Joelle Charbonneau

In the scarred and war-battered United Commonwealth, ten-year-old Cia Vale watches her older brother Zeen dream about being chosen for The Testing. He’s graduated at the top of his class, and being chosen, like his father was before him, means a chance to attend The University and help lead the effort to revitalize postwar civilization. Cia is conflicted—she hopes Zeen is chosen, but dreads him leaving home. She also realizes that one day she too must set her mind on being chosen. But does she realize the deadly path she will have to take? THE TESTING GUIDE is the short story prequel to The Testing, the first novel in the stunning and epic Testing trilogy.

The Testing Guide

Sixteen-year-old Malencia (Cia) Vale is chosen to participate in the Testing to attend the University; however, Cia is fearful when she figures out, her friends who do not pass the Testing disappear.

The testing

Melissa Palmer

Book #119 Read in 2014
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau (YA)

This is the first book in a young adult dystopian trilogy. Similar to the Hunger Games, there is a completion or a "testing" of young people selected from each colony. Those people are tested on a variety of elements and the failing of such tests can have dire, even deadly, results. Cia is one of the forerunners of the testing. Will she be able to retain herself and her humanity and survive the selection process?

The book was engaging and kept my interest. Cia was a brave and intelligent main character. The plot had good twists and turns and the story had a complex set of secondary characters. I will read the other two books in the series.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

Hannah Yang

Wow, I finally read a book. That felt gooood. Maybe I just really like this book because I haven't read an actual book in forever, but The Testing was, quite simply, a good book.

Before I dive into the review, I'd like to address the popular complaint that The Testing (and most dystopian YA in general) is similar to The Hunger Games. I disagree. Before you all come at me with pitchforks, hear me out. While THG and Divergent were great books that deserve their hype, each dystopian book I've read has something new. Even though at some points The Testing read a little too similarly to THG, it had new ideas and brought in a whole new set of characters. 

And really, how many truly original books come out nowadays anyways? Dystopias are all the rage, and unfortunately, they're all pretty similar. Post-apocalypse, fight to the death, romance, weird / totalitarian government.. that's your basic YA dystopian novel recipe. 

But, to give you the encouragement you should get to read The Testing:

Characters
I loved the characters. I liked how every character that came had a personality, no matter how long or short we saw them appear in the book. Every single one had a noticeable, different character. 

Introducing Malencia "Cia" Vale. Cia is the protagonist and narrator, and she was caring, but intelligent. One of the things I liked about The Testing was that it didn't have to be a fight to the death. Cia was one of the people who was smart enough to survive, but kind enough to help others reach the finish line as well. She pieced things together very quickly due to her observational skills, but was still able to miss some of the important things (in other words: capable of making mistakes). Charbonneau's writing style was great so I really enjoyed reading her thoughts and emotional conflicts. Basically, a great protagonist that I warmed up to quickly.

Tomas Endress is Cia's fellow Testing candidate, and in the end, love interest (duh). Tomas was quiet, sometimes reserved, also intelligent, and seemed to genuinely care about Cia. It's weird cause at first I always thought he was going to stab her in the back later (perhaps literally), but of course, he didn't because they loveee each other. I'm not sure whether to giggle in anticipation of the romance to come or sigh in disappointment.

Will was another great character, and another fellow Testing candidate. I felt so terrible for Will when his twin, Gill, wasn't coming back, because they had never been apart for so long. Gill was his other half. However, his eventual (view spoiler)[betrayal to Cia and Tomas (hide spoiler)] kept me from pitying him too much. I think that this character was important to have, though, because it seemed to me that he was trying to prove that even after his loss and sorrow, he could still emerge as a victor. Still, pretty lame of him.

Other supporting characters such as Zandri and Malachi weren't mentioned as much, but I was still able to feel their presence. Although Zandri didn't get much screen time, I am curious about her death (view spoiler)[and even more curious about if Tomas was her killer or not. (hide spoiler)] Malachi's death was awful. I absolutely despised it. I knew we were going to see some cruelty and human indecency, but really? Just stand there while this guy is bleeding to death? Why? Killing off the brightest and best of your nation is not very wise, United Commonwealth. 

The other contestants had their own stories and personalities. I never really trusted Ryme due to her sweetly cocky attitude, but I am still sad that we didn't get to see her in battle due to her early death. Also, I really liked Annalise while she was alive, and I think that if she survived Roman's trick she would have been a strong, loyal friend. I like how Annalise decided that the Five Lakes colony wasn't dumb, and she didn't judge them before she got to know them.

The Actual Testing
Again: the best part about The Testing for me was that it wasn't necessarily a fight to the death. "It is designed to reward both warriors and peacemakers," says the blurb, and that is true. You don't have to be a killer to survive the Testing.

The Testing had suspense and the different tests did keep me on an edge. While some complain that the tests were predictable, there were certainly some parts where I was genuinely concerned about Cia. I enjoyed reading from her perspective, because I was able to see how her mind began to work out strategies and figure things out logically. I was able to discover things such as hidden cameras and betrayals along with Cia, which added more thrill than if I figured things out beforehand.

Romance
Let us all be excited. No love triangle! Unless you include Will, which I don't. Love triangles have the potential to be good, but most of the time, I end up wanting to stab somebody. Usually all three involved in the triangle. While I agree that Tomas and Cia had no chemistry (sort of) and they didn't have any background or super obvious reasons to fall for each other, they did. And they are adorable together.


  Stacia rolls her eyes as Tomas kisses my cheek and entwines his fingers with mine. "I was starting to get worried about you. The test starts in ten minutes." 

Like oh my goodness I could totally picture that and my girly girl side is squealing my ears off.

Overall
Anyways, The Testing was basically your typical dystopian novel, but it was really good. It's definitely similar to The Hunger Games, but its almost like exploring it with new plot points and characters to get to know. In all honestly, I liked Cia and Tomas more than Katniss and Peeta. I liked the idea of The Testing more in general, and would definitely recommend it without hesitation. But that's just me!

Lacy W

This was definitely very Hunger Games-esque but it had its own unique twist to it. It was almost more sinister because you knew as much as Cia when it came to the Testing. And I find that lack of knowledge really terrifying. At least with the Hunger Games, everyone knew it was children killing children and they all knew why it was happening. 

Speaking of Cia, I found that I liked her. She wasn't bratty (well not as bratty as some 16 (sixteen) year olds) and she questioned authority when appropriate but also knew when to keep her mouth shut. Too often, I find that the Chosen Ones, for lack of better words, think they are so high and mighty. They think they can do better than anyone and not have to listen. Not Cia. She listened and observed and trusted her gut. She knew when to keep her anger in check and I found her to be incredibly smart. Also, I liked that she was into mechanics and building things. That is a nice nod to STEM.

What kept me from giving this book a full 5 (five) stars was that there wasn't a lot of history given for how the United Commonwealth came to be. There were so many opportunities to slip in information here and there, but it wasn't fully utilized. Maybe Cia didn't know that much of the history. All we really got was information about how some wars started in different parts of the United States but that was really it. Hopefully in the next book, we'll get more information. Because the United Commonwealth sounds awful and I want to know more!

Overall, this was a solid start to a dystopia series. With the way it ended, I hope things won't be repetitive in the second book. There is opportunity there and I hope Joelle Charbonneau treads on that area carefully. Otherwise, I'm really excited to keep going.

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.

The Testing

henrique

This is a great, compelling book, with a thrilling storyline.

The characters (Specifically the main character and a few others) all seem to have something special about them that just draws you in almost as if you were hearing form a friend in the form of high grade literature.

There were several unexpected events that let the storing interesting, and the way the story is told is somewhat cinematic.
All in all this is an excellent read which I definitely recommend to anyone who is looking for a great book with likeable characters and a great storyline.

Enjoyable and interesting! My friend recommended it to me because I love Hunger Games and I can see the comparison but what I liked about this book was not the Hunger Games-esque parallel that happens later in the book but the TEST QUESTIONS. I couldn't shut up about how fun it was to read the test questions and figure out the loopholes and riddles that went with them.

I didn't love a lot of the characters and really had a hard time keeping track of names because some of them didn't seem too important to me. (Which made it hard for me to give the drama updates that I so love giving).

I would have given it 3 stars for being good but not awesome-blowing-me-away. The +.5 comes from how fun the questions were to think about.

Reagan

Enjoyable and interesting! My friend recommended it to me because I love Hunger Games and I can see the comparison but what I liked about this book was not the Hunger Games-esque parallel that happens later in the book but the TEST QUESTIONS. I couldn't shut up about how fun it was to read the test questions and figure out the loopholes and riddles that went with them.

I didn't love a lot of the characters and really had a hard time keeping track of names because some of them didn't seem too important to me. (Which made it hard for me to give the drama updates that I so love giving).

I would have given it 3 stars for being good but not awesome-blowing-me-away. The +.5 comes from how fun the questions were to think about.

Julia Lotz

Ein wundervoller und absolut überzeugender Auftakt.

Inhalt: Cia Vale ist stolz, eine der wenigen Kandidatinnen für die alljährliche »Auslese« zu sein, bei der die zukünftigen Führer des Commonwealth ermittelt werden. Doch am Vorabend ihrer Abreise bekommt sie von ihrem Vater einen beunruhigenden Rat: Vertraue niemandem! Gilt diese Warnung auch für ihren Kindheitsfreund Tomas, der verspricht, Cia immer beizustehen? Tomas, der mit jedem weiteren Todesopfer, das die gnadenlose Auslese fordert, mehr um sie besorgt zu sein scheint? Wenn Cia überleben will, muss sie sich entscheiden: für ein Leben ohne Vertrauen oder für eine Liebe, die sie das Leben kosten kann … (Quelle: Verlag)
Meine Meinung: Diese Reihe wurde in den höchsten Tönen gelobt und mit Panem verglichen und ich als voll und ganzer Panem-Fan bin Ewigkeiten um die Reihe herumgeschlichen und hatte irgendwie ein bisschen Angst, sie zu beginnen, enttäuscht zu werden. Dann habe ich aber doch meinen ganzen Mut zusammengenommen und wurde nicht enttäuscht! 
Anfangs ging die Story ein bisschen schleppend los. Nachdem ich den Trailer gesehen habe, und das solltet ihr unbedingt tun, wenn ihr euch für das Buch interessiert (ich habe ihn unten angehängt), wollte ich Cia natürlich sofort bei der Auslese sehen und mehr von den spannenden und gefährlichsten Tests erfahren, die sie bewältigen muss. Allerdings handelt der Anfang noch ziemlich lange von Cias Leben in ihrer Kolonie, was ich aber auch nicht schlimm finde. So hat man einen wunderbaren Einblick in die Welt bekommen und wusste, was alles passiert ist und wie diese dystopische Welt entstanden ist. Dann geht es jedoch richtig los und seit Cias Ankunft in der Stadt wollte ich gar nicht mehr aufhören zu lesen.
Vier Prüfungen muss Cia bestehen und von Prüfung zu Prüfung wird es schwerer und gefährlicher. Ihr Vater hat Cia eingetrichtert keinem zu vertrauen und die Autorin setzt diese Maxime und das damit verbundene Gefühl gerade während dieser Phase sehr gekonnt um. Cia war dabei für mich eine unglaublich tolle Protagonistin. Wo es ihr an Stärke fehlt, macht sie es mit Klugheit und Bedacht wett und wird so stärker als viele andere es sind. Da Cia einzig zu Tomas Vertrauen gefasst hat, ist er mir auch sofort unglaublich sympathisch geworden. Die anderen Charaktere, und genau das hat Joelle Charbonneau sehr gut gemeistert, habe ich jedoch das ganze Buch über mit einem sehr kritischen Auge betrachtet und das wird sich wohl auch in Teil 2 nicht ändern.
Nach den ersten drei Prüfungen, die meiner Meinung nach schon anstrengend und gefährlich genug waren, steht den Kandidaten, zumindest denen, die noch übrig sind, die letzte Prüfung bevor. Und da wusste ich endlich, warum dieses Buch viele mit den Hunger Games vergleichen. Die Kandidaten werden in einem abgegrenzten Gebiet abgesetzt und müssen ihren Weg zur Stadt alleine bewältigen, um diese Prüfung zu bestehen. Zwar müssen nicht, wie in den Tributen von Panem, alle anderen Gegner ausgeschaltet werden, allerdings schadet es ja nicht ein paar Gegner weniger zu haben, wenn am Ende der Prüfung über die zukünftigen Studenten entschieden wird oder? Spätestens ab diesem Teil hatte mich dieses Buch voll und ganz im Griff und es hat sich Stück für Stück einen riesengroßen Platz in meinem Herzen erschaffen. Denn genauso wie bei den Tributen gibt es hier eine einzigartige Mischung von Aktion, Gefühl und einer starken Protagonistin mit viel Moral und einer nachdenklichen Ader.
Ob Cia die Auswahl besteht und was sie alles erleben muss werde ich euch natürlich nicht verraten. ;) Ich kann euch das Buch jedoch wärmstens ans Herz legen, denn ich habe nicht den kleinsten Kritikpunkt gefunden. 
Bewertung: Die Auswahl: Nur die Besten überleben hat für mich alles, was ein gutes Buch haben muss. Ich wollte meine Augen nicht mehr vom Papier lösen und konnte während des Lesens nicht den kleinsten Kritikpunkt finden. Deshalb hat es sich 5 von 5 Füchschen verdient und bekommt obendrauf noch das Lieblingslesefüchschen verpasst.

Chloe Verhoeve

3.5/5 stars 

“The best leaders make mistakes and then learn from them. The best leaders never make the same mistakes again. The only way you can learn is if you understand the mistakes that were made.” 

To be honest I only picked this book up because I was bored hehe. I was expecting a stereotypical dystopian novel, but I really enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong, it still is like the Hunger Games and Divergent, but I haven't read dystopia in a while and I forgot how I loved that genre!

We follow Malencia (Cia) Vale as she is one of the few people who were chosen to make the Test. ( I read this in Dutch, so I have no idea if I use the correct terms that were used in the book!)

What I enjoyed most in this novel, was the world. I liked it when they talked about the many different colonies and what they kind of work they do their!

I enjoyed this one enough to continue on with the series!

Drew Dost

I genuinely enjoyed reading the book but the whole concept and plot are so similar to the Hunger Games and Divergent that it feels unoriginal. 
Overall though, the writing is good and vivid. It’s an interesting book and definitely tough to put down. I really appreciate the world-building and character development. Some of the scenes are a bit gory and overly descriptive for my liking, for things like wounds and dead bodies, but it still adds to the book enough to warrant having it included

Ellie

Let me start this by saying no, I don't think this is the most original, groundbreaking book ever, but that doesn't mean I didnt absolutely love it. I think the reason for my love of this book over so many others, is that Cia wasn't your typical, oblivious female MC. I've read so many books where the female main characters were all either angsty and quirky and different or the most stupid, not-a-clue-in-the-world, girl you've ever read about. Cia had a brain and she used it, she had a love interest and thought about him pretty frequently while also being concerned with other problems in her world. I love this book but if you don't, I won't argue.

Kelsey Lynn

YA books are my guilty pleasure, probably because i'm a sucker for post apocalypse and dystopian stories, and tht'a kibd of their jam right now.

However i'm starting to worry i've read too many, and the authora are gettibg less and less original.
This book was part hunger games, divergent and lots of Scorch trials. Painfully so, to the point it felt like they were just being ripped off. I'm all for authora exploring similar subject manners but this felt more like the author read these books nd was like 'i an do these stories better' abd took everything they liked and mushed it together and expanded it. 

That being said I did enjoy the characters more and some of the twists genuinly caught me off guard. The author has technical writing skill and the unique parts explored were decently done. I just wish the book wasn't so obviously influenced by previously successful books in the genre. If the author had focused on a unique story rather than following the YA formula to a T, i truly believe she would be capable of writing a very good book.

small town girl and neighbor boy + post apocalyptic future+ bwing selected to participate in something for the greater good+goverment being questionable+ questioning everything + mystery rebel group+ open ending implying learning truths and having to fight the goverment+trilogy=$$$

Nicole Dykeman

I would give this 10/5 stars if I could. I loved this soooooo much!!!! MUST READ for Hunger Games fans. I'm totally in love and I'm itching to get my hands on the next book. This really was incredible. Not a dull moment through the whole book.

Every year, the United Commonwealth invites top graduates from each colony to participate in the testing. Successful candidates will go to the University and help the government work to rebuild our war-stricken world. This process in not optional.

Amanda

mevi

3.5 stars

16-year-old Cia is a regular girl in a small town called the Five Lakes Colony. Located near what used to be called the Great Lakes in the United States, the land is infertile for the most part. In this typical dystopian setting, she graduates early in school and gets selected to be a part of The Testing where she can enroll in University if she succeeds (graduating from University is essential and the only way to climb the financial ladder).

If you like Hunger Games, you'll like this book. Full of tests that are deadly, deceit, and figuring out who you can trust. It was an easy read, and there are a few things that I wish they touched on but it was nice to fly through the pages since it was jam-packed.

Beckah brooks

I loved this book! It was the perfect book to pull me out of a reading slump! There was danger, post apocalyptic land, high stakes, romance, coming of age, and so much more. 
I really love Cia and I can’t wait to keep reading the series!!

Stephanie Pilar

I was literally blown away by this book. As far as dystopia goes, this story was refreshing and new. It is a bit reminiscent of The Hunger Games, but the story line is different and i finished the book in one day. I am definitely eager to read the second book in this series. The style of narration was really effective in conveying the emotion of the main character Cia without being overly biased regarding her feelings toward the other characters. I was able to really enjoy the story and draw conclusions about the characters for myself without any overwhelming commentary from the main character. The style is a lot like James Dashner, which I really enjoyed. I would definitely recommend this book!

Maggie El Lethy

Good book! Can't wait to meet author in april

Julia Seiser

IT was alright. It was a good book to read when you had nothing else to do. It was a one time read.

Meredith kirby

First off just because I gave The Testing three stars doesn't mean I didn't like it because to some extent I did. My problem with this book was I felt like I was re-reading other books while reading this one. The best way I can describe it is a combination of The Hunger Games and Divergent. 

Having said all that and thinking about my overall thoughts and feelings on The Testing I can said it was a decent enough book and i'll most likely continue with the series. Doubt i'll be running out to get my hands on Independent Study, but i'll read it non-the less.

Sixteen-year-old Malencia (Cia) Vale is chosen to participate in The Testing to attend the University; however, Cia is fearful when she figures out her friends who do not pass The Testing are disappearing.

Laura Yaneth Martinez

this was a throwback read for me. brought me back to my thirteen-year-old self who loved the hunger games, divergent, the barcode tattoo, the program, matched, delirium, the registry, perfected, the selection, flawed, and all the other dystopians that consumed my thoughts. the writing was very simple straightforward. there was nothing too special about the book (3.6 stars) it was just so enjoyable to feel transported to my younger self. The plot was also quite distinct in the fact that there wasn't much drama, the entire dystopian read more like a thriller and it was very chilling because the entire time, even at the end the reader is left in the dark about why it is that the society is laid out the way that it is. the characters weren't memorable or special either, the names were unique, but weirdly enough you never were given too many details about them to grow attached. everything just felt alienated and untrostworthy. i probably will be picking up the next two books to finish the series, the author got my interest

Cindy Lee

More of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.

The Testing sounded like the Hunger Games when I read the synopsis. I think the two are similar on some parts but I wouldn't compare them because they are two really different books as well.

I never ran into any problems with The Testing. It was a smooth ride for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The plot was never slow. Even in the testing stages that isn't about killing each other, I was still enjoying the book a lot. There was just A LOT that was holding my attention and I couldn't stop reading it (partly because of the romance and partly because of all the action).

And UGH.. speaking about romance. This one is so cute; my heart cannot take it! I love Tomas :3 He's such a cutie and he likes her so much that she didn't even notice when he made moves on her when they were kids (and she likes Tomas too so I don't know how that could've happened). IT'S LOVE.. one of those cutesy loves that make my heart flutter and cry out for their adorable-ness.

The four stages of the Testing were all very captivating. Cia definitely made some allies, friends and enemies along the way but she kept going on strong. I really admired her courage and how she never crumbled no matter how traumatic things became. 

Overall, the Testing is an amazing book. Its likeness to the Hunger Games isn't why I liked it. I loved it for all its characters and how everything turned out. (Don't even compare it to the Hunger Games!) This book is a whole thing by itself, and damn, I can't wait for Independant Study!

Rating: B

Once you get past the first, say, 70 pages (?), it really kicks off and gets interesting. I loved it and cannot wait to read the sequel.

Manon van Keulen

Great book :) Slow start, but not to slow and when things did start to happening it was almost impossible to lay the book aside.

Rose King

This book kept me on the edge of my seat.

Jessica Nottingham

Sadly, I had to give up on this book after about half. I've seen amazing reviews of The Testing, which is mainly why I wanted to read it, but it just wasn't for me.

I'll admit that it had tons of action. The tests that these characters handle are fairly amazing. There just wasn't enough emotion here for me. I didn't care about the characters and so this book was just too mundane for me to finish.

I still recommend this to readers who like The Hunger Games, as it's very similar.

The Testing Guide

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