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tbeaumont223's review
3.0
This was a 3 1/2 star book for me. The Testing has been on my radar for a while, but I never quite worked up to reading it. It received good reviews so I had high hopes for it, but I was a bit disappointed after reading it.
The story itself is intriguing, the characters are likable, and the writing is easy to read. I was able to get drawn into the story and definitely wanted to see it through to the end, but I couldn't help draw similarities between The Testing and The Hunger Games. And honestly, The Hunger Games did it better. Some of the similarities I found were:
~Children chosen to participate in a competition where they are faced with competing against and killing other children
~The competition takes place in a "stadium"--somewhere staged and away from the rest of society
~Within the staged settings, there are strategically placed traps that are deadly
~Male/female characters from the same town team up to defeat the system
~There are mutated animals
~There are "controllers" who listen in and follow the characters during the competitions
~The societies in the books are comprised of a dominant, well to-do capital surrounded by smaller, less evolved towns that report to and serve the capital
Despite all of these similarities, the book was individual enough for me to root for its main characters and want to continue the series. I hope as it continues, the story grows into its own and seeks even more originality. There is promise for the series, and I hope it's able to live up to it.
The story itself is intriguing, the characters are likable, and the writing is easy to read. I was able to get drawn into the story and definitely wanted to see it through to the end, but I couldn't help draw similarities between The Testing and The Hunger Games. And honestly, The Hunger Games did it better. Some of the similarities I found were:
~Children chosen to participate in a competition where they are faced with competing against and killing other children
~The competition takes place in a "stadium"--somewhere staged and away from the rest of society
~Within the staged settings, there are strategically placed traps that are deadly
~Male/female characters from the same town team up to defeat the system
~There are mutated animals
~There are "controllers" who listen in and follow the characters during the competitions
~The societies in the books are comprised of a dominant, well to-do capital surrounded by smaller, less evolved towns that report to and serve the capital
Despite all of these similarities, the book was individual enough for me to root for its main characters and want to continue the series. I hope as it continues, the story grows into its own and seeks even more originality. There is promise for the series, and I hope it's able to live up to it.
julzcash's review
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
jen_jacob's review
5.0
This trilogy blends The Hunger Games and Divergent. Anyone who is a fan of either or both will love this book!
harleyrae's review
4.0
All in all I really enjoyed this book. It was face paced and keep me engaged for most of the book. Sadly I was able to guess many of the twists, expect for one. I enjoyed the characters, but honestly I wasn't really invested in any of them. I wasn't a huge fan of Tomas, he actually kinda rubbed me the wrong way. I do like Will though, even with what he does, I just liked him as a character. I am curious to see how the series comes to a close, so I most likely will be picking up the next too books sometime in the future.
andiemags53's review
3.0
Good, fast read. If you like the Hunger Games, definitely read this. Although Cia is no Katniss, it's still a great book.
chrystalo's review
4.0
This book fucked up my head. I read it really late at night and had horrible nightmares and then read the second book until 4am and it's just really impactful. Worth a read. Very much like the rest of the YA dystopian novels out there, but still has meaning.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
Spannend boek, met interessante plotwendingen, een boeiende en intelligente hoofdpersoon en interessante sociale interacties. Ik ben echt heel benieuwd waar deel 2 en 3 naartoe gaan, dus kom maar op! :D
smallbluemars's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
yara_adorablebooks's review
5.0
WOW, wat een goed boek. Het concept deed me ver weg aan the Hunger Games denken, maar dit boek had veel meer spanning en hield me in de ban van het verhaal. Heerlijk. Ben meteen in deel 2 begonnen. Aanrader!