Test by William Sleator

by William Sleator

Pass, and have it made—fail, and suffer the consequences. A master of teen thrillers tests readers’ courage in an edge-of-your-seat novel that echoes the fears of exam-takers everywhere. Ann, a teenage girl living in the security-obsessed, elitist United States of the very near future, is threatened on her way home from school by a mysterious man on a black motorcycle. Soon, she and a new friend are caught up in a vast conspiracy of greed involving the megawealthy owner of a school testing company. Students who pass his test have it made; those who don’t disappear . . . or worse. Will Ann be next? For all those who suspect standardized tests are an evil conspiracy, here’s an edge-of-your-seat thriller that really satisfies.

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Dystopia, Fiction, Childrens, School, Mystery

Paperback

First published March 1, 2008

About the author

William Warner Sleator III was born in Havre de Grace, Maryland on February 13, 1945, and moved to St. Louis, MO when he was three. He graduated from University City High School in 1963, from Harvard in 1967 with BAs in music and English.

For more than thirty years, William Sleator thrilled readers with his inventive books. His House of Stairs was named one of the best novels of the twentieth century by the Young Adult Library Services Association.

William Sleator died in early August 2011 at his home in Thailand.

Reviews

[Adrian Meyers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Truly one of the worst books I have ever read in my entire life. I was a huge fan of Sleator in my adolescence and really looked up to him; I always felt that he was a great way to get into science fiction. Truly, Sleator's strength lies in watering down the greats of sci fi for young adults. His foray into the world of horror was bleak at best (The Boy Who Couldn't Die was a delightful read at the age of 11, but does not hold up to the test of time even a quarter as well as House of Stairs, Interstellar Pig, even the Last Universe), but this was above and beyond the most disappointing of his works. Its entire tone is bitter and hateful; he clearly regrets not having entered the dystopian sci fi genre earlier, and is just downright salty that his books do not hold the household fame of the Hunger Games, et cetera. This book was a misogynistic and racist mess and his hatred of all minority groups has never been more apparent. He does not understand what it is like to live even a middle class lifestyle; he does not understand what it is like to have body dysphoria; he does not understand anything but his own narrow, male-centric, upper-middle-class point of view. Do not read this book, especially if you are a fan of Sleator. It will do nothing but leave an awful taste in your mouth and a deep, deep disappointment in the pit of your stomach. I cannot believe this book was published, and am glad it languished on my bookshelf for seven years before I read it. I will be using it as material for my rabbit's litterbox.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok, kiddos, get out yer pencils. What's worse than having your life ruled by standardized testing?

A) persistent foot fungus
B) getting beat up every day at lunch
C) a painfully unsubtle YA novel about a standardized testing dystopia
or D) all of the above.

So, ok, yes, I think that standardized tests are bad, absurd... the whole system is fucked-up in so many ways... Sleator is totally preaching to the choir with me. But come on. If all he wanted to do is give a bitter, sarcastic (but too awkward to be funny) rant about how the world is going to hell in a handbasket, why couldn't he do what normal people do and just have some friends over for dinner and bore the hell out of them? Sheesh.

Not only are his characters completely charmless and wooden, the internal plot-logic doesn't even hang together. One moment the protagonist talks about teachers doing whatever they can to ensure that their students get high scores on their tests --sometimes even helping the kids cheat-- because the teachers' jobs are on the line... but the next moment she's talking about how teachers are always taking points off kids' scores for minor infractions (for example: eye-rolling). Get real! If a teacher needs high scores to keep their job, and if said teacher is even halfway as cunning as your average block of tofu, are they going to be willy-nilly throwing away points to discipline/harass their students? Snarky Magic 8 Ball says, "Are you effin' kidding me?"

I'm not even going to spend my time talking about the painstakingly-rendered broken English of Lep, the male lead. Suffice to say that I have read books before in which non-standard speech patterns are rendered in a manner that is vivid and realistic, without being annoying or offensive. This was not one of those books.

Now, in the interests of full disclosure, I simply could not finish this hot mess o' pottage. And I've finished some lousy books in my time, let me tell you. But I just couldn't do it. I read a good 60 pages with real dedication; skimmed another chapter's worth just in case, I don't know, a miracle happened and it somehow got better (it didn't!) I also then flipped to the back and read the last 2 chapters just to see if, I don't know, maybe at least it ended interestingly...?
It didn't. If anything, the ending was more awkward and un-compelling and rushed than anything beforehand.

Sigh.

I'm torn between being ashamed that I didn't finish it, and ashamed that I forced myself to read as much as I did. That's the problem with goodreads. I want to give things a proper go so I can review them with some semblance of fairness, and, ugh, it's like eating heavy, greasy food that doesn't even taste good, and then you've nothing but a stomachache to show for it.


I recommend this book to:
-Gluttons for punishment (of a distinctly boring, unkinky variety)
-People who feel that complexity, characterization, and elegant writing have no place in moral tales
-Anyone who thinks The Hare & The Pineapple is a legitimate rubric for determining ANYTHING REAL, EVER.

[Tris · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate this book. It's one of those suspense novels, so it has all this bad stuff happening (a motorcycle! a test! uh-oh!), but I HATE how it's written. The author is writing about teenage girls, and he tries to have a couple of love story lines that just failed. They seem really contrived and awkward, and they just seem weird in with all the suspense. He also writes a lot of stuff like, "She put on her hottest pink silky top. She knew that with her tight top, padded bra, and tight jeans, no guy would be able to resist her." It just seemed so awkward, like the guy didn't know what he was talking about. I'm just going to say that the author should really not try to write about teenage girls and love. He should stick to the suspense.

Ugh. Finally finished. This may possibly be my least favorite book. At least now I feel free to move on to Pride and Prejudice or my Orson Scott Card Books!

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had such potential but ultimately did not deliver. Its premise is both interesting and timely: everyone's future depends on passing a standardized test; if you don't pass it, you can't graduate high school, and you will never get ahead in life. The class differences are very obvious - there is terrible traffic and smog on the ground, whereas the rich fly around in their own helicopters and attend private schools that don't require the test to graduate. Ann, the main character, discovers that the test is a sham and that Lep, a foreign boy in her class, is being bribed by the maker of the test with test answers in exchange for him to do illegal things.

The story seemed interesting at the beginning, mainly because it was setting up the plot (most of which I already knew from reading the back cover), but even when interesting events happened, it was unable to keep my attention. For example, a substitute teacher comes to Ann's class and seems to know nothing about the all-important test and instead has them read real stories and makes lessons interesting. How, I wondered, did she get a job as a teacher if she doesn't know about the test? Where did the school find her? These questions were never answered.

Problems with the book: Much of Test was written in the passive voice. It drove me crazy and kept any potential action from seeming eventful. Though the book isn't all that long, events were constantly rehashed, such as "If she didn't do ___, then ___ would happen!" I knew that already, in every case, because it was already the driving force behind someone acting a certain way. It felt like much of this had to do will filling up pages so the story would be novel-length. Lep's dialogue also drove me crazy; to drive the point home that his English isn't good, his speech is written out poorly and, after a while, that becomes irritating. Furthermore, the love stories the author tried to develop were very, very lacking and not interesting. Worst of all, the ending is terrible! Everything is wrapped up very quickly, basically summarized, and is not satisfying. I even rolled my eyes at some of the ridiculousness that ensued!

This is all especially disappointing because I remember, years ago, reading books by WIlliam Sleator and enjoying them. I don't know if his writing has declined or if I simply had lower standards as a kid; at any rate, I feel confident that this book wouldn't have pleased me, even if I was that young again. I give this two stars because the overall idea driving this book's plot was interesting and I did enjoy parts of it, but there are much, much better teen books out there that have more developed plots, better paced action, and more satisfying endings. Parts of this book, in fact, made me think of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, which were all so much better than this.

Overall, if you have to read this book, get it from a library. It's just so disappointing.

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so enthusiastic about this book at first. what a great concept! It sounds just like schools of today (on purpose, I'm sure). But it is set in the future - a future where people who don't take and pass the XCAS test are doomed to a life of pollution and traffic. Teachers, naturally, have to teach to the test, and success is measured by how well the school does overall. Sound familiar? the first quarter of the book was good - it set the stage. But, the author did not write as if he really understood teenagers - or even adults. conversations were stilted, and there really wasn't much action. I kept hoping the ending would at least be good - but it was very predictable. In fact, you'd never know this book was supposed to be set in the future - I think the author forgot about that aspect of the plot also. So - overall, quite disappointing.

[Brandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read about 2/3 of this, and I'm not really inclined to finish it up. I don't care about the main character, or her friend, or the Rich Girl we flash to periodically. I don't know if this is supposed to be a scathing response to No Child Left Behind, or a tongue-in-cheek one. The writing oscillates between lackluster and poor.

This is a huge disappointment to me. I didn't expect to love this book, but as a kid I loved Sleator's books, starting with the creepy-dollhouse story Among the Dolls and culminating in House of Stairs, which I still fondly remember as being one of the best psychological horror stories of my youth. I'm afraid to re-read those classics, because every time I've so much as glanced at one of Sleator's more recent titles, they just sound awful.

Blah, sigh, and grumble.

[Scott Shjefte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over-testing is proved wrong. Here is a story that brings that fact to the public—Libby library Kindle book.

[Deborah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part of the reason I read through to the end of this book was because I knew I would enjoy critiquing it. This, perhaps, says quite enough.

But that won’t stop me.

Its biggest flaw as a book is the target audience. Because the characters are in their late teens (and due to the shelving location at my local library), the book seems like it is for teenagers, but the writing is more appropriate for perhaps 11-to-12-year-olds. The simplistic style is mimicked in the characters, who are poorly developed and archetypal.

Socially, this book addresses educational standards and the focus on test-based teaching. As a teacher’s daughter and having worked in education myself, I agree that teaching to the test is a problem, but this was taken to a dystopic extreme without sufficient atmospheric development. As with everything else, it had a sense of seriously limited development. Ann’s family’s economic struggles are mentioned, but kind of hard to believe since they’re discussed but not felt. The omnipresent traffic, similarly, feels more like a device than a plot point.

The mention of No Child Left Behind was just heavy-handed enough to avoid being cleverly satirical.

Ultimately, even the conclusion was somewhat unsatisfying. The book purported to address a broad social issue, yet in the end, everything worked out well only for the characters. It didn’t do justice to the themes.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I picked up this book from the library, I thought it was a great concept and was really interested in the story. It's set sometime in the future where the poor are forced to take and pass the XCAS test in order to escape their lives of traffic and pollution. The rich do not have to take the test and are not subject to the traffic or the rigors of pollution, housing shortages, etc. The success of passing the test not only impacts the students' futures, but also how much money the schools receive, how much the teachers are paid and whether or not they keep their jobs. The classes at public schools all focus on the test and don't really teach the students anything. This book is filled with corruption, racism, intimidation, mutiny, criminal behavior, greed, and selfishness.

The premise was good. The writing left a lot to be desired. The conversations were stilted, there wasn't a lot of action, the characters weren't well written, certain plot points were not relative to the story, and seemed thrown in for effect. As a whole, I was not impressed.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

TEST IS 300 PAGES. Test is a wonderful book that takes place in the future. It's about Anne, a 17 year old girl. She is going to take the final XCAS test that determines if you get to go to college or not. One day a person wearing black on a fancy motorcycle with a symbol on the motorcycle and helmet with a red symbol made up of three reptilian creatures forming an egg-shape. That day she tells her parents about the motorcycle person and they think it's the symbol of Replico, a company run by a rich business man named, Mr. Warren who owns many different important companies. Her father happens to work at one, Grand Diamond.

I liked it because it is a sci-fi and fast-paced and a good book. The suspense and action were what I liked best.

I would recommend it to people who like sci-fi action books.

[Rebecca Heywood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this a five, but the ending was disappointing. Not in a "I didn't like how it ended" kind of way. More of a "sudden and unsatisfying" kind of way. It's like the author suddenly was tired of the book and decided to just to a brief synopsis of how everything turned out. It was such a different style from the rest of the book, it didn't seem to fit. It was like one of those cop shows where they tell you briefly what happened to everyone. 'Joe served time for extortion, Mary and John went to college together and turned out fine, Lizzie became a movie star.' That kind of ending. Very disappointing.

[Reb · Rating 2 out of 5]

picked this up from free box and was disappointed. loved his sf writing when i was young. were his plots this implausible? his political messages this ham-handed? his characters this flat? boo. two stars for being unabashedly progressive.

[Rema · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read another book by William Sleator, The Last Universe, which I found utterly fascinating. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about Test.

I was intrigued by the concept of the book. I thought that there would be a lot more to the story than just the test. I thought that, maybe, the characters might discover even more wicked dealings with the government but all that promise was forgone in favor of the ridiculous test. Honestly, it reminds me of the Park testing NY and NJ were trying to enforce. HUGE waste of money.

Even though the book was short, it moved at an excruciatingly slow pace. Everything that happened had to be retold from another character's perspective. That might have been okay if new information were revealed. But no, it was just another character describing the same exact thing another character had already done.

Speaking of character pespectives, I found the third person narrative really awkward.

The writing was also strange and it was a struggle to get used to it. Words like "curity" were tossed around and it sounded awful. Anytime I read that word, I would cringe. Was it supposed to be slang?

And as for Lep, his dialogues were atrocious. I'm from a town of immigrants, my mom doesn't speak English well, and I have friends who immigrated here a year or two ago. I've never heard anyone speak the way Lep does. Sometimes when my mother speaks in English, it's hard to understand what she's trying to say. That's not the case with Lep. It's not hard to understand him but the way his dialogues are structured make it seem as though it should be hard to understand him.

The characters in this book were not developed at all. They were all flat and one dimensional and they didn't experience any growth.

I couldn't find myself interested in the plot nor the characters. The writing was abysmal. The book was, in a word, disappointing.

However, I did like how the book pointed out the problem with standardized tests like Park. That was the whole point of the book. The only person/people who benefit from these kinds of tests are the ones who can make a profit from them.

[bel · Rating 2 out of 5]

*THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Let me tell you a story.

Many, many months ago, when I first joined Goodreads, I read reviews for the Selection. I was absolutely shocked when I found that many people thought America was a cardboard cutout. That she had no personality. I had never heard that term used before describing a character in a book. I actually laughed when I saw it , because I was like, "How is that even possible? Most characters have so much personality!"

Then I read this book.

Here is an example of what I am talking about. Ann is described as pretty most of time. Lep only says she is smart, pretty and strong. What does Ann like to do? What are her hobbies? We learn she has blonde hair in like the first chapter, but we only get to know in the very last one what color eyes she has.
Lep is "foreign" but we are apparently supposed to guess where he is from or something, because they only tell us that he is from Thailand halfway through the book. Also not a fan of how everyone calls him " dark" and then somehow knows he's Thai? I know this is the future United States but there has to be some diversity, right?
The XCAS tests are basically a joke. Everyone has to take them , every year in High school because that makes sense. Also if this is such a big deal, how do random people not know about this?
The tests are also like super unfair, immagrints have to take them IN ENGLISH when they come into America. Like would it be that hard to have copies in different languages?
If you are still reading, thanks for listening as I rant😂🎃
Happy Halloween!

[P.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ann Forrest is worried about passing the XCAS test. Her English teacher Mr. Wells spends every day on test prep since his job and the school's funding depends on making AYP. The class' scores are threatened by Lep, a Thai immigrant, who is limited English proficient. When Ann is threatened by a man wearing a jacket with a familiar logo on it, she becomes embroiled in a major scandal. The scandal involves cheating on the XCAS, substandard housing for legal and illegal immigrants, intimidation, and political influence peddling. Ann and Lep join forces with their substitute English teacher to expose the publisher of the test, Mr. Warren, who is the crony of the president. A secondary plot line involves Mr. Warren's daughter, the typical spoiled, rich girl who wants a fling with the forbidden but alluring apartment manager. I liked the theme of this novel but found the characters to be somewhat one dimensional and the ending was rushed and unsatisfying. Everyone who worries about AYP and high-stakes testing will find familiar ideas. The author certainly used this story as a diatribe against NCLB.

[Jake D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very entertaining book. Ann Forest is a student that has to take the dreaded XCAS test. This test decides if you will live among the rich or the poor. Her entire English class is a bunch of practice tests trying to prepare the students. Little did Ann know her dad has trying to protest unsafe housing conditions against his boss. It turns out his boss, Mr. Warren, owns the XCAS publishing company and is trying to target Ann to get back at her father. Ann also meets a new friend named Lep who also works at the company that publishes the XCAS tests.The two start on an adventure trying to take down the XCAS test and Mr. Warren. This book is very exciting and entertaining and that is why I would recommend it for anyone looking for a fun read. The only reason I gave is four out of five stars is because some if the ideas and plots are extremely unrealistic.

[Dawn Oswald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed William Sleator's books. I read my first one in 5th grade - Blackbriar. It was awesome and I couldn't get enough. This one, so many years later, didn't disappoint. I found it interesting that the author chose to tackle the future of standardized testing in educating our students and the policies resulting from No Child Left Behind. As an educator, I can picture something like this (perhaps not to this extreme) happening. Our students aren't really taught to think and to become educated. They are only taught to take a test and funding is always attached thus affecting the quality of education. While the ending was not as thoroughly developed as the rest of the novel, I still highly recommend this as a recipe for change.

[J.X. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one from the king of eerie YA. I didn't think this was his most polished, and there were a couple of parts that dragged - and some of the attempts at how teens talk were the tiniest bit cringey. I didn't like how a couple of the characters wrapped up, and the ending felt a bit too simple; I found myself wishing it was expounded upon. But overall, it was a fun, engaging story with likable characters that makes a not-at-all-subtle point about standardised testing. Definitely pick it up and enjoy this one thoroughly.

[David Cardenas-Moreno · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the novel. I could not take my eyes off of the book. Every second I had to read it, I read it.I loved the scenes with Tony and with Lep. Their characters really added to the story. The only part i did not enjoy as the rest of the novel, was the ending. It ended so sudden and with not a lot of more information. overall this is one novel I would recommend.

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a centrist’s went dream. Children rebelling by organizing a peaceful protest? When did revolution ever happen peacefully? This book was anticlimactic and boring. The concept has so much potential and it was a massive let down.

[James Briggs · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had no plot build and was a weak attempt at throwing in a love story to a teenage standardized testing plot. There was so much focus put on taking a standardized test and classes that it felt like reading the daily schedule of a high schooler, but nothing really happened.

[Darwin Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor girl she got shot. I liked it , because there was a lot of drama, and it was really interesting.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had some promise, but the writing was repetitive and choppy and the storyline just fell through for me.

[Alex Telander · Rating 3 out of 5]

William Sleator has been thrilling and terrifying readers for decades now with the fantastic, unbelievable, and at times scarily close to a possible doomed future, as he does with his latest book, Test. In this world, the United States is a little different to what you or I know. There are now an untold number of cars on the roads and highways of the country, clogging the asphalt and air with exhaust fumes; it takes many hours to get just a few miles, as traffic inches along at a pathetic pace. If you need to be at work or school by 9AM, you need to leave in the early hours of the morning. And how does one avoid this? Well, you have to be super rich so you can afford your own helicopter, your own helipad on top of your mansion, and a helipad where you go to school or work; then you can get to class in no time, just like one of the characters in Test.

And how does one become super rich? Well, it really depends on how you do on the XCAS test. This is the national test that every high school student must take to graduate and to determine if they have any hope of a future and a job and a decent career. If they fail, there is little hope for them. And what do teachers teach them? Not English vocabulary and grammar, not mathematics and science, or languages, but practice and training for passing the XCAS test; because if the students don’t past the tests, then the school gets low ratings, and they get less government funding for the school. It’s a very vicious cycle in this elitist America.

Ann is sick of the system, but as a member of a family that struggles to get by, she doesn’t really have much choice. But she is a very smart teenager, and as she learns some facts and details about certain people, she puts the pieces together and begins to have some hope that she might just be able to do something about the state of things, but she’s going to need some help.

Sleator does it again, with Test, creating a unique world with strong and interesting characters and a compelling story that will have readers – be they young adults or adults – hooked to the very end. So the next time you prepare for a midterm and you really don’t feel like studying for it, take a read of Test, and find out how much worse things could be.

For more book reviews and exclusive author interviews, go to BookBanter.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com

In a world not much different than ours, people are divided into two classes. In one, the rich and powerful travel by helicopter to their luxury houses and jobs. In the other, people are stuck in hours of traffic going to and from their low-level jobs - all the while breathing air poisoned by pollution.

The Test is what determines your future.

Ann lives with her parents in the low-level class. Her parents leave hours before they have to be at work because it takes so long to get there in the traffic. Her father works as a health care giver to some people that live in an apartment building owned by one of the most powerful men in the country.

The apartment building is in terrible shape and in constant disrepair. When Ann's father starts to tell the occupants to withhold rent until their apartments are fixed, things begin to get dangerous.

Ann starts to see a mysterious man on a motorcycle bearing a weird logo on her way to and from school. When he begins to threaten her, she decides to figure out what is going on. She finds out things are more connected than she ever thought, and that the Test is at the center of everything.

THE TEST by William Sleator is a good story. With how testing is viewed in our public schools today, it is interesting to see an author's view of what could happen if we let testing get out of control.

The one weakness I can see with this book is the ending. It almost seemed like Sleator ran out of time and had to turn in the manuscript before he could wrap things up properly. Overall, though, a good read.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a world not much different than ours, people are divided into two classes. In one, the rich and powerful travel by helicopter to their luxury houses and jobs. In the other, people are stuck in hours of traffic going to and from their low level jobs - all the while breathing air poisoned by pollution. The Test is what determines your future.

Ann lives with her parents in the low level class. Her parents leave hours before they have to be at work because it takes so long to get there in the traffic. Her father works as a health care giver to some people that live in an apartment building owned by one of the most powerful men in the country. The apartment building is in terrible shape and in constant disrepair. When Ann’s father starts to tell the occupants to withhold rent until their apartments are fixed, things begin to get dangerous.

Ann starts to see a mysterious man on a motorcycle bearing a weird logo on her way to and from school and when he begins to threaten her, she decides to figure out what is going on. She finds out things are more connected than she ever thought and that the Test is at the center of everything.

THE TEST by William Sleator is a good story. With how testing is viewed in our public schools today, it is interesting to see an author’s view of what could happen if we let testing get out of control. The one weakness I can see with this book is the ending. It almost seemed like Sleator ran out of time and had to turn in the manuscript before he could wrap things up properly.

[Ron Bajrami · Rating 2 out of 5]

Test is about a girl named Ann whos being threatened by a building manager named Tony, of Grand Diamond which is a tenant building. The setting is not said, and the main character is Ann and Lep. Ann and Lep are friends and they soon know about each other that may affect both of their lifes. Ann main external conflict is, Ann being threatened by a building manager named Tony, of Grand Daimond which is a tenant building. The company who owns the building is called Replico, owned by Mr. Warren. Ann is being threatened because his father Mr. Forrest who is working at Grand Diamond, and hes trying to make the tenants protests because the apartments are in cruel condition, and Mr. Warren is doing nothing to fix the problems. Ann's internal problem is the test, called XCAS. Shes a senior student at a public highschool and if she fails the test she doesn't move on to college. She is worried about taking the XCAS.



During this book I made a text-to-self connection. When she was worried about taking the XCAS, it reminded me of being worried about the 7th grade Math State and ELA test. I was so worried that it made a feel less confident on getting a 3 or a 4 on it. Luckily I got a 3 on the ELA and a 4 on the Math State test.



I would give this book 2 stars because there are little setting and the plot is little. Not alot of mystery and it didn't catch you. I would reccomand this book to those people who dont want alot of suspense and little plot.

[Bobi · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you don't want to know anything about the plot.

I enjoyed this book. I am a bit curious as to why our library has put this in the Science Fiction section. I don't believe it belongs there.

The book started out really great. It was exciting; I wanted to keep turning the page to find out what happened next. I had a hard time remembering that the characters were seniors in high school. I feel they kept being "dumbed down".

When the author started exploring the reason for cheating on the test, and said it was due to NCLB and AYP, I felt the plot became very stilted. However, I found it to be an interesting commentary on NCLB and AYP. Although I agree with the author and what he believes is happening with the education in our country because of it, I felt that the story almost stopped when it was introduced. Once the students decided to do something in protest, it became interesting again. I feel it ended okay.

I encourage anyone who is concerned about the education in our country to read it. I think it could be a good starting point for many discussions.

[P.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ann Forrest is worried about passing the XCAS test. Her English teacher Mr. Wells spends every day on test prep since his job and the school's funding depends on making AYP. The class' scores are threatened by Lep, a Thai immigrant, who is limited English proficient. When Ann is threatened by a man wearing a jacket with a familiar logo on it, she becomes embroiled in a major scandal. The scandal involves cheating on the XCAS, substandard housing for legal and illegal immigrants, intimidation, and political influence peddling. Ann and Lep join forces with their substitute English teacher to expose the publisher of the test, Mr. Warren, who is the crony of the president. A secondary plot line involves Mr. Warren's daughter, the typical spoiled, rich girl who wants a fling with the forbidden but alluring apartment manager. I liked the theme of this novel but found the characters to be somewhat one dimensional and the ending was rushed and unsatisfying. Everyone who worries about AYP and high-stakes testing will find familiar ideas. The author certainly used this story as a diatribe against NCLB.

[Alliana Vivares · Rating 3 out of 5]

It IS a good book. It's just that I expected so much more from William Sleator that I felt disappointed and betrayed. Still, the whole concept is interesting and I did like some of the characters although I think Ann is a little annoying. Too outspoken. No discretion of any kind. Lep is an okay guy. I liked him. His faults made him so... real.

Basically, the story revolves on Ann and Lep. Ann is an ordinary girl who despises her English class (they just memorize paragraphs and try to understand them all throughout the year) and wishes it was like ours. She has a classmate named Lep who is a poor foreign student. He was sort of insignificant until she got threated by a man on a motorcycle. And that man had the symbol of three lizards forming an egg. The very same symbol she remembered having seen in one of Lep's T-shirts. Thus she starts unraveling a conspiracy that began as mere tension between his father and the building manager, Tony, to the test that decides their lives. With the help of Lep, she tries to change things.