Questions and Topics for Discussion

MATCHED

Matched is told in first person; how would the story be different if someone besides Cassia were telling it?

The Society only allows citizens to own one object from the past. What can readers learn about Cassia’s world from this rule? If you were asked to select a single item to pass down to another generation, what would it be and why?

What is the purpose of the three emergency tablets each member of the Society is required to carry with them at all times? Why is Cassia encouraged to never take the green tablet? Consider the lack of effectiveness the tablets have on both Xander and Ky. In your opinion, does this put them at an advantage?

Each member of the Society is assigned a job as well as a spouse. Consider your personal strengths. What role might you play in such a community? What problems might arise from being given a job based only on your strengths?

Readers learn that in Cassia’s Society, only one hundred pieces of art, music, and literature are saved from the past as a way to ensure that their world isn’t too cluttered. Do you agree with such a practice? What are some of the other outcomes for the Society by providing such restrictions?

Throughout the course of the novel, Cassia, Xander, and Ky learn that the world as they know it might never be the same. In what ways will it be better or worse for them? Have you had an experience that reshaped your life? In what ways have you changed due to this incident?

On Cassia’s grandfather’s eightieth birthday, he and his family participate in his Final Banquet. What is your opinion of how death is treated by the Society? How does Cassia’s attitude toward this prescribed death sentence change throughout the course of the novel?

CROSSED

Crossed opens with Ky performing an informal last rites ceremony for one of the lost as he recites the poem “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. What can readers infer about Ky from his actions? What is it about this particular poem that makes it so special for Ky and others who wish to change Society?

In Crossed, readers gain a better understanding of the Society’s intent to preserve DNA of Society members in good standing in hopes of overcoming death. Are there any parallels to the preservation tactics in our present society? If you were given a similar opportunity, would you want to participate? Why or why not?

Throughout the novel, the story is told in alternating chapters by Ky and Cassia. In what ways does hearing these diverse perspectives benefit the story?

While considering his compass and the scrap of green silk from Cassia’s gown from the Matching ceremony, Ky states, “Because in the end you can’t always choose what to keep. You can only choose how you let it go.” Explain his statement. In what ways does this speak to the events that transpire through the course of the novel?

Why does Ky seem so reluctant to serve as the Pilot for the Rising? Do you agree with his decision? Why or why not?

Trust is a major theme throughout the novel; offer specific examples where a character’s willingness (or unwillingness) to trust others (or himself) proves advantageous or disastrous.

THE MATCHED TRILOGY

Readers will discover that the Matched trilogy draws the reader into a unique world with disturbingly close echoes of our own and one that asks penetrating questions about how we live together in a society. These books challenge readers to consider the following:

What must we give up, for example, in order to live in peace?

How much should the individual lose of himself or herself for the collective good?

Can we ignore and minimize pain in our lives—both physical and emotional—to live happier existences?

Are we destined to love one person or can our choices influence how and who we love?