Let's Talk is what I like to call a semi-regular feature here at i swim for oceans. Does it happen every week? No. Will there be weeks when it happens more than once? Probably. Can you set your calendar by it? Heck no. Here on the little old blog, I like to host some of my very own discussion posts because, well, I like to converse with you all.

And so, Let's Talk will feature questions or prompts, which I will answer, too. Love it or hate it, weigh in or don't, it's my hope that Let's Talk will at least get you thinking...and maybe even get you discussing with the rest of us!

Question: Does the hype of a book make you more, or less inclined to buy it?

I've been thinking about this question for a while lately, after speaking to a few bloggers about the overwhelming hype that some novels seem to have these days. There are two sides of the picture for me. 

1. There are books that have no hype whatsoever, and I simply stumble upon them later and am blow away by just how incredible they are. 

2. There are books that have ridiculous amounts of hype, build up my expectations astronomically and then let me down. 

I'll be honest. Overwhelming hype deters me a lot these days because I'm tired of being over-excited and then disappointed after finishing a book. I think the last book I stepped out and bought simply because the hype was killing me, and I just had to see what it was all about, was Matched by Ally Condie. Was it a good book? Sure. Was it a great book (for me)? No. 

Just a few examples of this:

Then, however, there are the exceptions to the rule. You probably remember the hype surrounding The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. That one's launch was touted ad-nauseum, and I was scared to actually open the book when I finally got it for review. However, that one totally blew me out of the water. Truly, it was one of the most engaging novels I've enjoyed in a good while.

Just a few examples of this:

Then, there are books that have virtually no hype - a prime example for me being Between by Jessica Warman - that stun me. Yes, that one was a bit predictable, but I devoured it in a day. It was searing, soaring and powerful, and it spoke to me. And yet, for some reason...no hype.

Hype, for the most part these days, deters me from reading a book right away. I'm so scared of the disappointment I might possibly feel, so I look for hidden gems, instead. It's not a hard and fast rule at all...trust me. I read hyped books, but I think there's something to be said for finding the book nobody knows, too.

Please bear in mind that these are solely my personal opinions, and none of what I say is meant to be derogatory or degrade any authors or their books.

What about you?

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Published: November 30, 2010
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Pages: 366
Source: Personal Copy

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Matched is the story of Cassia, a teenage girl living in a time where Society decides everything for you. She’s always trusted it, always believed it, and always looking forward to finding the one person that Society would match her with. So, when Society declares her match to be Xander, Cassia believes it, until an image of Ky flashes onto the screen, setting just a hint of doubt in her mind. Cassia begins to wonder…what if Xander isn’t right for her? What if it’s supposed to be Ky? And if Society matched her wrong, what else could they be wrong about?

Matched is certainly one hyped-up book, and I have to be honest, the premise promises something extraordinary in the realm of dystopian novels. Ally Condie presents a story of right and wrong, love and the freedom of choice, and the decision to create one’s own destiny. With a host of characters that are strong, poignant, and resonate feeling, Matched has all the makings of a great story, and Condie has an easy and fluid writing style that creates a fast-paced read.

That said though, I had some issues with Matched. While I loved the character development and the fact that I could get inside Cassia’s head and see a full view of Xander and Ky, I felt that Matched was extremely lacking in the world-development aspect. It felt a bit flat, if you know what I mean, and I couldn’t understand why Society was doing the things they were doing. Part of what makes a dystopian is the warped logic behind future society’s misjudgments, and I felt that while we saw what they were doing was wrong, I never really understood it. That, essentially, left the entire plot of Matched resting on the shoulders of the characters, and it’s kind of a hit or miss thing that way.

Overall, I don’t think Matched was a bad read by any means, but I have to say that I didn’t really love it either. I’ll definitely try the next book in the series, but I guess the main thing is that with the emergence of popular dystopian fiction, this just didn’t live up to some of my other favourites. I give it a 3 out of 5, and I’d recommend it to those who enjoy dystopian novels and a good, sweet romance.

In My Mailbox is an amazing weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren that features the books we have received during the week. It's so much fun because we get to see what our fellow bloggers stumbled upon this week and add even more to our piles of books! Without further ado, this week I received the following books:

I, Emma Freke - (For Review - Thank you, Carolrhoda & NetGalley) - What's in a name? I, Emma Freke is a charming search-for-identity story about Emma―the only "normal" member of her quirky family. Her flighty, New Age mom seems to barely have time for a daughter, especially one who annoyingly spoils her mom's youthful façade. Emma's well-meaning grandpa is clueless. And her only friends are the local librarian and a precocious 10-year old adopted by the two old ladies next door. Smart, shy, and nearly six feet tall, Emma struggles to fit in at school, so she jumps at the opportunity to "home school" until that too turns into another of mom's half-baked ideas.

The Long Weekend - (For Review - Thank you, Savita Kalhan) - Sam knows that he and his friend Lloyd made a colossal mistake when they accepted the ride home. They have ended up in a dark mansion in the middle of nowhere with man who means to harm them. But Sam doesn't know how to get them out. They were trapped, then separated. Now they are alone. Will either of them get out alive?This gripping and hypnotic thriller will have you reading late into the night...

Matched - (Bought) - Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander.

What did you get in your mailbox this week? Leave me a link, and I'll be sure to check it out!

Click HERE to enter my international blogoversary giveaway - ends Dec. 17th!