Cassia lives in the not so-distant-future. The Society has organized everything so people can have the optimal life experience. This is accomplished by the fact that the Society provides everything. Everyone has enough food, clothing, and home space. Everyone is happily employed or in school. Everyone lives to a ripe age of 70 (exactly). Everyone, who wants it, is provided with a match for a life partner.

The novel starts as Cassia is turning 17, the point at which people are matched. She is thrilled by the fact that she is matched with Xander, one of her best friends. It is rare for people to be matched with someone they know, and she is paired up with someone she knows she will be happy with the results. Everyone loves Xander because he is cute, nice, and smart.

At the time of the matching, each person receives a match disk with information about their match. Most people need that information because they know nothing about the person, who is often from another territory. Cassia doesn't need to learn more about Xander, but she decides to check out the disk anyway only to find a surprise. Instead of Xander's face appearing at boot-up, it is the face of her neighbor Ky. When she reports the incident to one of the Officials, she is told that it was just a quick glitch in the system and nothing to worry about.

Cassia's match is not the only big change that is occurring. Her beloved grandfather is reaching the age of 70, which means that his end time is approaching. She and her family must prepare for his leaving. It is a difficult time, but one in which she is left with a small treasure. He leaves her with pieces of two poems that she had never seen or heard before. In Cassia's time, all of the arts have been limited to the 100 pieces that best reflect all works from that genre. The rest have been destroyed. It is through this exposure, that Cassia starts to see the beauty that might exist outside of the Society.

It is this exposure and her glowing closeness to Ky, who is slated to be a Single for his whole life because of his questionable past. He originally resided in the outer territories until his parents died and he came to live with his aunt's, into which he has been adopted. He has always kept to himself. In fact, Cassia barely noticed him until the recent confusion with her match disk. Now, she finds she can't stop obsessing about him, leading to all sorts of confusion about her feelings toward him and Xander.

At the same time, Cassia's family also seems to be getting the notice of the Officials. Both her mother and her father get the attention of the Officials for questionable actions. What will happen to Cassia and her family as a result of everything that they are doing that would not be approved by the Society???

I thought this was a really great dystopian tale. With just a touch of romance, the novel explores the balance that should be as a society works to optimize life for everyone by asking how much needs to be sacrificed in the area of individuality to create the ultimate in fairness and equality. Cassia, who is torn between two guys like Bella in the the Twilight Saga finds herself in a story that is one part The Giver by Lois Lowry and three parts Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I personally think fans of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld will really love this one.

Cassia is really well-drawn as a character, and the reader can't help but feel torn by the events around her and what they mean for her family and friends. This is the first novel in a slated trilogy, and I definitely can't wait for the next two books!