Xander since he was her rock for all those years.

Hmm, maybe I like him more because I listened to the audio which was incredibly well done. I think that he deserves to be quiet since he seems to be one of the only people questioning what the Society is really doing--he can't cause a rebellion on his own!

Me neither. I'm also getting a little sick of classic poems used in YA books. I don't mind them in general but I think it's a bit boring that they keep coming up.

Definitely Ky since I felt even less for Xander when compared to Ky

I liked Xander better personally but it's the kind of love triangle that's kind of known for who the MC likes better so the second guy will obviously not get her. So it would be Ky, but I liked Xander more because I never felt much about Ky.

I'm Team Ky. I have to say that all of these girls in YA novels lately are awfully lucky to have not just one but two amazing guys in love with them.

Bridgette wrote: "Team Xander or Team Ky?"

I had hoped we could avoid a discussion like this. The book deals with more than which of the two love interests Cassia should prefer.

I think I have to go with Team Ky! I think Xander is a great guy and all but I guess I just like the rebellious type like Ky! It's true you kind of guess that she will be with Ky!
Amanda wrote: "I have to say that all these girls in YA lately are awfully lucky to have not just one but two amazing guys in love with them."
You are right! Why can't real life be like that!

I had hoped we could avoid a discussion like this. The book deals with more than which of the two love interests Cassia should prefer."

Yes, but this is definitely a main plot point. I think that the fact that it all revolves around her Match makes it a necessary discussion. I also have to point out that Cassia would have never second guessed her Match if the Society had not picked her to play a game with--so even the main theme stems from the love triangle. I hope that we do get more about the Society in the next installment, but I think we will probably get it as Cassia
searches for Ky, undoubtedly with the help of Xander (see the summary of Crossed)

Bridgette wrote: "I think that the fact that it all revolves around her Match makes it a necessary discussion."

You're right about this but I wonder about the value of expressing our own preferences when the author has ideas of her own. I would find a discussion of how the author develops Cassia's feelings for Ky to be more engaging.

Cassia has strong feelings for Xander at the beginning and she's hardly aware of Ky. He's just a boy she knows. The Society throws them together to test some unspecified hypothesis. The strategy they use is to engineer situations where Cassia and Ky will be alone together. Is it any surprise that they eventually fall in love? How does their experience mirror the 'courting' ritual experienced by other couples are matched? Does their experience differ in any way from the experience of other matched couples?

It was obvious just from the blurb on the back that Cassia would be more interested in Ky than Xander. For a real love triangle, I feel that there needs to be more tension within the group and an equal investment in everyone. I thought Xander and Ky had fascinating chemistry between each other but Cassia just seemed to use Xander at every turn and then liked Ky because she wasn't supposed to. Ky's feelings for her seem genuine and Xander's too. But Cassia doesn't seem mature enough for either one and is too mixed up in her own problems to know what she wants. I think Ky is the obvious victor but not necessarily because I prefer one team to another.

Natalia wrote: "I thought Xander and Ky had fascinating chemistry between each other but Cassia just seemed to use Xander at every turn and then liked Ky because she wasn't supposed to. Ky's feelings for her seem genuine and Xander's too. But Cassia doesn't seem mature enough for either one and is too mixed up in her own problems to know what she wants. I think Ky is the obvious victor but not necessarily because I prefer one team to another."

Keep in mind that Cassia was being manipulated by the Society at every turn as far as Ky was concerned. If she hadn't seen Ky's picture in the microcard she never would even have noticed Ky - he was trying hard enough to remain invisible. She would have gone along with her match to Xander and they would have lived happily ever after - or not - but that would have been a different book.

She doesn't USE Xander - he's her friend and he usually volunteers his help.

Ky is the victor because that's what the Society wants (and the author, of course). Cassia is forced to notice this boy who is trying NOT to be noticed. Society makes sure they think of each other, first through the (not) mistake in the microcard, then by being assigned to the same hiking group. Even the warnings of the Official to stay away from Ky have the intended result of making Cassia curious about Ky.

If Cassia is mixed up about her feelings, it's because the Society has made sure that she should have questions and uncertainties about the whole matching process.

In fact, being matched to Xander, someone she's known all her life, makes her vulnerable to entertaining a 'what if' scenario because that matching deprives her of the sense of adventure and anticipation that other girls matched to complete strangers are experiencing.

I certainly agree that this is NOT a love triangle. The tension that drives everything comes from the the way the Society is manipulating Cassia and Ky to face decisions that they've been taught are completely illegal.

I agree, Grace, with everything you wrote. Everyone has thus far been manipulated by the Society.

We don't know how much the Society did vs. how much they took credit for, but my main issue thus far is that Cassia so often plays into the manipulation. As you mentioned, she thinks she wouldn't have noticed Ky without the mistake in the microcard (although I think that was a subconscious thought because she certainly remembered everything about him the second his picture flashed in front of the screen, so a part of her was always watching Ky). And even though Xander was always there, I don't think it detracted from the "sense of adventure" Cassia would have felt if she were truly in love with him because 1) she always thought he was off limits, and 2) Ky was right there too but a sense of danger or at least mystery was associated with him, even before Cassia knew his classification. So if both Ky and Xander were her friends and both seemed out of reach as potential Matches, that sense of adventure should apply to neither.

Also, I really do feel that Cassia manipulates Xander. He may do it willingly but using Xander to hide things for her and letting things drag out felt cowardly. I think it adds to the story, I'm not saying it's a flaw in the story but rather a flaw of Cassia as a person. And back to the Society controlling everything, there is a point where Cassia must assume responsibility for her decisions. She finally does at the end but, well, it ends! That's why I'm looking forward to Crossed to see if Cassia can grow from a character who is controlled by the Society into her own person, someone more like Ky. I'm also curious to see how Xander changes and grows, since I suspect he's rebellious too.

Natalia wrote: "...I think that was a subconscious thought because she certainly remembered everything about him the second his picture flashed in front of the screen, so a part of her was always watching Ky..."

I'm not so sure I agree with this interpretation. Of course she knew Ky, and the flash of his picture brought back memories of him but that doesn't mean she was watching him. He was just one of the people who was around - not exactly part of the group. When she realizes that she might have been matched to him - either in reality or as a joke - she remembers the first time they met and she starts watching for him. At first he's hard to find in the crowd because he has worked so hard not to be noticed. Cassia is able to track him after seeing the microcard because now she's looking for him.

Natalia wrote: "I think it adds to the story, I'm not saying it's a flaw in the story..."

The point I've been trying to make is that trying to discuss a love triangle by picking one love interest over the other misses so much. I want to delve into the ways the author builds the relationships. And I also want to consider whether the same things could happen in real-life relationships - removed from the influence of the fictional societal rules.

Picking a team (Xander vs Ky or Ash vs Puck) really leads to a dead end as far as a meaningful discussion is concerned.

Grace wrote: "Bridgette wrote: "Team Xander or Team Ky?"

I had hoped we could avoid a discussion like this. The book deals with more than which of the two love interests Cassia should prefer."

I do think it is still a good discussion question. To me when a book introduces two boys and one girl most readers by the end of the book are going to have an ideal couple in mind.

The more YA I read the more triangles I run into. Right now I am Team Xander. I am actually surprised to see so many people in this group who are team Xander. I thought people would be more team Ky but it seems people are like me and we feel bad for Xander. Sometimes Ky's notes annoyed me. Like he could've just told Cassia the stories and then showed her the pics. But instead she was supposed to look at these crazy pictures and try to figure out the stories herself? Geeze!

I agree though that this was kinda a boring love triangle. I wasn't really into it.
After reading through everyone's comments it seems like you guys are still saying that the Officials set up Ky's picture on the microcard? But I thought we found out in the end that Cassia discovered that they didn't do that. It was all a lie? Also Cassia is always saying how much she loves Xander and he is her best friend and yet I never really see any actions that show this.

Also Grace... I think the term Team Ky and Team Xander is just a popular term taken from Twilight. I guess instead it could be worded differently. Like what do you think of the relationships between Xander, Cassie, and Ky. Or maybe the term came from Team Jennifer or Team Angelina (this from the brad pitt, angelina jolie love scandal). I seem to remember tee-shirts around that time saying Team Jennifer. I see what you are saying that the story has deeper meaning.

I guess the love triangle in this book is important because of the overall theme of the book which to mean is choice. Should Cassia be with who the society chose or who she chooses? How does this choice affect other people.

Another thing that bothers me is how G rated this book is (which is why I said in another thread that this book is middle school). Holding hands is sooooo exciting! Kissing boys so exciting (which I don't know why you would if you know you are going to be matched and everyone is taken).

There is just so much to say about this book that did not work for me!!

I never thought about this book being too G-rated but I think that would make sense because of how controlling the Society is. Of course some hot kissing would be more fun but maybe Ally Condie is keeping this kind of storyline for the second book when there are no spying Society eyes around all the time.

I really enjoyed this book and might read the others. It reminded me of the Ugly books and the Hunger Games books a bit.

I didn't feel like the author developed either of the boys enough to choose...I didn't really feel like Cassia was sincere in her feelings for Xander, and the romance with Ky was sudden and rushed. The romance wasn't believable for me, sadly. I love a good love triangle!

Angie wrote: "The more YA I read the more triangles I run into. Right now I am Team Xander. I am actually surprised to see so many people in this group who are team Xander. I thought people would be more team ..."

Matched is being marketed to middle school. If the relationships went too much further, it would be out of that market. That said, I think the author has created a society that reminds me of the 1950's. Or at least what was socially accepted in the '50's. Cassia is behaving, in the beginning, as she has been socialized. My students got so frustrated talking about the matching. They couldn't understand young people putting up with this. If they were from a culture in which arranged marriages were the norm, they would feel differently, I think.