April 27, 2012

Review: This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers



This is Not A Test
By Courtney Summers
Paperback, 336 pages
Expected publication: June 19th 2012
By St. Martin's Griffin

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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. 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?


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 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!





13 comments:

  1. Yay, another good review for this one! I've seen nothing but good things and I'm dying to read it. :D

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  2. What was so cool about this, as a dystopian and a zombie book, is how in the background that stuff was for the MC. Her mental state completely shifted the normal dystopian outlook. That alone was really cool.

    Reading this one was almost physically painful for me, much like reading Speak. However,it's been a couple months since I read this, and it's still stuck with me. I remember it much better than most everything else I've read, which really says something.

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  3. GAH!!! Your review has me just aching to get this book. Sounds so powerful and emotional. Yes....added to my wishlist.

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  4. I'm not into zombie books either. Last I read was Forest of Hands and Teeth. I was haunted by it too. I think I would love to read this as well if it's the same. I love that it's different because Sloane is not after survival really. I think I would want to see that perspective.

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  5. Wow, sounds really sad. I don't like zombies either. If a book can bring you to tears, to me anyway, it is a great book! Thanks for that. I will be sure to have a box of tissue at my side!

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  6. Thanks for the review! It's nice to see zombies and not vampires fora change :)

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  7. I've been seeing this book everywhere and haven't really paid attention to it because I'm not a huge fan of zombie books. But I do like a book that pulls you in emotionally. I'll be adding it to my TBR list. Thanks!

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  8. It's incredible that a dystopian with zombies can really touch all these universal emotions. It goes to show that any story needs great characters.

    Thanks for the review:)

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  9. I wanted to read this book before, but I want to even more now. I will keep in mind to have a box of tissues when I start this one.

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  10. First, the title is AWESOME. It threw me off, because it is so obscure. Second, the whole post-apocalyptic theme/setting is really cool. I like the premise of this story. I think it will be different from most. I haven't read it yet though, so I can't wait! Bring on the tissues!
    Thanks for the review!
    Alyssa Susanna

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  11. I have really been wanting to read this book. Stuff like this usually grabs me. I just can't get enough of the intensity. Your review makes me want to go get this book so bad!

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  12. I was pretty sure this was a book i wanted to read because i mean who can say no to a zombie book? but your review definitely makes me need to read it like right now! great review and i cannot wait to read it : )

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