The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 384

Publisher: Templar Publishing

Released: 1st August 2013 

DO YOU POSSESS A WINNING COMBINATION OF THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICAL SKLLS AND RAW INTELLIGENCE? DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO LEAD OTHERS? ARE YOU WILLING TO CRUSH THOSE WHO STAND IN YOUR WAY?

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

Disclaimer: The United Commonwealth is not responsible for candidates' psychological or physical heath during The Testing. 

What I Have To Say

This is one of my new book crushes. I got it on the recomendation of a friend and I love her for getting me to read it. 

I think the thing I like most about it is the main character, Cia. The best thing about Cia is that she knows herself. She knows her strengths and her weaknesses and she acts according to them. She doesn't angst over what she can't change. And when she shows emotion or worry it isn't overly repeatitive or overdone. I feel that she's much more realistic than a lot of characters that I've found in YA. 

Another thing I like is how practical she is. She knows she can't trust the other students being tested and so she thinks things through and figures out the best options. 

Which is another thing I like. I love books where you don't know who the enemy is. You have no idea who to trust. It gives a lot of chance for me to try and work out who can and can't be trusted. I think I spent most of the book seeing who I thought would betray Cia.

There's also a lot of emphasis on the skills Cia has learnt just from living in her village. I think it's great that that it really shows how much harder it is just living in a place without the comforts that we take for granted (and not just lack of food, which a lot of books seem to fixate on). A lot of things that Cia does to save herself come from experiences she had at home. 

There are just so many things that make this book wonderful. And the twists! So many great twists that are almost completely unexpected (unless of course you spend most of the book trying to guess every way that Cia could be betrayed). 

This is just one of those books where all I can say is trust me. And I hope you take my advice.