The Test

by Sylvain Neuvel, Neil Shah (Narrated by)

Overview

Award-winning author Sylvain Neuvel explores an immigration dystopia in The Test

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

Twenty-five questions to determine their 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?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781982527839
Publisher:	Blackstone Pub
Publication date:	02/12/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

Sylvain Neuvel has taught linguistics in India, and worked as a software engineer in Montreal. He is also a certified translator, though he wishes he were an astronaut. His girlfriend would have him believe that he has too many toys, so he writes about aliens and giant robots as a blatant excuse to build action figures (for his son, of course). His debut, Sleeping Giants, was described by NPR as “one of the most promising series kickoffs in recent memory.”

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Test:

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

Praise for the Themis Files

“As high-concept as it is, Sleeping Giants is a thriller through and through. . . . Not only is Sleeping Giants one of the most promising series kickoffs in recent memory, it’s a smart demonstration of how science fiction can honor its traditions and reverse-engineer them at the same time.”—NPR

"But the most surprising thing about the book may just be how compelling the central characters are in the midst of these larger-than-life concepts. . . . I can’t stop thinking about it."—The Chicago Review of Books

“Reminiscent of The Martian and World War Z, Sleeping Giants is a luminous conspiracy yarn that shoots for (and lands among) the stars.”—Pierce Brown

From the Publisher

Providing memorable, distinct, and believable voices for every character, narrator Neil Shah creates the atmosphere of the live stage for this chilling dystopian story. A third-world immigrant who believes he’s taking a British citizenship test so that he and his family can safely stay in England soon finds himself plunged into a nightmarish world. Shah is especially adept at handling the philosophical repartee between the mystified refugee and his ruthless tormentor, who demands that he make impossible choices. In the tradition of George Orwell’s 1984, this novella places listeners in the uncomfortable position of having to consider making those impossible choices themselves. Thoughtful, timely, and an absolutely mesmerizing listening experience. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2019 - AudioFile

★ 2018-10-28

A timely novella with a powerful thematic punch, Neuvel's (Only Human, 2018, etc.) latest is set in a dystopian future where immigrants seeking citizenship in England must pass a harrowing test.

Originally from Iran, Idir Jalil is a dentist living in London with his wife, Tidir, and two children. After months of studying, Jalil shows up at the local immigration office to take the British Values Assessment test. If he passes, he is a citizen. If he fails, he and his family will be immediately deported. But only minutes into the test, terrorists storm the building and hold all the office's occupants at gunpoint. After an unruly man is shot in the leg and Jalil instinctively goes to help, the kindhearted dentist is targeted by the terrorists. The leader picks two hostages from the crowd and forces Jalil to decide which one lives and which one dies. His inability to make a decision dooms both people to death. Soon afterward, he is asked again with two new people. With his wife and children in the crowd, Jalil realizes he may soon have to decide whether his wife or children die. Powered by a relentless sense of tension and an undertone of psychological horror throughout, readers will find themselves living vicariously through Jalil and struggling with every gut-wrenching decision. If you were forced to kill either your spouse or your child, what would you do? And would you want to live in a society that forces you to make such a decision? Obvious political commentary aside, the questions Neuvel asks readers are simple yet profound: What does it mean to be human? Is one person's life less valuable than another's because of ethnic, religious, or socio-economic differences? Is the true nature of humankind fear and hate or love and acceptance?

Thought-provoking and disturbing. A cautionary tale illuminated with dark enlightenment.

Kirkus Reviews