To live without truth, or to love without trust is a choice that Cia Vale must make in the first installment of The Testing Trilogy by Joelle Charbonneau. After the Seven Stages War, the world is left in ruins, and humanity is trying its best to reconstruct life as it used to be. Because of this, the United States, now the United Commonwealth selects the best students from the different colonies throughout the country to take part in what is known as The Testing. This grueling and rigorous Testing is any student’s gateway into University.

Malencia, Cia for short, Vale resides in Five Lakes Colony and is the only daughter in a family of five children and the daughter of a University graduate. Because of the brightness of not only her father, but also her brothers, the pressure to be chosen for the Testing is high. Her brothers aren’t chosen, which means that it rests on her, being the youngest in the family.

Cia’s wish is granted when she is one of four students from Five Lakes Colony chosen to take part – the first students chosen from their colony in a decade. While the majority of her friends and family rejoice, her father is rather grim and resentful. As Cia and her friends soon learn, the Testing is much more than a series of academic tests, but rather a brutal examination process both mentally and physically. While only the strong and smart survive, the unworthy disappear.

Being the first book in a trilogy, The Testing opens as an all-too-familiar YA dystopian novel. Similar to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, there is an annual selection of young adults to take part in a blood bath for their future. The trick is that they don’t know that it’s a fight-to-the-death process. Everyone assumes that students who fail are assigned to another Colony, which Cia and her friends soon learn that that isn’t exactly the case.

While similar to many other YA dystopian novels, The Testing is much more brutal and as realistic as a dystopian novel about teenagers dying can be. Many post-apocalyptic novels that are set in dystopian societies contain a uniform heroine who is effortlessly beautiful, doesn’t socialize well, saves the world by getting the whole country on her side of the rebellion, AND manages to get the hot guy after being part of an unnecessary love triangle.

Thankfully, Cia doesn’t conform to these stereotypes, nor does their society conform to the basic dystopian one. While the United Commonwealth resorts to brutal and deadly tactics, it makes sense. Following the Seven Stages War, which information about is subtly given in test questions throughout the book, the world believes that it’s already seen its worst days, and does their best to reconstruct it. The government isn’t inherently despicable in its entirety, and the common people believe in its methods. The United Commonwealth doesn’t even seem bad; to be chosen for the Testing is one of the greatest honors that a student can achieve.

Probably the best thing about The Testing is its realism and blunt brutality. Fair warning before reading: do NOT get attached to anyone, besides probably Cia. People kill and are killed. The good thing is that the main characters aren’t afraid of either; it’s as if they’ve accepted their death or the possibility that they would have to live with their fellow candidate’s blood on their hands. Death in its entirety isn’t sugar coated in this book AT ALL.

Telling her story in first person, Cia is modest and sharp. It’s obvious that she’s smart and skilled, but she doesn’t seem to know everything. She doesn’t dilly dally and is focused on her survival. While she cares about other people and is compassionate due to her upbringing in Five Lakes Colony, she doesn’t let that impair her ability to survive. In fact, she uses it to enhance that ability sometimes. She’s not only book smart, but she is able to apply those to the real world, or the hand-on survival test at least.

What’s a YA novel without a love triangle? The Testing, actually. While there are implications of one, there simply is no time for the melodramatic “OMG I love him, but there’s also this other guy!” that many dystopian novels present. No need to fret, though, a love interest is indeed included, and it’s satisfying enough without taking away from the actual plot. Tomas, Cia’s friend from Five Lakes and her love interest, seems too good to be true. While he also seems to have hidden motives, he’s also devout to Cia and will stop at no cost to protect her. This creates several raised eyebrows about his true intentions, which is undeniably one of the best parts of the novel.

As for the ending, it gives enough closure to feel content with the book, but it also gives enough suspense to long to read the second book. If you can’t wait, there’s no need to panic because the last two books of the trilogy, Independent Study and Graduation Day, are already out and waiting for you to get your hands on it! If you’re looking to devour the next big YA dystopian novel without reading yet another copy of The Hunger Games with different characters, The Testing is perfect.