Participation is a privilege and a unique opportunity for a study place, but when the sixteen Cia, is selected along with three other graduates of her class, for the elite, and hopes to be able to follow in the footsteps of her father, her family does not seem particularly to be happy about it.
However, while her mother is simply not want to say goodbye to her only daughter, has her father worried about Cia. Because if the terrible nightmares that plague him for years, have not only sprung from his imagination, to Cia goes probably in great danger and can not trust anyone ...
The testing is a great, gloomy dystopia that can keep up with other representatives of the genre with ease and a series opener, the ceaselessly draws his readers from the first page to the last page in his spell.
In the future, the Joelle Charbonneau has created, is humanity, whose population is reduced to a minimum after a terrible war, still busy the earth again to make reclaimed and sustainably purify the contaminated water. The necessary technologies are available, but there is a lack of energy and appropriate professionals.
To ensure the latter for replenishment, the readout was introduced many years ago, in which the best students in their final year of the respective colonies undergo extensive testing. Who is the university in the capital may afterwards visit and is probably one of the next leader of the Federated Commonwealth.
While largely ignorant parents consider it an honor if their child is under the specimens and this itself forward to be part of the elite, because they believe that they are made only against ordinary, completely harmless tasks, they embark in truth completely clueless in a battle for life and death, the will lose the majority. What begins with harmless, written tests, namely soon leads already to trials where errors are even punished with death and ends in a last part, the only least survive.
The entire process, including almost all examiners, one can therefore actually only describe as sick. Those responsible have no respect for the young and promising life that they cancel so emotionless. They do not care what happens to the samples, so they prefer to stand by whilst watching as those who no longer withstand the pressure, hang themselves, or those that have made a mistake during a test, let die painfully of her injuries. Their obvious view the end justifies all means. The indifference, put some auditors regarding these innocent young people the day is appalling and that some of them even seriously believe these senseless death would serve the public good, is unbelievable. Whenever one thinks that it may be even worse now impossible, one is confronted disabused and with even more terrible methods in which, for example, aware of the desperate situation of the participants to exploit to lure them into a deadly trap.
However Frightened scare even some specimens during the read-out before anything back to exist and to secure a place at the University. While offering some poisoned confine itself biscuits, others betray their conscience team members, in the knowledge that a mistake could mean their death, or even cold-blooded killers, off the mercy of their competitors.
One way to escape there is not, because participation in the selection is mandatory. Who is trying to shirk it, commits treason, which - of course - also attracts the death penalty. But what happens to the devices under test, competing though and not die in any of the tests, but fail in the course anyway? Are these actually sent back to their colonies or they have to pay the ultimate price for their failure?
Moreover, it is more than questionable why this aggressive government action actually seems necessary. Does a leader really be able to kill innocent people to be completely ruthless or even his friends, only to find themselves at an advantage? Is it absolutely necessary that the specimens have to pay the same mistakes with their lives? After all, there were plenty of other methods to put them to test how they react under pressure.
But even if they are not suitable as a leader is due to any wrong behavior, could also those who do not exist, nor do a good job, after all, is the smartest, most capable students of each vintage. Apart from a number of graduates of the University are not even to leaders, but after practicing ordinary careers and work for example as a teacher.
However, there are still people who realize how wrong that is all abhor the elite and therefore at least try to do something about it luckily. Although afterwards takes away the memories, suspecting some former students by nightmares of what happened to them or their competitors and want other students, especially their own children, protect them from the same fate. Some examiners also belong to this group, but who of them tried secretly to sabotage the process and who is not?
However, not only these terrifying circumstances which make the book so captivating, but above all the characters, all of course Malenica that cause different emotions in the reader and the story deliver the conscience that seems to be missing so many completely.
Cia is a great protagonist who you can really take a role model. She is intelligent, resourceful, strong and ambitious, but always remains fair and also has a good heart. You want to succeed, however, is unwilling for hurting or even kill them, except to defend yourself other competitors but even cares about them. Despite all the terrible things that they experienced during the read, they can not get them down and still remains both himself and the values that have given her her parents, loyal. Even when their own lives are at stake, it is more concerned about her family and friends as to himself.
Tomas is almost as lovable character, for which one is grateful. He ensures that Cia is not placed entirely on their own and there is still a more sympathetic figure beside her. Since so many people commit treason, we are glad to have not completely mistaken in at least one person. Although he was not always completely honest and had secrets from Cia, but she had also. In addition, it must indeed at least give a figure, which one can apart from Cia, trust, therefore it determines an explanation for its connection to the death of a running mate is, so you at least in him - hopefully! - Has not been deceived as well as in many others.
Between Tomas and Cia germinate over time on feelings beyond friendship and lead to a tender love story. But this never pushes too much to the fore, since both in the struggle for their survival have sufficient alternative far more important concerns and problems.
At the end spared Joelle Charbonneau their readers, fortunately, with a cliffhanger that is not necessary anyway. Although some portion of the action is complete, yet many questions remain unanswered, the answers you really want to learn. The continuation will be allowed therefore not miss.
* CONCLUSION *
The testing is a fantastic and very exciting dystopia that repeatedly takes your breath away and the reader captures the pages. The world that created Joelle Charbonneau is shocking and fascinating and makes sure that you will start this series not soon forget guaranteed.
The sequel, which we hope will not be waiting too long in coming, you can go to this end in any case hardly wait!
