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A review by halthemonarch
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
2.0
Why do I do this to myself. Why did I go on to reading the second book.
Sometimes after I finished a really stunning book and I’m still shocked that it’s over, I like to go into the “available now” tab on my reading app and pick any ol’ book I can find. I found this.
SPOILERS, and it’s quick fire because I feel bad for finishing it just to expand on why I disliked it;
I read the first two books back to back earlier this year and they weren’t memorable. I started a drinking game to take a sip whenever Cia said or introspected the phrase “my fellow students”, but the repetition of that alone was getting too ridiculous. Cia just keeps observing very clearly defined black and white situations, correctly determining them as Wrong and Unjust and getting gaslit by every adult she talks to. Not to mention she and her almost-as-perfect boyfriend have no chemistry. Most of the novels are Cia pointing out bad things that are happening and vowing to stop and/or find a way to remember or honor them, and camping. The tests are outdoor week long obstacle courses back to civilization and she’s like “why do they let [the guy in charge] have such secretive and absolute free reign over the way the survival of the human race is determined? its a mystery. better get through this endless night of camping, I’m going to talk about biking for two pages.”
as a gemini i like to complain about things. this was so averse to my taste that i must have enjoyed it on some level. i read both books in a week.
Sometimes after I finished a really stunning book and I’m still shocked that it’s over, I like to go into the “available now” tab on my reading app and pick any ol’ book I can find. I found this.
SPOILERS, and it’s quick fire because I feel bad for finishing it just to expand on why I disliked it;
I read the first two books back to back earlier this year and they weren’t memorable. I started a drinking game to take a sip whenever Cia said or introspected the phrase “my fellow students”, but the repetition of that alone was getting too ridiculous. Cia just keeps observing very clearly defined black and white situations, correctly determining them as Wrong and Unjust and getting gaslit by every adult she talks to. Not to mention she and her almost-as-perfect boyfriend have no chemistry. Most of the novels are Cia pointing out bad things that are happening and vowing to stop and/or find a way to remember or honor them, and camping. The tests are outdoor week long obstacle courses back to civilization and she’s like “why do they let [the guy in charge] have such secretive and absolute free reign over the way the survival of the human race is determined? its a mystery. better get through this endless night of camping, I’m going to talk about biking for two pages.”
as a gemini i like to complain about things. this was so averse to my taste that i must have enjoyed it on some level. i read both books in a week.