Book Review: Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau (The Testing #3)

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.

My Review: 
When Cia wanted to go to University, she never imagined that attending there could be so lethal. After surviving the test, a murder attempt and sneaking off campus to consort with rebels, worse is to come. The rebellion is close and the President has entrusted Cia with a dangerous task that requires her to risk her life for the greater good-and she will need others to help her. The question is, who amongst her group can she trust for the mission? Cia decides that there is one way to test their loyalty and that is by doing a Testing of her own.

Raffe tells Cia that their trip off campus was noted by her Professor's spies and Cia decides that the time is right to gain a powerful ally and tell the President everything that she needs to know. Nothing can prepare her for what the President then asks her to do and she knows the task will be impossible unless she gathers a team to help her. The obvious issue is who to trust other than Tomas? Ian has too much to do in organising the on campus rebellion ready for an attack so Cia must look at her 'friends'-Will, Raffe, Stacia and Enzo. She will need to find a way to test them that will not expose her to danger should her targets fail so should she plan something with lethal force if they fail her test or does that make her just as bad as those running The Testing? There is also the question of what to do about the Professor's spies who still watch her.

When her test goes badly wrong, Cia realises that it is no longer safe to stay on the campus and she flees for her life with a little bit of help. Now she needs to gather her allies and carry out the mission before they are captured or killed, while her brother is about to learn exactly what he is dealing with. As well as being unsure of her group's loyalty, Cia is told new information that makes her wonder if the mission is actually the right thing to do but it seems too late to start backing out. The rebellion is beginning with or without her and it is time to take a stand for what she believes in. Cia is in for a few surprises as the long night begins and everything she thought she knew is about to be turned on its head. 

I can't say anything about the mission without wandering into big spoilers so I'll leave that as a surprise for anyone planning to read the books. I admit to being surprised by the request of the President and I don't think a 'good' leader should have asked teenagers to do it at all. It did make the final book very tense and exciting as Cia and her friends try to complete the mission. I was just waiting to see if anyone was going to betray her and I wasn't greatly surprised by the way that part of the plot unfolded. it was so much fun to follow these characters in the final mission as rebellion breaks out around them.

I mentioned before that Cia was in for a night of surprises. It starts with Symon's story which I wasn't quite expecting and it all leads back to her own performance in the Testing. She is about to get the chance to confront Barnes and she will be shocked by what she actually finds out. I really loved the twists that came out in this subplot. I like it when the author can surprise you at the end of a trilogy like this and I wasn't expecting these events to happen. I did like the way the story came to an end and the way the rebellion finished. It was a satisfying end to the series and I very much enjoyed reading it. It is resolved but there is no doubt that there could easily be other books if the author decided to do that at a later date.

I always find it hard to write a review on a final book as I want to talk about the exciting events but I'm not one to put big spoilers in my reviews so I had to restrain myself! All I can say is that there continues to be action and tension, with a big focus on the characters interactions throughout. This was an excellent YA dystopia series with a Hunger Games vibe in the first one. It does have its own identity and this is not a copy of The Hunger Games but hopefully if you enjoyed one series you'll enjoy the other. I certainly recommend The Testing!

Read January 2019
4 stars.