This Is Not a Test (novel)

Last updated
This Is Not a Test
This Is Not a Test (novel).jpg
First edition
Author Courtney Summers
Cover artistDesign by Lisa Marie Pompilio, Photograph by Vladimir Piskunov/Getty Images
Country Canada
Language English
SeriesThis Is Not a Test
GenreSurvival Horror
Publisher St. Martin's Press
Publication date
June 19, 2012
Media typePrint (paperback), ebook
Pages336 pp (first edition)
ISBN 9780312656744
Followed byPlease Remain Calm (This Is Not a Test #2) 

This Is Not a Test is a novel written by Canadian author Courtney Summers. It was first published on June 19, 2012 by St. Martin's Press. The novel takes place in a fictional Canadian town called Cortege, during the beginning of a zombie apocalypse. This Is Not a Test follows Sloane Price, a suicidal and abused teen girl as she faces the mental torments of her abusive father and being abandoned by her elder sister all the while reluctantly surviving alongside five other damaged teenagers. In 2013, it made the Inky Awards Shortlist and was a nominee for Silver Inky. [1] In 2014, it was an Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading White Pine Honour Book. [2]

Contents

Summary

Barricaded in Cortege High with five other teens while zombies try to get in, Sloane Price observes her fellow captives become more unpredictable and violent as time passes, although they each have much more reason to live than she has.

Characters

Themes

Themes explored in This Is Not a Test involve depression, survival, betrayal, and death. Although its premise primarily revolves around a zombie apocalypse, this is only a framing device used to explore themes of humanity’s perseverance and the long-lasting emotional damages inflicted by familial abuse. Instead of action, This Is Not a Test explores the boundaries of the human mind, as well as humanity’s innate desperation and reluctance to survive.

Reception

This Is Not a Test received a lot of praise, Publishers Weekly stating that Summers' book is " The Breakfast Club meets George Romero..." and listing it as one of its week of June 17, 2012 picks. [3] It was also one of Kirkus ' New & Notable Books for Teens for June 2012. [4] In 2013, it was among the Silver Inky Shortlist, [1] ALA/YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, [5] and ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults. [6] The next year, it was a 2014 OLA White Pine Honour Book [2]

On Goodreads, as of 2024, it has an average 3.85 out of 5 stars from 14,523+ ratings and 2,526+ reviews [7]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Inky Awards - 2013 Shortlist". Inside A Dog. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  2. 1 2 "White Pine™ Award Program Winners and Nominees 2002 ― 2015" (PDF). Ontario Library Association. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  3. "PW Picks: The Best New Books for the Week of June 17, 2012". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  4. "New & Notable Books for Teens: June 2012". Kirkus. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  5. "2013 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers (YALSA)". American Library Association & Young Adult Library Services Association. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  6. "2013 Best Fiction for Young Adults (YALSA)". American Library Association & Young Adult Library Services Association. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  7. "This is Not a Test (This is Not a Test #1) by Courtney Summers". Goodreads. Retrieved 2015-07-07.