Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau Narrator: Elizabeth Morton
Series: The Testing #3
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on 2014
Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult
Pages: 304
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads
She wants to put an end to the Testing In a scarred and brutal future, The United Commonwealth teeters on the brink of all-out civil war. The rebel resistance plots against a government that rules with cruelty and cunning. Gifted student and Testing survivor, Cia Vale, vows to fight. But she can't do it alone. This is the chance to lead that Cia has trained for – but who will follow? Plunging through layers of danger and deception, Cia must risk the lives of those she loves--and gamble on the loyalty of her lethal classmates. Who can Cia trust? The stakes are higher than ever—lives of promise cut short or fulfilled; a future ruled by fear or hope--in the electrifying conclusion to Joelle Charbonneau's epic Testing trilogy. Ready or not…it’s Graduation Day. The Final Test is the Deadliest!
Julie’s Review:
*SIGH* I was really hoping Graduation Day would return to the exciting storyline I read in The Testing. But, alas, it was more like Independent Study, which I was hoping fell into the second book syndrome category. I was expecting some EPIC of epicness conclusions, that dystopian trilogies like this typically have, but really, I was kind of disappointed in the ending. I think the idea was to have some big unexpected twist with who is really good and who is really evil in this situation, but it ended up falling flat and just not working for me. I didn’t like what Cia was forced to do in this book, and I really don’t think it really developed her character any. It was just awkward and that’s all I can really say without going into specifics. I just found this book even less interesting than the second book. Boo. Extra boo because I really did like the first book. *sigh*
I’ll just summarize my complaints here:
- Too much explaining, like in the second book. I am not dumb and this book takes place at a University setting. Please treat me like an intelligent reader and don’t go on and on about everyone’s motivation and thought process.
- Too much planning, not enough action.
- Plot twist was just awkward and not well executed (pun intended).
Ugh. That is so irritating. You give a trilogy the benefit of the doubt and it lets you down. I just started a couple of trilogies and I hope I don’t get let down twice. I was interested in this one but after reading your review I think I’ll pass.
Leila recently posted…That’s What HE Said Thursday #9
Hope the ones you are reading are better. I’ve read a few trilogies lately where only the first book is worth reading heh
I’m sorry this was such a letdown, Julie. That stinks – particularly when book 1 was so good. Reading your complaints though, I would agree with your assessment of the book though. Hopefully your current read is fabulous!!
Bookworm Brandee recently posted…**OctobeRec Fest Late Review ~ Consequences ~ Aleatha Romig**
This seems to happen often with trilogies I’ve noticed. I haven’t quite been reading lately.