The premise of this thriller caught my eye, but in the end, unfortunately, it just didn’t do it for me.

This wasn’t a bad book by any means, but it wasn’t great either, and I felt like it had a lot of potential. I felt like the whole concept of The Wonder Test was so interesting and the author could have gone in a different direction as to the “why” of what was happening, that - for me at least - would have made a lot more sense. I don’t want to spoil it for other readers, but that aspect of “why” really fell flat for me.

Like all good thrillers, it leads up to a peak of suspense, which was done really well. The start of every chapter poses various questions, and I really, really enjoyed them - it set the book apart and kept the theme of the test going. And the story self-propelled, making it an incredibly fast read.

The ending also felt like it tapered off, and felt a bit disjointed from the book, but did draw the story to a close.

The Wonder Test is available for purchase on July 6, and while it wasn’t a great read for me, it could be for you!

A sincere thanks to @NetGalley & Atlantic Monthly Press for this digital advanced readers copy!

-👩🏻‍🦰

One Sentence Summary: After her father and husband pass away, FBI agent Lina moves herself and her teenage son to her father's home in Northern California, but the neighborhood is overly obsessed with something all high school students take: the Wonder Test.

Overall

The Wonder Test has an interesting premise, but I felt it was overly ambitious, tried too hard to be brilliant, and skirted around the really interesting suburbany politics. What could have been an intriguing suburban thriller turned out to be more focused on getting an FBI agent who had started questioning herself back into the saddle, so to speak. I was disappointed it felt more tangentially related to the Wonder Test than anything else, and more interested in making the case far flung so it could showcase all of Lina's FBI skills. There were some interesting things going on, but most of it fell flat for me.

Extended Thoughts

After her father and husband both pass away within a relatively short time frame, FBI agent Lina Connerly makes a mistake on one of her cases and takes a leave of absence, ostensibly to clear out her father's home in an exclusive neighborhood of Northern California. She takes her teenage son, Rory, with her, enrolling him in the local high school.

But this high school is not a normal high school. Literally everything about it revolves around something called the Wonder Test. There's also the fact that some students have mysteriously vanished, only to reappear as a shell of themselves, but relatively unharmed. Lina is suspicious, so, after a random encounter, suggests her son meet a French girl at his school.

Rory and Caroline become fast friends, but the test is looming over their heads. When another student vanishes, Lina is ready to hop on the trail, certain there's something devious going on at the school.

I so wanted to like The Wonder Test. The description struck my mom heart as my kids will one day be high school students subjected to those dreaded state tests. Of course, the Wonder Test is nothing like those, so I was curious about it and how it tied into mysterious student disappearances and reappearances.

Unfortunately, it felt less about the test and more about getting Lina's mojo back. After a screw up, she's feeling uncertain of herself and her instincts, never mind the fact it happened right after her husband died. So, in the middle of the school year, she packs up her teen and carts them both across the country. She seems to be in something of a waiting place, not really sure of what she's doing. But, when a young cop gets wind of her living there, he drops by and drops the case of the students in her lap. Unofficially. (The local police force is barely dropped in.) I wish there had been more push and pull between Lina and whether or not she should pursue the case, but she seemed quite ready to jump in with both feet and use all the resources available to her. It made this book feel more like it was all about Lina instead of the case.

Rory was something of a saving grace to this book. Even as a teen, he's headstrong and stubborn with an amazing moral compass. He's so well-adjusted it's almost bizarre, but he felt like a cool headed foil to his mom who was so in her head all the time. Though it's kind of understandable considering Lina is telling the story so the reader is constantly privy to all of her thoughts. Anyways, I really liked Rory and couldn't help but think just how lucky his mom was to have him.

But what really drove me crazy were all these details and people added in early on and then their threads just seemed to unravel. It felt like everything and the kitchen sink were thrown in "just in case" with no clear direction so some of it popped in and out, others were completely dropped, and others were kind of a slow fade. It was weird and really helped make it all about Lina. Lina had to rely on herself and a few sources of information, but I couldn't help but wonder why all the extraneous pieces had been thrown in.

I also wish the neighborhood had been highlighted more. The families seemed interesting and like they might have fascinating stories considering they're wealthy. But most of the story didn't seem to take place there. It took Lina far from home without being too far. There were some quirky locales she found herself in, but, for a book that's titled after a test given at a school in a certain area, I expected more of it to be set in said area, to see Lina deal more with the parents, teachers, and school board.

Then there's the fact that each chapter is headed with a complex question that I assume must be from this Wonder Test. I tried puzzling through the first few, but, as I read on, I started to feel they didn't really add anything to the story. Of course, to a degree, I did appreciate them as it highlighted just how intense the test is, but it also highlight just how lackluster the story is. I couldn't shake the feeling the story was a vehicle to showcase just how brilliant these questions from the author's mind could be, as though more effort had been made for them than the story.

All that said, I really did enjoy the characters. The reader is privy to Lina's thought process and how she solves and handles cases. I couldn't possibly say if any of it was accurate, but I enjoyed the journey.

The Wonder Test is an interesting story about an FBI agent getting back into the swing of things after personal tragedies. It nicely involves her teenage son and a mother's instinct to protect. But it's definitely all about Lina and is not really a suburban thriller. There's definitely some weird stuff in this book, but I think my favorite part would be the characters. Overall, it felt like a bunch of things were thrown in and tossed, and only some of it really made sense when put together.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I can't believe it took me almost FIVE DAYS to read this book! It's in no way a reflection of my enjoyment of it. I've been having my kitchen renovated and it's just one room in my house so, like WHY did it feel like my whole world was off kilter?? 😅
But the kitchen's done and it looks great and I've finished this book and it's great too.

𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘢 (𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘉𝘐 𝘈𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢.
𝘈𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘳𝘺'𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 -𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 - 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘦𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘢'𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘵.

This was a fun mystery to solve. Told entirely from Lina's perspective, the FBI angle was interesting. She's a quick thinker who's good at interrogating suspects and getting the upper hand against the baddies.

**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy.
Due for release July 6th**

Years ago, I read and enjoyed The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond. I noticed the author's new release, The Wonder Test, on NetGalley this month and requested it. I'm not exactly sure why I haven't gone back to read more of her books, but after this one, I will push myself to do it. In this release, Lina travels back to California to clean out her father's home after he passes away from cancer, within weeks of her own husband's deadly car accident in New York, near their home. She's taken temporary leave from the FBI after a minor mistake, and she brings her teenage son with her. What could go wrong?

The Wonder Test is the standard exam for all the schools in her new living location. It's a competition for everything: fame, funding and fortune. Oddly, a few kids have been kidnapped in the past from this area. All were returned, but they were different afterward. She's not worried about her son's fate, mostly because the ones who were kidnapped tell him he's safe. But why? Could it be that his scores are off the chart? Who's behind these strange kidnappings: school administrators, other parents, the Chief of Police?

The plot is actually quite simple. Skip my next line. While it might be a spoiler, I think it's mostly obvious that the reason the kids are kidnapped is so they intentionally miss the tests -- they will bring the school's average down. The real mystery is what does it all mean? And what happens to these kids? When Rory, Lina's son, meets Caroline, he's found puppy love. She adores him too, but then she's suddenly ghosting him. Why? Is she part of the reason for the kidnappings or has she been taken herself? Her French diplomat parents are also curiously missing the entire time.

I enjoyed this one a bunch; it took 1 day to read, a few hours in the morning and then again at night before bed. My primary concern is that a lot is discussed about another FBI case Lina's assisting with, plus she's still grieving her husband's death, and she's got to deal with her late father's house. None of these sub-plots were wrapped up in a way that made me feel like I read a complete novel. Sure they weren't the prime focus of the overall book, but they probably took up 25% of the consolidated text, so why not give us a bit of a real ending? I'm probably asking for too much, but that's what kept me from pushing this from a 4 to a 5.

I think this will do well, but I also liked The Marriage Pact more. It had a bit of darker, sinister components. I felt the fear and suspense whereas here, it felt more like... "Okay, Lina, solve this before your son is kidnapped. And have some run-ins that make us shake in our boots." Didn't happen, but the writing was good and the characters had nice substance. Onward we go... I think it's time to read one of her early books next!

I really enjoyed this book! This is the second book I've read by Michelle Richmond and I eagerly await whatever comes next from her. The Wonder Test has an unusual premise and the action was non-stop with many surprising twists and turns. Lina, the first person narrator, is totally kick-ass, take no prisoners, awesome! I highly recommend this title and envy new reader's who have yet to experience it. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this digital arc.

This was definitely a slow burner, but gives you a great perspective on a heavy topic. It was a bit long and drawn-out and I had a hard time connecting with the characters. However, this could be because I am at a totally different stage in life. Overall, interesting read.

Michelle Richmond’s “The Wonder Test” is a wonderfully subtle satirical thriller that exposes the Silicon Valley culture that mistakenly focuses on children’s advancement and prestige instead of their wellbeing. To this end, Richmond highlights the lengths FBI agent, Lina Connerly will go to protect her son.

Like many issues in education, standardized testing is a controversial topic. On one hand, it purports to provide an accurate measurement of student performance and teacher effectiveness. On the other hand, there’s evidence to suggest that it affects students’ physical and emotional well-being. Richmond uses this controversy as fuel to propel her plot. Fifteen-year-old Rory Connerly is enrolled in a posh public school in the wealthy Silicon Valley suburb of Greenfield, California. His high school is focused on maintaining their standing – always first in the country.

This stepfordesque thriller is basically a race to save Greenfield teens from their own parents’ ambition. It exposes the obsessive greed and the lengths they will go to appear to be providing the best for their children as well as what their community will do to maintain its seemingly perfect exterior.

Yes, there are too many characters to keep straight. Yes, the questions at the start of each chapter detract from the enjoyment. Yes, there are some implausible events. BUT, if you are looking for a book with mystery, adventure, lots of twists and turns, missing people, and written by an author with a creative flair who chooses to focus on morality, responsibility and trust, this is for YOU.

Publishes July 6, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Michelle Richmond, Grove Atlantic, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Nicole has just finished sharing “sandwiches” with a friend on a deserted beach when she sees “it” approaching.
A shape, moving like an injured animal, ashen white and glowing. A student, who had disappeared weeks ago, now shaved bald, and traumatized....

Widowed FBI agent, Lina Connerly and her teenage son, Rory are living in her father’s house, temporarily, leaving the ghost of her husband behind in NY. She gets pulled into the investigation when she learns that the boy found on the beach is a student at Rory’s new school-one with a strange curriculum. There are no classes-just seminars on subjects that will prepare them to ace a standardized test called “The Wonder Test”.

The town is obsessed with having their school score highest in the State, and in the Country!
Their motto: “ Prepared for the test-prepared for life, every student counts!! “

Each chapter opens with a “Wonder Test” question such as :
“Is artificial intelligence truly artificial? Is it intelligence? Give examples and discuss.

This book was a 3.5 ⭐️ for me, and and I can give examples and discuss why I could round it up, and why I could round it down!

Based on that synopsis, I requested expecting SUSPENSEFUL with a dose of FREAKY but, I could see where this one was going to go almost immediately- and I was right. Not suspenseful or freaky. Round down?

What this actually is-an FBI procedural with a LIKABLE and CAPABLE lead in Lina-and the set-up for this to possibly be book one in a series. A bit of a slow burn, (448 pages!) and about 75 pages too long-but well written. Round up?

I am going to round up with the ⚠️that this is recommended for readers who enjoy investigations-but maybe not for those like myself, who expected a creepy mystery...

Thank You to Atlantic Monthly Press for the ARC gifted to me through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review! Available July 6, 2021.

I loved this book. Loved the questions from the Wonder Test at the beginning of each chapter. Great story that kept me interested throughout. Great read. Thanks #netgallery.

This book wasn’t for me. I thought the synopsis was interesting so I requested it. After the first chapter I knew this book wouldn’t be one of my favorites. I persevered through it all, but it is a total miss for me. I couldn’t connect with Amy of the characters. I found the scenes droll and without a spark.

This took a while. By that, I mean it probably could've benefited from another couple editing runs and being cut down around 10-20%. That being said, I really loved the little 'Wonder Test' question excerpts at the beginning of each chapter. I think that the kidnapping mystery portion was really creative (and I would've like more of that, if not at least less of Lina's background). I enjoyed the mother/son dynamic in the story as well.

3 for neutral, as I was unable to finish. Will update if able to finish at a late date! As I am a moody reader. Which may be why it didn’t grab me/

This one was tough for me. I really loved the premise, but the characters felt a bit flat, and i just couldn't get into the plot. I think a couple extra rounds of edits to clean up what was going on, and add some depth, would have gotten this book to at least four stars.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and for about the first half I was very intrigued. Unfortunately, that was about as far as it got for me. There were questions at the beginning of each chapter that were supposed to be questions that were seen on The Wonder Test, but they made absolutely no sense and I honestly quit reading them. My main issue with the book was the sheer number of characters that were introduced. There were multiple times that I had to go back to try to figure out who was who. The plot was so convoluted and confusing you basically needed a poster board to try to connect all the characters together. I'm all for a who done it with some twists and turns but I don't need to go through 50 characters in order to get to the main guy. My other big issue was how incredibly not real this plot was. In no way shape or form is an FBI officer on leave going to investigate a case that isn't hers!!!!! She constantly overstepped the lines and literally solved the whole case while on leave. Sorry, but that isn't policy or procedure and just made the entire thing seem so fake and unrealistic.

This thriller presents worthy themes of what good education is, how valuable standardised tests are, and how far some parents are willing to go to satisfy their ambitions, The beginning is slow, but ultimately worth the wait.

Lina, an FBI agent on leave, and her son Rory temporarily move into her father's old house to clean out his belongings after his death. The school Rory attends is heavily focused on the Wonder Test, an aptitude test in which his school always scores first in the country. Lina is asked by local police to assist in the disappearance and the reappearance of another high school boy the year prior, and it begins to look like the disappearance has something to do with the test. This wasn't bad, especially if you suspend some disbelief, but I didn't love it. 3 stars.

It is a compelling suspense novel, my first book from this author.

Mother and son is moving back to her home town in California to start a new life. Everyone at the boy’s new school is so obsessed with preparations for a so-called Wonder Test as if their lives depended on it. You have this weird feeling about the town: Stepford pops into mind, with their cyborg wives. And as much as the locals care about the outcome of the test, they completely ignore the fact that every now and then a kid disappears just to show up days later in a shocking state.

A test question is quoted at the beginning of each chapter which I find an original idea. There are a few loose ends at the end of the book, but it was a truly entertaining read.

Let me start by saying that I love Ms. Richmond's writing. The setting is near where I grew up and it's fun to read about the places I've heard of all my life. That said, I'm sorry to say that I could not get into this story. The first few chapters really drug on for me. I felt like I was getting nowhere with it. I tried several times. I did not finish this book.

Lina Connelly is a widowed FBI agent who goes to California to sell her father’s house in Greenfield, Ca. This Silicon Valley community is filled with upper middle class families whose children attend a competitive high school. The entire academic program is based on the Wonder Test, a standardized test that ranks the school as one of the best in the country. As Lina learns more of the disappearance of students over the past two years, she becomes involved in the investigation. And then this thriller goes into unexpected territory. This is one readers don’t want to miss. I see a possible television series in the future! I highly recommend this page turner, once I started I couldn’t put it down! Thank you to Atlantic Monthly Press, Michelle Richmond and NetGalley for the arc.

A mother/son thriller twist I enjoyed in ‘The Wonder Test’. Lina’s recent losses of her husband and father send her on sabbatical from the to San Francisco area. When Rory (son) classmates start disappearing, Lina can’t wonder what the Wonder Test truly entails.