The Testing

Today's post is on The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau. It is the first volume in her The Testing trilogy. It is 325 pages long and is published by Houghton Mifflin. The cover is dark blue with a compass in front of a maze. The intended reader is someone who likes dystopian stories. There is very mild foul language, no sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main character Cia. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one and the same?
The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.
Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.
But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

Review- This book is similar to the Hunger Games but I liked this book a lot more. I liked the characters so much more in this novel than in the Hunger Games. The Testing is not about keeping the population subservient to the government but about finding the stronger leaders in this dark future. There was one last huge war that destroyed much of the earth and made it very unlivable but through science and hard work, humanity is recovering. Only the most brilliant get chosen to go to the Testing. The Testing is harsh and Cia is tested in more ways than one. I liked just about everything about this novel from the characters to the world to the way the Testing itself works. It is not about being cruel to be cruel but there are those who are and who just want to see what is takes to crack another human being. The characters, I feel, are more human than in the Hunger Games and that is another reason that I like it better. I am very interested in how Cia is going to handle things in the second book.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.