Test by William SleatorSUMMARY: Just in time for test season, Sleator delivers an alarming view of a future in which one test determines your fate. All high school seniors must take the XCAS to graduate. Do poorly, and you are doomed to a life of never-ending gridlock, polluted air, and menial jobs. Ann's English XCAS scores are miserable, and her hatred of the test gets her wondering about its history, its creators, and its connection with the government. Soon she is being followed by a creepy man on a motorcycle. And it's only a matter of time before things get really dangerous...
OPINION: This book takes the current testing mandated by No Child Left Behind to a whole new level. The English class in this story is especially depressing, with students never actually reading an entire book. The best part of the story was when the students fought back with a nonviolent demonstration against the test. As a devout reader of dystopian fantasy, though, I thought the book itself lacked a really coherent vision of the future as a whole. It seemed more like the author just exaggerated current problems to use them as a platform for his anti-testing message. The sinister subplot failed to grab my imagination, and the connection between it and the testing was flimsy. I would have liked this book more if it more thoroughly explored the relationship between education and government in the context of student rights.
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