This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Source: Bought

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.
To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live.
But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. 
When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

It is now secret that I have loved Courtney Summers' other books and when I heard about This Is Not A Test, I got really excited to read it. Sloane isn't the usual survivor of the Zombie Apocalypse and the back story that Summers added. It made the story more vivid and I became further invested in the story. There are several other characters that added to the story. Rhys was strong, but his instinct to survive didn't over shadow his humanity. Grace was a sweet and kind character, but still wanted to live. Trace was angry and frightening, but mostly he wanted to protect Grace. Since she is the last that remains of his family. Harrison was afraid. Cary was a leader and wanted the best for everyone. I felt a connection to all of the characters and felt that I could honestly be any of them.
The plot was really exciting and I kept on thinking would I do that? The details that Summers add to the story were frightening and made me visualize it. Also while the book is about survival, it doesn't make survival boring. I didn't want to stop reading and that feeling lasted with me long after the ending.  This story was original for a zombie novel, because it added a feeling of suspense from Sloane's past. I also liked the idea of a school, because for most teens, they dread school. Now they are forced to either survive in a place that they hated or contend with zombies that want to murder them. The relationships were also different in the book. It wasn't the usual need for intimacy that is in a lot of survival novel, but something more realistic. Summers' writing style is sharp, fierce, and sparse. I enjoy her writing and find it to be amazing. Even thought it is during a Zombie Apocalypse, it remains realistic. As always, I can't wait to read more from Summers and highly recommend  that you read This is Not a Test as soon as humanly possible. I promise that you will not regret reading this book.