Thursday, June 5, 2014

{Review} The Test (The Testing #1) By: Joelle Charbonneau

Title: The Testing (The Testing #1)
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Shelves: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction
Recommended For Fans Of: Suzanne Young, Veronica Roth

Synopsis (From Goodreads): 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 in 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 is my second time reading The Testing, and it has only gotten better. I have so much love for this book, and I really wish more people would know about and read The Testing! At this point, I realize many people are tired of dystopians. In fact, I, myself am tired of them as well. But The Testing is an awesome, amazing exception. It exceeds my expectations in a world of worn-out dystopian themes. While the general idea behind this book is very similar to both The Hunger Games and Divergent, The Testing is written so well that it can completely stand out against two of dystopia's biggest hits.

Why did I love it? Well, for starters, The Testing has some heart-pounding action. I often find it really difficult to keep up with the jumps and twists and what-nots in dystopians and general thrillers, but I had no trouble with The Testing. It kept me engaged and utterly captured at some of the best and most heart-pounding scenes that Joelle Charbonneau wrote. One of the best things about The Testing is the way it combined romance, suspense, action, and science fiction into one explosive story.

Characters: Cia is the main character, and she is absolutely amazing. Cia is strong, but not overly strong; intelligent, but not a complete genius; and confident; but not even a bit arrogant. She is the perfect example of strong feminism and yet, she is genuine and real. Dare I go so far as to say that Cia is one of the best heroines I've encountered upon in young adult dystopia? I do dare to say this, and I hope that many of you will agree with me once you read The Testing. Cia is a character you will root for, and you will enjoy following her along her testing. Cia's love interest Thomas is another example of a wonderful character. Although he seemed like Cia's back-up, Thomas's own story is something that gives a reader pause and thought.

Romance: There is, very obviously, romance between Thomas and Cia. However, unlike Divergent and The Hunger Games, this relationship is not obstructed by too many obstacles. It is a nice change to see a relatively "smooth" relationship among many that frustrate you to the point of extreme annoyance. Thomas and Cia had a passion that while was not extremely highlighted in The Testing, became a background that was very enjoyable and made me smile.

Plot: The Testing, while not entirely a unique IDEA, is unique in its own way. The introduction of many parts of the actual tests itself had me craving more, and I guarantee the same will happen for you. The plot is quick and easy to keep up with, like I have said before.

Conclusion: I've actually been recommending The Testing to many of my own friends, which only happens with books I truly, truly love. And The Testing is one of those books. So here I am, recommending this to you, dear review reader. Read The Testing. And love it. :)

2 comments:

  1. Hello! It's been a while! I'm glad you got to read Th Testing! :) I've heard lots about this one!

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    1. Hi there, Alex! Thanks for being such a faithful reader as always! I hope you get to read The Testing as well, and again, massive thanks for being amazing with your comments!

      -Jayne

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