Review Detail

This is Not a Test wasn't quite what I expected. I was aware Sloane wasn't in the best state of mind, but I didn't expect it to last the entire book. I was kind of hoping she'd start to pull out of it at some point, but while she showed glimmers of hope, it never really happened.

While I didn't like Sloane and one of the other characters rubbed me wrong, I can appreciate the way Summers handled them. All the characters had very distinct personalities and I enjoyed watching the way they interacted as time went on. I really liked how Summers handled the subtle shifts in the group dynamic the longer they were stuck in close quarters together.

There's not really too much to say on the zombie front. They are a definite presence in the book, but there are only a few scenes in which they interact with our band of teens. I would have been down with more zombie scenes, but in the end, I didn't miss them all that much.

One more thing about Sloane: her stupidity almost hurt. I know her judgement was impaired by her mental state, but man, it was hard to read.

The Nutshell: In the end, I think I was a little let down by This is Not a Test simply because of all the hype. That, and Sloane is a bit of a downer. I'm glad I read it, though, and would probably suggest it to someone who enjoys contemporary and wants to dip their toes in the paranormal/horror genre.
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