The Testing Guide

The Testing #0.5

by Joelle Charbonneau

The Testing is a New-York-Times bestselling trilogy which will have fans of The Hunger Games buzzing. Set in a chilling, war-ravaged future, Cia Vale must battle her fellow classmates to survive The Testing, and face whatever the United Commonwealth has in store for her next. In this free prequel chapter, Cia's older brother Zeen learns whether he has been accepted for The Testing. Read on for a free extract from the first book. "I galloped through this excellent read; I was in suspense the whole time." Charlaine Harris, author of the True Blood novels.

Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Novella

44 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

I am a storyteller at heart. I have performed in a variety of operas, musical theatre and children's theatre productions across the Chicagoland area.

While I'm happy to perform for an audience, I am equally delighted to teach private voice lessons and use my experience from the stage to create compelling characters on the page. I am the author of the Rebecca Robbins mystery series (Minotaur Books), The Paige Marshall Glee Club mysteries (Berkley) and The Testing YA triology (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

Reviews

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waaay too generic and short. Getting strong 'Giver' and 'Hunger games' vibes here.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, it's a darn good thing this puppy was free, or there would've been a lot of irate people out there. I wouldn't even say it qualifies as a short story--it's a bonus chapter, one that really can't be included in the book because the book is told in first person by a different character. I can't say that it particularly adds anything to the book--the only reason I'm rating it as high as I am is because I happen to like Zeen from the few small glimpses we've been given of him. All we get from this chapter is that Zeen resents not being chosen for The Testing (which we already knew) and that he sticks around only for the sake of his sister, Cia (which we could pretty much figure out). What this chapter did give me is 1) hope that Zeen will be given a more prominent role in future books and 2) an answer to where Tosu City actually lies, which I admit I was quite curious about.

If the point of this prequel was to provide a bit of background on the world of The Testing before actually reading the book, then there's perhaps enough here to do that--of the 40 pages, 10 of them are this bonus chapter, two are Q&A from "The Testing Guide" which gives you a smidge of the official history of the Seven Stages of War and its aftermath, and the remainder is the first three chapters of The Testing. The problem with that is that I have a hard time believing a lot of people are going to pick up a random prequel--I know I, at least, only read these companion pieces if I've already read the original source material. So, what I'm basically saying is, it's free, so you might as well read it, but you're not missing anything if you don't.

[Igrowastreesgrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really interested in reading the series. It was slightly different than I thought it would be. Also, even with just a small bit of material, I was able to get a lot of information about the world that the characters live in and feel somewhat attached to the the characters. So, I think that the main books for the series must be something to really look into reading.

[Joke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the shortest short story I ever read..

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute little novella about Zeen and his graduation day. It was a good little incite but I wish it was longer! Love this series!

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The free prequel can be downloaded here.

[Scarlet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein Prequel das man lesen kann, aber auch nichts verpasst, wenn man es nicht tut. Hier geht es um Cia's Bruder Zeen und darum, wir er auf seinen Abschluss gewartet hat um für die Auslese auserwählt zu werden.

Ich finde man hätte hier noch viel mehr erzählen können und auch evtl noch darauf eingehen können, wir es ihm ergangen ist während seine Schwester für die Auslese erwählt wurde. Aber naja so war es halt nur ne kurze Sequenz aus deinen Gedanken und es gab nicht viel Neues. Außerdem hätte man sich die ersten 3 Kapitel aus dem ersten Teil ruhig sparen können und das Prequel waren schlussendlich nur ganz wenig Seiten.

Von mir 2,5 ⭐ (aufgerundet auf 3⭐) da es jetzt nicht schlecht, aber halt auch nicht herausragend war.

[Kathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Testing Guide" ist eine kostenlose Kurzgeschichte, die man vor oder nach dem ersten Band der "Die Auslese" Reihe lesen kann. Im Prinzip handelt es davon, wie Cias Bruder Zeen seine Prüfung erlebt hat.

Wenn ich ganz ehrlich bin, ist das ein viel zu kleiner Auszug. Wirklich interessant finde ich das jetzt nicht unbedingt. Am Ende sind noch die ersten drei Kapitel vom ersten Band angehängt. Die Geschichte selbst hat nur ca. zehn Seiten. Wenn ich dieses Prequel jetzt nicht gelesen hätte, wäre es vermutlich kein großer Verlust gewesen.

Von mir gibt es dennoch 2,5 Sterne, die ich einfach mal wohlwollend auf 3 aufrunde.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked The Testing Guide but this was WAY shorter than I expected it to be. Most of it was just a preview of The Testing. This can hardly be considered a "short story."

Nonetheless, The Testing Guide was interesting. I've heard of The Testing but never actually knew what it was about. Now that I've read this, I'm more interested in starting the series.

But like most prequels, this really was pointless. I can't say I see the point of this. It's an okay set-up for the series, because it explains some things but it was too short to actually get anything across. If this was just more in-depth, I would have really liked it.

You can get this for free here.

[Nj Sun · Rating 2 out of 5]

Das war aber sehr kurz...

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this would have been longer and told us more of Zeen's story.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Literally the shortest novella I have ever read. It's only one chapter and then the rest is part of the first book, The Testing. But I did like seeing more of Zeen and hope that the author showcases his character more in the next books, or does a full novella with him.

[Merle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good thing this was free.
The book is one 10 page chapter from Zeen's perspective, which... was quite boring actually.
Then four Testing questions, and the other pages from the first book.

You really don't need this book in your life.

[As You Wish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short, good insight into Zeen's time waiting for the Testing that he is sure to be admitted to, as well as his relationship with his little sister, Cia. I hope the next book shows us more from Cia's past.

[Addie_read_this · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shortest short story ever. It was just 3 pages....

[Troy Lefman]

Supplemental in the Testing. Backstory of another character.

[Maren Kuppens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit is een hoofdstuk GEEN prequel

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is not a lot to say on this. I expected more. I feel ripped off! The "novella" was so short. I mean, offer it up on the author webpage or something or just include it in new editions of The Testing! There was more of that book than anything original. It was interesting to get Zeen's perspective. Although I lost some respect for him too. It was okay but nothing special.

[Rossana · Rating 3 out of 5]

4.0⭐️ — Good — Short Story

I liked this short story, but I was surprised that the main character in the story is not Cia, but her oldest brother. It kind of made me a fan of him, and wished he was the mais character of the story, since I liked him from first page... I’m kind of asking myself what’s happened to him????

📚 Good reading! 📚

[Nick Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This eleven-page story, teaser prequel to novel, The Testing (with a forty-page excerpt of The Testing after the prequel story), sets the scene locating the future post-apocalyptic world of The Testing in a post-war North America a century after war and global catastrophes destroyed much of the Earth's population and biomass leaving coastal cities submerged and toxic tainted soil.

The prequel tells the story of Zeen (elder brother of The Testing's protagonist Malencia - "Cia") and how it was that Cia came to have a burning ambition to be chosen for the Testing, after what happened to her brother.

Young adults who desire one of the few University places hope to be chosen for the Testing - a strenuous examination which is not merely academic - Zeen's father, who passed the Test, (despite being subject to the procedure to take away the memories' of Test subjects ensuring secrecy) reveals that he wasn't the first in his class of the applicants during the Testing, but those smarter students didn't make it.

[AH · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short 45 page prequel to The Testing. It also includes the first three chapters of the book. Once again, I'm really not sure if this prequel would make me want to go out and purchase the book. The Testing Guide gives a basic backdrop to a world destroyed by war, earthquakes, and bad weather. Resources are limited. Graduates of school compete to get a place in the capital city for the Testing which upon successful completion ensures a spot in university.

It kind of has The Hunger Games feel to it, but it's kind of early to make that assumption.

As I received a copy of The Testing for review, I think I will continue reading, just to satisfy my curiosity.

The Testing Guide is available for free download here.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great teaser for the up and coming book The Testing. Besides giving us a glimpse of what to expect for the story, the eprequel also includes the first 3 chapters of the book.

I am happy to say I am VERY excited to read it and looking forward to this series by Joelle Charbonneau.

A free download can be found here: The Testing Guide

[Myndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I'm guessing is just a peek into the world that I'm about to learn about in The Testing. I actually hopped on GR to show someone the series I was about to read and learned about this little novella. So I clicked the link and got it for my Nook. We learn about who I've learned is the main character of the series' big brother and what happened at his graduation and shortly after. We also get to see what his relationship with his sister was like. Only a bit though because the novella really was just a little sample of what was to come. I'm anxious to see how The Testing goes now that I've had this little taste.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating of 3 stars, instead of a 4 or 5, is absolutely only given because of the brevity of this ePrequel to one of my very favorite dystopian series. I was excited to download a Kindle short that would give me a glimpse into the early lives of Cia and Zeen and enjoyed every bit of it, but it was disappointingly short. I really needed much more insight into what Zeen was feeling as he was passed over for The Testing and was forced to remain in Five Lakes to help his dad develop more ways to bring a damaged land back to health. More please, Joelle! A few more, but longer, prequels will give the trilogy a boost in new readership and make fans very happy!

[Mehsi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well... I had hoped for a bit more story and I am a bit disappointed. You got about 10 pages of bonus story, and 3 or so with a bit of history information, and after that a first look at the Testing. Which is a shame.

I am now still not sure if I should read the Testing or not. For now I am lingering to the no.

It was an interesting story, but also slightly confusing. Still don't understand stuff about the testing or what it means, and I was hoping this story would let me know a bit more.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing beginning pages to the full length novel, a very very short teaser to what is to come in the future for Cia and her friends.
Currently reading the book and already in a short period of time over 100 pages and am fascinated and looking forward to finding out more. May be one of my new favorite series found from Netgalley.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice introduction to the book. I had already read the first chapter of The Testing prior to reading this. This is very short, took me about 10 minutes to read it. Not much to it. Gives just a bit of background on the world and a few of the characters. Looking forward to getting into the book now!

[Muphyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seriously?! It looks like it's a 50-page prequel but it's really just 10 as the rest is made up of the first three chapters of 'The Testing'. It just wet my appetite and then it was all over.

It's Zeen's story of his graduation day and I wanted to know more. So much more. Bit disappointing, obviously I expected too much.

[B.A. Malisch · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's free, which is great. It doesn't really add a lot in terms of the world or story, but if you just want to read a little bit more, it's good for that purpose. I typically love novellas but don't find this one to be a necessary read. If you are a die hard fan of the story, then downloaded it for free. There's nothing to lose, so you can give it a try and decide for yourself.

Pages: 46

[Kayleigh {K-Books} · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short prequel.
It really gave me an insight to this course and really piqued my interest and curiosity for the first book. I can't wait to find out more about this dystopian world.