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  • The Test

  • Written by: Sylvain Neuvel
  • Narrated by: Neil Shah
  • Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (111 ratings)

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The Test

Written by: Sylvain Neuvel
Narrated by: Neil Shah
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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

What the critics say

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

What listeners say about The Test

Average Customer Ratings
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Favorite Book I've Read This Year

So far (August) this is the best book I've read this year. I loved everything about it.

3 people found this helpful

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Love this short...

Very interesting perspective, really made me like the main character! I would recommend d this book as a good read

1 person found this helpful

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Emotionally devastating

Sylvain Neuvel has quickly become one of my favourite authors. I listened to this in one sitting as I could not bring myself to pause it.
Wonderful story, even if it has left me sobbing!

1 person found this helpful

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Excellent, cerebral, if a little short

This is a fantastic little thought experiment novella. It would be great in an anthology of stories, like Ted Chiang would write. This was offered as a daily deal by Audible. Cheap and enjoyable. Great!
I Highly recommend this 9 star out of 10 story.

1 person found this helpful

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Lots of shock and awe here.

I was completely captured by the story. Finished it in one sitting and it will likely stay with me for a long time. The voice acting was good and did the story justice. Definately worth the listen.

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Short and Satisfying

This was a well written psychological jumping point. it makes mecwant to share it and argue over everything! in a fun way, of course.

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Sad, but possible

Such an interesting idea on how to know what a person is really like. I could see this becoming a possibility one day, and the story highlighted the problems that this idea could create.

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Narration is amazing

Neuvel is one of the best writers of duologue working today. This book works on every level. a rightful and thought provoking read.

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Heavy

This was quite intense. I felt like I was there with the main character and felt what he felt. It is amazing what people go through and how it changes them.

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  • Caffaenated
  • 2019-03-22

Shocking & engaging

Holy sh*t that was a mind f*ck. Sorry, but there really wasn't another way to put that. This book truly belongs as an episode of Black Mirror. It's shocking, it's engaging, and it really messes with you. The Test by Sylvain Neuvel is truly a novella that is going to stick with you long after reading it. I listened to the audiobook of it. The narrator (Neil Shah) was perfect. He was able to capture the characters perfectly and his accents and voices were brilliant. This audiobook was extremely well done. I was engrossed in the first minute of the audiobook and I didn't want it to end. I cannot wait to see what Sylvain Neuvel comes up with next. This was brilliant.

21 people found this helpful

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  • Chester Johnson
  • 2019-02-17

Dystopian Britain.......

This short 2 hour and 12 min audiobook leaves the reader with a lot to ponder even after you finish the book. Very much in the same vein as a Black Mirror episode, it centers around a Iranian immigrant to Britain taking the British Citizenship test somewhere in a dystopian future, but all I'll say about the plot is that it isn't as simple as that. A great short 4 out of 5 star read for its intriguing plot.

9 people found this helpful

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  • padef
  • 2020-11-23

First book I ever reviewed out of hundreds

This 2 hour book grabs and does not let go. A deeply psychological tail within a SCI fi adventure.

No rocket ships but a surprising comment about our changing relationship within our societies and our families.

Most highly recommend

5 people found this helpful

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  • Shifrah
  • 2020-10-20

Not impressed

This book was way too long. I listened to it all and wished I’d stopped after the first chapter. And the ending is very anticlimactic. Don’t waste your time.

5 people found this helpful

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  • Brutis
  • 2020-10-15

Bad

I got exactly what I paid for, its part of the extended library and cost nothing. That library seems to have all the books I have tried and returned for being no good.

5 people found this helpful

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  • Andrew
  • 2020-11-14

Stanford Prison Experience Explained

The Stanford Prison experiment was to ascertain how people respond to adverse circumstances as individuals pushed toward the extreme. They’re were I believe seven prisoners and seven guards and both groups randomly chosen were dehumanized to the point where the experience ended earlier than intended. This is a philosophical question that asks: what if the choices made in that experiment didn’t end until its proper conclusion? This is a darkly psychological short story that you simply can’t look away from anymore than you could look away from an oncoming disaster. If you are squeamish or easily offended? You should avoid. Nevertheless, it is concise and well written and deserves accolades for asking how would’ve the Prisoner given choice respond? Zimbardo would be equally horrified and humbled to discover his most famous expression of psychology answered in such fashion.

4 people found this helpful

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  • originalmike007
  • 2020-10-14

Starts off strong...then goes off the rails.

The good: likable protagonist, interesting premise, literate.
The bad: WTF? Every other character is flat, unrealistic, and unempathizable. The premise turns from interesting to disgusting to completely unbelievable.

4 people found this helpful

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  • M. Townsend
  • 2019-04-23

Amazing.

Wow! Just wow. Akin to a Black Mirror episode. Couldn’t recommend more if I tried. So good.

2 people found this helpful

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  • Jake LaFrance
  • 2019-02-16

Very good! Interesting concept

I read this book because I loved the Themis Files by Sylvain Neuvel and was much looking forward to this one. I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed this little novella. The conecpt was well executed, the characters were great. I only wished it was slightly longer, maybe it could have been 3 hours instead of 2 hours. It was great either way though. I can't wait to read whatever Sylvain Neuvel releases next.

2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Tammy Bentley
  • 2022-01-26

worth a listen

it's a little underwhelming but not a bad story, pretty short, worth investing a couple of hours.

1 person found this helpful