Review: The Testing

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Cia Vale has worked hard. As the youngest graduate in her class, she hopes to be chosen for the Testing to determine if she has what it takes to go to University and be a future leader of the United Commonwealth. Her father is a University graduate, so she knows it is a possibility. When she discovers that three classmates and she have been chosen for the Testing, she is overjoyed and apprehensive. She has never been away from her family. Before she leaves for her Testing, her father hints at a darker side of the Testing and advises her to trust no one.

Did he really mean no one? Cia decides to trust Tomas, a close friend and classmate. But how much can she trust him? Can she tell him everything, or must she hide things even from him. The Testing takes place in a post-apocalyptic world reminiscent of The Hunger Games. Although the candidates are not chosen at random (they are the top of the graduating class), Testing candidates must complete four tests and an interview to determine which 20 will go to University. Charbonneau builds a society quickly and smoothly and readers will quickly find that they want Cia to succeed. Will Cia be able to complete all four tests? Can she keep the values she was raised with throughout the process? Can she trust Tomas or anyone else?




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