Cassia Maria Reyes is the 17-year-old protagonist of Matched. The novel is told in first person from her perspective. She has green eyes and “coppery-brown hair” that sometimes appears “golden” (7). She has a small, straight nose and a dimple in her chin—like her grandfather. Over the course of the novel, Cassia becomes increasingly disenchanted with the dystopian world she inhabits—controlled by a faceless entity known as the Society. Her love for Ky Markham—her unofficial Match—cements this disenchantment. She is guided by two illegal poems gifted to her by her dying grandfather, particularly “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas. The poem’s words immediately resonate with her as she awakens to her oppression and gains an unrelenting desire for free will.

Ky Markham is Cassia’s primary love interest and unofficial Match. Cassia describes him as “strong and beautiful” (206) with black hair, long lashes, hardy hands, and a musical voice. To Cassia, his dark blue eyes seem to change color and have greater depth than other people’s. Ky is from the Outer Provinces and has been classified as an Aberration because his biological father committed an Infraction.