Scan barcode
kayteaface's review against another edition
4.0
Well, I don't know, I have mixed feelings about this book. It took me a long time to get into in, and when I finally did start to enjoy it it was over too soon.
I thought the character development was great - where I started out disliking all of them, by the end of the book they'd all grown on me in their own way and I was rooting for them. What action there was was really good, too, it definitely had me at the edge of my seat.
That ending, though. What was that.
I thought the character development was great - where I started out disliking all of them, by the end of the book they'd all grown on me in their own way and I was rooting for them. What action there was was really good, too, it definitely had me at the edge of my seat.
That ending, though. What was that.
abaugher's review against another edition
5.0
I opened this book hoping for a somewhat faster pace than the other book i was reading. I thought, meh, this should be kinda interesting. i was wide-eyed wiht how quickly it grabbed my attention, like a hungry zombie, and made me want to read more.
zombies, high school students locked in the school for safety while the undead bang unceasingly on the doors to get in. interpersonal drama that shifts between the various characters, unpleasant happenings, death, running, more death, another deadth, surprise deaths. fun stuff!
zombies, high school students locked in the school for safety while the undead bang unceasingly on the doors to get in. interpersonal drama that shifts between the various characters, unpleasant happenings, death, running, more death, another deadth, surprise deaths. fun stuff!
iceangel32's review against another edition
5.0
This was a great story. It was a story of 6 teens that locked themselves in a school due to a Zombie Apocalypse. If you are looking for a true zombie story this is not it. This book is an amazing story of six teen trying to survive, both the outside world and their owns selves. Great book.
mon452's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
stephxsu's review against another edition
3.0
Courtney Summers’ trademark sparse yet hard-hitting prose meets the walking dead. Sound like either the next best thing or the stuff that makes you squirm in discomfort? It was a…strange…pairing in my opinion, and I’m still not sure what to think of it, but THIS IS NOT A TEST was a quick and intense read that was still hard for me to put down, despite some of my hesitations toward it.
There were many moments while I was reading when I stopped, pressed my palms into my eyes, and thought again how much subjective overkill of content this book contained. Sloane is a suicidal teenage girl with an abusive family history and a missing older sister. Sound like the beginning of a YA contemporary novel to you? It did to me too. Which was why I found the choice to make zombies a huge part of the problem in THIS IS NOT A TEST a rather strange one. The zombie premise made the book read sort of like a giant metaphor for not killing yourself and whatnot, and masked—at least for me—the subtlety of character development that a sophisticated contemporary YA allows.
It’s hard to not get fed up with the characters in THIS IS NOT A TEST. Sloane has a sort of narration that can dip into stream-of-consciousness at times, which combined with The Zombie Situation gave me headaches sometimes. (There are zombies. I just wanted some direct prose sometimes, y’know?) Other characters are even less likable, hung up on past events or sniffling at every single new thing that goes wrong. There were large chunks of the book that felt like characters simply shouting at one another, to no avail.
On the other hand, even if I wanted to grab some characters by the scruffs of their necks and drop-kick them outside to be at the mercy of the zombies, it’s hard for me to say whether or not this would be the natural behaviors of a group of six people stuck together in the middle of an apocalyptic situation. So I, as a reader, was torn between my frustration with some of the characters’ pettiness and the sobering thought that even I would be like those characters in that situation.
THIS IS NOT A TEST is not my favorite YA take on zombies, nor is it my favorite of Summers’ objectively accomplished novels: the strange juxtaposition of the supernatural with a setup that seems more ideal for a contemporary YA story didn’t quite work for me. However, if you’re a big fan of Summers’ writing style, don’t mind reading about zombies, and are interested in the details and behaviors of human beings in apocalyptic situations, THIS IS NOT A TEST will be just the thing for a dark and stormy night’s read.
There were many moments while I was reading when I stopped, pressed my palms into my eyes, and thought again how much subjective overkill of content this book contained. Sloane is a suicidal teenage girl with an abusive family history and a missing older sister. Sound like the beginning of a YA contemporary novel to you? It did to me too. Which was why I found the choice to make zombies a huge part of the problem in THIS IS NOT A TEST a rather strange one. The zombie premise made the book read sort of like a giant metaphor for not killing yourself and whatnot, and masked—at least for me—the subtlety of character development that a sophisticated contemporary YA allows.
It’s hard to not get fed up with the characters in THIS IS NOT A TEST. Sloane has a sort of narration that can dip into stream-of-consciousness at times, which combined with The Zombie Situation gave me headaches sometimes. (There are zombies. I just wanted some direct prose sometimes, y’know?) Other characters are even less likable, hung up on past events or sniffling at every single new thing that goes wrong. There were large chunks of the book that felt like characters simply shouting at one another, to no avail.
On the other hand, even if I wanted to grab some characters by the scruffs of their necks and drop-kick them outside to be at the mercy of the zombies, it’s hard for me to say whether or not this would be the natural behaviors of a group of six people stuck together in the middle of an apocalyptic situation. So I, as a reader, was torn between my frustration with some of the characters’ pettiness and the sobering thought that even I would be like those characters in that situation.
THIS IS NOT A TEST is not my favorite YA take on zombies, nor is it my favorite of Summers’ objectively accomplished novels: the strange juxtaposition of the supernatural with a setup that seems more ideal for a contemporary YA story didn’t quite work for me. However, if you’re a big fan of Summers’ writing style, don’t mind reading about zombies, and are interested in the details and behaviors of human beings in apocalyptic situations, THIS IS NOT A TEST will be just the thing for a dark and stormy night’s read.
celjla212's review against another edition
4.0
Sloane was planning on doing something drastic...until some even more drastic happened. Not only to her, but to the entire world. Her town of Cortege has been overrun by infected dead, and Sloane and 5 of her schoolmates are barricaded inside the high school with little hope of survival.
For those of you looking for a zombie-killing, brain splattering blood and gore fest, this is not your book. This book is more of a study in personality conflict and psychological changes to individuals in traumatic, unimaginable situations. So, just a fair warning.
Did I like the main character? No, I can't necessarily say that I did. I think most of what I felt for Sloane was pity. At times I found her very weak, but I'm not sure I can fault her for that after all the horrible things she had gone through in her life. She was definitely a change from the kick-ass, fiercely independent heroines that seem to be so popular in books these days.
This book has a taut line of tension that stretches throughout the entire story until the characters finally snap. The characters were archetypes: the leader, the hothead, the good girl, the rebel, etc. This was one aspect of the story I didn't care for--I was hoping for more originality in that aspect.
In the end, Sloane finally understands why she has made it so far and is lucky to be still alive. Especially since there were so many close to her, who did not.
For those of you looking for a zombie-killing, brain splattering blood and gore fest, this is not your book. This book is more of a study in personality conflict and psychological changes to individuals in traumatic, unimaginable situations. So, just a fair warning.
Did I like the main character? No, I can't necessarily say that I did. I think most of what I felt for Sloane was pity. At times I found her very weak, but I'm not sure I can fault her for that after all the horrible things she had gone through in her life. She was definitely a change from the kick-ass, fiercely independent heroines that seem to be so popular in books these days.
This book has a taut line of tension that stretches throughout the entire story until the characters finally snap. The characters were archetypes: the leader, the hothead, the good girl, the rebel, etc. This was one aspect of the story I didn't care for--I was hoping for more originality in that aspect.
In the end, Sloane finally understands why she has made it so far and is lucky to be still alive. Especially since there were so many close to her, who did not.
shebolebolee's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
melissaalgood's review against another edition
5.0
This might be my favorite zombie book of all time
4saradouglas's review against another edition
4.0
I finished this book SO quickly and just loved it. It really sucks you in, and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I really liked the characters, even the one I couldn't stand, if that makes sense. I'm just mad that it ended!! Sequel??
halcyone's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted at The Cozy Armchair.
I’ve been trying to review This is Not a Test for about five months, but I kept stalling, struggling to find the right words. Simply put, this book is an intense look at the experiences of a girl who has nothing left to lose. Sloane wants to die yet she’s found herself hiding out in the school with a group of acquaintances. Tensions are high and rising, especially with the lingering anger at losing a few members of their party. Coupled with the undead constantly pounding at the walls and doors, looking for a way in, you have a recipe for apocalyptic disaster.
I’ve seen other reviews say that this is not a book about zombies, and that’s just about the most accurate way I can think to describe it. The zombies are a constant threat throughout the story, but they don’t make their official appearance until a bit later. They’re the foundation of the setting, but they're only one of many external and internal conflicts. The horror comes more from the ever-present fear of there being a breach in the school and the group being trapped, which is very effective in setting this bleak, desperate atmosphere.
Sloane is such a fascinating character, and her arc carries the novel through to the end. She debates living and dying from the start, and her emotions are so very raw and visceral. I ached for her, and I had to set the book aside at several points because it got to be a bit too much. Both her emotions and those of the people around her are very realistic.This is Not a Test explores group dynamics and emotional responses at the end of the world.
Another important element is the will to survive and the role it plays in apocalyptic situations. So often we get books where everyone works toward surviving the threat and maybe a few are lost along the way, but the message is clear: survival. Here, it is not so easy to find the will to keep going despite losing so much. Everyone has their reasons, and everyones makes their own decisions, some of which are hard to face.
This is Not a Test is definitely a page turner and unpredictable in so many ways. I kept wondering what Sloane would finally do in the end and how the group would move forward. The plot itself is very self-contained, occurring almost entirely within the school they’re hiding in, and it works so well. While I might have liked more information about how the zombie apocalypse came about, in some way it works because Sloane and her group don’t have that information. You only hear about the past through Sloane as she remembers her home life, but beyond that you’re thrust into the middle of this situation much like the characters were.
The story haunted me long after I had put it down. I remember finishing and just sitting on my couch, staring down at the final words and trying to process what I had just read. This is Not a Test was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. The ending is the right kind of ambiguous because this book works perfectly as a standalone. Overall, it’s a dark look at the zombie apocalypse with less action that most books in the genre usually have, but it’s such a compelling read. So, do I recommend this book? Wholeheartedly.
I’ve been trying to review This is Not a Test for about five months, but I kept stalling, struggling to find the right words. Simply put, this book is an intense look at the experiences of a girl who has nothing left to lose. Sloane wants to die yet she’s found herself hiding out in the school with a group of acquaintances. Tensions are high and rising, especially with the lingering anger at losing a few members of their party. Coupled with the undead constantly pounding at the walls and doors, looking for a way in, you have a recipe for apocalyptic disaster.
I’ve seen other reviews say that this is not a book about zombies, and that’s just about the most accurate way I can think to describe it. The zombies are a constant threat throughout the story, but they don’t make their official appearance until a bit later. They’re the foundation of the setting, but they're only one of many external and internal conflicts. The horror comes more from the ever-present fear of there being a breach in the school and the group being trapped, which is very effective in setting this bleak, desperate atmosphere.
Sloane is such a fascinating character, and her arc carries the novel through to the end. She debates living and dying from the start, and her emotions are so very raw and visceral. I ached for her, and I had to set the book aside at several points because it got to be a bit too much. Both her emotions and those of the people around her are very realistic.This is Not a Test explores group dynamics and emotional responses at the end of the world.
Another important element is the will to survive and the role it plays in apocalyptic situations. So often we get books where everyone works toward surviving the threat and maybe a few are lost along the way, but the message is clear: survival. Here, it is not so easy to find the will to keep going despite losing so much. Everyone has their reasons, and everyones makes their own decisions, some of which are hard to face.
This is Not a Test is definitely a page turner and unpredictable in so many ways. I kept wondering what Sloane would finally do in the end and how the group would move forward. The plot itself is very self-contained, occurring almost entirely within the school they’re hiding in, and it works so well. While I might have liked more information about how the zombie apocalypse came about, in some way it works because Sloane and her group don’t have that information. You only hear about the past through Sloane as she remembers her home life, but beyond that you’re thrust into the middle of this situation much like the characters were.
The story haunted me long after I had put it down. I remember finishing and just sitting on my couch, staring down at the final words and trying to process what I had just read. This is Not a Test was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. The ending is the right kind of ambiguous because this book works perfectly as a standalone. Overall, it’s a dark look at the zombie apocalypse with less action that most books in the genre usually have, but it’s such a compelling read. So, do I recommend this book? Wholeheartedly.