The Test

By: Sylvain Neuvel

Narrated by: Neil Shah

Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Britain, the not-too-distant future. Idir is taking the British Citizenship Test. He wants his family to belong.

Twenty-five questions to determine his fate. Twenty-five chances to impress. When the test takes an unexpected and tragic turn, Idir is handed the power of life and death.

How do you value a life when all you have is multiple choice?

©2019 Sylvain Neuvel (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Critic reviews

"Thought-provoking and disturbing. A cautionary tale illuminated with dark enlightenment." (Kirkus, starred review)

not bad for a freebie

if you like black mirror type stuff this is worth 2 hours. a bit morbid though. not bad.

spoiler alert!

This is a great short story. In the end it ended differently than I expected. based on the way things were going, I anticipated a deeper plot. I figured that it was a simulation within a simulation. I am not disappointed in the story and it ended well. I just wish it was a bit deeper.

Like no other short story I have read / listened to before. Amazing.

I can't really add to the previous reviews. This would be as top five black mirror episode, emotional rollercoaster. I recommend.

excellent

great narrator great story one of the few that kept me focused and riveted on every word. I will certainly be looking for more books written by Sylvnia Neuvel

My Goodness

Be prepared mentally. This is a good, quick listen. Quite enjoyable, but the end. Wow

Unsettling

This was my first foray into Neuvel’s writing and certainly won’t be my last. I have heard great things about his Themis Files trilogy and The Test gives me an anticipation boost to start the series.

The Test begins begins with a room full of test takers, including our protagonist, Idir, and a multiple choice, 25-question exam to determine the potentiality of citizenship in the UK. With a few questions knocked out of the park, Idir believes he will come through this with flying colors.
But when variables change and the test comes down to life or death, multiple choice doesn’t always hand you the answer you expect, or want.

I have to say, this novella blew my mind through the first 20 or so pages. I feel like I was dropped into an episode of Black Mirror where I am going down one path and BOOM, 180° turn. WTF??? To really explain this feeling would absolutely spoil the read for you so you’ll just have to find out what mean for yourself.

One thing Neuvel has going for him his character development. It has been a while since I have been so emotionally invested in a character, but Idir takes the freaking cake. I laughed. I cried. I felt triumph to only have it absolutely crushed into dust. But when it came down to the hard decisions, I had his back.

The Test is a very unsettling read, and a bit of a mindf^$k if I’m being honest. It’ll take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride, one with an underlying darkness that stays with you and will leave you with less answers than you began with. But I have to say, I highly recommend it. Short, engaging, and powerful.

An afternoon read that will stick for days!

While I was able to complete this in an afternoon, I had to go back and listen again and really ruminate on what I had just read. The story is simple but it forces the reader to reflect far longer upon the ways that we judge each other, that we act upon one another, that we shape the future through our understanding- and lack of understanding- of each other. Even our best intentions can be ruinous.

Tense, horrible, ultimately heartbreaking

Several times throughout the story, I thought the author would let us off the hook. But the twists & turns kept coming.

Powerful storytelling. So hard to wrap my head around. Frankly, I’m relieved it’s over.

Which makes me feel strangely guilty.

Don't read any synopses!

I was spoiled slightly by a review of this, but I still enjoyed it. It's a very thought-provoking story. Neil Shah does an Amazing job!

A short read with a lasting impact.

We step into a not-too-distant future Great Britain where a hopeful immigrant from Iran is taking the citizenship test on behalf of his entire family. What ensues is a sadistic mind-f**k that, while far exaggerated, is clearly meant to parallel the lengths to which immigrants today must go for entry into wealthy nations. It brings to light the dehumanization of immigrants by government officials, and the enduring trauma they experience as a result of the process.