This is Not a Test-- Courtney Summers
Release Date: June 19th, 2012Genre: Apocolypse, Psycological Thriller
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 323
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:
It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.Blurb: Very real and gripping. Started looking for escape routes.
To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live.
But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside.
When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?
Review: Hi everyone! It’s River! I just finished one of the ARC’s Enna asked me to read (I’m new to the world of book reviewing, so holding an ARC in my hands made me feel important in a convoluted sort of way and I have to mention it) called “This is Not a Test” and this is my first book review ever, so bear with me.
“This is Not a Test” is the story of Sloane, a suicidal high school girl who takes refuge in her high school with five other teens in the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Her father was abusive, her sister has abandoned her and now suicide is out of the question for Sloane. She must struggle with her own desire to die, memories of her broken family and the students she is now trapped with.
Overall, “This is Not a Test” was an enjoyable read, outside of the smothering “Omigosh, what if this actually happened” panic I feel every time I read zombie apocalypse books like this (I actually started looking for escape routes from my apartment). The book was so real to me; the characters acted like the panicked high schoolers they were—and for the most part, nothing was over the top; it was easy for me to imagine myself there in the high school auditorium with them, trying to sleep on gymnastics mats while zombies flail against the doors.
The book has a certain quality that keeps you from getting restless or bored with the story, because even though the vast majority takes place in one setting, I didn’t get tired of it; the characters and story moved at the perfect pace. What’s more, the story revolved around just more than the zombies outside; it dealt with raw emotion and human nature, and made me wonder what I would be like if I was forced into a situation where I had to survive just for the sake surviving.
On the downside, I never found myself super involved with the majority of the characters so when the author tried a killing spree along the lines of “I will kill everyone you ever loved”, I calmly turned the page and continued on.
The ending was rushed (however, I assume most things are going to be rushed when zombies are after you) but there were some unexpected things that happened that were refreshing to me. Overall, it ended in the perfect spot. If you like the TV series “The Walking Dead”, this is the realistic and more feminine book version.
Note: This book is for more mature readers due to heavy use of profanity and sexual scenes.
Other Reviews:
- Xpresso Reads (Loved it!)
- Clockwork Reverie (It was okay)
- Sweet Tidbits (Didn't like it)
River is a guest reviewer on Squeaky Books. Follow her on twitter!
*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.
If you're going to be posting more than once, I don't think we should call you a "guest" reviewer. You're just another (awesome) contributor to Squeaky Books, that's all. :)
ReplyDeleteYour right! I should probably start calling her a "regular" guest reviewer, eh?
ReplyDelete*you're
ReplyDeleteExcellent review! We really enjoyed this book, and we agree with many of your observations. Don't know if y'all have seen it, but we like to think of this book as "The Breakfast Club" (movie) meets zombies. As you said, it goes beyond the apocalypse plot and delves into human nature and relationships.
ReplyDeleteGreat first review!! I like how I can easily tell you apart from Enna's posts. You made me a laugh a couple times.
ReplyDeleteSo, what? I don't make you laugh?! ;)
ReplyDeleteWelcome to book blogging! I enjoyed this book but also wasn't emotionally engaged with the characters. I should have ended the book devastated with the loss of characters I loved but instead I was just comfortable with the ending (did not mind its ambiguousness as others have mentioned.)
ReplyDeleteI liked how this book was contemporary while still being a zombie book (I looked for escape routes in my home too haha!)Great first review:)
ReplyDelete-Danna