Decided to try my hand at a book review, because I needed a blog post and it was the first thing that came to mind. The book I'm reviewing is "The Testing", the first book in a Dystopian trilogy by Joelle Charbonneau. If you plan to read the book later and don't want spoilers, skip to the spoiler-free summary at the end.
Writing Style
The author's style of writing is different than most other first person writers I've read. Instead of being inside the main character's head, it feels more like you are reading their diary, getting a play by play of their life. I don't mind the style, but it feels a little out of place in a harsh Dystopian world. That mostly my personal preference though.
Characters
However thankful I am that the characters are not cliche, they lack a lot of depth and there is very little development inside the story. The fact that the main character gets her mind erased of nearly all the events of the book at the end undoes what little development there was. The book is very plot driven, making this less important, but I would have loved to see more depth to match the how the world has changed in this torn version of the future. The main character's personality can be summed up in one sentence: Her parents taught her morals, and she's trying to stick by these morals.
Apparently very few parents teach this these days, because every single other student at the Testing thought up (on their own) that it would be a good idea to kill the other students. In fact, they all decide this will improve their grades.
Apparently very few parents teach this these days, because every single other student at the Testing thought up (on their own) that it would be a good idea to kill the other students. In fact, they all decide this will improve their grades.
Plot
This is where it gets juicy. The book takes place in a similar type of future as the Hunger Games, (a 70% serving the 30% one, albeit in this one, the general public is not aware of it.) but this is not a huge concern. It's a classic Dystopian plot line, much like alien invasions in science fiction, and while not original, if the writing is good, it doesn't matter. Sadly, the similarities continue, and by the middle, anyone who has read Suzanne Collins popular series feels a little sense of deja-vu. The biggest problem I found with the plot is that things you know about the society simply don't add up. The book takes place a few generations after a war huge enough to make most of the planet uninhabitable. The civilization all the characters live in are the descendants of the survivors, who banded together to rebuild society. Very little description is given about the schools, but what you are told makes them seem similar to modern day public school. So by the end of the first few chapters, let's run down what we know about this society:
- Overall traditions and societal norms seem very similar to our own, the main differences coming from the significant decrease in access to technology.
- The smartest members of society are chosen to go to the testing, which will determine the next generation of leaders.
Sounds like everyone is working together to rebuild in the most efficient manner possible, right? Except, apparently some things are happening that few know about. Apparently a scientist, (Dr. Barnes father) came up with the idea that killing three fourths of the smartest people in the country would make better leaders, because the remaining 20 would be the best. That makes sense, that someone would be that stupid. What doesn't make sense is that everyone else agreed. So basically what I'm saying here is that there is a big issue with the back story, and it messes with the flow of the story. Ignoring this discrepancy, the plot flows very well, and all secrets are revealed at the right time to keep you turning the pages.
Summary: NO SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT
So overall, the writing style is one I am not a huge fan of, but the author has it developed enough that that didn't bother me at all, and the only thing she seems to has a problem doing is thinking completely through characters and plot. The book was okay, not something I would read again, but good. I will be reading the rest of the series, (I've already started the second book) and hopefully events in the next two books will sort out some of the unexplained back story. I will definitely be keeping an eye on the author's future work. The writing talent is definitely there, and if she manages to master the difficult task of forming more elaborate worlds and compelling characters, her writing will be amazing.
Summary: NO SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT
So overall, the writing style is one I am not a huge fan of, but the author has it developed enough that that didn't bother me at all, and the only thing she seems to has a problem doing is thinking completely through characters and plot. The book was okay, not something I would read again, but good. I will be reading the rest of the series, (I've already started the second book) and hopefully events in the next two books will sort out some of the unexplained back story. I will definitely be keeping an eye on the author's future work. The writing talent is definitely there, and if she manages to master the difficult task of forming more elaborate worlds and compelling characters, her writing will be amazing.
