The Selection: The Forgotten Chronicles Book 1. The Forgotten Chronicles, #1

Seventeen-year-old Eron thought he knew what the Selection was-until the screaming started. Every boy on Anastasia must enter the forest at eighteen. They have thirty days to reach Victory Point or die trying. But when Eron's brother Timo went through the Selection two years ago, his agonized screams shattered something in Eron's mind, burying everything he'd been taught about survival. Now it's Eron's turn, and he's walking into the forest unprepared, unarmed, and haunted by memories he can't grasp.
In the deadly wilderness, Eron forms an unlikely alliance with Phelan, a blue-skinned boy from a rival colony. Together they face savage beasts and competitors who've learned the first rule: kill or be killed. But the forest holds darker secrets. Boys who failed to finish have devolved into monstrous Forgotten, and a mysterious creature keeps appearing, seemingly protecting Eron. As betrayals mount and the truth unravels, Eron realizes the thirty-day deadline isn't his only threat.
The promised paradise at Victory Point may be the biggest lie of all, and survival might mean losing everything he's been fighting for. Perfect for readers who love brutal survival stories with dark twists and heroes who dare to question the system.