Sloane is ready to die. Her father is abusive and her sister ran away, leaving Sloane alone with him. But when the zombies rise, Sloane fights for her life and the lives of five of her schoolmates, though she waits for an opportunity to cause her own death. As the zombie threat ebbs and flows and the survivors learn about each other, Sloane's motivations for wanting to die--or live--shift as well. 
 This is a deceptively simple book that I've seen described as "Dawn of the Dead meets The Breakfast Club," and that's not entirely wrong. Though Summers uses many traditional zombie tropes, the true drama and action are what happens inside, between the students and within Sloane. The zombies provide a reason for the students to be trapped in the high school and constantly on edge, but they're almost ancillary to the overall plot. This is a careful examination of the inner life of one abused, suicidal girl and the ways that trauma and the needs of others influence her survival instinct, self-worth, and ideas about herself. 
 This is Not a Test is thoughtful without being pedantic, sympathetic without being saccharine, and overall a good read.