Graduation Day (Book 3 of The Testing Trilogy)

Synopsis

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.

Review

I only read this book just to find out what happens in the end, it took a lot of getting into hence the long time period between the reviews. I just find it hard to get to grips with the President handing over the future of their entire United Commonwealth to a 16 yr old girl and her 4 friends. I was also getting pretty annoyed with Cia being super girl who new everything and could work out every problem they faced without asking anyone or researching anything. I also found it strange that in a new world where they could restructure DNA and fly hovercraft i.e. the skimmers they didn’t have an advanced form of communications or even telephones/2 way radios. Nor that a 16yr old girl could manipulate technology so effectively to meet her needs and have access to guns etc.

It is only in the last few chapters that you find out she wasn’t as smart as she thought when she realises she has been manipulated and it was only another test. The twist at the end of the tail was also a bit tame when she finds the good guy is the bad guy and visa versa. The triple no quadruple crossings of ‘this group is working for this person no this person nooooo that person’ was getting quite annoying in the end

The author in my opinion tried to put too many twists in the book, which would have been ok if it was done with more finesse and not so desperate to try and make the story more interesting. Also she did what many authors do at the end of a trilogy, fit the outcome into so few short pages and leave too many unanswered questions.

I would only recommend this book if you’ve read the other two and want to find out what happens in the end.

I rate this book