The Test by Sylvain Neuvel

 

I heard about Sylvain Neuvel's The Test in a review on BookTube. The plot sounded intriguing and the reviewer liked it, so I decided to try it for myself. Despite the fact that this is a novella and is only about 100 pages long, I never got around to reading it. I made it part of my 22 in 2022 Challenge so I would finally pick it up and see what it was all about.

The story is set in England in the not-too-distant future and follows a man named Idir as he takes the British Citizenship Test. He is hoping to do well enough to make himself and his family permanent citizens. He has to answer 25 multiple choice questions on topics ranging from everyday life in the country to obscure historical facts. He starts off doing very well, but events take a tragic turn when a group of terrorists infiltrate the testing center and hold everyone hostage. Idir suddenly finds himself at the center of the ordeal and is forced to make some impossible decisions to survive. 

I thought The Test was pretty entertaining and engaging. It was very easy to read and went by quickly. Idir was a likable character and I found myself rooting for him to make it out of his situation and somehow still pass his test.  Since this is so short, there weren't a lot of complex themes to think about while reading, but it did present some questions about what makes a person worthy of belonging in a society. Is is being brave? Being smart? Being logical? It was interesting to see how Idir's actions were interpreted by the characters administering the test. 

The novel contains a big twist that I won't spoil here. It was fine and worked for the story. I did find it to be a bit unoriginal. I've read and seen this particular plot element many times in books and sci-fi shows over the years and I didn't feel like Neuvel did anything new or noteworthy with it here. If you've even seen shows like Black Mirror or The Outer Limits, you've seen this story before. Like I said though, this was still a good read.

Overall, I did enjoy The Test. It was quick, interesting, and well-written. I can't say that it's a special favorite for me, but it was worth the hour or so I spent with it.  

Challenge Tally

22 in 2022: 16/22

Total Books Read in 2022: 73