The Testing

The Testing, Book 1

By: Joelle Charbonneau

Narrated by: Elizabeth Morton

Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

The story in which a 16-year-old is chosen by her government to undergo The Testing, which decides if she gets to go to The University. The University is for the country’s best and brightest teens and puts the rebuilding and future leadership of the United Commowealth in their hands. During The Testing, extreme psychological and physical trials pit them against one another to determine which teens have what it takes to become a leader.

©2013 Joelle Charbonneau (P)2013 Recorded Books

Amazing Read/Not a Great Narrator

I was so intrigued by this book and went and bought it right away! 4 chapters in though, I couldn’t stand the narrators voice. It changed how I wanted the characters to be, so I just read with on my own without listening.

Packed full of excitement

Great story. Lots of twists and terns. Can't qait t o start the next book. Narration was flat. I just hope there isa new narrator for the second and third book.

I love this book, the narrator not so much

I already owned this book but bought the audio to listen while I drive. Still love the book but the narrator sounds like she's droning and has no inflection or emotion.

A bit underdeveloped but still a good read

Would you listen to The Testing again? Why?

No, due to a thin plot it's not interesting enough to listen to again.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Most interesting: Cia is a driven character that thinks for herself. She doesn't have to be saved. The way the government works and the dynamics behind the testing is interesting. Even though the PTSD in books such as Hunger Games is a probable outcome it was sort of nice to read a book without a main character suffering from it.

Least interesting: Thomas is a very uninteresting character; he's just too perfect with few apparent character flaws. The romance is also uninteresting.

What aspect of Elizabeth Morton’s performance would you have changed?

It's difficult to hear which character is talking from listening to her voice because the voice, especially when boys speak, sounds the same.

Any additional comments?

It's apparent that the author has gotten her inspiration from The Hunger Games and Divergent.

Purely CRAZINESS!

What other book might you compare The Testing to and why?

It had moments similar to The Hunger Games and Divergent. Only cause they are put through trials and it's a twisted government.

Any additional comments?

Holy flippin’ crap! This book was downright craziness! I’m having the shakes right now thinking about everything that happened in this book, and I’m having severe separation anxiety because I want Independent Study (book 2) now! If I were put in “The Testing,” I don’t think I could control my temper one bit; I think I’d probably hemorrhage right then and there and start acting like a raving lunatic. In fact, while reading The Testing, in one moment I’d feel like I wanted to jump right through the pages and go on a frenzied rampage, and then in the next moment I’d feel the complete opposite and I wanted to curl up in a ball and have an internal freak out.

In the very beginning of the book I wasn’t fully invested in the story, and it took me a few tries to get drawn into the story, as I’d start and stop reading. Which is really weird because it wasn’t very far into the book before the story takes a turn that really sparked my interest and got my full attention. At that point, there is this one particular thing that happens that actually had me leaping from my seat in shock, and I was stuck.

I can’t really talk too much about the characters in The Testing because I have some really strong feelings about a lot of those characters. This is one of those books that had me changing my original feelings for some of the characters by the stuff that transpires by the end of the story. So, by talking about the characters, I’d be revealing major spoilers, and you know how much I hate to do that! In fact, my feelings for some of the characters were so strong that I’ve gotten into a few heated battles with some blogger friends, particularly Jaime from Two Chicks on Books.

This is a book I would totally recommend! And if you are struggling with the beginning, don’t let that hold you back because the story’s phenomenal!

Hunger Games and Divergent

Post-apocalyptic poor girl along with hometown honey qualify for 'the testing.' She's uncertain she can trust HTH. In scenes reminiscent of Hunger Games, our heroine battles through the testing's Mad Max landscape.

Best Dystopian

Of the current trending YA dystopian trilogies (Hunger Games, Divergent, Mazerunner, etc), this series was the best and most complete.

really enjoyed

Like other reviews have stated divergent, the giver and hunger games had a baby called the testing. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

good book

this wasn't mind blowing, seat grabbing, super exiting book, but enjoyable..
story felt a lil illogical at parts and far fetched, not as exelerating as some books I read, but decent. performance was a meh ..

predictable

it seems like a blend of familiar stories. good narrator. story is not as good.