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The Wonder Test
A widowed FBI agent grows suspicious of her son's new school in this thriller by the New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage Pact.
"A gripping blend of danger and sharp social commentary on high-stakes education, the 1%, and suburban tropes: imagine a coffee date with Lisa Lutz's Spellmans and Tom Perotta's suburbanites in a sun-drenched Twin Peaks." Booklist, starred review
Lina is on leave from her job in New York at the FBI in order to clean out her father's home in Silicon Valley. As though letting go of her father isn't hard enough, Lina has also recently lost her husband in a freak traffic accident. Still reeling, she and her teenage son Rory must make their way through this strange new town and the high school around which it all seems to revolve. Rory soon starts coming home with reports of the upcoming "Wonder Test," a general aptitude assessment that appears increasingly inane, and Lina is shaken out of her grief by a sense that something is amiss in Hillsborough.
When she discovers that a student disappeared last year and was found weeks later walking on a beach, shaved and traumatized, Lina can't help but be sucked into an impromptu investigation. Another kidnapping hits closer to home and reveals a sinister link between the Wonder Test and the rampant wealth of Silicon Valley's elite. A searing view of a culture that puts the wellbeing of children at risk for advancement and prestige, and a captivating story of the lengths a mother will go for her son, this is The Wonder Test.
"A sharply written, subtly satirical thriller. Vividly sketched characters, escalating stakes, and evocative prose distinguish Michelle Richmond's latest." Publishers Weekly
"A gripping blend of danger and sharp social commentary on high-stakes education, the 1%, and suburban tropes: imagine a coffee date with Lisa Lutz's Spellmans and Tom Perotta's suburbanites in a sun-drenched Twin Peaks." Booklist, starred review
Lina is on leave from her job in New York at the FBI in order to clean out her father's home in Silicon Valley. As though letting go of her father isn't hard enough, Lina has also recently lost her husband in a freak traffic accident. Still reeling, she and her teenage son Rory must make their way through this strange new town and the high school around which it all seems to revolve. Rory soon starts coming home with reports of the upcoming "Wonder Test," a general aptitude assessment that appears increasingly inane, and Lina is shaken out of her grief by a sense that something is amiss in Hillsborough.
When she discovers that a student disappeared last year and was found weeks later walking on a beach, shaved and traumatized, Lina can't help but be sucked into an impromptu investigation. Another kidnapping hits closer to home and reveals a sinister link between the Wonder Test and the rampant wealth of Silicon Valley's elite. A searing view of a culture that puts the wellbeing of children at risk for advancement and prestige, and a captivating story of the lengths a mother will go for her son, this is The Wonder Test.
"A sharply written, subtly satirical thriller. Vividly sketched characters, escalating stakes, and evocative prose distinguish Michelle Richmond's latest." Publishers Weekly
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 6, 2021
247 people are currently reading
3163 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Richmond
32 books1,102 followersThank you for stopping by! To read my serial novella, sign up for my newsletter at michellerichmond.substack.com
I also share books I love & glimpses into my writing life on TikTok: @michellerichmondwriter.
I grew up in Alabama and have lived in California for 20 years, with a two-year stint in Paris. My 2017 literary thriller, the Sunday Times bestseller THE MARRIAGE PACT, examines marriage under the extreme pressure of constant monitoring from a powerful organization called The Pact. The Pact promises to help couples have a happy, lasting marriage...but the punishments for breaking the rules are severe. THE MARRIAGE PACT is available in 31 languages.
My latest novel, THE WONDER TEST, a suburban suspense novel set in Silicon Valley (Grove Atlantic in, 2021) was an Amazon Best Book of July. In a starred review, Booklist called THE WONDER TEST "a gripping blend of danger and sharp social commentary on high-stakes education, the 1%, and suburban tropes." The first in a series, THE WONDER TEST introduces a tough and spirited new protagonist, FBI agent Lina Connerly, and her teenaged son Rory.
To get updates, exclusive previews, free audio short stories, and (coming soon) serialized fiction, sign up for my newsletter at michellerichmond.substack.com.
You can also read my true stories of living in Paris, traveling, and writing at wanderingwriter.substack.com
My previous books include the New York Times bestseller THE YEAR of FOG, GOLDEN STATE, HUM: STORIES, NO ONE YOU KNOW, DREAM OF THE BLUE ROOM, and THE GIRL IN THE FALL-AWAY DRESS (stories).
I like to write about ordinary people in crisis: a kidnapping (The Year of Fog), a hostage situation (Golden State), a decades-old murder that became a true crime sensation (No One You Know). My novels are often set in San Francisco and the Bay Area, where I've made my home, but my books also take inspiration from many of the places I've lived and traveled. My story collection HUM (2014) features Americans caught up in espionage, surveillance, and all manner of marital crimes.
If you love discovering new books, or if you've enjoyed any of my books, I'd love to send you my author newsletter! It includes notes on what I'm reading, and dispatches from the writing life. You can sign up for the newsletter at http://michellerichmond.com.
Back story: I knew I wanted to be a writer for almost as long as I can remember, way back when I was a kid growing up in Alabama. I used to write skits to perform for my parents with my two sisters. After graduating from a huge public school in downtown Mobile, I studied journalism and creative writing at the University of Alabama, then worked in advertising, as well as in restaurants and a tanning salon (!) for a few years before enrolling in an MFA program in creative writing. I bounced around the South for a while and lived in New York City for a couple of years, with a brief work stint in Beijing, before settling in Northern California in 1999. I've been writing here in the fog ever since.
My first book, The Girl in the Fall-Away Dress was a short story collection that I wrote during my years waitressing and doing other odd jobs in Knoxville and Atlanta. My first novel, Dream of the Blue Room, was inspired by my time in Beijing. My second novel, The Year of Fog, gathered many rejections before being acquired by a young editor at Bantam. The Year of Fog was a life-changing book in that in allowed me to connect with readers in ways I'd never quite imagined, and it gave me the freedom to pursue writing full time. Writing is my dream job. It's a job I do alone in a quiet room, but because it allows me to connect with readers, it never feels lonely.
I also share books I love & glimpses into my writing life on TikTok: @michellerichmondwriter.
I grew up in Alabama and have lived in California for 20 years, with a two-year stint in Paris. My 2017 literary thriller, the Sunday Times bestseller THE MARRIAGE PACT, examines marriage under the extreme pressure of constant monitoring from a powerful organization called The Pact. The Pact promises to help couples have a happy, lasting marriage...but the punishments for breaking the rules are severe. THE MARRIAGE PACT is available in 31 languages.
My latest novel, THE WONDER TEST, a suburban suspense novel set in Silicon Valley (Grove Atlantic in, 2021) was an Amazon Best Book of July. In a starred review, Booklist called THE WONDER TEST "a gripping blend of danger and sharp social commentary on high-stakes education, the 1%, and suburban tropes." The first in a series, THE WONDER TEST introduces a tough and spirited new protagonist, FBI agent Lina Connerly, and her teenaged son Rory.
To get updates, exclusive previews, free audio short stories, and (coming soon) serialized fiction, sign up for my newsletter at michellerichmond.substack.com.
You can also read my true stories of living in Paris, traveling, and writing at wanderingwriter.substack.com
My previous books include the New York Times bestseller THE YEAR of FOG, GOLDEN STATE, HUM: STORIES, NO ONE YOU KNOW, DREAM OF THE BLUE ROOM, and THE GIRL IN THE FALL-AWAY DRESS (stories).
I like to write about ordinary people in crisis: a kidnapping (The Year of Fog), a hostage situation (Golden State), a decades-old murder that became a true crime sensation (No One You Know). My novels are often set in San Francisco and the Bay Area, where I've made my home, but my books also take inspiration from many of the places I've lived and traveled. My story collection HUM (2014) features Americans caught up in espionage, surveillance, and all manner of marital crimes.
If you love discovering new books, or if you've enjoyed any of my books, I'd love to send you my author newsletter! It includes notes on what I'm reading, and dispatches from the writing life. You can sign up for the newsletter at http://michellerichmond.com.
Back story: I knew I wanted to be a writer for almost as long as I can remember, way back when I was a kid growing up in Alabama. I used to write skits to perform for my parents with my two sisters. After graduating from a huge public school in downtown Mobile, I studied journalism and creative writing at the University of Alabama, then worked in advertising, as well as in restaurants and a tanning salon (!) for a few years before enrolling in an MFA program in creative writing. I bounced around the South for a while and lived in New York City for a couple of years, with a brief work stint in Beijing, before settling in Northern California in 1999. I've been writing here in the fog ever since.
My first book, The Girl in the Fall-Away Dress was a short story collection that I wrote during my years waitressing and doing other odd jobs in Knoxville and Atlanta. My first novel, Dream of the Blue Room, was inspired by my time in Beijing. My second novel, The Year of Fog, gathered many rejections before being acquired by a young editor at Bantam. The Year of Fog was a life-changing book in that in allowed me to connect with readers in ways I'd never quite imagined, and it gave me the freedom to pursue writing full time. Writing is my dream job. It's a job I do alone in a quiet room, but because it allows me to connect with readers, it never feels lonely.
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June 18, 2021
I can't believe it took me almost FIVE DAYS to read this book! It's in no way a reflection of my enjoyment of it. I've been having my kitchen renovated and it's just one room in my house so, like WHY did it feel like my whole world was off kilter?? 😅
But the kitchen's done and it looks great and I've finished this book and it's great too.
𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘢 (𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘉𝘐 𝘈𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢.
𝘈𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘳𝘺'𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 -𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 - 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘦𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘢'𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘵.
This was a fun mystery to solve. Told entirely from Lina's perspective, the FBI angle was interesting. She's a quick thinker who's good at interrogating suspects and getting the upper hand against the baddies.
**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy.
Due for release July 6th**
But the kitchen's done and it looks great and I've finished this book and it's great too.
𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘢 (𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘉𝘐 𝘈𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢.
𝘈𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘳𝘺'𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 -𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 - 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘦𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘢'𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘵.
This was a fun mystery to solve. Told entirely from Lina's perspective, the FBI angle was interesting. She's a quick thinker who's good at interrogating suspects and getting the upper hand against the baddies.
**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy.
Due for release July 6th**
May 24, 2021
Nicole has just finished sharing “sandwiches” with a friend on a deserted beach when she sees “it” approaching.
A shape, moving like an injured animal, ashen white and glowing. A student, who had disappeared weeks ago, now shaved bald, and traumatized....
Widowed FBI agent, Lina Connerly and her teenage son, Rory are living in her father’s house, temporarily, leaving the ghost of her husband behind in NY. She gets pulled into the investigation when she learns that the boy found on the beach is a student at Rory’s new school-one with a strange curriculum. There are no classes-just seminars on subjects that will prepare them to ace a standardized test called “The Wonder Test”.
The town is obsessed with having their school score highest in the State, and in the Country! Their motto: “ Prepared for the test-prepared for life, every student counts!! “
Each chapter opens with a “Wonder Test” question such as :“Is artificial intelligence truly artificial? Is it intelligence? Give examples and discuss.
This book was a 3.5 ⭐️ for me, and and I can give examples and discuss why I could round it up, and why I could round it down!
Based on that synopsis, I requested expecting SUSPENSEFUL with a dose of FREAKY but, I could see where this one was going to go almost immediately- and I was right. Not suspenseful or freaky. Round down?
What this actually is-an FBI procedural with a LIKABLE and CAPABLE lead in Lina-and the set-up for this to possibly be book one in a series. A bit of a slow burn, (448 pages!) and about 75 pages too long-but well written. Round up?
I am going to round up with the ⚠️that this is recommended for readers who enjoy investigations-but maybe not for those like myself, who expected a creepy mystery...
Thank You to Atlantic Monthly Press for the ARC gifted to me through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review! Available July 6, 2021.
October 25, 2021
Years ago, I read and enjoyed The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond. I noticed the author's new release, The Wonder Test, on NetGalley this month and requested it. I'm not exactly sure why I haven't gone back to read more of her books, but after this one, I will push myself to do it. In this release, Lina travels back to California to clean out her father's home after he passes away from cancer, within weeks of her own husband's deadly car accident in New York, near their home. She's taken temporary leave from the FBI after a minor mistake, and she brings her teenage son with her. What could go wrong?
The Wonder Test is the standard exam for all the schools in her new living location. It's a competition for everything: fame, funding and fortune. Oddly, a few kids have been kidnapped in the past from this area. All were returned, but they were different afterward. She's not worried about her son's fate, mostly because the ones who were kidnapped tell him he's safe. But why? Could it be that his scores are off the chart? Who's behind these strange kidnappings: school administrators, other parents, the Chief of Police?
The plot is actually quite simple. Skip my next line. While it might be a spoiler, I think it's mostly obvious that the reason the kids are kidnapped is so they intentionally miss the tests -- they will bring the school's average down. The real mystery is what does it all mean? And what happens to these kids? When Rory, Lina's son, meets Caroline, he's found puppy love. She adores him too, but then she's suddenly ghosting him. Why? Is she part of the reason for the kidnappings or has she been taken herself? Her French diplomat parents are also curiously missing the entire time.
I enjoyed this one a bunch; it took 1 day to read, a few hours in the morning and then again at night before bed. My primary concern is that a lot is discussed about another FBI case Lina's assisting with, plus she's still grieving her husband's death, and she's got to deal with her late father's house. None of these sub-plots were wrapped up in a way that made me feel like I read a complete novel. Sure they weren't the prime focus of the overall book, but they probably took up 25% of the consolidated text, so why not give us a bit of a real ending? I'm probably asking for too much, but that's what kept me from pushing this from a 4 to a 5.
I think this will do well, but I also liked The Marriage Pact more. It had a bit of darker, sinister components. I felt the fear and suspense whereas here, it felt more like... "Okay, Lina, solve this before your son is kidnapped. And have some run-ins that make us shake in our boots." Didn't happen, but the writing was good and the characters had nice substance. Onward we go... I think it's time to read one of her early books next!
The Wonder Test is the standard exam for all the schools in her new living location. It's a competition for everything: fame, funding and fortune. Oddly, a few kids have been kidnapped in the past from this area. All were returned, but they were different afterward. She's not worried about her son's fate, mostly because the ones who were kidnapped tell him he's safe. But why? Could it be that his scores are off the chart? Who's behind these strange kidnappings: school administrators, other parents, the Chief of Police?
The plot is actually quite simple. Skip my next line. While it might be a spoiler, I think it's mostly obvious that the reason the kids are kidnapped is so they intentionally miss the tests -- they will bring the school's average down. The real mystery is what does it all mean? And what happens to these kids? When Rory, Lina's son, meets Caroline, he's found puppy love. She adores him too, but then she's suddenly ghosting him. Why? Is she part of the reason for the kidnappings or has she been taken herself? Her French diplomat parents are also curiously missing the entire time.
I enjoyed this one a bunch; it took 1 day to read, a few hours in the morning and then again at night before bed. My primary concern is that a lot is discussed about another FBI case Lina's assisting with, plus she's still grieving her husband's death, and she's got to deal with her late father's house. None of these sub-plots were wrapped up in a way that made me feel like I read a complete novel. Sure they weren't the prime focus of the overall book, but they probably took up 25% of the consolidated text, so why not give us a bit of a real ending? I'm probably asking for too much, but that's what kept me from pushing this from a 4 to a 5.
I think this will do well, but I also liked The Marriage Pact more. It had a bit of darker, sinister components. I felt the fear and suspense whereas here, it felt more like... "Okay, Lina, solve this before your son is kidnapped. And have some run-ins that make us shake in our boots." Didn't happen, but the writing was good and the characters had nice substance. Onward we go... I think it's time to read one of her early books next!
January 5, 2021
Rory was in tenth grade. He and his mother—Lina Connelly— just moved from New York City to Northern California....
to a small community- Greenfield....(absolutely nothing like New York), where Rory had been raised with the freedom of the city, the noise, the chaos, navigating the subway, the park, and the occasional crazy street scene...
but....
—works for me —I live in Silicon Valley. It’s fun reading books that take place in the SF Bay Area. I was happy to follow along with the characters being here in my
neck of the woods.
Michelle Richmond is versed and proficient describing our streets brilliantly and effortlessly.
Despite Rory being precocious (academically and streetwise), his new public school in Greenfield, baffled him,
but he seemed to be assimilating to his new strange environment better than his mom.
Rory told his mother that he didn’t have regular classes— such as math, science, whatever. Instead his day was divided into seminars focused on the ‘Wonder Test’.
Apparently it was a gold standard of standardized tests. It happened every spring of 10th grade—very popular in public schools in Silicon Valley ( news to me; our daughters went to private schools in Silicon Valley).... but I was very intrigued to keep reading.
Lina meets Brenda Fritz, a mother who has an 11th grader and a third grader.
She also meets Kobayashi... ‘superstar school administrator, of Rory’s school.
and Officer Kyle.
There are other supporting casts as well.....
adding mystery-suspense.
All of Lina’s new friends —
enlighten her (ha) with the culture of Greenfield —
Somebody always complained, Kyle told her - and there seemed to be a mother’s dress code, Brenda informed.
Lina was an only child, making her the only recipient of her father’s belongings after he died.
She moved back to Northern California to clean out his things after his death—
and away from memories and reminders from the loss of her husband, Fred...who died instantly in a traffic accident.
Lina’s father knew he was dying for months, but he tried to keep it hidden from his Lina.
The ‘excerpt’ below (awesome sentence in itself) gave me a telling-experience of Lina, right away.
“I have a gift for sussing out lies, half-truths, obfuscation, but with my father, somehow, my instincts failed”.
To me the sentence symbolized Lina’s perceptive gifts and strengths but also her sensitivity and vulnerability.
I liked our protagonist and her son, Rory, right away.
Lina had spent her entire career in foreign
counterintelligence. Behavioral analysis—FBI collateral duties... in New York.
Since the loss of her husband, and Rory’s rock of a father—a fresh start on the West Coast should have done mother and son wonders.
Maybe....
but not until the trials and tribulations associated with trying to escape ( oneself)....are examined more closely.
Lessons were to be learned...including insightful repercussions from the academic rigorous teachings
‘The Wonder Test’, represented.
At Rory’s school, they courage the students to read the same book twice or even three times.
“According to Kobayashi, reading the same text repeatedly improves reading skills twenty-one percent better than reading something new. When you subtract your interest in the actual material, it helps you focus on the pure skill of reading and improved speed”.
With a very competitive world, Rory’s school underlined that it wasn’t enough to be smart, lucky, or hard-working. Students needed to be exceptional— they need to be a winner.
Note: research suggests when teachers and educators
praise effort rather than ability, children develop a stronger work ethic and become more motivated.
But when it came to the real world of blood, sweat and tears, high test scores were vital for an Ivy League entrance.
Michelle created a page turning intelligent thriller, within the bounds of elite educational truth, (prior to the pandemic anyway), here in Silicon Valley.
Michelle revealed complexities of a broken world with fierce and flawed characters, psychologically deft....
.....enjoyable as all of Michelle’s books are!
Great job, Michelle. Your SFBay area fans miss you - wishing you and your family safe - healthy- peaceful days in France. It’s ‘always’ a treat to read your books!!!!
Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic....
wishing wellness and healing in 2021.
to a small community- Greenfield....(absolutely nothing like New York), where Rory had been raised with the freedom of the city, the noise, the chaos, navigating the subway, the park, and the occasional crazy street scene...
but....
—works for me —I live in Silicon Valley. It’s fun reading books that take place in the SF Bay Area. I was happy to follow along with the characters being here in my
neck of the woods.
Michelle Richmond is versed and proficient describing our streets brilliantly and effortlessly.
Despite Rory being precocious (academically and streetwise), his new public school in Greenfield, baffled him,
but he seemed to be assimilating to his new strange environment better than his mom.
Rory told his mother that he didn’t have regular classes— such as math, science, whatever. Instead his day was divided into seminars focused on the ‘Wonder Test’.
Apparently it was a gold standard of standardized tests. It happened every spring of 10th grade—very popular in public schools in Silicon Valley ( news to me; our daughters went to private schools in Silicon Valley).... but I was very intrigued to keep reading.
Lina meets Brenda Fritz, a mother who has an 11th grader and a third grader.
She also meets Kobayashi... ‘superstar school administrator, of Rory’s school.
and Officer Kyle.
There are other supporting casts as well.....
adding mystery-suspense.
All of Lina’s new friends —
enlighten her (ha) with the culture of Greenfield —
Somebody always complained, Kyle told her - and there seemed to be a mother’s dress code, Brenda informed.
Lina was an only child, making her the only recipient of her father’s belongings after he died.
She moved back to Northern California to clean out his things after his death—
and away from memories and reminders from the loss of her husband, Fred...who died instantly in a traffic accident.
Lina’s father knew he was dying for months, but he tried to keep it hidden from his Lina.
The ‘excerpt’ below (awesome sentence in itself) gave me a telling-experience of Lina, right away.
“I have a gift for sussing out lies, half-truths, obfuscation, but with my father, somehow, my instincts failed”.
To me the sentence symbolized Lina’s perceptive gifts and strengths but also her sensitivity and vulnerability.
I liked our protagonist and her son, Rory, right away.
Lina had spent her entire career in foreign
counterintelligence. Behavioral analysis—FBI collateral duties... in New York.
Since the loss of her husband, and Rory’s rock of a father—a fresh start on the West Coast should have done mother and son wonders.
Maybe....
but not until the trials and tribulations associated with trying to escape ( oneself)....are examined more closely.
Lessons were to be learned...including insightful repercussions from the academic rigorous teachings
‘The Wonder Test’, represented.
At Rory’s school, they courage the students to read the same book twice or even three times.
“According to Kobayashi, reading the same text repeatedly improves reading skills twenty-one percent better than reading something new. When you subtract your interest in the actual material, it helps you focus on the pure skill of reading and improved speed”.
With a very competitive world, Rory’s school underlined that it wasn’t enough to be smart, lucky, or hard-working. Students needed to be exceptional— they need to be a winner.
Note: research suggests when teachers and educators
praise effort rather than ability, children develop a stronger work ethic and become more motivated.
But when it came to the real world of blood, sweat and tears, high test scores were vital for an Ivy League entrance.
Michelle created a page turning intelligent thriller, within the bounds of elite educational truth, (prior to the pandemic anyway), here in Silicon Valley.
Michelle revealed complexities of a broken world with fierce and flawed characters, psychologically deft....
.....enjoyable as all of Michelle’s books are!
Great job, Michelle. Your SFBay area fans miss you - wishing you and your family safe - healthy- peaceful days in France. It’s ‘always’ a treat to read your books!!!!
Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic....
wishing wellness and healing in 2021.
July 1, 2021
“ ‘To exchange all the goodness and grace of every life in Omelas for that single, small improvement: to throw away the happiness of thousands for the chance of the happiness of one: that would be to let guilt within the walls indeed.’ Argue for or against the moral imperative of Ursula Le Guin’s city of Omelas.”
Lina and her 15 year old son Rory find themselves transplanted to Silicon Valley from New York City, after they have had what Lina describes as annus horribilis, or the horrible year. She lost her father and her husband in quick succession and she’s spending her unpaid leave of absence from her job in counterintelligence and profiling at the FBI trying to sort through her deceased father’s home and belongings, as well as hopefully putting her own life back together. Rory is a clever kid, and he fits right in at his new school, including quickly catching on to how to ace the Wonder Test.
What is the Wonder Test one might ask? It’s the current “it” thing in the increasingly competitive academic world, the gold standard of standardized tests. Doing well on the test individually can greatly improve a teen’s chances at getting into their dream school, and doing well collectively as a high school doesn’t just engender pride, it can skyrocket property values in the district. Schools, including the one Rory is now attending, have shifted their entire curriculum to prepare students for the test, and there is such intense buy-in that at one point Lina half jokingly wonders if she’s wandered into a school budget meeting or a cult. It quickly becomes apparent that not everything is as it seems in the idyllic town of Greenfield. While she may be on leave, Lina can’t ignore her investigative nature and soon she finds herself sucked into an investigation involving the very odd disappearances and just as strange reappearances of local teens over the past few years. Having just moved her own teenager into town, can she really trust he is safe here? And how far is she willing to go to protect him?
This is not a !! shocking twists !! kind of book. It’s a slow burn mystery that gradually picks up the pace until it becomes a pulse-pounding, unputdownable thriller, but readers are going to have a decent idea about what is going on early on, and I can’t imagine that was anything but intentional. The focus is much more on how we get there than finding out where we’re going. For a book like that to work, you need to have a really strong main character and Richmond more than delivers here. Lina is a strong, capable, sympathetic protagonist. She’s the kind of person who is able to have frank discussions with her teenage son about the difference between doing what is “correct” and what is *right*. She’s the rare fictional character I’d want to actually hang out with in real life, which I find to be extra elusive in the suspense genre.
I have some criticisms about plot points that either required suspension of disbelief or that were just too “easy” or contrived, and I felt like perhaps there were slightly too many tangents and unnecessary arcs, but overall I enjoyed this one and its satirical commentary on academic excellence. I also got a kick out of the test questions. Each chapter opens with a question from the eponymous Wonder Test. Some are hilariously ridiculous and obscure, some are truly thought provoking, and some touch on major themes within the story. I opened this review with the one that truly struck me more than any other. And I’m going to give you homework: If you haven’t read The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, please do. Right now. It’s a short story and won’t take up much of your time, but it will stick with you. And what could possibly be more appropriate for a book about a test than having assigned preparatory reading?
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the chance to review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.
Lina and her 15 year old son Rory find themselves transplanted to Silicon Valley from New York City, after they have had what Lina describes as annus horribilis, or the horrible year. She lost her father and her husband in quick succession and she’s spending her unpaid leave of absence from her job in counterintelligence and profiling at the FBI trying to sort through her deceased father’s home and belongings, as well as hopefully putting her own life back together. Rory is a clever kid, and he fits right in at his new school, including quickly catching on to how to ace the Wonder Test.
What is the Wonder Test one might ask? It’s the current “it” thing in the increasingly competitive academic world, the gold standard of standardized tests. Doing well on the test individually can greatly improve a teen’s chances at getting into their dream school, and doing well collectively as a high school doesn’t just engender pride, it can skyrocket property values in the district. Schools, including the one Rory is now attending, have shifted their entire curriculum to prepare students for the test, and there is such intense buy-in that at one point Lina half jokingly wonders if she’s wandered into a school budget meeting or a cult. It quickly becomes apparent that not everything is as it seems in the idyllic town of Greenfield. While she may be on leave, Lina can’t ignore her investigative nature and soon she finds herself sucked into an investigation involving the very odd disappearances and just as strange reappearances of local teens over the past few years. Having just moved her own teenager into town, can she really trust he is safe here? And how far is she willing to go to protect him?
This is not a !! shocking twists !! kind of book. It’s a slow burn mystery that gradually picks up the pace until it becomes a pulse-pounding, unputdownable thriller, but readers are going to have a decent idea about what is going on early on, and I can’t imagine that was anything but intentional. The focus is much more on how we get there than finding out where we’re going. For a book like that to work, you need to have a really strong main character and Richmond more than delivers here. Lina is a strong, capable, sympathetic protagonist. She’s the kind of person who is able to have frank discussions with her teenage son about the difference between doing what is “correct” and what is *right*. She’s the rare fictional character I’d want to actually hang out with in real life, which I find to be extra elusive in the suspense genre.
I have some criticisms about plot points that either required suspension of disbelief or that were just too “easy” or contrived, and I felt like perhaps there were slightly too many tangents and unnecessary arcs, but overall I enjoyed this one and its satirical commentary on academic excellence. I also got a kick out of the test questions. Each chapter opens with a question from the eponymous Wonder Test. Some are hilariously ridiculous and obscure, some are truly thought provoking, and some touch on major themes within the story. I opened this review with the one that truly struck me more than any other. And I’m going to give you homework: If you haven’t read The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, please do. Right now. It’s a short story and won’t take up much of your time, but it will stick with you. And what could possibly be more appropriate for a book about a test than having assigned preparatory reading?
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the chance to review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.
August 20, 2021
I love this author’s storytelling and writing style. I love this author’s characters. It’s easy to care about them, one way or the other.
I enjoyed reading about all sorts of places I know in the San Francisco Bay Area! Many of them were real and even the made up ones did a good job of describing the areas around the San Francisco Bay Area.
The town in this book is fiction. I still tried to guess where it was supposed to be. I ended up thinking Hillsborough, or maybe Woodside, or maybe even San Mateo. I don’t think Palo Alto or Menlo Park because they were in the wrong direction. The author mentioned other real towns that were not it so I knew they were other towns. Included were Burlingame, Atherton, and Belmont.
I love the “wonder test” questions at the start of every chapter. What a hoot! Also, fun that they gave a faint hint of what was to be in that next chapter.
I get a kick out of when this author makes subtle references to her own previous books. In this book I noticed it on page 95 of the hardcover edition. It’s always fun when she does this.
Just FYI: On page 72 there’s a huge spoiler for the short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. I didn’t appreciate that. I first read that story when I was 13 and in 8th grade but I know adults who’ve read it for the first time just recently.
I love this author and I love that she dedicated this particular book to her son, but I will say I had to suspend disbelief big time that she would do the activity she did with her son, no matter what the circumstances, and what she chooses to do and to not do after the event seems even less plausible. I did enjoy the entire story anyway and also liked how it ended, even though much of the happenings were too hard core for my usual taste in entertainment. This book was less "out there" than her last book The Marriage Pactand I liked this one better than that one. I really liked this one, but The Year of Fog and No One You Know are the novels that remain among my all time favorites. I think this one will stick with me though, in a good way. I’d love to know what will happen with these characters and I wonder if there will ever be some sort of sequel.
4-1/2 stars
I enjoyed reading about all sorts of places I know in the San Francisco Bay Area! Many of them were real and even the made up ones did a good job of describing the areas around the San Francisco Bay Area.
The town in this book is fiction. I still tried to guess where it was supposed to be. I ended up thinking Hillsborough, or maybe Woodside, or maybe even San Mateo. I don’t think Palo Alto or Menlo Park because they were in the wrong direction. The author mentioned other real towns that were not it so I knew they were other towns. Included were Burlingame, Atherton, and Belmont.
I love the “wonder test” questions at the start of every chapter. What a hoot! Also, fun that they gave a faint hint of what was to be in that next chapter.
I get a kick out of when this author makes subtle references to her own previous books. In this book I noticed it on page 95 of the hardcover edition. It’s always fun when she does this.
Just FYI: On page 72 there’s a huge spoiler for the short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. I didn’t appreciate that. I first read that story when I was 13 and in 8th grade but I know adults who’ve read it for the first time just recently.
I love this author and I love that she dedicated this particular book to her son, but I will say I had to suspend disbelief big time that she would do the activity she did with her son, no matter what the circumstances, and what she chooses to do and to not do after the event seems even less plausible. I did enjoy the entire story anyway and also liked how it ended, even though much of the happenings were too hard core for my usual taste in entertainment. This book was less "out there" than her last book The Marriage Pactand I liked this one better than that one. I really liked this one, but The Year of Fog and No One You Know are the novels that remain among my all time favorites. I think this one will stick with me though, in a good way. I’d love to know what will happen with these characters and I wonder if there will ever be some sort of sequel.
4-1/2 stars
June 27, 2021
This was my first book by this author and won't be my last. I really enjoyed The Wonder Test!
First off, I loved the fact each chapter started with a question from "The Wonder Test" ... the questions really got me thinking. This would be such a great book club read!
The story is told from our main character, Lina's perspective. Lina, a widowed FBI agent and her fifteen year old son, Rory have recently moved from NYC to Greenfield, California after inheriting Lina's father's house. Rory starts at a new school, but not just any school. Absent of regular classes, instead his days are split up into seminars. These seminars are designed to prepare each student for The Wonder Test.
When Lina discovers students from Rory's school have gone missing under mysterious circumstances she's faced with the decision to get involved. What will she discover along the way? Who is behind these disappearances?
I really enjoyed this book and read it in a day. It's well written, has a very interesting concept and has an awesome main character! I would really like to see more of Lina and Rory.
Thanks to PGC Books and Grove Atlantic for my gifted copy!
First off, I loved the fact each chapter started with a question from "The Wonder Test" ... the questions really got me thinking. This would be such a great book club read!
The story is told from our main character, Lina's perspective. Lina, a widowed FBI agent and her fifteen year old son, Rory have recently moved from NYC to Greenfield, California after inheriting Lina's father's house. Rory starts at a new school, but not just any school. Absent of regular classes, instead his days are split up into seminars. These seminars are designed to prepare each student for The Wonder Test.
When Lina discovers students from Rory's school have gone missing under mysterious circumstances she's faced with the decision to get involved. What will she discover along the way? Who is behind these disappearances?
I really enjoyed this book and read it in a day. It's well written, has a very interesting concept and has an awesome main character! I would really like to see more of Lina and Rory.
Thanks to PGC Books and Grove Atlantic for my gifted copy!
August 3, 2021
Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic.blogspot....
I’m sorry to say I was not wondered by The wonder test.
Lina is a FBI agent on sick leave after her husband’s passing and some mistakes she made at work. She moves with her son Rory to California to her late father’s house hoping to ease their pain. But students from Rory’s new school have been going missing for years, reappearing days later with completely different personalities so, when she’s asked to help in the investigation Lina doesn’t think twice about it and sets herself to unveil what’s hiding under their new town’s perfect façade.
Although the story worked perfectly as an investigation procedural I felt the “wonder test” tie was a bit forced. At the beginning of each chapter there was a “wonder test” question and I gotta say I hated them! I’m not even sure I understood most of them and can’t see any 15 yo answering them.
My favorite thing about the novel were Lina and Rory. They had a great relationship and the “always telling each other the truth” policy made for such a mature mother/son relationship. I liked how she treated him as a person able to think and decide for himself and not as a little kid. Although this also made that some situations required to suspend disbelief a little bit.
My other critique is that it was way too long! 100 pages less and the story wouldn’t have suffered at all.
Although not my favorite read I would not mind seeing Lina back in action with another case.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Atlantic Monthly Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’m sorry to say I was not wondered by The wonder test.
Lina is a FBI agent on sick leave after her husband’s passing and some mistakes she made at work. She moves with her son Rory to California to her late father’s house hoping to ease their pain. But students from Rory’s new school have been going missing for years, reappearing days later with completely different personalities so, when she’s asked to help in the investigation Lina doesn’t think twice about it and sets herself to unveil what’s hiding under their new town’s perfect façade.
Although the story worked perfectly as an investigation procedural I felt the “wonder test” tie was a bit forced. At the beginning of each chapter there was a “wonder test” question and I gotta say I hated them! I’m not even sure I understood most of them and can’t see any 15 yo answering them.
My favorite thing about the novel were Lina and Rory. They had a great relationship and the “always telling each other the truth” policy made for such a mature mother/son relationship. I liked how she treated him as a person able to think and decide for himself and not as a little kid. Although this also made that some situations required to suspend disbelief a little bit.
My other critique is that it was way too long! 100 pages less and the story wouldn’t have suffered at all.
Although not my favorite read I would not mind seeing Lina back in action with another case.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Atlantic Monthly Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 14, 2022
I found the premise of this to be different and intriguing and I have enjoyed Michelle Richmond’s other books. I loved the descriptions of “the wonder test,” and especially liked that the beginning of each chapter started with a different question from the test, which was fascinating and very thought-provoking. I liked the main character, Lina, and her strength and tenacity, though as mother she made some questionable decisions. I can’t really put my finger on why, but for some reason I wasn’t as hooked into the story as with some of Richmond’s other books. Nonetheless, I will be recommending this to library patrons.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss, Atlantic Monthly Press and Michelle Richmond for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss, Atlantic Monthly Press and Michelle Richmond for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
July 9, 2021
The Wonder Test is a new standalone espionage thriller from Michelle Richmond, more prominently known for her conventional domestic drama thrillers. The plot features a widowed FBI agent who grows increasingly suspicious of her son's new school. Lina Connerly is on leave from her job in New York at the FBI in order to clean out her father's home in Silicon Valley. As though letting go of her father isn't hard enough, Lina has also recently lost her husband in a freak traffic accident. Still reeling, she and her teenage son Rory must make their way through this strange new town and the high school around which it all seems to revolve. Rory soon starts coming home with reports of the upcoming "Wonder Test," a general aptitude assessment that appears increasingly inane, and Lina is shaken out of her grief by a sense that something is amiss in Hillsborough.
When she discovers that a student disappeared last year and was found weeks later walking on a beach, shaved and traumatized, Lina can't help but be sucked into an impromptu investigation. Another kidnapping hits closer to home and reveals a sinister link between the Wonder Test and the rampant wealth of Silicon Valley's elite. This is a riveting and complex slow-burn thriller with an abundance of twists and turns and a well-woven plot. It's intelligent and thoughtful while grappling more with the motivations and nuances of people's actions than merely being a rapid-fire throwaway thriller. A truly unique, engrossing and intriguing story from first page to last highlighting the elite and competitive world of private schooling which can often have a lasting impact on the mental health of the student, and it's very often the case that their wellbeing becomes quite low on the scale of priorities. Highly recommended.
When she discovers that a student disappeared last year and was found weeks later walking on a beach, shaved and traumatized, Lina can't help but be sucked into an impromptu investigation. Another kidnapping hits closer to home and reveals a sinister link between the Wonder Test and the rampant wealth of Silicon Valley's elite. This is a riveting and complex slow-burn thriller with an abundance of twists and turns and a well-woven plot. It's intelligent and thoughtful while grappling more with the motivations and nuances of people's actions than merely being a rapid-fire throwaway thriller. A truly unique, engrossing and intriguing story from first page to last highlighting the elite and competitive world of private schooling which can often have a lasting impact on the mental health of the student, and it's very often the case that their wellbeing becomes quite low on the scale of priorities. Highly recommended.
August 11, 2021
Mostly entertaining. The plot is ridiculous, but at least it is modern. Schools, real estate, Silicon Valley, parenting all tie in. Better than a super-villain trying to blow up the moon with a laser. The epigraphs—supposed to be questions from the titular test—are terrible. Richmond seems to be aiming for a short-chapter thriller, but then she interrupts every chapter change with an implausible, poorly considered problem. Certainly after the first few chapters, by which time her creativity was dwindling, she should have axed the epigraphs. They destroy any momentum, and remind us—banging it into our heads over and over again—that the novel's central concept makes no sense.
October 31, 2021
2.5⭐️
Ack. I picked this up because I loved the sound of the premise. But at over 400 pages, this wasn't worth the emotional investment for me.
- No character development: Lina and Rory remained exactly the same throughout the novel, I didn't feel like they grew or changed at all.
- Comically dull villains: Lots of characters who are briefly mentioned or appear in just one scene, that's it.
- Lots of references to irrelevant matters e.g. whatever Lina does with George and their sources, which didn't seem to matter or add to the main storyline. Not sure what the purpose of those details was because they didn't help with Lina's boring arc either.
- Quite predictable 1/3 in and not suspenseful at all. Contrary to its title, The Wonder Test felt like a very insignificant part of the book.
This book reminded me of Ira Levin's The Stepford Wives and Christina Dalcher's Master Class, both of which I loved. Sadly this was neither character-driven nor plot-driven. I did like how each chapter started with an impossibly difficult test question, but that's about it.
Ack. I picked this up because I loved the sound of the premise. But at over 400 pages, this wasn't worth the emotional investment for me.
- No character development: Lina and Rory remained exactly the same throughout the novel, I didn't feel like they grew or changed at all.
- Comically dull villains: Lots of characters who are briefly mentioned or appear in just one scene, that's it.
- Lots of references to irrelevant matters e.g. whatever Lina does with George and their sources, which didn't seem to matter or add to the main storyline. Not sure what the purpose of those details was because they didn't help with Lina's boring arc either.
- Quite predictable 1/3 in and not suspenseful at all. Contrary to its title, The Wonder Test felt like a very insignificant part of the book.
This book reminded me of Ira Levin's The Stepford Wives and Christina Dalcher's Master Class, both of which I loved. Sadly this was neither character-driven nor plot-driven. I did like how each chapter started with an impossibly difficult test question, but that's about it.
✨ "Is it better to do the right thing for the wrong reason or the wrong thing for the right reason? Using diacritical logic, chart your answer."
✨ "Everything is far-fetched and impossible until the moment it happens. And then it's just regular life."
July 24, 2021
This is an outstanding book with superb and insightful characterizations and intelligent plotting. I would read 100 pages at a time and regretted I had to stop reading for various reasons. I read and loved Michelle Richmond's book, The Marriage Pact, a few years ago but liked this one even more. There is too much material for a 2 hour film so this book definitely needs to be a 6 to 8 part mini series. Each chapter begins with a question from The Wonder Test and I can state for a fact I would have failed this test. A wild and exciting thrill of a story.
July 4, 2021
Lina is an FBI agent working in New York who experiences the tragic loss of her husband and then shortly after her father passes away. Lina takes a leave of absence from work and moves with her son to Silicon Valley to clean out her father’s house.
Lina and her son Rory soon discover that he will be required to take the “wonder test” in his new high school. Lina’s FBI experience helps her discover that something is amiss here. She begins an off-duty investigation and finds that everything is not as it seems in Hillsborough.
Michelle Richmond spins an offbeat take on Silicon Valley culture. The entire concept of THE WONDER TEST was very unique and intriguing. I really enjoyed this book. Lina was the perfect main character and I would not mind reading more about Lina and Rory in the future.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) on July 9, 2021.
Lina and her son Rory soon discover that he will be required to take the “wonder test” in his new high school. Lina’s FBI experience helps her discover that something is amiss here. She begins an off-duty investigation and finds that everything is not as it seems in Hillsborough.
Michelle Richmond spins an offbeat take on Silicon Valley culture. The entire concept of THE WONDER TEST was very unique and intriguing. I really enjoyed this book. Lina was the perfect main character and I would not mind reading more about Lina and Rory in the future.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) on July 9, 2021.
April 18, 2021
It is a compelling suspense novel, my first book from this author.
Mother and son is moving back to her home town in California to start a new life. Everyone at the boy’s new school is so obsessed with preparations for a so-called Wonder Test as if their lives depended on it. You have this weird feeling about the town: Stepford pops into mind, with their cyborg wives. And as much as the locals care about the outcome of the test, they completely ignore the fact that every now and then a kid disappears just to show up days later in a shocking state.
A test question is quoted at the beginning of each chapter which I find an original idea. There are a few loose ends at the end of the book, but it was a truly entertaining read.
This book is coming out in July 2021. I am grateful for NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for an Advance Reading Copy.
Mother and son is moving back to her home town in California to start a new life. Everyone at the boy’s new school is so obsessed with preparations for a so-called Wonder Test as if their lives depended on it. You have this weird feeling about the town: Stepford pops into mind, with their cyborg wives. And as much as the locals care about the outcome of the test, they completely ignore the fact that every now and then a kid disappears just to show up days later in a shocking state.
A test question is quoted at the beginning of each chapter which I find an original idea. There are a few loose ends at the end of the book, but it was a truly entertaining read.
This book is coming out in July 2021. I am grateful for NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for an Advance Reading Copy.
November 16, 2021
Suspenseful, edgy, and chilling!
The Wonder Test is a brisk, menacing tale that introduces us to FBI agent Lina Connerly, a recent widow who, after both the loss of her husband and her father, moves to Silicon Valley where her teenage son can attend the prestigious, local public school and she can tidy up her father’s affairs. But when her son’s girlfriend Caroline goes missing on the eve of the annual “Wonder Test”, and the case looks eerily similar to that of three other students who previously vanished without a trace only to reappear a week later naked, bald, and malnourished, this idyllic spot suddenly seems a little less perfect and danger seems to be lurking around every corner.
The prose is intricate and tight. The characters are inquisitive, tenacious, and intelligent. And the plot unravels and intertwines effortlessly into a sinister tale of deception, manipulation, secrets, power, privilege, revelations, gossip, grief, deviance, and malicious intentions.
Overall, The Wonder Test is a shrewd, sharp, intense thrill ride by Richmond that highlights just how dark, dangerous, and ruthless some people can truly be, especially when driven to conceal an underworld filled with lust, greed, and sinful proclivities.
Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Wonder Test is a brisk, menacing tale that introduces us to FBI agent Lina Connerly, a recent widow who, after both the loss of her husband and her father, moves to Silicon Valley where her teenage son can attend the prestigious, local public school and she can tidy up her father’s affairs. But when her son’s girlfriend Caroline goes missing on the eve of the annual “Wonder Test”, and the case looks eerily similar to that of three other students who previously vanished without a trace only to reappear a week later naked, bald, and malnourished, this idyllic spot suddenly seems a little less perfect and danger seems to be lurking around every corner.
The prose is intricate and tight. The characters are inquisitive, tenacious, and intelligent. And the plot unravels and intertwines effortlessly into a sinister tale of deception, manipulation, secrets, power, privilege, revelations, gossip, grief, deviance, and malicious intentions.
Overall, The Wonder Test is a shrewd, sharp, intense thrill ride by Richmond that highlights just how dark, dangerous, and ruthless some people can truly be, especially when driven to conceal an underworld filled with lust, greed, and sinful proclivities.
Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 27, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book prior to publication in exchange for my review. The Wonder Test by Michelle Richmond is a well written psychological thriller. It addresses the issue of what parents are willing to do for their children and on a larger scale, what a community will do to maintain its perfect exterior. Lina Connerly, an FBI agent, recently lost her husband and father. She decides to move, along with her teen aged son, to a home she inherited from her father in Hillsborough, California. Her son, Rory, enrolls in a school there that seems to be obsessed with something called the Wonder Test; everything is geared towards achieving the highest possible scores on this test. After discovering that a student disappeared under mysterious circumstances the previous year and then Rory's girlfriend disappears, Lina decides that something is very wrong and she sets out to find out what it is. This is an excellent story about what happens when a culture places the emphasis on success rather than on a person's well-being. I recommend it.
April 7, 2021
3.5 stars.
I was hesitating over this books rating for a while, as there was so much I loved but an equal amount which I disliked.
The idea of the book is genius. Richmond takes a cynical approach to the standardised testing system and the deep inequalities it creates, an approach which is relevant now more than ever in light of the Olivia Jade revelations.
The characters and their relationships were also fundamental in shaping the narrative. I was as drawn to the relationship between the mother and the son as I was the plot - as much as the writing is cynical, this is also a book centred around healing and rebuilding.
However, unfortunately, the actual execution of the plot I found lacklustre. For a ‘thriller’ I found almost all of the twists predictable, I guessed the link about ten pages in - there was not a singular moment in this book that shocked me which is what I look for in books of this genre.
Overall, an interesting read. I enjoyed it, it just wasn’t necessarily what I hoped it to be.
Many thanks to NetGallery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review :)
I was hesitating over this books rating for a while, as there was so much I loved but an equal amount which I disliked.
The idea of the book is genius. Richmond takes a cynical approach to the standardised testing system and the deep inequalities it creates, an approach which is relevant now more than ever in light of the Olivia Jade revelations.
The characters and their relationships were also fundamental in shaping the narrative. I was as drawn to the relationship between the mother and the son as I was the plot - as much as the writing is cynical, this is also a book centred around healing and rebuilding.
However, unfortunately, the actual execution of the plot I found lacklustre. For a ‘thriller’ I found almost all of the twists predictable, I guessed the link about ten pages in - there was not a singular moment in this book that shocked me which is what I look for in books of this genre.
Overall, an interesting read. I enjoyed it, it just wasn’t necessarily what I hoped it to be.
Many thanks to NetGallery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review :)
April 2, 2021
There were times reading this book when my heart was beating so fast, I had to take a break. Immersive, fascinating, gripping, I felt like I was on a ride and couldn't get off, couldn't stop reading. The mother-son relationship on the page was vivid and real, the things the mother does to protect her son, while wildly beyond my life experience, felt utterly true. Loved this one and will foist it on people. One of the first "pandemic" reads that I was truly pulled into, a genuinely thrilling "thriller" led by a fierce, kickass woman. Unpredictable and compelling.
July 13, 2021
I loved this book—so many layers, perfectly paced, and action packed. Highly recommend!
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December 1, 2021I really liked this one. Kept me wondering and turning pages late into the night. Highly recommend.
November 29, 2024
This story kept me on my toes the entire time. Extra points for the Bay Area setting and lots of landmarks I'm familiar with.
July 26, 2021
Really enjoyed this book, which I stayed up late to finish - 4 1/2 stars - and hope Michelle Richmond will consider writing more about Lina and her son.
May 30, 2021
Michelle Richmond’s “The Wonder Test” is a wonderfully subtle satirical thriller that exposes the Silicon Valley culture that mistakenly focuses on children’s advancement and prestige instead of their wellbeing. To this end, Richmond highlights the lengths FBI agent, Lina Connerly will go to protect her son.
Like many issues in education, standardized testing is a controversial topic. On one hand, it purports to provide an accurate measurement of student performance and teacher effectiveness. On the other hand, there’s evidence to suggest that it affects students’ physical and emotional well-being. Richmond uses this controversy as fuel to propel her plot. Fifteen-year-old Rory Connerly is enrolled in a posh public school in the wealthy Silicon Valley suburb of Greenfield, California. His high school is focused on maintaining their standing – always first in the country.
This stepfordesque thriller is basically a race to save Greenfield teens from their own parents’ ambition. It exposes the obsessive greed and the lengths they will go to appear to be providing the best for their children as well as what their community will do to maintain its seemingly perfect exterior.
Yes, there are too many characters to keep straight. Yes, the questions at the start of each chapter detract from the enjoyment. Yes, there are some implausible events. BUT, if you are looking for a book with mystery, adventure, lots of twists and turns, missing people, and written by an author with a creative flair who chooses to focus on morality, responsibility and trust, this is for YOU.
Publishes July 6, 2021.
I was gifted this advance copy by Michelle Richmond, Grove Atlantic, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Like many issues in education, standardized testing is a controversial topic. On one hand, it purports to provide an accurate measurement of student performance and teacher effectiveness. On the other hand, there’s evidence to suggest that it affects students’ physical and emotional well-being. Richmond uses this controversy as fuel to propel her plot. Fifteen-year-old Rory Connerly is enrolled in a posh public school in the wealthy Silicon Valley suburb of Greenfield, California. His high school is focused on maintaining their standing – always first in the country.
This stepfordesque thriller is basically a race to save Greenfield teens from their own parents’ ambition. It exposes the obsessive greed and the lengths they will go to appear to be providing the best for their children as well as what their community will do to maintain its seemingly perfect exterior.
Yes, there are too many characters to keep straight. Yes, the questions at the start of each chapter detract from the enjoyment. Yes, there are some implausible events. BUT, if you are looking for a book with mystery, adventure, lots of twists and turns, missing people, and written by an author with a creative flair who chooses to focus on morality, responsibility and trust, this is for YOU.
Publishes July 6, 2021.
I was gifted this advance copy by Michelle Richmond, Grove Atlantic, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
July 9, 2021
It's pretty easy to figure out why the kids are disappearing, but who is behind the disappearances is more complex.
After being gut punched by losing her husband and her father in a matter of months, figuring out this mystery is exactly what Lina needs. I really liked Lina, she's smart and capable. I found all the details of her job with the FBI fascinating.
As much as it is a mystery, it's also a book about motherhood. Lina has always been the parent with the more stressful job, one that required long hours and time away from home. Now she's Rory's only parent, full of doubts and trying to navigate the strange new world of the super rich. It helps that Rory is a pretty awesome kid.
Lina made a few questionable choices in her unauthorized investigation, but that only made the story more exciting. If Lina appears in another book, I'd definitely read it.
After being gut punched by losing her husband and her father in a matter of months, figuring out this mystery is exactly what Lina needs. I really liked Lina, she's smart and capable. I found all the details of her job with the FBI fascinating.
As much as it is a mystery, it's also a book about motherhood. Lina has always been the parent with the more stressful job, one that required long hours and time away from home. Now she's Rory's only parent, full of doubts and trying to navigate the strange new world of the super rich. It helps that Rory is a pretty awesome kid.
Lina made a few questionable choices in her unauthorized investigation, but that only made the story more exciting. If Lina appears in another book, I'd definitely read it.
October 1, 2022
Molto bello! Un thriller ben costruito e ricco di personaggi decisamente interessanti. Ho apprezzato lo storytelling della Richmond e l'attenzione al dettaglio nella narrazione. Scorrevole e coinvolgente: lo consiglio!
January 23, 2025
This mystery was really quite good. A retired FBI agent moves to a Northwest town with her son, where he becomes enmeshed in the drama surrounding his new school's all-important "Wonder Test." Yes, the story does get far fetched near the end, but it kept my interest throughout.
May 6, 2023
One of the best books I've read this year ! Couldn't put it down !!
September 8, 2023
While this was definitely a page turner with an interesting (far-fetched?) plot, I think it’s a cheap shot to set the story in a real town (just changing the name doesn’t make it any less obvious), with its real street names, real houses and thinly veiled caricatures of real people. All towns can be given a bad name due to a few misguided, greedy individuals who wield their power to achieve evil ends. I might have given the book 4 stars had it been set in a fictional town.
July 25, 2021
As Roslynne wrote, it is an interesting premise, on several levels. Unbridled greed and criminality. Undertones of espionage, the main character turning out to be a spook herself. Very well-written.
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