Review Detail

This is Not a Test is brilliant, just brilliant. I thought it would be a zombie apocalypse where the world ends and everyone dies except for the main character and her lover. That did happen, but not the way I expected. This classic plot has been distorted to create an amazing story.

"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."

The blurb is a bit misleading where it says her world collapsed six months ago, because you think it means the zombies have been around for the past six months. I even thought it meant that Sloane had been trapped inside the school for the six months. But it really means that Sloane's sister, Lily, had left her family without any warning, and it shattered Sloane's heart. Don't be tricked by this confusing little twist of words.

I thought that it was so clever not to focus the entire book on the zombies outside the school, but on the teenagers inside, how they are dying as much as the rest outside. You hardly see the dead. They appear at the start, middle and the end. Perfect timings for perfect parts in a perfect book.

This is Not a Test is a freaky thriller. The walking dead are not what scares you, but the suspense and horror inside is what does. If you are up for the challenge and don't get nightmares easily, This is Not a Test (or Tina T) is the most perfect book for you.