Originally posted at Hooked on Books 
 A lot of zombie novels pull at the heart strings. They strip the characters down to their absolute base - bringing them head to head with do or die situations. It's hard not to get emotional in such situations. However, I think it's safe to say no zombie novels have pulled at my heart strings quite like This Is Not a Test. 
 This novel largely takes place within the high school of a few surviving teenagers. They survived the early stages of the outbreak and now have to figure out what their next steps should be. This would be pretty average except for Sloane. A victim of abuse and severly depressed she doesn't react to situations the same way as everyone else. It would be an understatement to say Sloane broke my heart. She may not have had the same thirst for life as everyone else but never the less she's a survivor. She's a fighter. And in many ways I think she's the bravest one of all. She kept going even though she had every reason not too. That being said at times I was also convinced she was a coward. Instead of devaluing her as a character however, this made her even more authentic. 
 This Is Not a Test was an interesting choice for Courtney Summers. I think it was a gamble to write a zombie novel with a depressed/suicidal main character but it paid off. I found myself left breathless and shocked by certain moments and heart broken by others. By the time I reached the last page my chest ached. This was a beautiful novel. 
 Final recommendation: A heart wrenching yet inspiring novel. This one will appeal to both zombie fans and contemporary lovers. Sounds crazy but it's true.