This was the last book in the testing trilogy – the first two being the testing and independent study. While the first book is still my favorite, graduation day was much better than the second book. The main character Cia continues to test her ideas about who to trust and what to do while still being tested herself. The book was full of plot twists and had some action. I can’t say that I loved everything the author did with plot exactly but it kept me engaged and was worth the read. I would still have liked to see the secondary characters have more development and skills. Actually, I would have enjoyed Cia growing even more as a character in general. A lot of the book is explanation and it did not really take off until the second half. Readers might be dissatisfied with the ending, but for me it was fine. I think dystopian fans in general should enjoy this trilogy. I am satisfied that I read it though I do not believe I would reread it. I do enjoy the author’s overall writing style and would definitely read other books by her in the future.

Random fact – the entire trilogy was published in a year. Productive, no?

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I first learned about this author through her novel need. This book is the first novel in the testing trilogy and represents another port that I have plundered. Arrrr! I have to say that the start to this story is one of the best young adult dystopian novels that I have read. I liked it better than the start to both the hunger games and divergent series, both of which I enjoyed.

Cia is a wonderful main character – smart, loyal, compassionate, honorable, and everything you want your young heroine to be. The book is seemingly uncomplicated in its style of writing and was super easy to read. Time flew by. But the underlying questioning of how the society works and the darker side of the world make the story anything but simple. Cia must question everything, everyone, and every fact she thought she knew.

Overall, I loved the majority of the secondary characters. The use of the secondary characters to further the tension in the plot and the growth of Cia made them an integral part of the story. I loved the dichotomy between Will and Tomas. The love story was not a triangle (what a relief!) and did not get in the way of the story. There are a couple of excellent twists in the plot and enough mysteries that still remain to be resolved in later books.

This novel also ends in spectacular fashion (which I won’t spoil) but makes me impatient to get to book two.

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