Review: Graduation Day by: Joelle Charbonneau

Graduation Day (The Testing #3) by: Joelle Charbonneau (June 2014)

304 pages

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Source: The library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: In a scarred and brutal future, The United Commonwealth teeters on the brink of all-out civil war. The rebel resistance plots against a government that rules with cruelty and cunning. Gifted student and Testing survivor Cia Vale vows to fight. But she can't do it alone. This is the chance to lead that Cia has trained for - but who will follow? Plunging through layers of danger and deception, Cia must risk the lives of those she loves - and gamble on the loyalty of her lethal classmates.

My Review

Graduation Day is how every young adult trilogy should end, strongly. With even more tests and enough action guaranteed to never let you become bored, this trilogy deserves to be read.

Graduation Day begins right where the last book, Independent Study, left off. This left me a little confused at first since I couldn't clearly remember everything that happened and everyone that was in the previous novel. Luckily a few more pages in and I felt refreshed and quickly emerged back into Cia’s world. The politics and tests were back in full force and I was full of anticipation.

Cia is just as clever as ever in this final installment. She continues to be a strong leader. I missed her character a great deal. I thought all of the other characters were interesting and complex as well, it’s just too bad we didn’t get more time with Cia and Thomas together. I like their relationship and I don’t mind that it is in the background since more important things are going on, but it would have been nice to see them together a little more, making their relationship more real. That and only one small thing made this read only 4.5 stars instead of 5. There is one thing that happens in the book that kind of rubbed me the wrong way, but that was it. (I don't want to mention it since it would be a spoiler.) I also started to catch on to the big ending sooner rather than later so no huge surprise this time, but that didn't bother me since I was never 100% sure until the end anyway.

The Testing trilogy is one young adult dystopian that shouldn’t be overlooked. The first book may seem a little too much like The Hunger Games, but I can guarantee that each book becomes more unique. The best thing Graduation Day has to offer, (finally) a strong solid ending to a young adult dystopian trilogy.