Graduation Day is the final book in the Testing series. This book isn’t as action-filled as the other two; unfortunately, it only becomes interesting in the last few chapters. The ending does give good closure; I was content with the way it brought the three books together. However, ‘Graduation Day’ is a bit misleading as a title, as the book doesn’t terminate with the students’ completing the University program in four years.
I wish that there was a prologue or a novella of Cia’s future, because although there is a final idea of what the rest of her life will be like, I do think that there could have been more written. That is something that I liked better with books such as the Hunger Games – there is a prologue of Katniss’s and Peeta’s life together.
In the final book, Cia learns of a true rebellion brewing to bring down the Testing, but also the leader’s true intentions for the rebellion. So, Cia and a few others create their own short-lived strike – although it isn’t as interesting as I feel it could have been, because it isn’t anything long or elaborate. She just follows the President’s orders for what she wants Cia to do.
The writing in the final book could have been much better. The first two were based on a great concept for a future society, but as the conflicts in those two books come to an end, the final book falters a little. Usually, the endings of trilogies in general are more action-packed, but Graduation Day is a slow-moving book until the end. This series had everything going for it. I was sure that there was nothing that could make me feel disappointed in it – until book three, that is.
Having said that, am I disappointed with the ending? No, I think it was fitting, especially for some of the secrets that were exposed by Cia. The buildup was not as good as it could have been though.
This series was the perfect lead to impose a sequel, although it didn’t happen. Overall, I think that this would also be a perfect series to create a movie, as it does provide excitement. Furthermore, this last book did give us a better understanding of some of the characters. Their actions in the end cleared up my own opinion of Tomas, Will, and Stacia, as well as the President and Dr. Barnes. Keep reading until the end, because although the buildup isn’t as expected, it is still a very epic ending!