The Testing / Joelle Charbonneau / 344 pages

One of my favorite authors, Jonathan Maberry, said "The Testing is a chilling and devious dystopian thriller that all fans of the Hunger Games will simply devour."  I agree totally!  The Testing bears striking similarities to Hunger Games with startlingly parallel elements. Cia Vale has been chosen for testing which is considered to be a great honor.  If she passes the testing she will qualify to go to university and become one of the leaders of the United Commonwealth - an amalgamation of colonies in the former US that survived the Seven Stages War.  Her father had been through the testing but remembers nothing of it due to a memory wipe.  He does, however, tell Cia of his nightmares.  Cautioned to trust no one, Cia teams up with Tomas, a handsome childhood friend.  The testing is rigorous, quite evocative of Hunger Games.  Cia must choose:  love without trust, or life without love...