The description of the book does not do the book justice. You will not want to miss this book. I could not put it down but then it got so intense that I put it down for minutes at a time, only to pick it up again. It is a mystery, a thriller and story about family all rolled up together. I received this book free from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Rory was in tenth grade. He and his mother—Lina Connelly— just moved from New York City to Northern California....
to a small community- Greenfield....(absolutely nothing like New York), where Rory had been raised with the freedom of the city, the noise, the chaos, navigating the subway, the park, and the occasional crazy street scene...
but....
—works for me —I live in Silicon Valley. It’s fun reading books that take place in the SF Bay Area. I was happy to follow along with the characters being here in my
neck of the woods.
Michelle Richmond is versed and proficient describing our streets brilliantly and effortlessly.

Despite Rory being precocious (academically and streetwise), his new public school in Greenfield, baffled him,
but he seemed to be assimilating to his new strange environment better than his mom.

Rory told his mother that he didn’t have regular classes— such as math, science, whatever. Instead his day was divided into seminars focused on the ‘Wonder Test’.
Apparently it was a gold standard of standardized tests. It happened every spring of 10th grade—very popular in public schools in Silicon Valley ( news to me; our daughters went to private schools in Silicon Valley).... but I was very intrigued to keep reading.

Lina meets Brenda Fritz, a mother who has an 11th grader and a third grader.
She also meets Kobayashi... ‘superstar school administrator, of Rory’s school.
and Officer Kyle.
There are other supporting casts as well.....
adding mystery-suspense.

All of Lina’s new friends —
enlighten her (ha) with the culture of Greenfield —
Somebody always complained, Kyle told her - and there seemed to be a mother’s dress code, Brenda informed.

Lina was an only child, making her the only recipient of her father’s belongings after he died.
She moved back to Northern California to clean out his things after his death—
and away from memories and reminders from the loss of her husband, Fred...who died instantly in a traffic accident.

Lina’s father knew he was dying for months, but he tried to keep it hidden from his Lina.
The ‘excerpt’ below (awesome sentence in itself) gave me a telling-experience of Lina, right away.
“I have a gift for sussing out lies, half-truths, obfuscation, but with my father, somehow, my instincts failed”.
To me the sentence symbolized Lina’s perceptive gifts and strengths but also her sensitivity and vulnerability.
I liked our protagonist and her son, Rory, right away.

Lina had spent her entire career in foreign
counterintelligence. Behavioral analysis—FBI collateral duties... in New York.
Since the loss of her husband, and Rory’s rock of a father—a fresh start on the West Coast should have done mother and son wonders.
Maybe....
but not until the trials and tribulations associated with trying to escape ( oneself)....are examined more closely.
Lessons were to be learned...including insightful repercussions from the academic rigorous teachings
‘The Wonder Test’, represented.

At Rory school, they courage the students to read the same book twice or even three times.
“According to Kobayashi, reading the same text repeatedly improves reading skills twenty-one percent better than reading something new. When you subtract your interest in the actual material, it helps you focus on the pure skill of reading and improved speed”.

With a very competitive world, Rory’s school underlined that it wasn’t enough to be smart, lucky, or hard-working. Students needed to be exceptional— they need to be a winner.

Note: research suggests when teachers and educators
praise effort rather than ability, children develop a stronger work ethic and become more motivated.
But when it came to the real world of blood, sweat and tears, high test scores were vital for an Ivy League entrance.

Michelle created a page turning intelligent thriller, within the bounds of elite educational truth, (prior to the pandemic anyway), here in Silicon Valley.

Michelle revealed complexities of a broken world with fierce and flawed characters, psychologically deft....
.....enjoyable as all of Michelle’s books are!

Great job, Michelle. Your SFBay area fans miss you - wishing you and your family safe - healthy- peaceful days in France. It’s ‘always’ a treat to read your books!!!!

Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic....
wishing wellness and healing in 2021.

This is the second book I have read by Michelle Richmond. I absolutely loved this psychological thriller. This book had me hooked from the first pages and I literally read it over the course of one day. I could not put it down, until I learned the story of Lina and Rory. I would love to see another book featuring Lina. I look forward to reading some of the past (and the future) books of Richmond. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

I found this book hard to read. It is the story of a school district obsessed with test scores and the bizarre effect on real estate. Lina and her son move to an ultra-upscale community in Silicone Valley and find themselves involved in the history of weird events that have plagued students in the area.
They are subjected to THE WONDER TEST, the ultimate measurement of student and school success. The author includes some of the questions, which are certainly thought provoking.

This has odd twists and certainly some readers will enjoy this, but it was not a good fit for me. I felt there was a predictability that I was waiting for from the start of the book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Lina, an FBI agent and recently widowed, returns to her childhood home with her son Rory to clean out the home of her father, who has also recently died. She soon becomes involved in the mysterious disappearances of high school kids at her son’s new school. The Wonder Test is a seriously addictive thriller that explores just how far parents are willing to go to enhance their lives. It’s a story of a creepy small town, with over-the-top characters, an intricate plot, and plenty of action that keeps you riveted throughout, as Lina turns out to be not your ordinary Fed, and it works well in this captivating novel . Well done! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.