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Karen, Jen, and I are doing a buddy read of this one starting on Tuesday, July 23rd. Everyone is welcome to join!

We keep it casual, read at your own pace, but make sure you use spoiler tags, and mark your progress. Have fun!

Okay, I"m at 44% and I'm hooked! (view spoiler)[ OMG, what a sinister government! I felt horrible for Malachi, what a horrible way to do! And poor Cia for having to watch that! I'm not sure what is up with Michal and why he is helping her, but I'm not sure I trust it. I really hope she can trust Tomas, but so far, I think its fine. (hide spoiler)]

I'll be starting in a few. Can't wait! Looks so good!

I'll start tonight.

Yay, can't wait to hear your guys' thoughts on it!

I just found this thread today and I got the book yesterday , even thought you guys started already would you mind if I joined in today ?

Go right ahead, Imani! Happy to have you join in!

Loved this book! :D Starting the sequel soon. =)

Yay, I'm liking it so far! Hoping to read more tonight, but I'm so exhausted, long day at work. I think I sat down for a total of 15 minutes over 9 hours, and 2 or 3 of those minutes was on the toilet! lol

I'm about 10% in so far. I conked out early last night. And I also had a busy work day, Jenny! Trying to decide what to work on next. My day's not quite finished yet.

I like the book so far. Hope to get into it a bit more tonight.

And, yea Imani! We're just starting ourselves. Well, "some" of us are just starting. Others of us are speed readers!! ;-P

Just go at your own pace!! That's what makes this fun!!

Ohmygosh, Jenny... Too freaking cute. She looks just like you!

That was awesome! Karen's right, she does look just like you!

LOL thanks, guys! I posted that in the wrong thread, so I just deleted it and put it in the Woot, woot thread. My bad!

I just got The Testing, would love to read it with you all. Im just trying to finish Moon Dwellers first, but I've been known to read more then one book at a time lol.

Great, Cindee! Love you to join us!

What book are you reading?

Cindee wrote: "I just got The Testing, would love to read it with you all. Im just trying to finish Moon Dwellers first, but I've been known to read more then one book at a time lol."

I'm reading two books and listening to a third on audio. ;-) And we all read and loved . WOOT WOOT!

I'm at 20%. (view spoiler)[I'm sure the Dad's memories are real or else it wouldn't be so secretive and they wouldn't have needed to erase the memories. I like Cia so far! Looks like a romance is brewing! (hide spoiler)]

Agreed, Karen! (view spoiler)[ oh, just wait till you get going, things get bad really fast! (hide spoiler)]

I'm now at 67%. Getting crazy! (view spoiler)[ I really don't trust Will...how did he catch up so fast to them? Its just kind of weird. Poor Tomas, that injury sounds brutal! What I really don't get so far is the point to all this Testing. Why are the tests so brutal??? They say they are looking for strong leaders....but this seems really extreme. There has to be more to it, so I'm thinking we still have loads to learn! (hide spoiler)]

I'm at 45% Chapter 11. This book is freaking addicting! (view spoiler)[And dare I say it... It's Hunger Games"ish"! I can't believe they killed Malachi 2nd test in. So basically, the bad kids aren't even trying to get through. They're just all about killing off their competitors. I think Tomas is a good guy! I feel like we can trust him. Michal... Hhmm.. At this point I feel like he's a good guy too. We'll see. Hope I'm right. Do you think Cia and Tomas run into the others in their group? (hide spoiler)]

Getting crazy, Jenny? We passed crazy way back when they started the tests! Apparently, it's gets even crazier! :-)

At 68% now. (view spoiler)[What about the old guy who threw the food to Cia? There is much more going on in this world than meets the eye. The romance is annoying me a bit. They're running for their lives!! Really? It seems a bit out of place to have romantic moments. There's a time and place for that and this story so far is not the place. (hide spoiler)]

Karen (view spoiler)[ I can't wait to find out about that guy!
Yeah, the romance is bad timing, but it mainly started when Tomas was badly hurt...I'm sure it was emotions running unchecked, and the fact that he was a little doped up, I'm sure had a lot to do with it! And its such a sweet romance! That part reminded me a lot of the cave scene in HG, although in that one Katniss was pretending. I can really see the HG comparison in this book, but its not nearly as good. Of course! (hide spoiler)]
I'm really enjoying it, it is addicting! I hope the ending is as good as the rest of it so far!

I didn't start it yet, I think I'm gonna three fist it lol, I read some moon dwellers last night, and while I mostly read dystopian novels, once a year when my two favorite authors before dyatopian happenend to me, I venture and read their book. so now I'm also reading the white princess, and will be starting the testing tonight too lol I can't figure out why I'm so tired in the morning *yawn*

80% in. (view spoiler)[Wow, I've been going back and forth about Tomas and Will. For a while I thought Tomas was a bad guy. He was just too perfect. Eek... Now I think it's Will.

And now we're getting into the evil government. I like the book, but it is just a bit too similar to Hunger Games with this plot. But overall, still liking it! (hide spoiler)]

Cindee wrote: "I didn't start it yet, I think I'm gonna three fist it lol, I read some moon dwellers last night, and while I mostly read dystopian novels, once a year when my two favorite authors before dyatopian..."

I did that last night, Cindee! Stayed up til the wee hours reading two different books and then listened to my audio book every chance I got today! I have been dragging so bad today.

61% in. (view spoiler)[ I want to know who's got that crossbow. And I'm really glad that Cia and Tomas got away from the group they met. Much wiser to stay away from the others. (hide spoiler)]

Jen wrote: "61% in. [spoilers removed]"

Answers will be revealed! ;-)

I'm finished!

Cia (view spoiler)[I really likednher as the MC. I was surprised at the depths of her knowledge which made her perfect for the tests. But when did her and Tomas fall in love after their memories were wiped? And what is she thinking now that she knows the truth after listening to the recordings? Will the recording affect how she feels about Tomas? (hide spoiler)]

Tomas (view spoiler)[I knew he was just a bit toooooo perfect. What the heck happened with Zandri? (hide spoiler)]

Will (view spoiler)[I didn't that one coming... He was the crossbow guy! Yikes! And he was more proud if it then anything. Creepy, right? (hide spoiler)]

All in all I did enjoy this book and do want to read the next one when it comes out!

I'm starting the sequel 'Independent Study' now. :)

I finished late last night as well!

I agree with everything you said, Karen!

(view spoiler)[ We still didn't learn much about that old guy and Michal. There must be a resistance of some kind, and I'm betting they want her to be part of it. I thought that was horrible at the end, how Cia had to drag Tomas over the finish line, and no one would help her. UGH I wonder which parts she recorded. I don't know what happened with Zandri, but I still think Tomas is a good guy. Something must have happened that forced the situation. I guess we'll find out! (hide spoiler)]

Overall, a really good story and I really liked it! I gave it 4 stars! Can't wait for the sequel!

Bieke {Istyria book blog} wrote: "I'm starting the sequel 'Independent Study' now. :)"

Oh, jealous! ;-)

Karen wrote: "Bieke {Istyria book blog} wrote: "I'm starting the sequel 'Independent Study' now. :)"

Oh, jealous! ;-)"

Just finished. =)

I know, we have to wait until January, Karen! UGH

Jenny wrote: "I know, we have to wait until January, Karen! UGH"

Or you can request it on Edelweiss like I did? :p

Good idea, Bieke, I may do that!

Is that a blogger thing? ;-)

Bieke {Istyria book blog} wrote: "Jenny wrote: "I know, we have to wait until January, Karen! UGH"

Or you can request it on Edelweiss like I did? :p"

I've requested it - thanks for the heads up!

Finished it. Comparisons to HG are obvious. This wasn't written nearly as well, wasn't nearly as epic. It feels like an abbreviated HG. But I did really like it!

Cia - (view spoiler)[I liked her a lot, especially the way she was able to think things through. I don't think she compares to other MC's, though, like Katniss or Kira (from Partials) or June (Legend). She seems like one of those characters, but "lite" or "diet." I think it boiled down to never really getting the depth of what she was thinking and feeling. I like the way she was hesitant about the romance, how it made her unsure while all the rest of the challenges made her more sure. I wish they had capitalized more on her abilities to make things work. (hide spoiler)]

Tomas - (view spoiler)[Really liked him. I don't think he's a bad guy. I think, like Cia thought, that he had to have been in a bad situation for something like Zandri to have gotten killed. The romance thing - it did kind of come out of nowhere, even as sweet as it was. I wish Tomas had been more of a leader. Those times when he took care of Cia when she was sick seemed so glossed over. I think he was a very likable guy, but I wish we'd gotten more bite from him. More winks and sarcastic remarks, even good-naturedly. Again, he seemed kind of "lite." (hide spoiler)]

The plot in general (view spoiler)[I know I keep saying this, but I felt like this was like the Diet Hunger Games. All the action was great, but I never felt like it got to the point of being epic. I never felt the extreme desperation of Cia and Tomas crossing the finish line. I felt like I should have been horrified as Brick shot all those people, and yet I just didn't feel it. The story was good and the writing was good (not great, but good). It just didn't reach me on a deep level like several other dystopians have. One really good thing - the pacing. This moved along really well. (hide spoiler)]

The sequel (view spoiler)[I'm with you Jenny, I want to know about Michal, the guy at the fence, and what's going to happen with any kind of resistance. And please God don't let her turn the second book into a love triangle with Will. Please, just, no. Let's not go there! (hide spoiler)]

I'm definitely interested in the sequel. I hope they don't make this into a movie. It would just be too close to HG.

I agree with both of you on everything. I like the analysis of it being a (view spoiler)[diet Hunger Games (hide spoiler)]. Hahaah... perfect!

Jen, you put it perfectly, I agree completely! It was enjoyable, but not as deep as some of my favorite dystopians.

I think the next book will be a great opportunity for the author to depart from the HG paradigm, don't you? She can take it a direction that's totally different; the university experience, students heading out to work in the colonies, etc. I have a feeling we will like it much better. And no love triangles! None! Nada! Zip! Zilch!

NOOOOO love triangles!! I will throw my Nook (across the bed... so I don't hurt it). But yea, agreed. The university story line should help!!

Ginny just PM'd me that she spoke with the author in a PM and was assured there is NO love triangle!! Whew!!

Thanks for the info, Ginny! :-)

I gave the sequel 3 stars, by the way. =)

From Ginny:
The author actually likes writing WILL's Character and thinks that he's not as bad as we think.

she mentioned something about a new character who gets introduced in book 2 and wants to know what we'll think of him in INDEPENDENT STUDY

we have to wait a WHILE to find out what Tomas did,not sure when.

she was shocked when the movie rights were bought

the second book INDEPENDENT STUDY comes out in January 2014

followed by the third and final book GRADUATION DAY that June.

Bieke {Istyria book blog} wrote: "I gave the sequel 3 stars, by the way. =)"

A 5 to a 3? Do you think the last book will be better?

Karen wrote: "Bieke {Istyria book blog} wrote: "I gave the sequel 3 stars, by the way. =)"

A 5 to a 3? Do you think the last book will be better?"

I really hope so. I missed action in the second one. I see that a lot in second books in a series. Especially if the first was really good, the second has to be better. And sadly, it often isn't. I hope there's more action in the third book because I was bored a lot in Independent Study

I finally got a chance to read it. I finished it this morning, I really enjoyed it. very similar to hg, but defiantly missing a factor in it that hg has. but still, really good book, can't wait to read book two. have any of you read exhalted by Tara Elizabeth? Its based on there being different communities as well that get chosen to live in the city where life is supposed to be amazing, where it clearly isn't, I really enjoyed it but have yet to find anyone to talk with about it lol maybe I should create a new thread and reread it myself since the second book will be out soon.