Blog Tour Book Review and Giveaway: Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau

Title: Independent Study

Author: Joelle Charbonneau

Series: Book Two in the Testing Series

Published By: HMH Books For Young Readers (January 7, 2014)

Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)

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Genre: YA Dystopian

Book Description:

In the series debut The Testing, sixteen-year-old Cia Vale was chosen by the United Commonwealth government as one of the best and brightest graduates of all the colonies . . . a promising leader in the effort to revitalize postwar civilization. In Independent Study, Cia is a freshman at the University in Tosu City with her hometown sweetheart, Tomas—and though the government has tried to erase her memory of the brutal horrors of The Testing, Cia remembers. Her attempts to expose the ugly truth behind the government’s murderous programs put her—and her loved ones—in a world of danger. But the future of the Commonwealth depends on her.

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About the Author:

Ever since I can remember I loved telling stories. As I grew up, I started performing those stories on the stage. Creating vivid characters and singing wonderfully complex songs were my passion. I graduated from Millikin University with a Bachelors Degree in Vocal Performance and then continued onto DePaul University for my Masters Degree in Opera Performance. From there I went onto perform across the Chicagoland area in a variety of Operas, Operettas and Musicals. I also started teaching acting classes and private voice lessons to pass my passion along to the next generation.

Not exactly the path you’d expect a writer to take.

I’d never dreamed of writing a novel. But I loved to read. Then one day I had an idea and I started to write. I found my passion for creating characters lived on the page as well as the stage. It is my hope that the characters I’ve created resonate with you and make you smile.

I still teach voice lessons and sing for the occasional professional event. But the rest of my time is spent with my husband and son while dreaming up new and interesting stories. I hope that someday I hear yours.

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I really liked the first book in the series The Testing and I just knew that I would be moving on to the next because honestly, I had high hopes for it. Yes it reminds me a little (read very little) of the Hunger Games, but more than that, it was an adrenaline, heart pounding, fun filled read. Where you never knew what was around the next corner, who could be trusted or what was going to happen next.

I am happy to say, the second book stood up to the first and was every bit as good if not better than it's predecessor.

Charbonneau has managed to create a dystopian world disguised as good but really very cruel and sinister under the seams. A world where rulers aren't always the bad guys and even worse, the teachers teaching the next generation are even worse than the “bad guys”. A government every bit as corrupt and disturbing as the one that caused the destruction in the first place.

I was really hoping that the world and government would be explained in more depth and detail than it was in the first book, and while not everything was answered, we do get a lot of answers for those pesky questions from the first book and even some for those that pop up in this one.

I once again loved Cia, how strong and how smart she is. How willing to trust even when everything screams in her not to because of what she has seen and heard from her time in the Testing and from what very little she really knows about the people and agency that surrounds her. 

There is so much corruption, so many secrets and so many unnecessary and cruel games that go on in the world that she lives in that I really can't even fathom it. What it must be like to live like she does. To see people die in front of her and to know that it is all in the name of the good of the land.

I was so glad to see Michal play a bigger role in this as well as some new, and every surprising allies and friends in the new group of students that join Cia in the dorms. Ian, Tomas, Will, Enzo, Stacia, Raffe, I really enjoyed all of them and not knowing who could be trusted and who was good or bad and who was just trying to survive. 


The plot definitely thickened with the way this one ended and while it wasn't a total cliffhanger, it was definitely a put you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next move, at least, it was for me and I, for one, will be awaiting the next chapter in the story. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author, publisher or tour cost. I was not compensated for this review.*


Tour Schedule:


Week One: 
12/30/2013- My Guilty Obsession- Review 
12/31/2013- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Interview 
1/1/2014- Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Guest Post
 1/2/2014- Hannah Reads Books- Review 
1/3/2014- K-Books- Review

Week Two: 
1/6/2014- Fiktshun- Interview 
1/7/2014- Parajunkee's View- Interview
 1/8/2014- Jenna Does Books- Review 
1/9/2014- The Book Cellar- Guest Post
 1/10/2014- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

3 INDEPENDENT STUDY prize packs with a finished copy of the book, a GRADUATION DAY ARC, a bracelet, pencil, & temporary tattoos! US only.

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