ARC REVIEW: Independent Study (The Testing #2) by Joelle Charbonneau

Title: Independent Study
Series: The Testing #2

Author: Joelle Charbonneau

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Release Date: January 7, 2014

Pages: 310, Hardcover
Source: ARC obtained at BEA

Summary from Goodreads:

In the series debut The Testing, sixteen-year-old Cia Vale was chosen by the United Commonwealth government as one of the best and brightest graduates of all the colonies . . . a promising leader in the effort to revitalize postwar civilization. In Independent Study, Cia is a freshman at the University in Tosu City with her hometown sweetheart, Tomas—and though the government has tried to erase her memory of the brutal horrors of The Testing, Cia remembers. Her attempts to expose the ugly truth behind the government’s murderous programs put her—and her loved ones—in a world of danger. But the future of the Commonwealth depends on her.

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• I am just loving this series so much! I thought The Testing was super intense but in a fun, I-don't-want-to-put-this-book-down kind of way and Independent Study was very much the same! Cia passed The Testing and is now a student at The University, but the tests are far from over. She still has to fight for her spot and a lot of people want her to fail. The story was just so addictive!


• I think Cia is just great. She is so easy to root for. She is super smart, but not just book smart, she's perceptive too. She's just as capable as everyone else, if not more so, and I love it. I love watching her kick butt and prove to everyone just how awesome she is. But I also love that she is an honorable person. She stays true to her morals and earns the respect of others.


• Joelle Charbonneau knows how to engage readers with her writing. She sure got my attention. I was always anticipating what would happen next, constantly questioning the motives of other characters. You never really knew what was coming or how things would turn out and I loved that about this book. 

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•  I don't really have any complaints. I really enjoyed this sequel.

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Independent Study is a nice follow-up to The Testing. Cia is in the thick of things at The University and must prove herself every day, keeping consistent with the fast-pace and high stakes of the first book. Meanwhile, readers learn a bit more about the government and the key players. I really enjoy books like this, and Independent Study was no exception. Can't wait for the next one!