The Test

This was an audiobook listen and since it was only 2 segments I guess it is either a short story or a novella. But it certainly packs a punch.

The premise of the story is that if a family of refugees wishes to become a citizen of Britain one member must take a test to determine if they have the knowledge to be a citizen. Idir is taking the test while his family waits in another room. Suddenly an armed man enters the test room. He makes demands of the government and threatens to kill a hostage every 20 minutes if the demans are not met. He draws Idir into this by asking him to choose the hostage to be killed. Idir is appalled and begs to be released from this quandary. The story makes the reader uncomfortable and then it takes a strange show more twist.

Having discovered Neuvel's writing only recently I continue to be impressed with his ability. show less

Wow, for such a short read this was great, but also devastating. I was invested in Idir's story from the start as he sits the British Citizenship test. Sadly, things quickly turn ugly, but I was so impressed with how Idir handled himself, despite the horrific decisions he has to make. He continues to show compassion, politeness and humanity amid incredible stress. I was rooting for him and his family all the way.

Despite the novel's brevity, it was extremely well-written, and it took me on an emotional roller coasters ride from start to finish. There were moments, too, when I was shaken to my core. As for the epilogue, it broke my heart.

"The Test" is a powerful read that left me pondering about the choices I would have made, had I been show more in a similar situation. show less

I'm freaking surprised at how good this novella is. Simple idea, but so much is packed into this short work. And what's more, it's timely.

The immigration process for getting into England has taken some rather HARD turns in The Test, selecting for an insane amount of information and psychological screenings. This high-tech future dystopia takes it so far that they screen for HEROES. :) It's not enough to be smart and a decent human being or being dedicated enough to jump through an amazing number of hoops. They're selecting for born or made heroes because, let's face it, society WANTS HEROES.

Never mind that heroes often come with a TON of baggage and in making them, you open up a real nasty Pandora's box.

Some tests should not be forced. :)

This novella is... wow.

I wasn't quite expecting this.

It amazes me the way some people can weave such a powerful story into so few pages. I expected this book to be something a little more about racism, and I won't say there aren't moments where Neuvel is calling out Islamophobia... but this was not what I expect.

The Test is a quite, extremely powerful story. We meet Idir at the beginning, a kind man who is going to take his test to become a British citizen. What follows is everything I would expected from the man who wrote Sleeping Giants. Which is to say, this story did nothing I expected it would, and it did all those things in the most brutal way possible. From a level of engagement, I really enjoyed it. I was worried about Idir. show more Reading this on my lunch break, I had to set it down in the middle of a particularly high-tensity moment, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. My heart was racing. It's just that good.

But it is, in no way, a feel-good book. It's a book that will pull you into the story until every cell in your body is fused to the words... but it will also take your heart and put it in a blender and hit pulse. The Test is ruthless. It's powerful. The characters are compelling and interesting and will surprise you. This novella is dark and haunting.

I really think everyone needs to read it. It speaks tomes about who we are as humans and the horrible depths in our souls.

Really. I recommend this to EVERYONE. show less

I absolutely enjoyed this novella. It was gripping, thought provoking, and utterly heart-breaking.
I was actually in the middle of a different book that I thought I would love and though I did like it, I was struggling through it. So I took a break and picked up The Test, and unfortunately for the other book this one delivered everything I was trying to force with my original read. I usually think I need to be halfway through a story to get fully invested, but by page 3 of The Test I knew I loved the writing, and by page 4 I was thoroughly engrossed and invested. Not to mention that the dystopian part of the book is “not-too-distant future” enough to make it terrifying.
This is a very short book and I devoured it in one day.

This super-fast read is fairly terrifying, but not in a ghost-story or zombie apocalypse sort of way. Idir Jalil is the narrator, whom you cannot help but love from the opening pages. Born in Teheran, Idir and his family emigrated to London, fleeing from the persecution of his journalist wife. The entirety of the 104-page novel tells the story of the day Idir takes the U.K. citizenship test.

This is dystopia, right? It has to be . . . right?

This book is so f’ed up but at the same time so real. You are immediately pulled into the story of a man who wants to pass his citizen exam to make life better for his family. When you the reader find out what the real exam is you are screaming HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN!. In what world would we humans ever let this happen. Then the last few weeks happen and I realize more and more who true something like this could happen or become. It’s scary, it’s real, it’s radical, and it's inhumane. But it made this book outstanding in so few pages. I can see this being a classic that 50 years from now people debate like Fahrenheit 451 or 1984.
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