Joelle Charbonneau talks with Hypable about Graduation Day, the final book in her The Testing series.

Graduation Day is the third and final book in Joelle Charbonneau’s The Testing series. It follows Cia on her journey to finally end the Testing, a brutal series of assessments aimed at picking the best and brightest to become leaders of The United Commonwealth. As the rebels move into place, ready to fight against the government, Cia must decide who is truly on her side and who is not. Read our review.

Interview with Joelle Charbonneau

Tell us five random facts about yourself!

1. I can hold a high C for fifteen bars of music while also twirling a fake gun.
2. My cat fetches sparkly craft balls and clearly thinks he is a dog.
3. My mother is a world champion artistic roller skater.
4. I’m a die hard sports fan. So if the Cubs, Bulls, Bears or Blackhawks are playing, you can be sure I’m screaming at my television.
5. I hate to clean, but I love to cook. (Sadly, when I do the one I love, I have to do the one I hate, but that’s life!)

Are you sad or relieved that the final book in your The Testing series is now out in the world for everyone to read?

I’m excited and relieved that the final book is out in the world mostly because I’m dying to see what readers have to say about where Cia’s story takes her. It’s been hard to know what is going to happen and not say anything that will spoil the story for others.

All three of these books were published in quick succession. Why was that decision made and what was the process like?

Ha! I love this question. The quick publication of all three books was an idea my publishing team was enthusiastic about. When they approached me with the idea, the writer in me wasn’t sure if I was totally up to the challenge, but the reader inside of me wanted to try. So often readers start a series and are forced to wait long periods of time for the next installment. Sometimes that installment never comes. I loved the idea of being able to tell readers that the next book wasn’t far away and that they were all written. The process, however, was a challenge because so much goes into writing and publishing every book. The schedule for writing and editing and proofing was tight. But I loved being busy and I am passionate about these stories so I was thrilled to be able to immerse myself in them during the writing and production process. As tough as the process was, I am lucky that I got to finish writing the series before the first one hit shelves. It meant the characters and their stories were mine and mine alone through that time. Once The Testing was published, I was really ready to share them with whoever picked up the story and took the journey with Cia.

What was it like writing the conclusion to this series? Did you have a clear understanding at where Cia’s story would end, or were there some surprises along the way?

I’d love to say I knew where the story was going, but mostly I knew what the final scene would be. The rest was really a surprise. And when I revised the book with my editor, there were even more surprises. The best part about writing is that every action has a reaction. And sometimes you just don’t know what they will be until you sit down and write them. For me, those surprises along the way are the best part of storytelling.

What was your favorite chapter or scene to write in Graduation Day?

There is a scene with Dr. Barnes and Cia that I really enjoyed writing. I also admit that I liked writing the final page or two because while graduation is the end for high school or college, it really is the beginning of a new phase. So while The Testing Trilogy is at an end, for Cia, her life and the hope of what might be in front of her is really just beginning. I hope readers love that moment as much as I do.

There are a lot of characters in this book whose loyalties you don’t understand until the very end. Which one was the most exciting to write?

What a tough question! From the very beginning of his series, Will has been my favorite character to write. I love characters that are filled with shades of gray. Will is a character who has a lot to prove and lost a lot along the way. That makes him really interesting and I hope readers will enjoy watching him as he makes his way through this final story.

If you were in Cia’s position, to kill for the better of the country, do you think you could do it?

Is it a cop out to say “I don’t know”? Because I don’t. I’d like to believe I could step up and do what I think is necessary, but it would depend on the set of circumstances as to whether I really could. If it was just my own life at stake – I doubt I could kill. If it is hundreds or thousands and I could see no other way – well, that’s when I would have to dig deep and decide whether I could live with doing what is necessary. Here’s hoping the country or the world doesn’t have to rely on me any time soon.

What’s easier to write, the first line or the last line?

The first line is the easiest. The last line is always the best.

Do you have any ideas for what you’re going to be working on next?

I’m currently typing away on a new young adult thriller that is set in a small town in Wisconsin. It involves an elite social networking site that invites teens to say what they think they need and offers them a chance to get their desire. Only there is a difference between a want and a need and students eventually learn that sometimes the price for what we want can sometimes be too high to pay. The manuscript is currently titled N.E.E.D. and I am both excited and a little freaked as I explore the world of social media and how safe people feel sitting behind their computer screens when they think nothing they do on the Internet is truly real.

About Joelle Charbonneau

Joelle has performed in opera and musical theater productions across Chicagoland. She now teaches private voice lessons and is the author of the New York Times best selling THE TESTING trilogy (THE TESTING, INDEPENDENT STUDY and GRADUATION DAY) as well as two mystery series: The Rebecca Robbins mysteries (Minotaur Books) and the Glee Club mysteries (Berkley). Her YA books have appeared on the Indie Next List, on the YALSA Top 10 books for 2014 as well as the YALSA Quick Picks for reluctant readers. Paramount optioned THE TESTING and the project is currently in development.