The Testing - Joelle Charbonneau

It's graduation day for sixteen-year-old Malencia Vale, and the entire Five Lakes Colony (the former Great Lakes) is celebrating. All Cia can think about-hope for-is whether she'll be chosen for The Testing, a United Commonwealth program that selects the best and brightest new graduates to become possible leaders of the slowly revitalizing post-war civilization. When Cia is chosen, her father finally tells her about his own nightmarish half-memories of The Testing. Armed with his dire warnings ("Cia, trust no one"), she bravely heads off to Tosu City, far away from friends and family, perhaps forever ...

Ever since she can remember, Joelle has loved telling stories. As she grew up, she
 started performing those stories on the stage. After graduating from Millikin
 University with a Bachelors Degree in Vocal performance she continued onto
 DePaul University for her Masters Degree in Opera Performance, and from there
 went on to perform across the Chicagoland area in a variety of operas and musicals.
 She never dreamed of writing a novel, but one day she had an idea and started to
 write.

'This book completely drew me in, took my breath away and left me breathless.'
K Books

'there's plenty of threats to keep the pages turning'
Kirkus

"Making the jump from adult mysteries to YA, Charbonneau (the Rebecca Robbins series) launches a dystopian trilogy reminiscent of the Hunger Games. Cia Vale is one of four teens chosen to represent her small colony at the annual Testing, an intensive mental and physical examination aimed at identifying the best and brightest, who will go on to the University and help rebuild their shattered world. Forewarned not to trust anyone, Cia nonetheless forms a tentative partnership with resourceful Tomas, with whom she shares an unexpected emotional connection. As the Testing pushes its candidates to the breaking point and beyond, the body count rises, forcing Cia and her friends to fight for survival. The rising tension, skillfully executed scenarios, and rich characterizations all contribute to an exciting story bound to capture readers' imaginations. However, it's the last-minute revelations, a cliffhanger laden with potential, and the intriguing status quo of Cia's world that will bring readers back for the next installment. Charbonneau works action, romance, intrigue, and a plausible dystopian premise into a near-flawless narrative. There are no grades in this dystopian future-only survival."
Starred Publishers Weekly