Yeah, yeah, I know. With Courtney Summers though it has reached the point where I will basically read anything she writes, occasionally without reading the blurb first. In a way though it was nice. For one thing, I was actually surprised when the zombies turned up. For another, I might not have gotten into the zombie genre if I hadn't read this book.
This is Not a Test is one of those books where not a lot happens. You want action? This isn't for you. But if you're looking for gut-wrenching desperation, a gritty look at broken people and a general downer atmosphere then this book is perfect.
There is no question about it, what drives this novel is its characters. Maybe it's just my naivety to zombie fiction but I found a zombie apocalypse from the POV of someone who doesn't want to survive very refreshing. Sloane stumbles through the book like she's in a dream and the whole narrative style has this sort of hazy, uncertain atmosphere.
Is it perfect? No. Some people are bound to find it drags in parts and the ending does that typical Summers' thing of not really giving the reader any closure. The ending annoyed me greatly the first time I read it but the more I think about it, the more I like it. The other thing is that this, like her other books, is not a particularly easy read in terms of emotions. It packs a punch similar to Some Girls Are and while it might not leave you feeling happy, it will certainly leave you feeling something.
Overall Score:
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