Description
Barricaded in Cortege High with five other teens while zombies try to get in, Sloane Price observes her fellow captives become more unpredictable and violent as time passes although they each have much more reason to live than she has.
Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
St. Martin's Griffin, 2012.
User reviews
LibraryThing member titania86
Sloane is utterly alone in the world. Her father beat her and her sister for years and they told no one to stay together. Then one day, her sister just left her despite their plans to run away when Sloane turned 18. Completely abandoned and with no one else to turn to, Sloane considers suicide and
I read a lot of rave reviews before reading This is Not a Test, so my expectations were very high at the outset. It didn't live up to all of my expectations, but it's a formidable novel. It centers around the 6 teens holed up in the high school and how they interact day after day. Each of the teens comes from a different background and they all bring different baggage. Their melodramas and conflicts are the center of the novel, not the zombies. Like many of the zombie stories I like, the humans can sometimes be more dangerous than the zombies. The characters are at first shell shocked and still reeling over the events leading up to their meeting: family members dying, chaos in the streets, cannibalistic living corpses, and the rest of the trappings of the zombie apocalypse. Then they start to argue, tempers run high, factions start to form, and new relationships are made.
I generally liked Sloane and felt her background gave the book a sense of realism and a glimpse into how abuse can effect someone. Some readers complain that she whines a lot and holds on to the past, but she is a victim of long term and violent abuse that obviously have long term psychological problems that can't really be dealt with in her current situation. She experienced not only the abuse of her father, but also her sister, who told her over and over not to tell anyone about their father's abuse using threat of being separated to scare her. She also told Sloane never to have any other friends or boyfriends, leading their relationship to be incredibly one sided (as she could have other people in her life) and codependent. After her sister left, Sloane was lost and literally had nothing to live for and no one to turn to. I'm sure the whole world falling apart didn't help either.
Although I greatly enjoyed most of the characters and Summers' writing style, there were annoying flaws. I hated that this zombie novel barely had any zombies in it at all. They were present through the first part of the book, banging on doors and trying to get in, but they went away when a gas station exploded. Then they never came back. I liked that they were at least an ominous presence, but then they were just absent. Then some of the characters were insufferably annoying and I kind of wish they were made zombie food. They held on to their little petty conflicts and moaned and whined over the dumbest things. Ugh. This aspect was the worst for me and I kept waiting for those characters to get better and unfortunately they never did.
This is Not a Test has a great flow and some good characters. If you're looking for zombies, you won't really find them here beyond a few scenes. However, if you like claustrophobic stories about where people are thrown together and become much different after society collapses, then this is the book for you.
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would have succeeded had her sister left her prescription pills. Then the zombies come and the world is thrown into chaos. A few days later, Sloane is hiding out at her high school with five other students, waiting to be rescued by someone. She still doesn't really want to live, but everyone around her does. They wait and wait, but no one comes. They only hear the zombies outside or just silence. Their survival depends less on the zombies outside and more about the conflicts between the teens inside the school. Who will survive and is anyone coming to save them? Is anywhere in this zombie infested world safe?I read a lot of rave reviews before reading This is Not a Test, so my expectations were very high at the outset. It didn't live up to all of my expectations, but it's a formidable novel. It centers around the 6 teens holed up in the high school and how they interact day after day. Each of the teens comes from a different background and they all bring different baggage. Their melodramas and conflicts are the center of the novel, not the zombies. Like many of the zombie stories I like, the humans can sometimes be more dangerous than the zombies. The characters are at first shell shocked and still reeling over the events leading up to their meeting: family members dying, chaos in the streets, cannibalistic living corpses, and the rest of the trappings of the zombie apocalypse. Then they start to argue, tempers run high, factions start to form, and new relationships are made.
I generally liked Sloane and felt her background gave the book a sense of realism and a glimpse into how abuse can effect someone. Some readers complain that she whines a lot and holds on to the past, but she is a victim of long term and violent abuse that obviously have long term psychological problems that can't really be dealt with in her current situation. She experienced not only the abuse of her father, but also her sister, who told her over and over not to tell anyone about their father's abuse using threat of being separated to scare her. She also told Sloane never to have any other friends or boyfriends, leading their relationship to be incredibly one sided (as she could have other people in her life) and codependent. After her sister left, Sloane was lost and literally had nothing to live for and no one to turn to. I'm sure the whole world falling apart didn't help either.
Although I greatly enjoyed most of the characters and Summers' writing style, there were annoying flaws. I hated that this zombie novel barely had any zombies in it at all. They were present through the first part of the book, banging on doors and trying to get in, but they went away when a gas station exploded. Then they never came back. I liked that they were at least an ominous presence, but then they were just absent. Then some of the characters were insufferably annoying and I kind of wish they were made zombie food. They held on to their little petty conflicts and moaned and whined over the dumbest things. Ugh. This aspect was the worst for me and I kept waiting for those characters to get better and unfortunately they never did.
This is Not a Test has a great flow and some good characters. If you're looking for zombies, you won't really find them here beyond a few scenes. However, if you like claustrophobic stories about where people are thrown together and become much different after society collapses, then this is the book for you.
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LibraryThing member thehidingspot
I'm in awe of Courtney Summers. I've come to the conclusion that she can't write anything I won't end up in love with.
I'm completely freaked out my zombies in realistic settings - because I seriously believe that the zombie apocalypse will happen someday and I am so, so screwed - but I couldn't
The best thing about This Is Not a Test is that yes, it's a zombie book, but it is so much more than that. For me, it was everything I loved about Summers' past novels, including the intense emotion, flawed characters, and desperate situations PLUS zombies. I mean, Summers' novels always crackle with intensity, so much so that I didn't believe she could turn it any higher, but she definitely proved me wrong.
I've yet to stop myself from falling in love with all of characters in Summers' books. It's a bit ridiculous really. I've even gone so far as to name pets after them. (Okay, one pet. My cat, Milo, is named after a character from Fall for Anything.) Like Summers' past novels, the characters in This Is Not a Test each have a distinct personality. I always feel that I truly understand what motivates each character's actions and emotions, whether they're the main character or small, seemingly unimportant character.
I can't stress enough how much I adore each and every novel Summers' has written and, though This Is Not a Test is in some ways a departure from her previous novels, it is, at it's core, what readers have come to expect from her. Plus zombies. And while this book may sound horribly bleak, I've come to find that Summers' always leaves her characters, and her readers, with a shimmering ray of hope. Even during the zombie apocalypse.
I'm completely freaked out my zombies in realistic settings - because I seriously believe that the zombie apocalypse will happen someday and I am so, so screwed - but I couldn't
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pass up a book by Summers. Honestly, I've become dependent on the fact that she releases a new novel every year, and I couldn't not read This Is Not a Test just because zombies and gore make me a bit nauseous. And, though I can't say that any of Summers' novels are particularly happy, I find them oddly comforting. These are the novels that people refer to when they say reading makes them feel understood and less alone.The best thing about This Is Not a Test is that yes, it's a zombie book, but it is so much more than that. For me, it was everything I loved about Summers' past novels, including the intense emotion, flawed characters, and desperate situations PLUS zombies. I mean, Summers' novels always crackle with intensity, so much so that I didn't believe she could turn it any higher, but she definitely proved me wrong.
I've yet to stop myself from falling in love with all of characters in Summers' books. It's a bit ridiculous really. I've even gone so far as to name pets after them. (Okay, one pet. My cat, Milo, is named after a character from Fall for Anything.) Like Summers' past novels, the characters in This Is Not a Test each have a distinct personality. I always feel that I truly understand what motivates each character's actions and emotions, whether they're the main character or small, seemingly unimportant character.
I can't stress enough how much I adore each and every novel Summers' has written and, though This Is Not a Test is in some ways a departure from her previous novels, it is, at it's core, what readers have come to expect from her. Plus zombies. And while this book may sound horribly bleak, I've come to find that Summers' always leaves her characters, and her readers, with a shimmering ray of hope. Even during the zombie apocalypse.
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LibraryThing member usagijihen
Have you ever wondered what the internal processes of the end of the world by zombie apocalypse might ever look like? "The Walking Dead" gives us some idea, but "This Is Not A Test" goes much further than that, giving us almost overwhelming detail into what we might feel as we begin to lose
We see this through the eyes of Sloane, a girl who's already lost everything and is now waiting for death (or what mimics it) with open arms. She hides with friends/acquaintances in her high school, waiting for either help or the ultimate end of it all to come. Summers does a fantastic job in showing us the internal processes of a girl whose world is so shattered that she already has nothing to lose in such an awful situation, along with need that is so intense that you will probably have to put the book down more than once and walk away just to get yourself back into once piece to continue reading. I know that's what happened to me - I don't have that many triggers, but this book hit on my largest one (abandonment) so there were some moments throughout the book where I did have to take a breather before I could keep going.
One thing I did want to see more of was how this disaster got started - it's good that we start in media res of the entire situation, and it's also good we have the other members of the cast speculating on what might have happened to cause the dead to rise, but I kind of wanted more external explanation (or at least, backstory) to give us a firmer handhold into this world that Summers created. As for the internal conflict (to keep living during the end of the world or to give in and become a zombie snack), that world was incredibly well-built, and reminded me a lot of "Masque of the Red Death" in how very bleak it was. This isn't to say that the external conflict/world wasn't well-built - it was, but up until the last fourth of the novel, the external conflict (omg zombies) wasn't as present as I would have liked, and doesn't really kick in until that important last fourth. Hence, not five stars. I wanted more action on the zombie front, and I liked more of a threat than just the pounding on the walls around our characters.
What was great was the ending - it's so ambiguous, and I'm glad it's a standalone. We have Sloane contemplating living more seriously than ever before, but at the same time, the temptation of death is literally pounding at her window. The final lines of the book are STILL haunting me, and it's been days since I finished the book. Sloane's personal character arc is one of the best I've seen in YA in recent years because she seems so contemporary and yet, in the middle of zombies chowing down on everyone around her, so very not. She's had horrible things done to her, yet she still has the ambivalent question of wanting to live, or maybe not wanting to live, and ping-pongs between the two up until the very end. There was nothing I could really predict or anything I saw coming, and I love it when authors keep me guessing. It seems rare in YA right now and Summers nailed it. She's not afraid to kill (and zombify) her darlings, so she definitely has my respect on that end.
Those that are looking for a high-action om nom nom zombie story might want to look elsewhere. This is an internal examination of the self at the end of the world, and the zombies are really more at the fringes of things, picking people off, silently asking the question of who's the bigger monster - the surviving humans? Or the zombies? It's a question I keep turning over in my head, and I still haven't quite decided yet.
Final verdict? Definitely give it a read. "This Is Not a Test" is out June 19, 2012 in North America from St. Martin's Griffin/Macmillan. Be sure to pick up a copy then and tell me what you think.
(posted to goodreads, shelfari, librarything, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
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everything around us. It's not like so many of the apocalyptic novels we've come to expect from YA - there is no romance, there is no overbearing government, but there is disaster and need dogging us as the audience at every corner. "This Is Not A Test" is a luminously dark look into the human psyche as all hell breaks loose, and isn't exactly the feel good book of the year, but it's a very much needed book all the same.We see this through the eyes of Sloane, a girl who's already lost everything and is now waiting for death (or what mimics it) with open arms. She hides with friends/acquaintances in her high school, waiting for either help or the ultimate end of it all to come. Summers does a fantastic job in showing us the internal processes of a girl whose world is so shattered that she already has nothing to lose in such an awful situation, along with need that is so intense that you will probably have to put the book down more than once and walk away just to get yourself back into once piece to continue reading. I know that's what happened to me - I don't have that many triggers, but this book hit on my largest one (abandonment) so there were some moments throughout the book where I did have to take a breather before I could keep going.
One thing I did want to see more of was how this disaster got started - it's good that we start in media res of the entire situation, and it's also good we have the other members of the cast speculating on what might have happened to cause the dead to rise, but I kind of wanted more external explanation (or at least, backstory) to give us a firmer handhold into this world that Summers created. As for the internal conflict (to keep living during the end of the world or to give in and become a zombie snack), that world was incredibly well-built, and reminded me a lot of "Masque of the Red Death" in how very bleak it was. This isn't to say that the external conflict/world wasn't well-built - it was, but up until the last fourth of the novel, the external conflict (omg zombies) wasn't as present as I would have liked, and doesn't really kick in until that important last fourth. Hence, not five stars. I wanted more action on the zombie front, and I liked more of a threat than just the pounding on the walls around our characters.
What was great was the ending - it's so ambiguous, and I'm glad it's a standalone. We have Sloane contemplating living more seriously than ever before, but at the same time, the temptation of death is literally pounding at her window. The final lines of the book are STILL haunting me, and it's been days since I finished the book. Sloane's personal character arc is one of the best I've seen in YA in recent years because she seems so contemporary and yet, in the middle of zombies chowing down on everyone around her, so very not. She's had horrible things done to her, yet she still has the ambivalent question of wanting to live, or maybe not wanting to live, and ping-pongs between the two up until the very end. There was nothing I could really predict or anything I saw coming, and I love it when authors keep me guessing. It seems rare in YA right now and Summers nailed it. She's not afraid to kill (and zombify) her darlings, so she definitely has my respect on that end.
Those that are looking for a high-action om nom nom zombie story might want to look elsewhere. This is an internal examination of the self at the end of the world, and the zombies are really more at the fringes of things, picking people off, silently asking the question of who's the bigger monster - the surviving humans? Or the zombies? It's a question I keep turning over in my head, and I still haven't quite decided yet.
Final verdict? Definitely give it a read. "This Is Not a Test" is out June 19, 2012 in North America from St. Martin's Griffin/Macmillan. Be sure to pick up a copy then and tell me what you think.
(posted to goodreads, shelfari, librarything, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
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LibraryThing member Aerrin99
Sloane is on the verge of suicide. Her abusive father looms large in her life, and her one lifeline - her sister Lily - has abandoned her.
Even when the zombie apocalypse comes and Sloane finds herself barricading the school with a handful of other teens in a desperate bid for survival, these two
This is Not a Test is a fascinating study of the internal life following a world gone mad, and it's made even more interesting by the strongly-written, compelling character of Sloane, who wasn't sure she wanted to keep living in the first place. The group dynamics here are interesting and fresh, and Summers does a great job handling the slow ways people in tight quarters come to know each other in the face of such danger.
It took me about fifteen pages to know that I wasn't putting this book down til I was done. I read it straight through, and it was wonderful. Summers writes about Sloane's abuse, her co-dependence on her sister, and her desperate feelings of abandonment and helplessness with wonderful skill. Sloane is a character who will break your heart even as you root for her.
The ending was pitch-perfect and, though not perfectly resolved, satisfying.
This is a zombie book that might well appeal to those not usually into zombies. Highly recommended.
Even when the zombie apocalypse comes and Sloane finds herself barricading the school with a handful of other teens in a desperate bid for survival, these two
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facts occupy much of her attention. This is Not a Test is a fascinating study of the internal life following a world gone mad, and it's made even more interesting by the strongly-written, compelling character of Sloane, who wasn't sure she wanted to keep living in the first place. The group dynamics here are interesting and fresh, and Summers does a great job handling the slow ways people in tight quarters come to know each other in the face of such danger.
It took me about fifteen pages to know that I wasn't putting this book down til I was done. I read it straight through, and it was wonderful. Summers writes about Sloane's abuse, her co-dependence on her sister, and her desperate feelings of abandonment and helplessness with wonderful skill. Sloane is a character who will break your heart even as you root for her.
The ending was pitch-perfect and, though not perfectly resolved, satisfying.
This is a zombie book that might well appeal to those not usually into zombies. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member jwitt33
Before I read This is Not a Test, I had heard good things about Courtney Summers' books, but I had not yet had the pleasure of reading them. Therefore, I was really excited to get the chance to read this one because I am a huge fan of zombie books and I figured this would be a great introduction to
In summary, I totally enjoyed this book as it was different from other zombie novels I've read, but amazingly good! If you love a good emotional story that happens to be set during a zombie apocalypse, then I wholeheartedly recommend this book to you :D
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Courtney's work for me. I can honestly say that I was not disappointed! This is Not a Test is really so much more than just a zombie book. It deals more with the emotional aspects of the six kids trapped in the high school - how they got there, the toll that it has taken on them physically AND psychologically up to that point, and what they have had to do to survive. Our main character, Sloane Price, has already had a tough life, dealing with abuse and abandonment issues after first her mother and then her sister left her. She has already decided that she doesn't want to live through this horror any longer, she just has to decide how and when to die, while keeping her fragile emotional state from the other kids in the school. Be prepared when you read this book for the emotional toll it will take on YOU! What these teens go through is heart wrenching and, although it sounds a little far fetched given that we are dealing with zombies and the end of the world as we know it, it feels so real! That is the true mark of a good author - one who can take an idea that is so far from reality and make you feel the emotions of the characters as though you are going through it all yourself - and Courtney Summers has that in spades! Her writing style is terrific as she makes her characters come to life for you. The characters, even the secondary ones, are very well written and there is marked character growth from beginning to end. In summary, I totally enjoyed this book as it was different from other zombie novels I've read, but amazingly good! If you love a good emotional story that happens to be set during a zombie apocalypse, then I wholeheartedly recommend this book to you :D
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LibraryThing member C.Ibarra
“I woke up and the last piece of my heart disappeared. I opened my eyes and I felt it go.” From an ARC of This Is Not A Test
As soon as I read this line I knew This Is Not A Test would be a book I’d enjoy. Packed with so much raw emotion. This Is Not A Test is so much more than your run of the
“We eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the soundtrack of our own impending death.” From an ARC of This Is Not A Test
She soon finds herself in her old high school with other teens that are trying to survive. Only catch is Sloane wants to die. Her past continues to haunt her as she hides from the undead. This is a tale of survival, but the author touches more on the inner turmoil her characters face. This emotional roller coaster, combined with the anxiety over whether or not the undead would find a way into their safe hold, made for a stay up all night until you reach the last page kind of read. And that last page is stellar! Courtney Summers gives This Is Not A Test an ending it earned and deserved. It was so nice to see an ending worthy of the awesomeness that preceded it. No rushed easy peasy neat little bows here! The angst and emotion continues until the very last page. Loved!
I can’t recommend This Is Not A Test enough.
Get it! Read it! You won’t regret it!
As soon as I read this line I knew This Is Not A Test would be a book I’d enjoy. Packed with so much raw emotion. This Is Not A Test is so much more than your run of the
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mill zombie fiction. This is a story of an abused and abandoned teen searching for a way out. Then the way out is delivered in the form of zombies. “We eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the soundtrack of our own impending death.” From an ARC of This Is Not A Test
She soon finds herself in her old high school with other teens that are trying to survive. Only catch is Sloane wants to die. Her past continues to haunt her as she hides from the undead. This is a tale of survival, but the author touches more on the inner turmoil her characters face. This emotional roller coaster, combined with the anxiety over whether or not the undead would find a way into their safe hold, made for a stay up all night until you reach the last page kind of read. And that last page is stellar! Courtney Summers gives This Is Not A Test an ending it earned and deserved. It was so nice to see an ending worthy of the awesomeness that preceded it. No rushed easy peasy neat little bows here! The angst and emotion continues until the very last page. Loved!
I can’t recommend This Is Not A Test enough.
Get it! Read it! You won’t regret it!
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LibraryThing member DamarisGCR
This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers is going to stick with me for days! What an emotional, yet crazy intense story. This was definitely out of my element as I don’t normally read many books about the end of the world, or zombies for that matter unless it has some kind of romance in it. For
It is so much more than just zombies and the end of life. Summers has managed to mix in real life issues with such an extreme world. You would think the main focus on the story would be about the zombies and how they came to be, and what happens to the world next, but no, this story is about the characters. And let me tell you, they are shattered. My heart broke with each and every single one of them, but the main character and her story was enough to leave me in tears. It was just so sad and mostly because it HAPPENS every day. It’s just something you have to read. Some of her actions just left me tears in my eyes. Something so simple like flinching at a sound brings back a memory for her or a fear and I just couldn’t help but want to break down. I wanted to help this character in any way possible. It was just so tragic.
I will say that I highly recommend this book for those of the age sixteen and over. When I say there are intense moments, I mean super intense.
I am still in wow over this book and can’t believe how sad it turned out to be. I love these kinds of stories that can get under my skin and make me feel. It’s beautifully written and Summers’s way of describing things pulls you in and makes you vision everything crystal clear.
A definite must-read!
5 out of 5 stars!
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some reason I read the blurb to this book and just wanted to read it and I am glad that I did.It is so much more than just zombies and the end of life. Summers has managed to mix in real life issues with such an extreme world. You would think the main focus on the story would be about the zombies and how they came to be, and what happens to the world next, but no, this story is about the characters. And let me tell you, they are shattered. My heart broke with each and every single one of them, but the main character and her story was enough to leave me in tears. It was just so sad and mostly because it HAPPENS every day. It’s just something you have to read. Some of her actions just left me tears in my eyes. Something so simple like flinching at a sound brings back a memory for her or a fear and I just couldn’t help but want to break down. I wanted to help this character in any way possible. It was just so tragic.
I will say that I highly recommend this book for those of the age sixteen and over. When I say there are intense moments, I mean super intense.
I am still in wow over this book and can’t believe how sad it turned out to be. I love these kinds of stories that can get under my skin and make me feel. It’s beautifully written and Summers’s way of describing things pulls you in and makes you vision everything crystal clear.
A definite must-read!
5 out of 5 stars!
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LibraryThing member stephxsu
The apocalypse has befallen the world, or at least on the town of Cortege. Zombies have risen, destroyed families, sent survivors scrambling into whatever secure ground they can reach. Sloane Price camps out at the local high school with five other teens, but the zombie invasion is merely an
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 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.
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inconvenient detour for her, as she has been planning to end her life soon anyway. Trapped among the tensions and budding connections of a group of six, Sloane is forced to rethink what she believes about the value of life.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 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.
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LibraryThing member pollywannabook
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
If John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club had been set during the zombie apocalypse, it would be THIS IS NOT A TEST. A dark, character driven story about a motley group of teens who barricade themselves in a local high school with an army of the undead pounding
Courtney summers writes in a very literary, yet completely accessible way. Her characters are sharply drawn and morally messy in the face of the zombie apocalypse. Most of the characters in THIS IS NOT A TEST will incite hatred from readers at various points throughout the book. Some will redeem themselves, others will have flashes of reform that only pave the way for greater acts of depravity. Many times while reading I thought the zombie infested world outside was preferable to the breakdown inside.
The plot unfolds in shocking scenes. Some violent, some emotionally devastating. If you normally shy away from zombie books because of the gore factor, give THIS IS NOT A TEST a chance. Most of the violence in this book is carried out by humans, and the zombie interaction is not graphically described. The real impact of this story is about the emotional fallout that the six surviving teens experience. The protagonist, Sloane, specifically because of her unique reaction to the apocalypse stemming from her past. This is a powerful and immensely satisfying book.
Sexual Content:
Kissing and scenes of sensuality.
If John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club had been set during the zombie apocalypse, it would be THIS IS NOT A TEST. A dark, character driven story about a motley group of teens who barricade themselves in a local high school with an army of the undead pounding
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on the doors. It is a fascinating and unputdownable book.Courtney summers writes in a very literary, yet completely accessible way. Her characters are sharply drawn and morally messy in the face of the zombie apocalypse. Most of the characters in THIS IS NOT A TEST will incite hatred from readers at various points throughout the book. Some will redeem themselves, others will have flashes of reform that only pave the way for greater acts of depravity. Many times while reading I thought the zombie infested world outside was preferable to the breakdown inside.
The plot unfolds in shocking scenes. Some violent, some emotionally devastating. If you normally shy away from zombie books because of the gore factor, give THIS IS NOT A TEST a chance. Most of the violence in this book is carried out by humans, and the zombie interaction is not graphically described. The real impact of this story is about the emotional fallout that the six surviving teens experience. The protagonist, Sloane, specifically because of her unique reaction to the apocalypse stemming from her past. This is a powerful and immensely satisfying book.
Sexual Content:
Kissing and scenes of sensuality.
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LibraryThing member dsolter
When I think of zombies, I go back to the classic George Romero movies such as Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. To me, those are the standards that I think most zombie stories should reach for. Those movies helped define this horror sub-genre.
What I loved about THIS IS NOT A TEST is
But this story isn’t so much about zombies, it’s really about how humans deal with dire circumstances. How some people can gather strength and push forward…and how others can fall into the abyss. On the surface, the book is about six teens trapped inside their abandoned high school while zombies outside wait to feed on them. And yet, the book goes deeper. Exploring the mindsets of the diverse cast of characters and their struggle to survive.
So is this book a carbon-copy of Romero’s films? I would say…no. First off, the teen point of view gives the situation a fresh new perspective. And second, how the teen characters judge and react to the situation is different from a group of adults. Third, and I think the most interesting…is the use of a female protagonist who doesn’t want to live, which goes against the traditional survivalist heroine found in most horror stories. This choice gives the book a unique perspective that adds to the tension and drama of the entire novel.
Like most of Ms. Summer’s earlier works, this book is filled with delicious tension between all the characters and the writing is crafted in such a way that these characters are capable of doing anything, which keeps the reader on edge. There are plenty of great twists and turns with a quick pace that keeps you turning pages. Out of all Ms. Summers books, THIS IS NOT A TEST is my new favorite.
Bottom line…if George Romero wrote a young adult zombie novel, this would be it.
What I loved about THIS IS NOT A TEST is
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that the book holds true to the classic Romero zombie story, yet successfully bends it to make the experience more personal and immediate. Like only good young adult literature can do. The use of first-person perspective drops you into this zombie apocalypse and makes you feel like the world is really coming off its rails.But this story isn’t so much about zombies, it’s really about how humans deal with dire circumstances. How some people can gather strength and push forward…and how others can fall into the abyss. On the surface, the book is about six teens trapped inside their abandoned high school while zombies outside wait to feed on them. And yet, the book goes deeper. Exploring the mindsets of the diverse cast of characters and their struggle to survive.
So is this book a carbon-copy of Romero’s films? I would say…no. First off, the teen point of view gives the situation a fresh new perspective. And second, how the teen characters judge and react to the situation is different from a group of adults. Third, and I think the most interesting…is the use of a female protagonist who doesn’t want to live, which goes against the traditional survivalist heroine found in most horror stories. This choice gives the book a unique perspective that adds to the tension and drama of the entire novel.
Like most of Ms. Summer’s earlier works, this book is filled with delicious tension between all the characters and the writing is crafted in such a way that these characters are capable of doing anything, which keeps the reader on edge. There are plenty of great twists and turns with a quick pace that keeps you turning pages. Out of all Ms. Summers books, THIS IS NOT A TEST is my new favorite.
Bottom line…if George Romero wrote a young adult zombie novel, this would be it.
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LibraryThing member pacey1927
I thought the plot of "This is Not A Test" sounded really great. And it was. The story is about six teenagers who take refuge in the local high school when the world becomes overrun with zombies. I quickly realized that this was not an action story. It is definitely a character driven novel that
I love a good, character focused story. This book should have grabbed me and never let go. I found the book to be nicely written and the characters were each very well fleshed out. After a heart pounding beginning the story quickly slows down its pace. Not a lot happens. The kids can't leave the school as zombies are waiting at every doorway. They have a radio that frequently tells them to seek safety and that this isn't a test, but they have no idea how widespread this disaster is and they don't know if help will ever come. But the school has food and water and they can last there for quite awhile. Most of the book features the teenagers discussing their lives and becoming divided on how to handle their survival. We see how each of the students handles the zombie invasion and how it has personally affected their families. I think the book really lost a lot due to the lack of action. Realistic? Probably. Entertaining? Not so much.
What really bothered me most about this book is how bleak it was. There was nothing for these kids to live for. There was no hope. Anytime things looked up for the kids, it immediately went bad again. Sloane being a little mentally off from the beginning does not make a reliable narrator. She starts out depressed and ends up depressed. I finished the book depressed. Maybe "This Is Not A Test" is a deep and dark book but it was just miserable for me. I don't mind a good, sad book but I do mind one that hasn't got a single strand of hope or happiness to it.
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explores how different characters face this kind of emotional devastation. The story is told from the eyes of Sloane, a teenage girl who has been abandoned by her older sister and the only person who knows what Sloane is going through at home. Sloan is severely depressed and suicidal. When the zombies take over the town, she is hoping that they will get to her and end her misery.I love a good, character focused story. This book should have grabbed me and never let go. I found the book to be nicely written and the characters were each very well fleshed out. After a heart pounding beginning the story quickly slows down its pace. Not a lot happens. The kids can't leave the school as zombies are waiting at every doorway. They have a radio that frequently tells them to seek safety and that this isn't a test, but they have no idea how widespread this disaster is and they don't know if help will ever come. But the school has food and water and they can last there for quite awhile. Most of the book features the teenagers discussing their lives and becoming divided on how to handle their survival. We see how each of the students handles the zombie invasion and how it has personally affected their families. I think the book really lost a lot due to the lack of action. Realistic? Probably. Entertaining? Not so much.
What really bothered me most about this book is how bleak it was. There was nothing for these kids to live for. There was no hope. Anytime things looked up for the kids, it immediately went bad again. Sloane being a little mentally off from the beginning does not make a reliable narrator. She starts out depressed and ends up depressed. I finished the book depressed. Maybe "This Is Not A Test" is a deep and dark book but it was just miserable for me. I don't mind a good, sad book but I do mind one that hasn't got a single strand of hope or happiness to it.
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LibraryThing member AmberFIB
This is one of the most depressing books I've ever read. That is why it has a B instead of an A. This Is Not a Test has plenty of action, suspense, and mystery. However, it just made me sad. That being said, I can recognize the quality of this novel, and I am going to do my best to review it
This Is Not a Test is not your typical zombie book. Every single main character in the book (there are six) is well-developed and unique. Instead of having a gore-fest with no character growth, Summers took away a lot of the gore and focused more on the characters, making this a very character driven novel. The plot was pushed forward by each character's will to survive. Our narrator Sloane had no desire to live whatsoever, but the others seemed to want to get out of the zombie apocalypse alive. However, the book mostly focuses on Sloane and how she'd rather let the zombies kill her and turn her into one of them than remain in this world.
Sloane's mother is dead, her sister left her, and her father is abusive. The beginning of this story is depressing and intense because the reader is able to fear Sloane's fear of her father. Then the woman knocks on the door and all hell breaks loose, literally. Sloane ends up being one of six surviving teenagers barricaded in the school's gym, which is kind of ironic since she just wanted to die. Throughout the course of the novel, Sloane is forced to repeatedly see the lengths the other people will go through to live. Being a part of these six teenagers deeply changes Sloane, and she is a completely different character in the end. I love when authors have a lot of character growth in a novel.
The plot is a bit slow at first, and the zombies are never the main focus. They're always there in the background, and every time you almost forget about the, Summers brings them up again. This subtle addition to the story adds an underlying tension to the narrative that could have been forgotten in the hands of less skilled authors. As the story progresses, the tension builds and things begin to get more intense. Sloane learns a lot of information, some of it she would have preferred not to find out. The pacing toward the end is extremely fast, and I was literally white-knuckling the book and hurriedly turning the pages to see what happened next. The ending itself ties things up nicely. It's not exactly a happy ending, but there is some hope. After a zombie apocalypse, I suppose that's all you can really ask for.
Overall, I'd recommend this novel to anyone who loves emotional dystopian/post-apocalyptic books. Summers' writing is fantastic, the plot is captivating, and the characters are realistic and easy to relate to. As long as you're not a pansy like me, you will love this book.
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objectively. You guys know how I feel about sad books. I just don't enjoy reading them. I'm a pansy in that way. This Is Not a Test is not your typical zombie book. Every single main character in the book (there are six) is well-developed and unique. Instead of having a gore-fest with no character growth, Summers took away a lot of the gore and focused more on the characters, making this a very character driven novel. The plot was pushed forward by each character's will to survive. Our narrator Sloane had no desire to live whatsoever, but the others seemed to want to get out of the zombie apocalypse alive. However, the book mostly focuses on Sloane and how she'd rather let the zombies kill her and turn her into one of them than remain in this world.
Sloane's mother is dead, her sister left her, and her father is abusive. The beginning of this story is depressing and intense because the reader is able to fear Sloane's fear of her father. Then the woman knocks on the door and all hell breaks loose, literally. Sloane ends up being one of six surviving teenagers barricaded in the school's gym, which is kind of ironic since she just wanted to die. Throughout the course of the novel, Sloane is forced to repeatedly see the lengths the other people will go through to live. Being a part of these six teenagers deeply changes Sloane, and she is a completely different character in the end. I love when authors have a lot of character growth in a novel.
The plot is a bit slow at first, and the zombies are never the main focus. They're always there in the background, and every time you almost forget about the, Summers brings them up again. This subtle addition to the story adds an underlying tension to the narrative that could have been forgotten in the hands of less skilled authors. As the story progresses, the tension builds and things begin to get more intense. Sloane learns a lot of information, some of it she would have preferred not to find out. The pacing toward the end is extremely fast, and I was literally white-knuckling the book and hurriedly turning the pages to see what happened next. The ending itself ties things up nicely. It's not exactly a happy ending, but there is some hope. After a zombie apocalypse, I suppose that's all you can really ask for.
Overall, I'd recommend this novel to anyone who loves emotional dystopian/post-apocalyptic books. Summers' writing is fantastic, the plot is captivating, and the characters are realistic and easy to relate to. As long as you're not a pansy like me, you will love this book.
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LibraryThing member ahandfulofconfetti
I'm going to preface this by saying that this review is probably going to be a little all over the place, as I'm having a hard time really putting my feelings into words. There were aspects of this book that were absolutely brutal to read; the main character, Sloane, is pretty much done with life
However, with that being said, there was something truly gripping about this book. To call this a zombie book would be doing it a disservice, because while the book is set during said zombie apocalypse, the whole point of the book is Sloane's look at life while the others around her - particularly Cary - are doing anything and everything they can to survive. Her point of view is completely at odds with everyone else's, and there are all of these little asides that she says or thinks that really just get to the reader, particularly when it comes to them having to make some hard decisions: "I know we're not bad people, not deep down inside" (pg. 183). For someone who is pretty much living only because she hasn't been able to off herself yet, Sloane is a very compelling character, and I kind of spent the whole time wanting to shake her, and for her to realize that she really could do something with her life even though Lily left her. And what better time to do so then when the world is falling apart and she's finally got a bit of freedom, in that she's out from under her father's thumb? But instead of focusing on how to survive (although she's very good at this, even if she doesn't mean to be), she keeps thinking of these elaborate ways to go out. There was one line that really struck me about Sloane, and it came up towards the end: "[We won't be able to see our deaths coming] and I haven't once imagined a death that was out of my control since this started" (pg. 291). Kind of puts her whole thought process into focus, you know? She's full of these contradictions and keeps doing and saying these things that go are a direct opposite to what she's thinking in her head, and I just couldn't help but be pulled in.
And then you have all of these things that happen because it is the end of the world, and Sloane keeps pointing them out and making note of them, and it just makes you think the entire time you're reading the book, something along the line of, "I wonder if this would have happened or if x would have done this under different circumstances?" And in one respect - which I won't go into to avoid spoilers - I would certainly hope it would, because I think it would have helped, but you can't help but think of it as an "end of the world" thing (which is exactly what Sloane says about something else that happened that I also won't get into).
Even if you're not a fan of zombies - and I would definitely put myself in that camp - I think you could find something to like about this book. The parts with the zombies are frightening and horrifying and terrible, make no mistake, and there is that sense of overwhelming despair, but Sloane's personal journey is something that anyone would be able to connect with. This Is Not A Test will be out in North America on June 19, 2012. I definitely recommend it.
An ARC of this title was provided for free via a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
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and wanting to end it all. You get a pretty good look at why she feels this way - her father abused her and her sister, Lily, and even though Lily promised they'd run off together to escape him, it was really only Lily who ran away and escaped - but her thought processes are so depressing that there were times I had to put this book aside and take a break. Then on top of this, the zombie apocalypse has arrived, and the dead are taking over. Sloane and five others have managed to barricade themselves in their high school, but the dead are right outside, sometimes pounding down the doors. There is an overwhelming sense of despair because of this, which just makes what Sloane is feeling about ten times worse to read about.However, with that being said, there was something truly gripping about this book. To call this a zombie book would be doing it a disservice, because while the book is set during said zombie apocalypse, the whole point of the book is Sloane's look at life while the others around her - particularly Cary - are doing anything and everything they can to survive. Her point of view is completely at odds with everyone else's, and there are all of these little asides that she says or thinks that really just get to the reader, particularly when it comes to them having to make some hard decisions: "I know we're not bad people, not deep down inside" (pg. 183). For someone who is pretty much living only because she hasn't been able to off herself yet, Sloane is a very compelling character, and I kind of spent the whole time wanting to shake her, and for her to realize that she really could do something with her life even though Lily left her. And what better time to do so then when the world is falling apart and she's finally got a bit of freedom, in that she's out from under her father's thumb? But instead of focusing on how to survive (although she's very good at this, even if she doesn't mean to be), she keeps thinking of these elaborate ways to go out. There was one line that really struck me about Sloane, and it came up towards the end: "[We won't be able to see our deaths coming] and I haven't once imagined a death that was out of my control since this started" (pg. 291). Kind of puts her whole thought process into focus, you know? She's full of these contradictions and keeps doing and saying these things that go are a direct opposite to what she's thinking in her head, and I just couldn't help but be pulled in.
And then you have all of these things that happen because it is the end of the world, and Sloane keeps pointing them out and making note of them, and it just makes you think the entire time you're reading the book, something along the line of, "I wonder if this would have happened or if x would have done this under different circumstances?" And in one respect - which I won't go into to avoid spoilers - I would certainly hope it would, because I think it would have helped, but you can't help but think of it as an "end of the world" thing (which is exactly what Sloane says about something else that happened that I also won't get into).
Even if you're not a fan of zombies - and I would definitely put myself in that camp - I think you could find something to like about this book. The parts with the zombies are frightening and horrifying and terrible, make no mistake, and there is that sense of overwhelming despair, but Sloane's personal journey is something that anyone would be able to connect with. This Is Not A Test will be out in North America on June 19, 2012. I definitely recommend it.
An ARC of this title was provided for free via a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
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LibraryThing member Shelver506
I've wanted to read this book for nigh on forever. Well, since May 10, when I gushed about the cover for my second Cover Love post, anyways. I don't consider myself a zombie person simply because of my limited experience with the genre. I know the fake zombies on Scooby-Doo, the freakishly fast
Even more exciting was the news that this wasn't really a zombie book. Instead, supposedly, it's a book about a girl named Sloane that just happens to have zombies. Great! What an awesome way to ease myself into the genre, right?
Ooooor maybe not.
I carried some misconceptions going in, and I want to be sure you don't make the same mistake. It's true, this is not a book about zombies. It's also true that this book, ultimately, is about the six survivors stuck in Cortege High. I thought that would mean harrowing adventures, deep soul-searching, and some interesting interpersonal moments.
This Is Not A Test did have all that, but what it really is is best summed up by a quote from one of the characters - "The apocalypse: one big existential crisis."
This book is so depressing, you guys. Not it's-bad-but-there's-hope kind of depressing. I mean deep, dark, the-human-race-is-doomed kind of depressing. Remember how I guessed this book was a zombie apocalypse + Lord of the Flies mashup? I was dead-on. If this book hammers home anything at all, it's the depth of human depravity.
The story opens with Sloane at home with her father, recuperating from a particularly violent beating that's kept her at home for several days. Human depravity. Then zombie wackness breaks out, Sloane runs away, and we pick up with her again with the five other kids, shortly after two members of their group have been eaten by zombies.
The two eaten members were Mr. and Mrs. Casper, the parents of twins Grace and Trace. The twins blame the group's de facto leader Cary (boy Cary, like Cary Grant but nowhere near as awesome) for their parents' death, and they don't let him forget that fact for the entire book. The. Entire. Book. Human depravity.
Okay, so here's what this story doesn't have:
- Humor. There might be a few semi-lighthearted moments here and there, but there's nothing to balance out the gloom.
- Heroic, good-guy characters. Everyone looks out for themselves to the utter detriment of the others. I kept expecting someone to step up, to show they really weren't that bad. But the characters that I thought might be the good guys end up being selfish and disgusting. The ones that I knew were going to be bad ended up being worse.
- Answers. That's the thing about existential crises. There are no answers. Everything - from how the apocalypse started and how it works to a rather major mystery concerning a character in a parking lot - remain unanswered.
- One page that doesn't have some kind of profanity. Heavy, heavy profanity.
- Romance. Nope, no romance. There are a couple teens who hook up, but that is NOT romance. That's just a couple of kids being incredibly stupid.
Here's what this story DOES have:
- A pretty epic start to the zombie apocalypse. I mean, it's just Sloane and her dad sitting at their kitchen table and then WHAM! I loved that there wasn't any buildup, any warning. One minute Sloane is mulling over soggy cereal, the next minute her neighbor is ripping out another person's heart. Oh yeah, that's something else this story has...
- Violence. Lots and lots of violence. The zombies don't show up very much in the book, but when they do, they're sure to turn your stomach. I didn't think any book would surpass Hunger Games gore-wise. I was wrong.
- A depressingly realistic look at the depraved side of humanity. Everything you worry about in time of crisis is right there. A hysterical piece of cannon fodder who can't make up his mind? Check. Chillingly logical decisions regarding human life? Check. Shattered families? Check. Really, really bad decisions made because of stress and adrenaline? Check. Division and warring factions? Check.
- Sloane. I liked Sloane. She's broken, foul-mouthed, and depressing, but (to me), she was the most rootable (is that a word?) one of the bunch. She's intent on killing herself, but she's selfless enough to refuse to do it in any way that might endanger the others. She has moments of strength (rare, but they're there), and her willingness to accept death makes her refreshingly less frantic than the others.
- A game of I Never. Geez, I thought people stopped playing that in middle school. Still, it's an easy way to let us know secrets about the characters.
- One instance of genuine sacrifice. And boy, after all the selfish choices made in this book, you better believe I held onto that moment.
I probably won't ever read this book again. I don't mind books that make me feel gloomy and bleck as long as they pick me up in the end. That didn't happen here. I also really disliked the amount of language and sex in this book.
BUT that's just me. I can very easily think of several different types of people who will adore this book. Anyone who revels in graphic violence, anyone who doesn't mind extreme profanity, anyone who likes to ponder deep questions like "What would I do if I were in _____'s place?" Those people will like this book. In fact, fellow blogger Christy (I follow her on Twitter) reviewed This Is Not A Test just yesterday and LOVED it! A quick Google search brings up many other bloggers who are all raving about this book (examples include A Good Addiction and Reading Writing Breathing).
So there you have it. This is not a book for me, but that's okay. It wasn't written poorly or given sloppy characterizations or anything like that. I'm not familiar with Summers' other works, but according to the other reviews, her fans will adore This Is Not a Test. So make up your own mind. Go for it or don't. But no matter what you choose, y'all better come back and let me know what you think. :)
Points Added For: A wicked awesome cover (I'm still in love), the way the zombies introduced (talk about going 0-60), having twins named Grace and Trace (helped me connect them as twins before we were TOLD they were), some heart-stopping revelations, that one genuine sacrifice.
Points Subtracted For: No romance (I really like romance), an abrupt ending, being overall depressing.
Good For Fans Of: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, Blackout by Mira Grant, other Courtney Summers books, existential crises.
Notes For Parents: Extremely heavy profanity, graphic violence, no sex but everything right up to it (and not for lack of trying - yeesh), drinking, illicit substances, murder, domestic abuse.
***Disclaimer: I was given a free paperback copy of this novel by St. Martin's Press.
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zombie-like things from I Am Legend... and that's about it. I was excited to broaden my horizons a bit.Even more exciting was the news that this wasn't really a zombie book. Instead, supposedly, it's a book about a girl named Sloane that just happens to have zombies. Great! What an awesome way to ease myself into the genre, right?
Ooooor maybe not.
I carried some misconceptions going in, and I want to be sure you don't make the same mistake. It's true, this is not a book about zombies. It's also true that this book, ultimately, is about the six survivors stuck in Cortege High. I thought that would mean harrowing adventures, deep soul-searching, and some interesting interpersonal moments.
This Is Not A Test did have all that, but what it really is is best summed up by a quote from one of the characters - "The apocalypse: one big existential crisis."
This book is so depressing, you guys. Not it's-bad-but-there's-hope kind of depressing. I mean deep, dark, the-human-race-is-doomed kind of depressing. Remember how I guessed this book was a zombie apocalypse + Lord of the Flies mashup? I was dead-on. If this book hammers home anything at all, it's the depth of human depravity.
The story opens with Sloane at home with her father, recuperating from a particularly violent beating that's kept her at home for several days. Human depravity. Then zombie wackness breaks out, Sloane runs away, and we pick up with her again with the five other kids, shortly after two members of their group have been eaten by zombies.
The two eaten members were Mr. and Mrs. Casper, the parents of twins Grace and Trace. The twins blame the group's de facto leader Cary (boy Cary, like Cary Grant but nowhere near as awesome) for their parents' death, and they don't let him forget that fact for the entire book. The. Entire. Book. Human depravity.
Okay, so here's what this story doesn't have:
- Humor. There might be a few semi-lighthearted moments here and there, but there's nothing to balance out the gloom.
- Heroic, good-guy characters. Everyone looks out for themselves to the utter detriment of the others. I kept expecting someone to step up, to show they really weren't that bad. But the characters that I thought might be the good guys end up being selfish and disgusting. The ones that I knew were going to be bad ended up being worse.
- Answers. That's the thing about existential crises. There are no answers. Everything - from how the apocalypse started and how it works to a rather major mystery concerning a character in a parking lot - remain unanswered.
- One page that doesn't have some kind of profanity. Heavy, heavy profanity.
- Romance. Nope, no romance. There are a couple teens who hook up, but that is NOT romance. That's just a couple of kids being incredibly stupid.
Here's what this story DOES have:
- A pretty epic start to the zombie apocalypse. I mean, it's just Sloane and her dad sitting at their kitchen table and then WHAM! I loved that there wasn't any buildup, any warning. One minute Sloane is mulling over soggy cereal, the next minute her neighbor is ripping out another person's heart. Oh yeah, that's something else this story has...
- Violence. Lots and lots of violence. The zombies don't show up very much in the book, but when they do, they're sure to turn your stomach. I didn't think any book would surpass Hunger Games gore-wise. I was wrong.
- A depressingly realistic look at the depraved side of humanity. Everything you worry about in time of crisis is right there. A hysterical piece of cannon fodder who can't make up his mind? Check. Chillingly logical decisions regarding human life? Check. Shattered families? Check. Really, really bad decisions made because of stress and adrenaline? Check. Division and warring factions? Check.
- Sloane. I liked Sloane. She's broken, foul-mouthed, and depressing, but (to me), she was the most rootable (is that a word?) one of the bunch. She's intent on killing herself, but she's selfless enough to refuse to do it in any way that might endanger the others. She has moments of strength (rare, but they're there), and her willingness to accept death makes her refreshingly less frantic than the others.
- A game of I Never. Geez, I thought people stopped playing that in middle school. Still, it's an easy way to let us know secrets about the characters.
- One instance of genuine sacrifice. And boy, after all the selfish choices made in this book, you better believe I held onto that moment.
I probably won't ever read this book again. I don't mind books that make me feel gloomy and bleck as long as they pick me up in the end. That didn't happen here. I also really disliked the amount of language and sex in this book.
BUT that's just me. I can very easily think of several different types of people who will adore this book. Anyone who revels in graphic violence, anyone who doesn't mind extreme profanity, anyone who likes to ponder deep questions like "What would I do if I were in _____'s place?" Those people will like this book. In fact, fellow blogger Christy (I follow her on Twitter) reviewed This Is Not A Test just yesterday and LOVED it! A quick Google search brings up many other bloggers who are all raving about this book (examples include A Good Addiction and Reading Writing Breathing).
So there you have it. This is not a book for me, but that's okay. It wasn't written poorly or given sloppy characterizations or anything like that. I'm not familiar with Summers' other works, but according to the other reviews, her fans will adore This Is Not a Test. So make up your own mind. Go for it or don't. But no matter what you choose, y'all better come back and let me know what you think. :)
Points Added For: A wicked awesome cover (I'm still in love), the way the zombies introduced (talk about going 0-60), having twins named Grace and Trace (helped me connect them as twins before we were TOLD they were), some heart-stopping revelations, that one genuine sacrifice.
Points Subtracted For: No romance (I really like romance), an abrupt ending, being overall depressing.
Good For Fans Of: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, Blackout by Mira Grant, other Courtney Summers books, existential crises.
Notes For Parents: Extremely heavy profanity, graphic violence, no sex but everything right up to it (and not for lack of trying - yeesh), drinking, illicit substances, murder, domestic abuse.
***Disclaimer: I was given a free paperback copy of this novel by St. Martin's Press.
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LibraryThing member skrishna
We all joke about the zombie apocalypse, but what would you do if it actually happened? That’s the premise of Courtney Summers’ latest YA novel, This is Not a Test. It’s a serious look at a zombie uprising, at how teens would deal with the world breaking apart around them. Sloane, the
While this makes Sloane difficult to get to know, it doesn’t make her any less sympathetic. Though this is a novel of zombies and dystopian beginnings, it’s a very human book. This ragtag group of teenagers is desperate. They've lost the adults they look to and have no one to care and provide for them. They’ve been pushed to the limits of their existence. As a result, they have to make some incredibly difficult decisions. Summers makes the reader question their principles and their motives at every turn. In normal circumstances, these would be good kids, but these are anything but normal circumstances. What happens when good people have to make ruthless decisions, and when does that begin changing who they are?
This is Not a Test deals with many very difficult questions, and it doesn’t provide any tidy answers. Summers leaves the book open-ended. Is there room for a sequel? Sure, and readers will likely hope that she continues Sloane’s story with more novels. But the beauty of this book is in reflection. After finishing it, the reader will be forced to contemplate, to wonder at what cost survival comes. When is it no longer worth it? When do we stop becoming human? It’s an excellently written, contemplative book that adults and teens alike should seek out. If you’re looking for a YA read for your book club, this would also make a great pick, as there’s lots to discuss within its pages.
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narrator, is a deadened soul. She gave up on life when her sister abandoned her, and now that everyone seems to be turning, she doesn’t really have much of a will to live. It’s really sad to see how little hope she has, and how much she just doesn’t care whether she lives or dies. It’s clear Sloane is suffering greatly, and feels so much pain that she’s turned herself off as a defense mechanism. As a result, she’s completely numb through much of This is Not a Test.While this makes Sloane difficult to get to know, it doesn’t make her any less sympathetic. Though this is a novel of zombies and dystopian beginnings, it’s a very human book. This ragtag group of teenagers is desperate. They've lost the adults they look to and have no one to care and provide for them. They’ve been pushed to the limits of their existence. As a result, they have to make some incredibly difficult decisions. Summers makes the reader question their principles and their motives at every turn. In normal circumstances, these would be good kids, but these are anything but normal circumstances. What happens when good people have to make ruthless decisions, and when does that begin changing who they are?
This is Not a Test deals with many very difficult questions, and it doesn’t provide any tidy answers. Summers leaves the book open-ended. Is there room for a sequel? Sure, and readers will likely hope that she continues Sloane’s story with more novels. But the beauty of this book is in reflection. After finishing it, the reader will be forced to contemplate, to wonder at what cost survival comes. When is it no longer worth it? When do we stop becoming human? It’s an excellently written, contemplative book that adults and teens alike should seek out. If you’re looking for a YA read for your book club, this would also make a great pick, as there’s lots to discuss within its pages.
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LibraryThing member highflyer
I really liked this book. Sloane, the main character that we follow has had a rough life. Then, let's throw a zombie apocalypse into the fray and things just become more and more interesting.
We get to see a tiny glimpse into what it was like when the world began to end. More of the story is focused
I think Summers did a good job at showing us how people, even teens can work together and survive in a crisis. Things don't always go smoothly however and we get to see how they work together when the world they know slowly falls apart. Each and every one of them has things they have to struggle with and some make choices that they probably wouldn't if the world was not ending.
I really liked this book. The ending left me wondering what happened to the characters once we leave them. I'm wondering about the world as they know it and if there really is anything to go back to once we leave them. Great read!
We get to see a tiny glimpse into what it was like when the world began to end. More of the story is focused
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on Sloane and several other characters that find themselves banded together and holding their own in their abandoned high school. The characters share a lot of similar things with each other. The only difference between Sloane, Rhys, Cary, Trace, Grace and Harrison are, Sloane would rather die while the others would rather live.I think Summers did a good job at showing us how people, even teens can work together and survive in a crisis. Things don't always go smoothly however and we get to see how they work together when the world they know slowly falls apart. Each and every one of them has things they have to struggle with and some make choices that they probably wouldn't if the world was not ending.
I really liked this book. The ending left me wondering what happened to the characters once we leave them. I'm wondering about the world as they know it and if there really is anything to go back to once we leave them. Great read!
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LibraryThing member PureImagination
I’ve read two of Courtney Summers’ books. One I did not like at all and the other was just okay. I have a hard time with unlikeable characters and Summer’s books are filled with unlikeable characters. I kept hearing really great things about this one, plus it has zombies. So I decided to give
This Is Not a Test starts out with a bang. The beginning left me reeling and it sets the solemn and dark tone for the rest of the story. Like many reviews have stated, this really isn’t a zombie book. They are kind of like this unrelenting background noise to the story. The main elements are the kids in the school, how they are dealing–or not dealing–with their own issues.
Sloan was a very damaged girl. I couldn’t relate to her, but I understood her position. I liked her. I can’t really say that about the other characters, except maybe Rhys. The constant fighting between some of the characters really grated on my nerves. That’s what kept from liking the book more than I did. It was understandable, I guess, but I couldn’t help being annoyed by it.
This is a dark book. It’s bleak and Courtney Summers doesn’t hold anything back. It’s a fast and intense read and I would recommend having something a little more light-hearted for after. Overall, it was good, but I can’t say that I loved it.
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it a try. It’s by far the best book I’ve read by this author.This Is Not a Test starts out with a bang. The beginning left me reeling and it sets the solemn and dark tone for the rest of the story. Like many reviews have stated, this really isn’t a zombie book. They are kind of like this unrelenting background noise to the story. The main elements are the kids in the school, how they are dealing–or not dealing–with their own issues.
Sloan was a very damaged girl. I couldn’t relate to her, but I understood her position. I liked her. I can’t really say that about the other characters, except maybe Rhys. The constant fighting between some of the characters really grated on my nerves. That’s what kept from liking the book more than I did. It was understandable, I guess, but I couldn’t help being annoyed by it.
This is a dark book. It’s bleak and Courtney Summers doesn’t hold anything back. It’s a fast and intense read and I would recommend having something a little more light-hearted for after. Overall, it was good, but I can’t say that I loved it.
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LibraryThing member chickey1981
This book has been touted as one of the big YA blockbusters of the summer, so I have been waiting eagerly for it to come out.
Good zombie YA fiction is hard to come by. This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers is an attempt to rectify that fact. We are introduced to Sloane, the protagonist, who has
There are a lot of wonderful things about this book. The tone is dark and depressing, and it should be. I'm still thinking about what happened in the book. There are strong supporting characters and Summers is not afraid to kill off characters. How the future unfolds is not out of the realm of possibility in a zombie apocalypse. And how things deteriorate inside of the school is also very believable.
I wonder at the decision to make Sloane the protagonist. It's an interesting choice, because during the whole book she is trying to find ways to commit suicide, and yet, she still remains alive even though many other people succumb to the virus. She seems to drift through the book like a ghost. I try to imagine if another character had been the main one-- the idea that there is a suicidal person surviving in an end of world situation is interesting, but one that doesn't maintain interest throughout a whole novel. The twist at the end is the likely scenario and not surprising, but the end is chilling and still stays with me.
Overall, a dark, brooding, and suspenseful book and entertaining to read, but a different choice of protagonist may have been a better decision.
Good zombie YA fiction is hard to come by. This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers is an attempt to rectify that fact. We are introduced to Sloane, the protagonist, who has
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been beaten repeatedly by her father and is completely emotionally dependent on her sister Lily, who has just run away and has left Sloane behind. Sloane is about to commit suicide when the infection takes hold of the rest of the town, converting everyone into zombies, except a select few teenagers who have holed up in their high school. What follows is a combination of a horror movie and Lord of the Flies. The teens have to make hard decisions and try to stay alive.There are a lot of wonderful things about this book. The tone is dark and depressing, and it should be. I'm still thinking about what happened in the book. There are strong supporting characters and Summers is not afraid to kill off characters. How the future unfolds is not out of the realm of possibility in a zombie apocalypse. And how things deteriorate inside of the school is also very believable.
I wonder at the decision to make Sloane the protagonist. It's an interesting choice, because during the whole book she is trying to find ways to commit suicide, and yet, she still remains alive even though many other people succumb to the virus. She seems to drift through the book like a ghost. I try to imagine if another character had been the main one-- the idea that there is a suicidal person surviving in an end of world situation is interesting, but one that doesn't maintain interest throughout a whole novel. The twist at the end is the likely scenario and not surprising, but the end is chilling and still stays with me.
Overall, a dark, brooding, and suspenseful book and entertaining to read, but a different choice of protagonist may have been a better decision.
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LibraryThing member ilikethesebooks
ADGJ SKLDJ FLKAJS FLJDAFLKJASLDJ! Those are about the extent of my thoughts on this title. Incase you are unable to translate, that means incredibly in love, shocked, heartbroken, and confused. This is Not a Test is going on the "the shelf". The shelf that is reserved in my bedroom for the books
The world is collapsing, but this is nothing new to Sloane. Actually, Sloane welcomes the chaos and her imminent death. But after joining up with a group of high schoolers looking for shelter, her life is no longer up to her. She is forced to survive through the sheer will of the other teenagers. But what can you do when not only does the outside world hold unimaginable danger, but the inside holds its own types of threats? What lengths would you go to survive? And who will actually make it?
The simultaneous best and weirdest part of this novel is how much it resembles a contemporary. I realize that there are not zombies currently walking the Earth (or are they....), but the novel is not really about the zombie apocalypse. The apocalypse is what forces the characters to really be introduced to themselves for the first time. Their regrets and fears rampage them, and they start to see how strong they really are. But what is the most terrifying is what they will do to survive. It honestly reads like a contemporary, which was undeniably strange, but made the novel so much better.
This book was just really beautiful, something you don't expect when you read the synopsis. I would highly recommend it, especially to those crazies who like to have their hearts torn out.
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that I absolutely loved. Let's see if I can be somewhat coherent for the rest of this review...The world is collapsing, but this is nothing new to Sloane. Actually, Sloane welcomes the chaos and her imminent death. But after joining up with a group of high schoolers looking for shelter, her life is no longer up to her. She is forced to survive through the sheer will of the other teenagers. But what can you do when not only does the outside world hold unimaginable danger, but the inside holds its own types of threats? What lengths would you go to survive? And who will actually make it?
The simultaneous best and weirdest part of this novel is how much it resembles a contemporary. I realize that there are not zombies currently walking the Earth (or are they....), but the novel is not really about the zombie apocalypse. The apocalypse is what forces the characters to really be introduced to themselves for the first time. Their regrets and fears rampage them, and they start to see how strong they really are. But what is the most terrifying is what they will do to survive. It honestly reads like a contemporary, which was undeniably strange, but made the novel so much better.
This book was just really beautiful, something you don't expect when you read the synopsis. I would highly recommend it, especially to those crazies who like to have their hearts torn out.
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LibraryThing member BookAddictDiary
Author Courtney Summers offers her view of the end of the world in This is Not a Test, a new teen novel that follows in the footsteps of the popular post-apocalyptic genre. When the world ends, six students, including Sloane Price, take refugee inside Cortege High School to wait out the apocalypse
This is a Not a Test had its ups and downs for me. The books crowing glory, without question, is Summers' gorgeous, lyrical writing style that frequently boarded on poetry. Though, I'll admit that her storytelling isn't orthodox and can be considered slow-moving or lacking in enough dialog, that really didn't bother me for most of the book. I was completely pulled in by Summers' amazing style and the fascinating character depth that grew with every word.
Yet, the plot seemed to move very slowly and seemed to be almost non-existent. The characters didn't seem to do much other than sit around and have retrospective thoughts and conversations about their lives. All that mattered now was survival, and if it took holing up in the local high school to do it, they were going to find a way. While I understand that this can be difficult for anyone to get through mentally, and Summers did a great job of portraying this, there just wasn't enough going on in the plot for me. Despite that, I read the entire book and didn't want to put it down.
This is Not a Test offers a fascinating dissection of the human mind, its reaction to crisis and the will to survive that's interesting to read, but lacks action.
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-and, most importantly -to survive physically and mentally.This is a Not a Test had its ups and downs for me. The books crowing glory, without question, is Summers' gorgeous, lyrical writing style that frequently boarded on poetry. Though, I'll admit that her storytelling isn't orthodox and can be considered slow-moving or lacking in enough dialog, that really didn't bother me for most of the book. I was completely pulled in by Summers' amazing style and the fascinating character depth that grew with every word.
Yet, the plot seemed to move very slowly and seemed to be almost non-existent. The characters didn't seem to do much other than sit around and have retrospective thoughts and conversations about their lives. All that mattered now was survival, and if it took holing up in the local high school to do it, they were going to find a way. While I understand that this can be difficult for anyone to get through mentally, and Summers did a great job of portraying this, there just wasn't enough going on in the plot for me. Despite that, I read the entire book and didn't want to put it down.
This is Not a Test offers a fascinating dissection of the human mind, its reaction to crisis and the will to survive that's interesting to read, but lacks action.
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LibraryThing member ylin.0621
I have a love affair with Courtney Summers’s books. I’m usually strictly a paranormal gal (I mean, have you seen my bookshelf?), but as soon as Courtney Summers’s has a new book I’m on it like as if it were a cupcake—devoured with a every-man-for-themselves attitude. So when Summer’s
And thank you jebus that these zombies are not the cuddly, happy-go-lucky zombies that’s French kissing some cheerleader/goth dude. No, this is eating-the-flesh-off-your-face zombie.
Oh yeah.
This is Not a Test is about Sloane and a motley set of teenagers trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. Of course, what’s a Summers’s work if there isn’t emotional tension, angst, and drama. A boring one is what that will be.
This is Not a Test is heart pounding, jaw clenching novel that really leaves you hanging off the edge of your seat. (I know, I know, second POV is bad because it makes me sound obnoxious, but truly, this novel will have you on the edge.) While the zombies attack is an essential part of the novel, it is not the main focus. For This is Not a Test is a character driven novel with Sloane being the instigator. It is about living to survive from abandonment. Learning how to breathe even when the room starts to feel small and closing in. Learning to forgive people.
Summers’s draws forth an emotional response from the reader in every chapter. Even with the first person point of view, there’s an attachment and connection to the other characters. Take a deep breath in, and exhale slowly because it’s easily to get wrapped up in the characters. It’s so easy to get caught up in the loneliness and the despair from Sloane. Sometimes the urge to yell at someone is strong, other times tears sting your eye. There were so many times I had to stop reading, close the book, and take a minute to collect myself before I started to bawl. I became so emotionally invested in Sloane that it surprised me. I wanted to follow her tale till the wee rosy-fingered dawn. But I passed out around midnight so instead I dreamed about it. I wanted her live, but I wanted her to want to live even more.
By now you might have noticed my lack of mentioning of the zombies aside from the initial introduction. There’s a reason for that. Courtney Summers writes fantastic contemporary works of fiction. This is Not a Test reads just like a contemp. book with zombies being in the background. The zombies may be the ones that started the book, but the story of Sloane started before that. What the zombies do is make everything much more intense; it kick-starts the adrenaline. That’s not to say there aren’t any zombie fighting and chasing scenes. And that’s not to say what Summers’s wrote about the zombies wasn’t frightening. Because there were and it was. There is more to This is Not a Test than flesh-eating zombies.
The one part of Summers’s novels that frustrates me: the ending. They are typically open-ended and for me, I need to know what happens. Will they make it? To the new safe house? As a couple? Will Sloane continue to want to live? What happens now!?
With Summers’s terse writing and some unforgettable lines, This is Not a Test will haunt you; it’ll stick with you even after you finished reading it. I want to carry this book with me always so I can smack people in the face and demand that they read it. Now!
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announced her new book involving zombies I had to read it!And thank you jebus that these zombies are not the cuddly, happy-go-lucky zombies that’s French kissing some cheerleader/goth dude. No, this is eating-the-flesh-off-your-face zombie.
Oh yeah.
This is Not a Test is about Sloane and a motley set of teenagers trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. Of course, what’s a Summers’s work if there isn’t emotional tension, angst, and drama. A boring one is what that will be.
This is Not a Test is heart pounding, jaw clenching novel that really leaves you hanging off the edge of your seat. (I know, I know, second POV is bad because it makes me sound obnoxious, but truly, this novel will have you on the edge.) While the zombies attack is an essential part of the novel, it is not the main focus. For This is Not a Test is a character driven novel with Sloane being the instigator. It is about living to survive from abandonment. Learning how to breathe even when the room starts to feel small and closing in. Learning to forgive people.
Summers’s draws forth an emotional response from the reader in every chapter. Even with the first person point of view, there’s an attachment and connection to the other characters. Take a deep breath in, and exhale slowly because it’s easily to get wrapped up in the characters. It’s so easy to get caught up in the loneliness and the despair from Sloane. Sometimes the urge to yell at someone is strong, other times tears sting your eye. There were so many times I had to stop reading, close the book, and take a minute to collect myself before I started to bawl. I became so emotionally invested in Sloane that it surprised me. I wanted to follow her tale till the wee rosy-fingered dawn. But I passed out around midnight so instead I dreamed about it. I wanted her live, but I wanted her to want to live even more.
By now you might have noticed my lack of mentioning of the zombies aside from the initial introduction. There’s a reason for that. Courtney Summers writes fantastic contemporary works of fiction. This is Not a Test reads just like a contemp. book with zombies being in the background. The zombies may be the ones that started the book, but the story of Sloane started before that. What the zombies do is make everything much more intense; it kick-starts the adrenaline. That’s not to say there aren’t any zombie fighting and chasing scenes. And that’s not to say what Summers’s wrote about the zombies wasn’t frightening. Because there were and it was. There is more to This is Not a Test than flesh-eating zombies.
The one part of Summers’s novels that frustrates me: the ending. They are typically open-ended and for me, I need to know what happens. Will they make it? To the new safe house? As a couple? Will Sloane continue to want to live? What happens now!?
With Summers’s terse writing and some unforgettable lines, This is Not a Test will haunt you; it’ll stick with you even after you finished reading it. I want to carry this book with me always so I can smack people in the face and demand that they read it. Now!
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LibraryThing member YABliss
It starts with a shocking scene of Sloane discovering the zombie invasion. I was hooked from chapter one. She ends up with a group of teenagers from her high school with whom she has barely had contact before. They seek shelter in her High School and must coexist while they figure out what to do
Gripping and addicting, This is Not a Test is everything I hoped it'd be. Courtney Summers' words are made of awesome. Every sentence is so emotionally charged that it seems like all these feelings are just trapped inside the story, waiting for YOU to feel them. It's like a peek inside the world of REAL teenagers who just need to be heard.
This book was no exception. Even though it has zombies, it also has the trademark Summers contemporary feel. It's basically a realistic fiction book with a touch of zombie-rific-ness, which just serves as a threat in the background. And OF COURSE it has the tension. The constant vibrating tension, an obvious relationship tension (between all characters) and a new tension brought by this threat of zombies.
To be fair, this tension did seem to diminish a bit in the middle of the book, but I felt it was somewhat needed. It's hard to read while biting your nails during the whole book.
The character development was very well done, and one of my favorite things about the story was the relationship between the group. We know that in difficult circumstances the dynamics within a group become belligerent, and people become hostile and estranged. Courtney brilliantly portrays these dynamics from the point of view of one of the less problematic characters. All the unease and suspense within the group was fascinating.
I may be a little biased because I LOVE anything Courtney writes, but this book was incredible. I can't wait for more from her!
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next. With the apocalyptic threat on the background, the problems end up being more within.Gripping and addicting, This is Not a Test is everything I hoped it'd be. Courtney Summers' words are made of awesome. Every sentence is so emotionally charged that it seems like all these feelings are just trapped inside the story, waiting for YOU to feel them. It's like a peek inside the world of REAL teenagers who just need to be heard.
This book was no exception. Even though it has zombies, it also has the trademark Summers contemporary feel. It's basically a realistic fiction book with a touch of zombie-rific-ness, which just serves as a threat in the background. And OF COURSE it has the tension. The constant vibrating tension, an obvious relationship tension (between all characters) and a new tension brought by this threat of zombies.
To be fair, this tension did seem to diminish a bit in the middle of the book, but I felt it was somewhat needed. It's hard to read while biting your nails during the whole book.
The character development was very well done, and one of my favorite things about the story was the relationship between the group. We know that in difficult circumstances the dynamics within a group become belligerent, and people become hostile and estranged. Courtney brilliantly portrays these dynamics from the point of view of one of the less problematic characters. All the unease and suspense within the group was fascinating.
I may be a little biased because I LOVE anything Courtney writes, but this book was incredible. I can't wait for more from her!
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LibraryThing member booktwirps
Holy crap y'all. This. Book. It seriously blew me away. I settled in for another book about people fighting off hordes of zombies, but what I got was so much more. I was so not expecting to love it as much as I did.
What sets this book apart from the standard zombie survival book, is that the main
When the book begins, Sloane has decided to commit suicide. She's tired of living with an abusive father, and her older sister, her one true savior, has run away, leaving Sloane to deal with their father herself. Before Sloane can follow through with her plan, all hell breaks loose outside and she soon finds herself running for her life. Seven days later, Sloane finds herself barricaded in her high school with five other students as the zombies terrorize their small town -- their only contact with the outside world the droning voice of the woman on the radio telling them to seek shelter and that "this is not a test."
As the days go by, the teens do their best to remain calm despite the conflicts within the group. As the others make plans to survive, Sloane wonders why she is even there. She doesn't want to be alive, so why is she fighting for her life?
The character dynamics in this group are amazing. I loved Sloane. She's an emotional wreck, and though she hardly delivers any dialogue, her voice is loud and strong. (The book is told from her point of view). The fact that she doesn't want to live, and spends a majority of the book wondering how she can get outside without bringing harm to the others, makes her even more compelling.
As I said before, this is not your standard zombie novel, but there is plenty of tension. In fact, not having direct contact with the zombies outside makes the book that much more frightening. A lot of the scenes are psychologically intense and kept me glued to the pages. The last few chapters are insane, and seriously left me breathless.
If you liked The Forest of Hands & Teeth series, this is a must read. I highly recommend this one. It is definitely one of my top picks of this year.
What sets this book apart from the standard zombie survival book, is that the main
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focus is not the zombies. It's the survivors, and the heartbreaking main character, Sloane. The zombies are more of an outside presence throughout roughly 90% of the book. The threat is there, it's just not the main focus.When the book begins, Sloane has decided to commit suicide. She's tired of living with an abusive father, and her older sister, her one true savior, has run away, leaving Sloane to deal with their father herself. Before Sloane can follow through with her plan, all hell breaks loose outside and she soon finds herself running for her life. Seven days later, Sloane finds herself barricaded in her high school with five other students as the zombies terrorize their small town -- their only contact with the outside world the droning voice of the woman on the radio telling them to seek shelter and that "this is not a test."
As the days go by, the teens do their best to remain calm despite the conflicts within the group. As the others make plans to survive, Sloane wonders why she is even there. She doesn't want to be alive, so why is she fighting for her life?
The character dynamics in this group are amazing. I loved Sloane. She's an emotional wreck, and though she hardly delivers any dialogue, her voice is loud and strong. (The book is told from her point of view). The fact that she doesn't want to live, and spends a majority of the book wondering how she can get outside without bringing harm to the others, makes her even more compelling.
As I said before, this is not your standard zombie novel, but there is plenty of tension. In fact, not having direct contact with the zombies outside makes the book that much more frightening. A lot of the scenes are psychologically intense and kept me glued to the pages. The last few chapters are insane, and seriously left me breathless.
If you liked The Forest of Hands & Teeth series, this is a must read. I highly recommend this one. It is definitely one of my top picks of this year.
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LibraryThing member alwaysyaatheart
Sloane lives with her father, who beats her. Her sister Lily left 6 months ago, shattering her world. Without Lily, she felt she had no way to escape. She was ready to give up on life, had written a note to Lily, and was planning to end it all. There is a knock on the door and standing there is a
There are zombies in this book, but the focus is not on zombies, but on the six teens that are trying to survive inside the school. Six teenagers thrown together in a very stressful and fearful situation. Each with their own unique issues to deal with, while trying to survive the constant threat of killers trying to get to them. Sloane, Rhyse, Cary, Trace, Grace, and Harrison - this is their story. Sloane the main character, appears strong, yet on the inside she just wants her life to end. Rhyse, doesn't want to let that happen, but also has his own inner turmoil going on. The twins, Trace and Grace, lost their parents on the way to the school to the zombies. Then there is Cary, the leader, who they blame for their parents death, yet is more plagued with guilt than anyone is aware of. Lastly, Harrison, the freshman who cries all the time, and is fearful. As they fight for their lives, trying to survive, they each also try deal with their own issues, their own personal demons that they must face. Friendships are strengthened, enemies are made, emotions are raw, love is found. Not everyone will make it out of this. Not everyone survives.
This is Not a Test is one of those books that stays on your mind for days after you finish it. I was completely consumed by the first chapter and did not want to put the book down. This is a zombie book that is in a class all its own. The best one I have read. The characters were real, they had real issues and real problems, and Courtney Summers did an excellent job of enabling you to get into their heads and experience what they were thinking and feeling. The story focused on these six students, yet there was always the element of fear and the threat of danger from those infected, which keeps you on the edge of yours seat. There are some very intense moments. The story is filled with twists and turns, and it is also very emotional, as these characters fight to survive. If you are a zombie fan, then you won't want to miss this one, and if you are not, after you read this book, you just might become one. This is Not a Test is an outstanding book and I would definitely recommend it.
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woman covered in blood, the window shatters, a crazed woman is attacking her father. Sloane runs outside and finds utter chaos. People, who are no longer people, but vacant, soulless beings attack one another, feeding on one another. Sloane and five other high school students make it to the school to take refuge. They turn the radio on and hear a woman's voice "This is not a test." That is how this books starts out. Courtney Summers has you hooked from the very first chapter. There are zombies in this book, but the focus is not on zombies, but on the six teens that are trying to survive inside the school. Six teenagers thrown together in a very stressful and fearful situation. Each with their own unique issues to deal with, while trying to survive the constant threat of killers trying to get to them. Sloane, Rhyse, Cary, Trace, Grace, and Harrison - this is their story. Sloane the main character, appears strong, yet on the inside she just wants her life to end. Rhyse, doesn't want to let that happen, but also has his own inner turmoil going on. The twins, Trace and Grace, lost their parents on the way to the school to the zombies. Then there is Cary, the leader, who they blame for their parents death, yet is more plagued with guilt than anyone is aware of. Lastly, Harrison, the freshman who cries all the time, and is fearful. As they fight for their lives, trying to survive, they each also try deal with their own issues, their own personal demons that they must face. Friendships are strengthened, enemies are made, emotions are raw, love is found. Not everyone will make it out of this. Not everyone survives.
This is Not a Test is one of those books that stays on your mind for days after you finish it. I was completely consumed by the first chapter and did not want to put the book down. This is a zombie book that is in a class all its own. The best one I have read. The characters were real, they had real issues and real problems, and Courtney Summers did an excellent job of enabling you to get into their heads and experience what they were thinking and feeling. The story focused on these six students, yet there was always the element of fear and the threat of danger from those infected, which keeps you on the edge of yours seat. There are some very intense moments. The story is filled with twists and turns, and it is also very emotional, as these characters fight to survive. If you are a zombie fan, then you won't want to miss this one, and if you are not, after you read this book, you just might become one. This is Not a Test is an outstanding book and I would definitely recommend it.
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LibraryThing member Bookswithbite
Everyone be quite. Do you hear that? That is the sound of EPICNESS coming from this book.
EPPPPIIIIICCCCCNNNNNEEEEESSSSSSS!
Why is this book so epic? Have you ever read a book that is so deadly intense, so descriptive, that your fingers are clinging to the sides of the book. That you don't want to
The plot of this book is so amazing. The reader is thrown into a world that is ravished and survival is crucial. The moments of survival aren't what all in this book. Death. Lots of it. And even moments where you see, if you lost everything anyway, whats to live for? When those moments crept up on me while reading this book, I had to hold back tears. How in the world can Ms. Summer makes something seem so bad into something good? All I can say is that this author is one heck of a writer!
This Is Not A Test boils down to an hardcore tale of inconceivable yet realistic story. By far, this is the best story that I have ever read. Its easy to get swept away in all the emotions, adrenaline rush of running, and survival. This truly epic book is thrilling. This Is Not A Test is impressive yet satisfying.
EPPPPIIIIICCCCCNNNNNEEEEESSSSSSS!
Why is this book so epic? Have you ever read a book that is so deadly intense, so descriptive, that your fingers are clinging to the sides of the book. That you don't want to
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look up, afraid that if you do you will step out of the world that is in your mind. That's it. Seriously, when I started this book I thought, "Cool.Zombies." Not even close. It not just about zombies but the life's that all the characters lived. Deep, dark skeletons just racing to show themselves, each characters is literally fighting their own demon. And that folks makes this story.The plot of this book is so amazing. The reader is thrown into a world that is ravished and survival is crucial. The moments of survival aren't what all in this book. Death. Lots of it. And even moments where you see, if you lost everything anyway, whats to live for? When those moments crept up on me while reading this book, I had to hold back tears. How in the world can Ms. Summer makes something seem so bad into something good? All I can say is that this author is one heck of a writer!
This Is Not A Test boils down to an hardcore tale of inconceivable yet realistic story. By far, this is the best story that I have ever read. Its easy to get swept away in all the emotions, adrenaline rush of running, and survival. This truly epic book is thrilling. This Is Not A Test is impressive yet satisfying.
Show Less
Awards
White Pine Award (Nominee — Fiction — 2014)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2013)
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (Top Ten — 2013)
Language
Original publication date
2012
ISBN
0312656742 / 9780312656744