★★★☆☆ Mixed
(SF Thriller) As Idir takes the British citizenship test, terrorists break into the examination room, and they take an unhealthy interest in him. (20,421 words; Time: 1h:08m)
"The Test," by Sylvain Neuvel [bio] (edited by Lee Harris), published on February 12, 2019 by Tor Publishing.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2019.102 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: There were enough hints that the whole test might be a virtual-reality simulation that when it happened I had an “ah ha!” moment.
Idir’s an awfully nice guy, and it’s hard not to root for him. I don’t think I’d have made the same choices he did, but I can certainly understand why he did what he did.
The other key character is Deep, and his goals are simpler: he wants to pass his test, but once it’s clear he isn’t going to, he at least wants Idir to get his citizenship.
There are enough allusions to some terrible event in the recent past (“the Bomb”) to give at least some support for the idea that the UK might adopt a system this horrible.
Con: I struggled to suspend disbelief for this. Disbelief that they’d do it, disbelief that it would work if they did, and, most of all, complete disbelief that they could keep it a secret.
Other Reviews: Search Web, GoodReads.com
Sylvain Neuvel Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: There were enough hints that the whole test might be a virtual-reality simulation that when it happened I had an “ah ha!” moment.
Idir’s an awfully nice guy, and it’s hard not to root for him. I don’t think I’d have made the same choices he did, but I can certainly understand why he did what he did.
The other key character is Deep, and his goals are simpler: he wants to pass his test, but once it’s clear he isn’t going to, he at least wants Idir to get his citizenship.
There are enough allusions to some terrible event in the recent past (“the Bomb”) to give at least some support for the idea that the UK might adopt a system this horrible.
Con: I struggled to suspend disbelief for this. Disbelief that they’d do it, disbelief that it would work if they did, and, most of all, complete disbelief that they could keep it a secret.
Other Reviews: Search Web, GoodReads.com
Sylvain Neuvel Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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