Book Review: Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau (The Testing #2)

Cia Vale is now seventeen and has everything she ever dreamed of: a boy she loves, a place at the University and a future as one of the leaders of the United Commonwealth. But Cia remembers. Cia must choose whether to stay silent and protect herself and her loved ones, or expose The Testing for what it is.

My Review: 
All Cia ever wanted was to be selected for The Testing, work hard and gain that elusive University Place like her father before her. She and Tomas barely survived the horrors of The Testing and they tried to ensure that they wouldn't forget what happened, as all their memories of the recent events were due to be wiped. It doesn't go to plan and Cia is happily settled with old friends at University when she finds the recording she made for herself. She can hardly believe her own words and decides that she needs to find proof. If her recording is the truth, then it is time that the authorities are exposed for what they are, but Cia has to beware the enemies around her at the University itself as the games begin again.

I love Cia! She is smart, compassionate, loyal and determined, just the kind of person you would want as a friend. She is unable to take the drug that prevents the memory wipe and is chosen for the University, friends again with Stacia and Will and others from The Testing. Her world is ripped apart when she finds the recording that details The Testing, the deaths and the betrayals. She needs to find proof that this really happened and is aware that she needs to watch her so called friends as she cannot trust them. Being selected for the Government classes with Will rather than Mechanical Engineering is a blow and she finds herself snowed under with extra work as well as trying to find new allies to work with to expose The Testing for what it really is and avenge her dead friends. If she cannot keep up with the work, she fails and she fears that it could mean death.

Things change with the University setting as Cia and her friends are seperated for classes in the study area chosen for them. Cia gets the proof she needs and Michal catches her trying to run away, and persuades her to stay as part of the ongoing rebellion instead. Her new student mentor Ian claims to be a friend of Michal and is intent on helping her through the next stage of tests. Cia is wary of trusting anyone but realises that Michal's advice about gathering gather allies from the students from the city who did not go through The Testing could be useful. She targets Enzo who does not get on with his fellow city students but there is always the question in the back of her mind about trust. She also decides to keep Stacia and Will close so she can watch them. She is torn in two about whether to tell Tomas what she knows as she fears that he was involved in killing their friend in the final test. There is also the fear about being secretly recorded like last time so it will be hard to talk freely and plan anything.

Symon who helped Cia in The Testing, is planning a rebellion to bring down the government and has students placed at the University as well as a camp nearby where everyone waits to attack. There is also a second rebel group with a different leader who no longer want to wait to get things moving. The President herself is also trying to stop the rebellions but seeks information about the true nature of The Testing and hopes that Cia will provide it. Cia finds herself up to her neck in political intrigue and is tasked with building alliances and gathering useful information. Cia finds that she has plenty problems to deal with herself. Can she trust Enzo and Raffe? What does she do about Will and Stacia? Can she forgive Tomas for what he did? What does she do about the students that seem to be spying on her and who do they actually work for? Is it her Professor who wants her out of University at all costs?

There is also the added interest in this book of one more team event that involves solving clues and moving to the next location. Cia is aware that she needs to choose her team wisely as her life during the test will be in their hands. There are real dangers on the test from local wildlife and people determined to betray their team so Cia needs to be on her guard. I really enjoyed the test part of the book as it reminded me of The Testing itself and it was interesting to watch the team dynamics as the test continued. I also liked the way that Cia invented the study group as a way for her to meet up with all her allies without appearing suspicious, and the various ways she had to sneak around the surveillance. The tension is starting to build for the events of the rebellion in book three and I very much enjoyed the way the plot was taken forward.

The characters in the book are excellent. Cia is smart and always manages to think on her feet. I enjoyed seeing Will in a starring role after events in the first book and it was interesting to see how Cia deals with him. The introduction of Enzo and Raffe added to the group dynamic but I felt perhaps that Brick was underused. I liked the development of Cia's relationship with Tomas and the troubles that they have to face over his actions. Stacia was her useful delightfully dark self and I found myself wondering which way she was going to jump in the final book-as did Cia! 

This was a really enjoyable sequel that sets things up nicely for the final book. If you like a bit of YA dystopia then you might well enjoy this series.

Read January 2019
4 stars.