Independent Study (The Testing Series Book 2) by Joelle Charbonneau
Publisher/Year: HMH Books for Young Readers | January 7, 2014
Pages: 320
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Format: E-Book
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Shannan’s Summary
Independent Study is the second book of The Testing Trilogy. This story picks up a couple months after Cia discovers the message she left herself describing everything that happened in The Testing. She’s done her early studies and is now testing to be placed in one of the tracks that will determine her future career. Cia has discovered her recording describing everything that happened during the testing, but doesn’t know whether to believe it or not and Tomas seems to not remember anything either. But all those questions are put on the back burner as Cia and Tomas enter initiation week for their respective fields. It quickly becomes apparent that the testing isn’t over, but rather still continuing, as Cia trys yet again to decide who she can trust.
Summary (From Goodreads)
In the series debut The Testing, sixteen-year-old Cia Vale was chosen by the United Commonwealth government as one of the best and brightest graduates of all the colonies . . . a promising leader in the effort to revitalize postwar civilization. In Independent Study, Cia is a freshman at the University in Tosu City with her hometown sweetheart, Tomas—and though the government has tried to erase her memory of the brutal horrors of The Testing, Cia remembers. Her attempts to expose the ugly truth behind the government’s murderous programs put her—and her loved ones—in a world of danger. But the future of the Commonwealth depends on her.
First off…
I read through this series so quick I had to go back to see where this book began and ended. I thought about switching gears after finishing the first one because this series can be intense at times, but I wound up coming back to this book and didn’t stop till I finished the series.
Thoughts:
Even though I read the testing and knew everything that happened, Charbonneau does a great job of making you feel just as confused as Cia as she tries to decide whether to trust her own voice and everything it said. There were times I was even questioning if The Testing was real or as bad as it seemed. Then there’s the added question of whether Tomas was able to retain his memories, topped off with the fact the tests and secrets aren’t over but just beginning, all of this makes me want to add conspiracy thriller to the genre. All through this book I kept trying to figure out who to trust and who would betray, and I can’t even remember if I was right or not, I changed my opinion so many times. There were a lot of great suspense moments where I found myself holding my breath to find out what happened, which I won’t spoil for you here. I love that there is a clear understanding of how the world got to where it is in the book. You have a lot of questions answered that some Dystopians don’t address, and it makes it even more freakish because it’s a future that could be possible.
I loved the character of Cia. I loved how strong but vulnerable she is and that there is little self pity throughout the series. She knows there will be a time to breakdown, but doing that in the middle of trying to figure out what is going on will only hurt her. She’s smart and caring and the kind of person I hope I would be if I was forced into this kind of situation. I like the way Her and Tomas’ relationship develop and how at the end of the day, even when everything says you shouldn’t trust, sometimes you have to take a blind leap of faith.
Feels:
I was stressed out through this book. I just really remember trying to read as quick as I could to find out what was going on. I also felt paranoid trying to figure out what was going on and what was going to happen. I suspect everyone of being double and triple agents at some point. I think there was even a moment where I was wondering if Cia was going to be a good character at the end of the series or not, which doesn’t really get answered in this book. I questioned everyone’s loyalty and quickly knew I would never have survived in this world. Of course I probably wouldn’t have been chosen for The Testing in the first place, but that’s fine by me.
10 Second Summary:
- Be prepared for the cliffhanger: If you’re going to buy this one, go ahead and buy the third one too, you’ll want to jump straight into it.
- This story is full of strong intelligent characters: Unfortunately some have to make hard decisions that aren’t always black and white.
- You may feel a little paranoid: I kept changing my mind on who I could and couldn’t trust through this book, and my opinion didn’t always line up with Cia, but it was constantly changing. Eventually I just gave up guessing and read faster.
Check the Shelves: These will be a hardback purchase for me. I”m glad I borrowed the e-books so I don’t have to upgrade from paperback.