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Charbonneau, Joelle
5 Reviews
(4)
YA
After their father and older brother are mysteriously killed, twins Carys and Andreus, each with an equal claim to the throne, must compete for it. Though Carys has spent her life protecting Andreus, mounting distrust between them turns the contest deadly serious. While Andreus's inner conflict strains credulity, Carys's struggle between her sense of justice and her protective instincts toward her brother is compelling.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
(4)
YA
Charbonneau explores the dehumanizing potential of internet anonymity via the mysterious new social network NEED, through which students obtain their needs by performing simple tasks. This soon turns deadly: think Strangers on a Train 2.0. Extremely well-wrought tension in the book's final third rewards patient readers but doesn’t outweigh the glut of hard-to-track rotating perspectives or the strained reveal of NEED's origin.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
(2)
YA
Testing series.
Despite Cia's unease over several issues (the ethics of the University, her choppy memory of the testing, and her boyfriend's secrets), she remains committed to being part of a solution to repair the damaged Earth. Occasional moments of philosophizing slow the action in this second series entry, but the vivid character development and sharp plot twists easily get things back on track.
Reviewer: April Spisak
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2014
(3)
YA
Testing series.
The resistance movement against the brutal, Hunger Games–esque Testing system of education has been infiltrated, and a group of elite students, led by protagonist Cia, must figure out whom to trust to thwart a fake rebellion and end Testing for good. Plentiful action; thorny intrigue; moral ambiguity; and complex, troubled characters keep the plot flowing toward stake-raising developments.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
(2)
YA
Cia wants to pass the mysterious Tests and become one of the elite few helping to rebuild the world after the Seven Stages War. Along the way, she falls in love, struggles to define friendship versus alliances, and tries to keep a core of decency. A lightning pace and a vividly described setting compensate for occasional dialogue that feels like exposition.
Reviewer: April Spisak
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2013
5 reviews
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