“Examination day.”

From Joelle Charbonneau’s The Testing: Independent Study.

When she turned sixteen, Cia was tested and selected to take part in the rigorous Testing program where teens from all over the war-torn nation are brought together for all kinds of tests that allow the best and brightest students the chance to then attend university.  While the country holds The Testing in high regard, Cia was warned by her father as she left home to trust no one… advice which helped her survive the violent and deadly Testing.  After passing The Testing, Cia’s memories of the entire process were wiped and she was moved to the Tuso City University to continue her education.  Along with her at the university is Tomas, her childhood friend and current love interest; her educational work is difficult, but manageable and things seem to be going well for Cia.    However, she senses that something is not right as Cia remembers fragments of her time in The Testing.  Desperate to make sense of her violent and terrifying memories, Cia seeks to find out the truth from those both around and above her at University, but the more she seeks the truth, the more danger in which she finds herself.  While the rebel movement keeps reaching out to Cia, she must decide if she is going search for the truth and risk everything or if she is going to leave the past behind and move forward with the government’s plan for her.

The second book in this dystopian young adult trilogy is mysterious, heartbreaking, and thrilling, creating a book that draws the reader into the page-turning thriller.  Charbonneau does well to create a world that is unique, but similar enough to the reader’s world to be chillingly familiar.  Independent Study is a page-turning read that easily draws readers into the story.