Not your average Test

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     The Testing is a young adolescent literature book that focuses on the struggles of poverty and loss living in a world after the Seven Stages War. In the book, students become an adult after they graduate from high school, students study very hard to achieve the goal of getting chosen for the Testing, in hopes that they will pass the test and be allowed to attend the University. Cia, the main character, and protagonist of the story is a very intelligent girl whose father once attended the University. Her main goal is to follow in his footsteps and become a testing candidate. She wants to rebuild their future, after so much has been lost from the war. This book is centered around loss; it is first evident when Cia is chosen for the Testing and has to leave her family, possibly to never see them again. If she makes it to the University, it is very unlikely that she will be placed back in her hometown. Before she leaves, her father explains to her the horrors that he remembers from the testing, seeing his friends die right in front of him, and having his memories wiped. Throughout the story, Cia encounters many instances of loss, especially losing some of her friends from her city; she even experiences loss by losing her new roommate at the school due to suicide, “Could a kind word have saved her?” (Charbonneau, 93.) I do not want to give any spoilers, but loss is repeated throughout the story, even from betrayal of some close friends. All in all, the Testing is not all that it says that it is, but has Cia found a way to bring back her memories from the test after it is wiped? If anyone is interested in the Hunger Games series, read this book, I loved every part of it!

The plot of the story is driven by many adolescent issues faced by the main character, Cia. Cia encounters a great deal of loss and encounters stress, like many adolescents do. Cia stresses when she is being evaluated at the end of the tests, “I resist the urge to wipe my sweaty palms on my pants and force my mind to focus.” (Charbonneau, 303.) I know that I connect with this because when I am nervous and stressed, I get sweaty, and anxious about what to say next. This happens very often as Cia is being tested for each part of the test. The idea of having to grow up at a young age is also prevalent in the novel; Cia must leave her family when becoming a candidate for the testing. Many adolescents may connect this to leaving off for college; I know for me, I was not ready to grow up, and I am sure many adolescents feel the same way as I did. The whole book consists of Cia making friendships, losing friendships, losing friends to death, and losing trust. These are all issues that adolescents face, which is why this book would connect to adolescents. Cia falls in “love” with another main character, Thomas, and does everything she can for him. In the end however, is he hiding something from her? I could not tell you, because I have not read the second book yet. This idea of romance, especially going through this hard time of her life, could be connected to adolescents falling in and out of love in their adolescent years. Everyone knows, in high school, individuals find the love of their life and they break up a week later. All in all, adolescence is a time of change, where bodies are developing, and emotions become more vivid. This aspect of love in the novel is a way that this book also relates to adolescence. Many problems that occur during adolescence appear in this novel; adolescents will really connect to the novel.

Adolescent readers should definitely read this book because it is interesting, but it also could help them in the struggling times of their adolescent years. For adolescents, sometimes seeing characters overcome life trials can be helpful for them. The Testing shows many trials that adolescents go through and shows how to overcome these problems. When teens can connect to characters, they will understand that they are not alone, and can better understand what is happening to them. Adolescent readers should also consider this book because it is a fun read, and they will be engaged. I was abandoned from reading during some of my most struggling times during adolescence, but this book is one that I would recommend to someone to spike their interest in reading. If I were to have read this book when I was in the first few years of transitioning from middle school to high school, I may would have dealt with the process of adolescence better and realized that life really wasn’t that hard, and that I could overcome whatever challenges I was faced with, because Cia did it, and her life was even messier than mine.

Comments

  1. Logan SandorOctober 14, 2020 at 5:25 PM

    This book seems intriguing. I may have to put it in my online shopping cart. I feel like I relate to Cia and her inability to control her stress levels. I also love delving into romantic thrillers. Thomas already has my heart.

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