Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau is the third and final book in The Testing trilogy. It continues the story of Cia Vale, survivor of the brutal University entrance exam known as TheTesting, University student and rebel as she attempts to end The Testing. i have enjoyed both previous books and enjoyed reading the ending of the story. What I liked The protagonist. I really liked Cia as a YA protagonist. She has her head on her shoulders and gives great consideration to the consequences of her actions. She’s very much of the watch and wait mould. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t take action, but she doesn’t act without thinking. These character traits are what lead to her central position in the drama. The story would have played very differently with a Katniss Everdeen or a Tris Prior as the protagonist. The themes. The theme of Testing is continued throughout the series. This is continued in Graduation Day when Cia must test the loyalty of those she wishes to have as allies, and she herself continues to be tested in more ways that one as she seeks to end the horrific University entrance exam. Trust is also a major theme in…
Independent Study is the followup to Charbonneau’s The Testing in which young protagonist Cia Vale survived the gruelling life or death competition to secure a place at her society’s university. The society in which Cia lives is struggling to emerge after many years of devastation, both natural and man made and the graduates of the university are expected to provide leadership to their communities. When we left Cia at the end of The Testing she was just beginning to understand what had happened during The Testing and the depth of her society’s betrayal of its young people. She must decide what to do with that information and whom to trust. I will start by saying that while Independence Day is a good book, I did not enjoy it as much as The Testing. Perhaps that’s not too surprising – the second book in a trilogy (Graduation Day, the third and final book in the series is due out later this summer) is often the most challenging for a writer in terms of keeping narrative tension and the plot moving. What I liked The characters. I continued to be engaged by Cia and her story. I find her a smart, level…
As I am moving onto a month of nightshift work this week, I will be primarily listening to audiobooks. I’ve used Amazon’s Matchmaker page to pair up some of the books in my TBR with Audible books so I might be able to get through some of them. This week has been more of a re-reading week in preparation for some upcoming new releases. The first of these was Sapphire Blue from Kerstin Gier’s Gem Trilogy. [book-info] I have read all three books in the Gem Trilogy, although the third one I read in German some while ago – I shared my thoughts in my Emerald Green review. My German is good, but I’m sure I’ll have missed a few things, so I am looking forward to reading Anthea Bell’s translation which is excellent. Having compared the translations of the two earlier books, she has really captured Gwyneth’s spirit and humour. As it’s been a while, I’m rereading Sapphire Blue to refresh my memory before jumping into Emerald Green. I’d forgotten just how adorable Gwyneth is! Insurgent by Veronica Roth Series: Divergent Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult Format: eBook Pages: 544 pages Buy from Amazon • Kobo • iTunes • Audible • Next…
I received a free review copy of The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau through Netgalley, and here are my thoughts. The Testing tells the story of Cia Vale from a small village struggling to survive in a post apocalyptic future. The government invites Cia to undergo testing for admittance to the University, an opportunity which could change her life and that of her community. It soon becomes apparent that this is not an invitation Cia can refuse, and that she will become involved in a struggle for her very survival. It is very difficult to read this book without comparing it to Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games. Many of the same themes are there: dystopian society struggling after a cataclysmic war; young teens forced by an all-powerful government to compete to the death in a competition for a marvelous prize; heroine torn between two loves; shadowy rebel forces attempting to overthrow the government. What I didn’t like I felt at times this borrowed too heavily from The Hunger Games. The premise is very similar, and many of the same themes are explored. Again, comparing The Testing to The Hunger Games, I felt the setup was lacking somewhat. In The Hunger Games,…
Hello, I’m sorry for the long delay in an entry. It’s been a crazy month or so with a trip to Scotland, a visit to Texas and a current extended stay in a Quebec emergency room with a seriously infected leg. There are a few posts I’m planning to share. One on the The Testing Book One in The Testing Trilogy. by Joelle Charbonneau kindly given to me for review via Netgalley. This is a YA distopian novel and worth picking up. Full review soon. I also plan to write about my experience with Tepp Wireless and as an Anglophone in the Quebec emergency health system Just don’t expect these posts next week, OK! Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.