Malencia 'Cia' Vale

Trust (noun): firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. In the novel The Testing, the act of trusting another person is what depends on survival. Joelle Charbonneau’s action-packed science fiction novel brings together a compelling and heart-touching story about a future dystopian earth and the struggles of life. Malencia “Cia” Vale, portrays a young adult, who recently graduated from high school and must learn about the world around her on her own. In an America devastated by the Seven Stages War, a global conflict between the world's superpowers, Cia Vale, of Five Lakes Colony, is eager to see the world improve. In order to join the ranks of people leading the effort to revitalize this scarred nation, …show more content…
To begin, The Testing includes some of the best and well-developed characters I have ever come upon in a novel. There are a variety of characters in this novel, but each and every character stands out based on their actions. For example, Tomas, a boy the same age as Cia, is characterized as caring and warmhearted. Through Tomas’ actions during the Testing, it is clear that he is unlike other candidates. While Tomas’ foe, Will, is astute, vicious, and competitive, Tomas seems to care for his surrounding candidates. Another reason why I enjoy the characters in this novel is because the characters are relatable. In particular, Cia is the feminine character I can relate to the most. Cia Vale, who is developed as a strong and determined character, is much like me as she will always try her best and never give …show more content…
As book critic Hyewon Kim states, “This was an outstanding and action-packed read as it had an amazing theme and plot. I would recommend The Testing to anyone who loves a good science fiction novel.” As Hyewon Kim shared her views with me, it is clear that she absolutely loved this novel, which I am happy to agree with. I agree with Hyewon’s opinion as the plot of this story is one so good that anyone will be interested no matter what type of person you are. Additionally, I agree with Hyewon about the theme of the novel. As I previously stated, the theme that Joelle Charbonneau brings along is not just an old cliché theme that you would throw out the window, rather the theme has meaning to it. In particular, a theme based on trust is extremely relevant in the hectic society we live in today. All in all, this book is a must-read for anyone as Joelle Charbonneau’s astonishing literary work of art contains marvelous characters and an unforgettable theme- be careful who you