Independent Study (The Testing #2) by Joelle Charbonneau

First, thanks to HMH Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss for allowing me to read this e-galley.  Especially if they read my not so stellar review of the first book HERE.  Now the first book was good, it was just so similar to The Hunger Games that I had trouble reading it.  But I knew it was a pretty good story idea, and did have some unique bits, and so I did want to read on and see if the 2nd book could salvage the story for me.  And I have to say that it did.
In the first book, students from the colonies surrounding the main city of the new civilization were selected to come in and be tested.  The different tests checked their intelligence, problem solving skills, etc.  And a final test for those that made it that far included a type of Hunger Games type of situation.  Only those competing weren't told to kill, but some did in order to increase their chances of passing the test first.  And at the end of the testing, those left, all had their memories erased.  The main character Cia did have her memories erased, but she had left herself a recording of things that she needed to remember and people not to trust.  Her boyfriend, Tomas, seems to maybe remember more, and when Cia has a memory of him taking a pill that will help him keep his memories, she realizes that he does remember.  This book starts off with one more test, one where they decide which career path the students will be proceeding on.  Cia really wants to work with mechanical things, what has always been her strength. But somehow she gets selected for the government/leadership path.  Tomas gets his first choice, biomechanical engineering, where Cia thought she would be as well.  But Cia learns from one of the people who helped her in the first book that she must do whatever is necessary to succeed.  And she realizes just how true this is when she sees one of the students get redirected, and decides to follow him to see what that really means. She learns that it means he dies.  He isn't sent out to the colonies or back home as originally thought or intimated by those in charge.  And soon Cia learns she is being kept under watch, because many of the things she has done to pass the tests have put a red flag up to those in charge.  They assume she has help, even though the things that have caught their attention are only things that anyone who stopped and thought before acting would figure out.  And she wants to help end the Testing the way it is, so that people die.  She finds out from Michal that if she can get an internship in a good place, she might be able to get important information to pass on to the rebels to help with the cause.  But for all of this she must look like she is doing as she should.  She gets the highest number of classes, 9, and the highest internship, working with the president of the Commonwealth. She ends up with allies in other unlikely places.  Her government mentor, Ian, seems to want to help for some reason.  And one or two of the students that are from the city, that didn't go through the Testing in the last book turn out to be helpful as well.
We're left with a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, and I am definitely ready to read on and see what happens next.  Because while she ends up with some new allies, she also finds people that were thought to be on her side, may not really be.
Once again, I will be able to recommend to fans of The Hunger Games, only now I can do it without the trepidation of such an identical story, really it is getting much more original as it goes.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

First, thanks to Houghton Mifflin for letting me read an e-galley of this.  First let me say that this was a pretty good book.  It is one I will definitely recommend to anyone who enjoyed The Hunger Games and wants to read more stories like that.
This is a future America after many horrible wars with other countries, biological, nuclear, just about every type of war I'd guess, from what is left.  The main character is Malencia, or Cia, who is getting ready to graduate.  And she hopes that she will be called to the testing, like her father was.  But graduation comes and goes, even though there was a rumor of a Commonwealth official attending, they don't show up.  At least not that day.  But soon after someone does arrive, and there are 4 people chosen from her town.  Each town has been built back up, the people there are working on some kind of technology or science to help the world get back to what it was, at least easier living, and enough food.  Cia's town has been really good with agriculture, working on the genetics of plants to make hardier strains that can survive in the soils and with the water that has been left polluted from the wars.  They also are working on ways to fix the water and irrigation.  Before Cia leaves for testing, her father pulls her aside, and tells her that the testing is something that he can't remember, they wiped his memories afterwards so he wouldn't be able to give new candidates an unfair advantage.  But he still has nightmares, and he believes things happened that he doesn't want to remember, and so warns her not to trust anyone.  As soon as they get on the road, their official, I think his name is Michael, also seems to be giving Cia clues and hints.  One of the other people from her town going is Tomas, a good friend of hers, someone she's been attracted to, but never figured he would be to her, as he was very handsome, and sought after by most of the girls in the town.  She feels that he is someone she can trust, and she lets him in on what her father told her.  She also tells him when she notices cameras pretty much everywhere they go.  Because their transport was late, they are the last to arrive, and all the other testing candidates watch them as they come in.  They are seen to be probably weak, as their town hasn't had any candidates in a long time.  Although Cia had learned from her father, there may have been a reason for that, a teacher that kept them from going, to save them.  Cia soon learns how deadly the tests can be, even just solving logic problems, or teamwork.  If the stress of the testing gets to the candidates, the officials say that happens.  The final test is the ones leftover being released near what used to be Chicago, and having to find their way back to the town where they began.  They are dropped on their own, and there are no instructions to kill, but some do, to raise their chances of getting to the end?  Or just because that is the kind of people they are?  Don't know.  But the officials don't seem to care.  Cia must decide if Tomas is someone she can really trust, or is she keeping her enemy close.
So, really good story.  But, my only complaint, it was really so close to The Hunger Games.  As I was reading, I just kept feeling like all that had been written just like The Hunger Games.  Now, that's a compliment really, because The Hunger Games are so good.  But for me it was too much the same.  So as I said before, definitely a good read for people who want something just like that.  But as much as I read, I want something new, that I can't figure out what is going to happen, so that I can't stop turning pages.  And while this wasn't boring, I wasn't on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.  It was a good read though.  So if  you like this type of book, and don't mind books being too similar to others, you will enjoy it!