Independent Study (The Testing #2) REVIEW

I have to be honest, at least at this point in the series; this is better than Divergent and on par to be better than the Hunger Games. I talk about this novel all the time, I think about the kind of world Cia Vale lives in, and how I would deal with that sort of life. I love every situation and character plot of this series, and this sequel didn’t let me down. Independent Study is one of the greatest post apocalyptic novels I have read in a very long time.

Cia Vale survived the Testing, passed with flying colours and is now at University in Tosu City. Everything should be great, her boyfriend loves her, she gets a great internship in government with the President, a house that thinks she intelligent, everything should be perfect. But it isn’t. Cia heard the tape of herself after the Testing, she knows what she did, and what they did to her. The government is the enemy, at least some of them are. And her boyfriend might be an enemy too. Cia knows what Thomas did in the games, the lies he told and the lives he took.

Cia wants to bring down the organization that allows for the testing, but even the people she thinks she can trust she finds she is wrong about. Hidden letters, secret meetings, and more murders than even the Testing saw. Cia realizes that she might actually be alone in this, with no allies or friends who wont give her up for an advancement in University or placement in the government’s inner circle. Loyalty, friends and even family are all a changing game as far as Cia can tell, but what she witnesses at the end will forever change the final installment of this series.

I literally have a countdown on my phone for when the final book comes out. I gave this series to multiple people for Christmas, and received text messages from all of them saying they loved it (the girl I babysat as a child called to tell me she likes it more than Hunger Games).  It holds up to the first novel, and exceeds all expectations.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

            When great series go bad, that is the only way to describe Allegiants by Veronica Roth. I knew

that I wasn’t going to like a lot of it, the end was spoiled for me thanks to some inconsiderate people on Tumblr the day after it was released, but I had hoped that the rest of the novel would make up for it. It didn’t, not even a little bit.

            The novel picks up a few days after Insurgent left off, Tris is in prison for siding with the factions against Evelyn and the rest of the Rebels. Luckily for her, Four has his mother’s ear and is able to get Tris released without an execution. But they don’t want to stay in the city, now that they have heard the message from outside the walls Tris wants to complete the mission the founders of the city started, and she isn’t the only one.

            Two group in the city have risen up against Evelyn, Tris’ group that wants to leave, and the Allegiant, those that wish to return the city to the factions and their previous way of life. Together both groups work together to get Tris, Four and a group of others out of the city. In a last minute effort, Four even rescues Tris’ brother from public execution and takes Caleb out of the city with them.

            The book didn’t start of strong, and once they get out of the city the entire think goes down faster than an inexperienced skier on a double black diamond. Turns out that there are cities all over the world just like there’s, being watched and monitored by government agencies. Even during riots and killings, the government just watched and waited seeing what the people in their walled cities would do.

            Different plans are made, both from the government and rebels within the agency, those still in the city, and those that escaped the city; and not all of them are on the same page. Betrayal and murder runs through the government, as well as those once considered friends who left the city.

            I don’t want to betray the ending of the book, on the off chance someone has yet to read it and have it spoiled by Tumblr or Pintrest, but it was lame. The entire book was boring and ill written. The characters that we have grown to love over the first two books regressed to points even before Divergent began. Everyone is selfish and lying, the entire book I just wanted to yell at the characters for every single decision that they made. Not a single choice Tris, Four, or any of the city members made was in line with who they were in the first books.

            I hated ever word that I read in this novel, and was so glad when it was over. I know that some people thought that the ending was beautiful and heroic, but Tris’ decisions during the book did not logically lead up to it. Roth spent the first two books writing and explaining and intricate world, and then just threw it all away, nothing made sense, and it felt like she was just hurrying explanations along or giving subpar answers to get to the next horribly written chapter. I would recommend people NOT read this book, I wish I had just stopped at the second book, because that slight cliffhanger was a better ending than the actual one.

Control (Book One) by Lydia Kand

Zel was used to moving around. For over a decade her father had been moving the family every

ten months, new cities, new friends, that is if Zel ever made any friends. She was smart like her dad, but her sister had inherited all the looks and social graces. Usually when they move they have a few weeks to prepare, Zel can wrap up her biology experiments and Dyl can break up with whatever string of guys had attached themselves to her. This time, they had a day, less than to pack up and leave.

            Within moments of hitting the road, their vehicle is hit, killing Zel’s father on impact. To make matters worse, Dyl is kidnapped by a group Zel can only describe as mutants. Zel lost and alone is taken into a foster home. A foster home dedicated to fighting those who took Dyl. Both sides are interested in human, genetic mutation and focusing on how if can improve or hurt the world.

            There are secrets in the organizations, things are not black and white, and Zel’s family plays a bigger role than she ever thought possible.

            I really enjoyed this novel, I thought that is was an amazing blend of future America, with tons of science in it. The novel focused a great deal of the science of genes and biology, but I never felt that things were over my head. The author did a great job of simplifying concepts that can be difficult to understand. The pace of the book moved well (although it got a little bit slow in the middle).  I would recommend this novel to people who like a little bit more science in the fiction, fans of Uglies, Divergent, All Our Yesterdays, or any dystopian novel series that doesn’t have to do with the apocalypse.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

            If The Hunger Games and Divergent had a baby it would be this novel. The Testing is a rare blend of action, intrigue and thought provoking drama that made it almost impossible to put down until I was finished. I thought that the development of Cia Vale over the course of the book was perfect, at her core she never shifted from her ideals and morals, but she grew as different obstacles were encountered. Dystopian YA has become the new “it” genre thanks in large part to novels like The Hunger Games, and while everything nowadays is being touted as the new Hunger Games, this novel is actually one of the few that I think can make the cut. Its well written and I can’t wait until the next book comes out, in fact I have already preordered it.

            The future has claimed much of the Earth, they call it the Seven Stages War. While man was responsible for the first few stages (nuclear bombs, wars and the such), the last few stages were Earth’s retaliation. Tidal Waves, radiation, new animals, and dry spells have devastated the landscape. What is left of humanity has divided itself into colonies. There are many, and all with varying degrees of populations and abilities, located where Earth has been least damaged.

            Cia Vale lives in the Five Lakes region, an area that was once the Great Lakes (although through drought and radiation not much is left). Cia works alongside her father trying to regrow crops in the contaminated soil that can be eaten. Cia’s father was one of the lucky few in his youth. He was chosen to participate in the Testing. After the Seven Stages War, an elite group was set up to help lead the land. This elite group is chosen from the smartest and most potential students from each colony after they complete their education between the ages of 16-18.

            Not much is known about the testing, other than after testing and qualification into University people are placed where their talents can best be used, and that is never in their original colony. The Five Lakes hasn’t had a candidate in over ten years, but Cia’s year four people were chosen to go through the testing. The night before they leave, Cia’s father takes her aside to tell her that the testing isn’t all its cracked up to be. She learns that after the testing her father’s memory was whipped clean, all he knows are his nightmares. Nightmares of his friends dying horrible deaths in the testing, dreams of starvation and injury, and always the feeling of emptiness and horror whenever he thinks about the testing whipped from his memory. The last thing he tells Cia is not to trust anyone, not the testers or the other candidates, not even her friends from Five Lakes heading to the testing with her.

            Cia is not one to distrust where she feels it isn’t deserved. She looks out for her friends, especially Thomas who she’s been friends with and had a crush on since childhood. Its more than that though, Cia sees others scared and alone, and invites them to sit with her. During testing she goes out of the way to look out for her friends, and keep them out of trouble and in the testing, even when it is risky for herself. But Cia has noticed some strange things about the testing facility. Camera’s have been hidden everywhere, not just in the halls and testing rooms, but in the candidate’s bedrooms, gardens, and relaxation areas.

            Some students take the testing seriously; Cia’s father was right to warn her about trusting people. Cia’s roommate poisoned cakes and then offered them to Cia and her friends, hoping to get rid of them. During one of the group tests, one of Cia’s members lied and caused some of the team to be killed. Cia knew something was wrong during that test and tried to warn the other members, managing to save one. Throughout the testing people keep dying, committing suicide and just fail out.

            Cia has watched her friends die, be tortured, and scared. But because they have been looking out for each other, more than half have survived to the final test. Dropped in the middle of a red zone, days and days away from the testing facility, the remaining candidates have to use their skills and knowledge to get through the radiation areas, contaminated water and crops, deal with the mutations of people and animals torn apart during the Seven Stage War. Not to mention some of the other candidates who believe that killing each other is the best way to win and prove themselves during the last test. This last test is not just about making it to University, but will put a strain on the friendships that Cia has formed.

            This book was just amazing, and the ending I did not see coming. It was an ending that made total sense, but not one that I could have predicted. The action lasted throughout the entire book, with no lag or boring sections. I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes Hunger Games, Divergent, Delirium, The Program, young adult novels, dystopian books, or novels by Eve Silver and Cristin Terrill.

The Transfer: a Divergent story

I love how novellas have taken off recently. While they are expensive (I mean .99-2.06 for something that is less than 70 pages), they do help tide me over while the novels are being written. It also gives another part of the story, another perspective. The Transfer tells the story of how Tobias became Four. It starts during his testing, testing that his father trained him for to make sure that he ended up in Abnegation. But Tobias hates it there. He hates how cut off he is from the rest of the faction, hates the way his father beats him, hates everything about his simple life. During the choosing ceremony, he chooses Dauntless. He does through the train indication and the fear exercise. This we know about from the first Divergent novel, but here we see his four fears through his eyes, and how the nickname first came to be.
Yes, this novella is really expensive, and I would probably recommend that you find someone who already downloaded it to read, but it is worth reading.