Graduation Day

Book 40 of 2015 is Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau.

The third in The Testing trilogy is a good ending book. It still has a Hollywood ending and may become one of those post apocalyptic teeny bopper books but I hope not. There are better Utopian tragedies.

There are some original ideas in this but they are built of memes from better books in this genre.

3 sacrifices of 5.

Should I read this? Read all the other ones first - Hunger Games, Divergent and Maze Runner. This shouldn't be too high in that list. It's an easy read though.

What did I learn? Female heroes need a good support network.

Independent Study: The Testing, Book 2

Book 37 is Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau. This is the second book of The Testing series.

I am enjoying this series but this is a second book. It drags on and tries to pivot on the already complicated plot several times in order to leave the reader unsure of what will happen next. The result of that is frustration. At this point, I am not sure I'll bother finishing the trilogy. That's a first.

2 recovered memories out of 5.


Should I read this? No. This series isn't holding my attention. Only read this if you absolutely loved the first book in the series.

What did I learn? It is time to read more non-fiction.

The Testing

Book 35 of 2015 is The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau.

Another teenager post apocalyptic book. I really have to read what the book is about rather than just picking it up based on its GoodReads raiting.

This wasn't so bad. Better than Maze Runner but too much of a blend of the Hunger Games and and Maze Runner combined.

It gets a little teenage lovely dovey but I did enjoy the graphic brutality that countered it. The female character is the typical naive girl at the start but has a self awareness similar to Katniss in the Hunger Games.

I have started the second book in the series and will most likely complete it. This is a slightly more challenging read than most teeny bopper books because of how descriptive and graphic it is and I enjoy that style of writing when done well. This is executed well. Much better than a lot of books in this genre like Divergent and Maze Runner.

Don't expect this to change your life but it might make a good Hollywood blockbuster.

I will let you know how the second book goes.

3 tests out of 5.

Should I read this? Maybe. It is less predictable than most in this genre and the writing is above average but in the end, how many times can teenagers change the world before we have heard that story before?

What did I learn? I need more adult post apocalyptic utopian fiction.