This is not a test

The thing no one tells you about surviving, about the mere act of holding out, is how many hours are nothing because nothing happens. They also don't tell you about how you can share your deepest secrets with someone, kiss them, and the next hour it's like there's nothing between you because not everything can mean something all the time or you'd be crushed under the weight of it.

courtney summers has been my favorite author since i was 12 and i waited a super long time to read this but god she just always knocks it out of the park. she makes me feel crazy with how much i love the way she writes and the stories she's able to tell, but most of all i love her protagonists and how terrible and selfish and broken they can be. she's always had this ability to tap into the darkest parts of being a teen girl so well it blows my mind still. this might be one of her darkest works, but at the end it's all still so human...

I really loved this book and all of the characters but it left me wanting a bit. I wish we had gotten to know Lily and Sloane's relationship a bit better and the ending felt a little rushed.

Ahh so scary!! A really innovative twist on zombie stories, especially given that I do not really care about zombies, like, at all. It's okay because this isn't really about zombies, they're just like, there, in the background, for some compelling and scary teen character development. Very hard to put down.

While I'm unsure of the rating I want to give this, I can say that it was excellent and left me incredibly depressed by the end.

This Is Not A Test soared to the top of my reading list as soon as I found out that it was a zombie book, and done by Courtney Summers. I'm sincerely convinced that she can do no wrong. I wanted to see what her take on the zombie apocalypse would be! I can say, without a doubt, that I was pleasantly surprised at what I found between the pages! Hold on tight, let's get this review started.

When the book opens the world goes from normal, straight to all out crazy. I'm not entirely certain how the zombie apocalypse actually comes about but it definitely hits hard. What I loved more than anything was the survival aspect of This Is Not A Test. This isn't just a book about zombies. This is a story about six teens that are just trying to make it as far as they can. Six people who are trying to keep their sanity in an otherwise insane world. I really enjoyed watching them find their inner strength, and eventually learn what was most important to them.

The one wrench in my otherwise total enjoyment of this book was Sloane's character. I liked her, but I found it a little hard to believe that there was literally nothing that she wanted to live for. The back story to Sloane's character makes sense. I won't spoil, but you can definitely see why she is hurting so much. Still, it became a little over dramatic after a while. I thought she had so much more potential.

If you've read Courtney Summers, you know how amazing this book is. It's her type of book, just with the addition of a zombie spin. I'm extremely happy to say that This Is Not A Test takes its rightful place on my shelf of re-reads! I only wish that there was more of the story, because at the end I just couldn't let go.

A story I finished mere hours after I started it; to call This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers gripping would be an understatement.

The world has ended or at least it seems that way, for unknown reasons the dead have risen and they are seeking out the living, to kill them, to eat them and with every bite more dead rise. In Sloane Price's mind, however, the end of the world is exactly what she needs. While the group of fellow students, Sloane finds herself barricaded with, try their best to stay alive Sloane prays for the dead to come bursting through the doors to take her and end her life. Because ever since Sloane's older sister Lily abandoned her to escape their abusive father, Sloane can't see what there is left to live for especially now that the rest of the world is joining the dead.

This is Not a Test is an intense and heart twisting novel that reads more normal than paranormal despite being filled with merciless, man eating corpses. Don't get me wrong, the zombies are there and they are scary. Not only can Courtney Summer's zombies run fast, but they are strong and smart. There was one particular scene in this book that had my mouth dropping open and eyes bugging out because even though I wanted the characters to make it, there was no denying that the zombies had just made a brilliant move. They aren't the focus of the story however; the focus is Sloane and the other characters because although it's hard not to think about zombies banging on your door it's the characters that carry the story.

Now almost always, for me to love a story I need to love the characters but in this case I did not like anyone from This is Not a Test, not even Sloane but I did find them all to be realistic and enthralling. I would never want to meet any of them, not even kind hearted Grace or considerate Rhys but all of them kept my eyes glued to the pages and anxious to find out what would happen to each of them. How far would each of them go to survive and what they would do to each other because when it comes down to kill or be killed even the sweetest person can turn into a monster. And some of these characters do some unspeakable things.

If you're looking for a novel with pure action and carnage then this isn't the book for you, but if you want a book that's deep, intense, and provocative, a novel that doesn't gloss over the gritty parts of death or human nature then read This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers because it'll be exactly what you are looking for.