The Wonder Test
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- Create Date：2021-07-16 11:31:08
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Michelle Richmond
- ISBN：1665074345
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Summary
Escaping New York City and the espionage case that made her question everything， recently widowed FBI Agent Lina Connerly returns home to sell the house she has inherited in tony Greenfield， California。 With her teenage son Rory， Lina hopes to reassemble her life， reevaluate her career， and find a clear way forward。 Adrift and battling insomnia， she discovers that her father's sleepy hometown has been transformed into a Silicon Valley suburb on steroids， obsessed with an annual exam called The Wonder Test。
When students at her son's high school go missing， reappearing under mysterious circumstances on abandoned beaches， Lina must summon her strength and her investigative instincts， pushing her own ethical boundaries to the limits in order to solve the crimes。 Meanwhile， an old espionage case called Red Vine keeps calling her back into the fold。 While Lina struggles to balance her new role as a single mother and the complex counterintelligence puzzles she is so adept at solving， Greenfield's shadowy dangers creep closer to her own home。
The Wonder Test is a searing view of a culture that puts the wellbeing of children at risk for advancement and prestige， and a captivating story of the lengths a mother will go for her son。
When students at her son's high school go missing， reappearing under mysterious circumstances on abandoned beaches， Lina must summon her strength and her investigative instincts， pushing her own ethical boundaries to the limits in order to solve the crimes。 Meanwhile， an old espionage case called Red Vine keeps calling her back into the fold。 While Lina struggles to balance her new role as a single mother and the complex counterintelligence puzzles she is so adept at solving， Greenfield's shadowy dangers creep closer to her own home。
The Wonder Test is a searing view of a culture that puts the wellbeing of children at risk for advancement and prestige， and a captivating story of the lengths a mother will go for her son。
Reviews
Susan
，
Hooked！I don't usually spend what I paid for this book on a new （to me） author， but I downloaded a free sample and was hooked from the first chapter。 I had to find out what happened。 This is one of those un-put-downable books。 Well written with engaging characters。 Definitely worth the money。 Hooked！I don't usually spend what I paid for this book on a new （to me） author， but I downloaded a free sample and was hooked from the first chapter。 I had to find out what happened。 This is one of those un-put-downable books。 Well written with engaging characters。 Definitely worth the money。 。。。more
Bill
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Great book！ Really enjoyed this one。
Teri
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Good plot with interesting situations and characters
Lori Boyd
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A few years ago， my sister gave me a book and told me I had to read it。 It was called “The Year of Fog”。 Soo good。 When I requested this book， I didn’t realize it was the same author， but I loved the write-up and the tie-in with the cover！ So happy to have rediscovered this author！The Wonder Test， is intense to say the least。 If the questions asked at the beginning of each chapter are any indication， I’d have failed miserably！ As our kids pre for SATs， these NoCal kids prep for the Wonder Test。 A few years ago， my sister gave me a book and told me I had to read it。 It was called “The Year of Fog”。 Soo good。 When I requested this book， I didn’t realize it was the same author， but I loved the write-up and the tie-in with the cover！ So happy to have rediscovered this author！The Wonder Test， is intense to say the least。 If the questions asked at the beginning of each chapter are any indication， I’d have failed miserably！ As our kids pre for SATs， these NoCal kids prep for the Wonder Test。 It is all this elite district can think， talk and care about。 Newly widowed Lina and her 15 yo son， Rory， leave NY to close her father’s home。 Lina is on leave from her FBI job， but an agent is always an agent。 Previously， a teenager was reported missing and turns up weeks later， walking out of the ocean on the beach。 Then another teenager goes missing， but this one is closer to home。 As the mystery evolves， Lina becomes more and more involved until it comes to a frightening end。 This story will keep you reading and on the edge of your seat。 Richmond shows how far a mother will go for her child， and the lengths some people will go to to stay No。 1。 Emotions are raw with Lena and Rory， and you can feel the love and loss between them。 Even though I thought I new where the author was going， she definitely threw some twists in there。 Thanks to Ms。 Richmond， Atlantic Monthy and NetGalley for this ARC。 Opinion is mine alone。 。。。more
Liz Fenton
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I loved this book—so many layers， perfectly paced， and action packed。 Highly recommend！
Calista Andrechek
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Thank you to NetGalley， Michelle Richmond and Grove Atlantic for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review。This one was more of a slow burn in the beginning than I expected， but it picks up quickly and kept my interest all the way through。 It's more action packed than I expected and I really enjoyed the main characters and how badass they are。 It's such an interesting concept and I definitely haven't read anything quite like it before。 I would definitely recommend for those who enjoy acti Thank you to NetGalley， Michelle Richmond and Grove Atlantic for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review。This one was more of a slow burn in the beginning than I expected， but it picks up quickly and kept my interest all the way through。 It's more action packed than I expected and I really enjoyed the main characters and how badass they are。 It's such an interesting concept and I definitely haven't read anything quite like it before。 I would definitely recommend for those who enjoy action packed thrillers。 。。。more
Jodi
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3。5 stars rounded up。 I actually hesitated to start The Wonder Test but I'm glad I did。 I finished this book in one day and that's extremely rare for me especially when the e-book is over 400 pages。 I kept saying "just one more chapter " but then I'd read that chapter and want to read the next， that's how much I was enjoying this book。。。。 until around page 200。 That's where the start of the roller-coaster experience began。 Divide this book it into three parts - - I really liked the first part， I 3。5 stars rounded up。 I actually hesitated to start The Wonder Test but I'm glad I did。 I finished this book in one day and that's extremely rare for me especially when the e-book is over 400 pages。 I kept saying "just one more chapter " but then I'd read that chapter and want to read the next， that's how much I was enjoying this book。。。。 until around page 200。 That's where the start of the roller-coaster experience began。 Divide this book it into three parts - - I really liked the first part， I didn't care much for the middle and even though the ending picked up a bit it just could make up for that drop off。In my opinion， the plot became a little unrealistic in the middle area。 I understand it was to pave the way for the climax but I don't think it was the best way the storyline could have been executed。 I'm not very familiar with law enforcement but I find it hard to believe that a civilian would be involved in the investigations of a crime outside of being a victim， witness or informant。 I find the thought of an FBI agent traveling around with civilian while working a case absolutely ridiculous， especially if that civilian is her teenage son。 There's just too much risk involved for anyone to make those stupid decisions。 There are some other aspects that I found unbelievable but that's what really threw me off and moved my review from 5 to 4 stars 。 As i said， the story did pick up a bit as it moved towards the ending but my interest definitely wavered。 I don't want to go into spoiler territory with specifics （especially given I read the ARC） but I feel like I had to suspend disbelief， ignore parts of the dialog and sometimes even skip pages to truly go back to enjoying this novel when it came to the latter half。 Some pages felt like stuffers， a bunch of words without any real substance so I definitely think this book could have less pages （maybe 30+ less） and be just as good。 And lastly， I'd consider the last chapter of the arc i received the epilog even though it wasn't labeled as such。 Given this， the penultimate chapter （which would now be the last chapter） felt like a rush to wrap up the book。 I feel like I need closure， I'd really appreciate if more pages were dedicated to the details of the aftermath。 I know I'm ranting a lot but I actually liked this book。 This is a well written crime thriller that uses standardized testing as the evil that drives a bigger evil， there's just considerable room for improvement 。 I enjoyed the test questions quoted at the beginning of each chapter and I actually spent quite some time thinking about the answer to most of these questions。 It got me thinking once again how our exams should test abilities such as critical thinking instead of the mostly useless things were being tested on now。I received an advance reader copy （ARC） of this book from Netgalley in partnership with the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Meredith
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This book presents an interesting perspective about a school that is completely devoted to testing and being the top scorers in the nation。 The importance of these scores to the community，parents， and teachers goes beyond making sure the students are ready for life。 A page turner that leaves you thinking after the story has ended。
RedRedtheycallmeRed
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It's pretty easy to figure out why the kids are disappearing， but who is behind the disappearances is more complex。 After being gut punched by losing her husband and her father in a matter of months， figuring out this mystery is exactly what Lina needs。 I really liked Lina， she's smart and capable。 I found all the details of her job with the FBI fascinating。As much as it is a mystery， it's also a book about motherhood。 Lina has always been the parent with the more stressful job， one that require It's pretty easy to figure out why the kids are disappearing， but who is behind the disappearances is more complex。 After being gut punched by losing her husband and her father in a matter of months， figuring out this mystery is exactly what Lina needs。 I really liked Lina， she's smart and capable。 I found all the details of her job with the FBI fascinating。As much as it is a mystery， it's also a book about motherhood。 Lina has always been the parent with the more stressful job， one that required long hours and time away from home。 Now she's Rory's only parent， full of doubts and trying to navigate the strange new world of the super rich。 It helps that Rory is a pretty awesome kid。 Lina made a few questionable choices in her unauthorized investigation， but that only made the story more exciting。 If Lina appears in another book， I'd definitely read it。 。。。more
Sarah
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7/10 While the mystery was a little predictable， I enjoyed the story and characters。
Berrendsci
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Nice， as a peninsulan。。I appreciated the geography。。even with liberties taken。 Fun pieces from the wonder test。。much enjoyed by this hs teacher。 The story was a bit fantastic 。。but it is a new genre for me a “FBI-cozy”。
Lou
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The Wonder Test is a new standalone espionage thriller from Michelle Richmond， more prominently known for her conventional domestic drama thrillers。 The plot features a widowed FBI agent who grows increasingly suspicious of her son's new school。 Lina Connerly is on leave from her job in New York at the FBI in order to clean out her father's home in Silicon Valley。 As though letting go of her father isn't hard enough， Lina has also recently lost her husband in a freak traffic accident。 Still reel The Wonder Test is a new standalone espionage thriller from Michelle Richmond， more prominently known for her conventional domestic drama thrillers。 The plot features a widowed FBI agent who grows increasingly suspicious of her son's new school。 Lina Connerly is on leave from her job in New York at the FBI in order to clean out her father's home in Silicon Valley。 As though letting go of her father isn't hard enough， Lina has also recently lost her husband in a freak traffic accident。 Still reeling， she and her teenage son Rory must make their way through this strange new town and the high school around which it all seems to revolve。 Rory soon starts coming home with reports of the upcoming "Wonder Test，" a general aptitude assessment that appears increasingly inane， and Lina is shaken out of her grief by a sense that something is amiss in Hillsborough。When she discovers that a student disappeared last year and was found weeks later walking on a beach， shaved and traumatized， Lina can't help but be sucked into an impromptu investigation。 Another kidnapping hits closer to home and reveals a sinister link between the Wonder Test and the rampant wealth of Silicon Valley's elite。 This is a riveting and complex slow-burn thriller with an abundance of twists and turns and a well-woven plot。 It's intelligent and thoughtful while grappling more with the motivations and nuances of people's actions than merely being a rapid-fire throwaway thriller。 A truly unique， engrossing and intriguing story from first page to last highlighting the elite and competitive world of private schooling which can often have a lasting impact on the mental health of the student， and it's very often the case that their wellbeing becomes quite low on the scale of priorities。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Jordana Horn Gordon
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Scary goodI normally don’t go for scary books。 And there are definitely parts of this one that will reside in my brain for longer than I want them too。 But wow: what a story。 I was riveted。
Susanne
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Thank you to the author， Grove Atlantic and NetGalley， for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。This was an engrossing read， albeit with a few weaknesses。 The central idea is genius， and the relationship between mother and son， who are grieving and trying to adapt to a new reality without their spouse/father is very well-done。 The healing and rebuilding that they both go through is foundational to the plot。 However， the mysterious misadventures of an FBI agent on leave， and the risks she take Thank you to the author， Grove Atlantic and NetGalley， for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。This was an engrossing read， albeit with a few weaknesses。 The central idea is genius， and the relationship between mother and son， who are grieving and trying to adapt to a new reality without their spouse/father is very well-done。 The healing and rebuilding that they both go through is foundational to the plot。 However， the mysterious misadventures of an FBI agent on leave， and the risks she takes in pursuit of solving the mystery are just not credible。 There is too much happening "just so" which seems to serve only to drive the narrative forward， but is far from how things go realistically。 Maybe I have a twisted mind， but I knew within the first few chapters what the resolution of the story was。 。。。more
Jennifer
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Loved it！！ This was my favorite book by Michelle Richmond。 Thank goodness I never had to take The Wonder Test。 The questions were insane and I would have failed miserably。 The rich people of Greenfield， California were extremely serious about this test。 CRAZY serious。 Lina was my favorite character。 She was an awesome mom and a great FBI agent。 She had an amazing relationship with Rory。 Loved how Lina solved the mystery about why children were disappearing。 The whole thing was SCARY。 I couldn't Loved it！！ This was my favorite book by Michelle Richmond。 Thank goodness I never had to take The Wonder Test。 The questions were insane and I would have failed miserably。 The rich people of Greenfield， California were extremely serious about this test。 CRAZY serious。 Lina was my favorite character。 She was an awesome mom and a great FBI agent。 She had an amazing relationship with Rory。 Loved how Lina solved the mystery about why children were disappearing。 The whole thing was SCARY。 I couldn't believe what people would do for money。 I can't forget Glen Park and all the strategically place orange Post-its that Lina's dad left for her throughout the whole house。 I was hooked from the very start and couldn't wait to find out what was going on。 George/Near Bear was a great partner for Lina。 If I was Lina， I would sell that house （even though it was amazing） as fast I could and never look back。Definitely recommend the book。 Loved the characters （especially Lina）， story and writing style。 There's so much going on throughout the book， but somehow everything ends up fitting together。 I wouldn't mind reading another book about Lina and her adventures as an FBI agent。 Look forward to reading more books by the author。 I received a complimentary copy of this book from Grove Atlantic through NetGalley。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Moraig
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Michelle Richmond’s new novel is a unique story about a wealthy town outside of San Fransisco that puts their focus on what they call the Wonder Test。 Students， parents， teachers and even real estate agents get behind doing what they can to ensure the students have the highest scores possible。 A series of unusual disappearances of a few students has taken place over the last years right around the time of the week long Wonder Test。 The students are returned but unable to speak about what happene Michelle Richmond’s new novel is a unique story about a wealthy town outside of San Fransisco that puts their focus on what they call the Wonder Test。 Students， parents， teachers and even real estate agents get behind doing what they can to ensure the students have the highest scores possible。 A series of unusual disappearances of a few students has taken place over the last years right around the time of the week long Wonder Test。 The students are returned but unable to speak about what happened， where they went and who took them。 FBI agent Lina Connerly and her son Rory are new to the town。 Lina is there to clear out her father’s home after his death。 Rory is now enrolled in the school。 After also losing her husband in a car accident， she’s at a loss for direction and trying to do the best she can for her son as well as put her own life back together。 When Lina is approached by a local police officer asking for advice with regards to the disappearances， Lina begins bit by bit to unravel this page-turning mystery。 I really enjoyed reading The Wonder Test and wandering through the maze with Lina and seeing the untangling of the mystery。 I liked Lina as a character and enjoyed the other characters that we met throughout the book。 The dialogue was smart， witty and sounded very authentic。 Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel。 It was a great read。 。。。more
Chel
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Michelle Richmond's books are intriguing and ones I would recommend。 The Wonder Test was a great page turner with a nice focus on parenting and thrill。 It's more domestic suspense， intrigue than action and crime， but you still want to know what's happening next。 I definitely recommend this one！Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Michelle Richmond's books are intriguing and ones I would recommend。 The Wonder Test was a great page turner with a nice focus on parenting and thrill。 It's more domestic suspense， intrigue than action and crime， but you still want to know what's happening next。 I definitely recommend this one！Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Susan
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This book easily could have become an espionage kind of thriller。 After all， the main character， Lina， is an FBI agent who deals with spies on a regular basis。 （side note: I thought that was the CIA？ Isn't the FBI limited to domestic issues？） When her husband is killed in an accident and her father dies， Lina finds herself running away to the Bay Area of California to ostentatiously take care of settling her father's estate。 While there， her son is enrolled in school， as one should do。 But this This book easily could have become an espionage kind of thriller。 After all， the main character， Lina， is an FBI agent who deals with spies on a regular basis。 （side note: I thought that was the CIA？ Isn't the FBI limited to domestic issues？） When her husband is killed in an accident and her father dies， Lina finds herself running away to the Bay Area of California to ostentatiously take care of settling her father's estate。 While there， her son is enrolled in school， as one should do。 But this school is fanatically focused on acing a test called The Wonder Test。 The entire town focuses on this annual test to the level of obsession and it becomes quickly obvious that things are not all okay。 When Rory's friend goes missing， Lina decides she isn't over reacting but needs to investigate。 The character development， especially Lina， is very well done。 She has brought some serious struggles with her and is avoiding dealing with many of her problems。 The investigation is an attractive distraction but the writing still keeps Lina's issues front and center for the reader。 The story was presented in a manner best described as putting a frog in a pot of water and warming it up。 The reader is slowly brought in to the underbelly of the school， town， and focus on the test。 Not that it is a slow read， but you just don't notice how absurd the situation is until you stop， step back， and take a breath。 However my absolute favorite part of the book are the quirky test questions at the beginning of each chapter。 They acted both as a palate cleanser throughout the developing storyline and as a reflection on the ridiculousness of some of the tests used to measure our children's success or potential。 "True or false: Circles are more efficient than triangles" is an example。 I will be honest， I had hoped for an answer section at the end of the book！ And I couldn't resist sharing several of the questions with family members and actually discussing them！ Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
This novel was an interesting， different mystery/suspense/thriller with a touch of suburban satire。 Main character Lina is an FBI agent， who after the （unrelated） deaths of both her husband and her father， takes a leave from her job and moves her 15 year old son Rory across the country to the affluent town where her father was living to clean out her father’s house。 But Rory reports that in school， literally all they do is prepare for a standardized test called The Wonder Test。 And then Lina hea This novel was an interesting， different mystery/suspense/thriller with a touch of suburban satire。 Main character Lina is an FBI agent， who after the （unrelated） deaths of both her husband and her father， takes a leave from her job and moves her 15 year old son Rory across the country to the affluent town where her father was living to clean out her father’s house。 But Rory reports that in school， literally all they do is prepare for a standardized test called The Wonder Test。 And then Lina hears about a student at the school who went missing the previous year and reappeared in mysterious circumstances， and starts digging。While the book sets up a suspenseful atmosphere from pretty early on， it definitely starts slow， but kept me reading and in fact I stayed up late to finish it。 Maybe not for you if you like extremely fast-pasted twisty thrillers， but if you like a more literary， smart， slow burn mystery/thriller， then this is a good one。 Things went a little crazy towards the end but I didn’t mind， and I loved Lina’s character and investigative methods。 （Though certain things about her job sounded more CIA than FBI to me though I’m certainly no expert。） But I would very happily read another book about Lina and Rory。 And I will definitely keep reading Michelle Richmond as this is the third book of hers that I have enjoyed。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free advanced copy （out 7/6/21） in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
Great read！ Lina， an FBI SA who specializes in counterintelligence， has taken leave and temporarily moved herself and her teen son Rory to California after the deaths of both her husband and her father。 Something is off in the town of Greenfield， which has changed greatly since Lina left， most notably at the school Rory attends。 And then there's the three teens who went missing and then were returned to their families 11 days later unable to explain what happened。 This is a nicely complex novel Great read！ Lina， an FBI SA who specializes in counterintelligence， has taken leave and temporarily moved herself and her teen son Rory to California after the deaths of both her husband and her father。 Something is off in the town of Greenfield， which has changed greatly since Lina left， most notably at the school Rory attends。 And then there's the three teens who went missing and then were returned to their families 11 days later unable to explain what happened。 This is a nicely complex novel with all sorts of small delights， especially if you are familiar with， ahem， certain things。 Lina is asked to help figure out what happened to the kids， something which becomes more urgent （no spoilers）。 Rory becomes friends with Caroline， the daughter of French "diplomats" at Lina's request but it's an honest relationship。 This is hard to review without letting something slip but know that there are some very unusual twists， great derails about FBI。 terrific characters （right down to the "friend" who helps Lina gain access to a swim club）， and a mystery I sort of figured out early on except the why and actually even The Who wasn't really the point。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 I really enjoyed this and highly recommend for a surprising and entertaining read。 。。。more
Jen
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“ ‘To exchange all the goodness and grace of every life in Omelas for that single， small improvement: to throw away the happiness of thousands for the chance of the happiness of one: that would be to let guilt within the walls indeed。’ Argue for or against the moral imperative of Ursula Le Guin’s city of Omelas。”Lina and her 15 year old son Rory find themselves transplanted to Silicon Valley from New York City， after they have had what Lina describes as annus horribilis， or the horrible year “ ‘To exchange all the goodness and grace of every life in Omelas for that single， small improvement: to throw away the happiness of thousands for the chance of the happiness of one: that would be to let guilt within the walls indeed。’ Argue for or against the moral imperative of Ursula Le Guin’s city of Omelas。”Lina and her 15 year old son Rory find themselves transplanted to Silicon Valley from New York City， after they have had what Lina describes as annus horribilis， or the horrible year。 She lost her father and her husband in quick succession and she’s spending her unpaid leave of absence from her job in counterintelligence and profiling at the FBI trying to sort through her deceased father’s home and belongings， as well as hopefully putting her own life back together。 Rory is a clever kid， and he fits right in at his new school， including quickly catching on to how to ace the Wonder Test。 What is the Wonder Test one might ask？ It’s the current “it” thing in the increasingly competitive academic world， the gold standard of standardized tests。 Doing well on the test individually can greatly improve a teen’s chances at getting into their dream school， and doing well collectively as a high school doesn’t just engender pride， it can skyrocket property values in the district。 Schools， including the one Rory is now attending， have shifted their entire curriculum to prepare students for the test， and there is such intense buy-in that at one point Lina half jokingly wonders if she’s wandered into a school budget meeting or a cult。 It quickly becomes apparent that not everything is as it seems in the idyllic town of Greenfield。 While she may be on leave， Lina can’t ignore her investigative nature and soon she finds herself sucked into an investigation involving the very odd disappearances and just as strange reappearances of local teens over the past few years。 Having just moved her own teenager into town， can she really trust he is safe here？ And how far is she willing to go to protect him？ This is not a ！！ shocking twists ！！ kind of book。 It’s a slow burn mystery that gradually picks up the pace until it becomes a pulse-pounding， unputdownable thriller， but readers are going to have a decent idea about what is going on early on， and I can’t imagine that was anything but intentional。 The focus is much more on how we get there than finding out where we’re going。 For a book like that to work， you need to have a really strong main character and Richmond more than delivers here。 Lina is a strong， capable， sympathetic protagonist。 She’s the kind of person who is able to have frank discussions with her teenage son about the difference between doing what is “correct” and what is *right*。 She’s the rare fictional character I’d want to actually hang out with in real life， which I find to be extra elusive in the suspense genre。 I have some criticisms about plot points that either required suspension of disbelief or that were just too “easy” or contrived， and I felt like perhaps there were slightly too many tangents and unnecessary arcs， but overall I enjoyed this one and its satirical commentary on academic excellence。 I also got a kick out of the test questions。 Each chapter opens with a question from the eponymous Wonder Test。 Some are hilariously ridiculous and obscure， some are truly thought provoking， and some touch on major themes within the story。 I opened this review with the one that truly struck me more than any other。 And I’m going to give you homework: If you haven’t read The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas， please do。 Right now。 It’s a short story and won’t take up much of your time， but it will stick with you。 And what could possibly be more appropriate for a book about a test than having assigned preparatory reading？ Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the chance to review an advanced reader’s copy of this book。 。。。more
Daphne Manning
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Lina Is an FBI profiler who is trying to put her house in order。 A car accident has taken her beloved husband and time her father。 She takes her son Rory to her fathers house to settle her life and her and Rory’s future。 The house her father leaves her is in the best neighborhood as far as schools and real estate is concerned。 She learns just how good through the Wonder Test that is given every year。 An event that has drawn international attention which in turn escalated the housing market which Lina Is an FBI profiler who is trying to put her house in order。 A car accident has taken her beloved husband and time her father。 She takes her son Rory to her fathers house to settle her life and her and Rory’s future。 The house her father leaves her is in the best neighborhood as far as schools and real estate is concerned。 She learns just how good through the Wonder Test that is given every year。 An event that has drawn international attention which in turn escalated the housing market which in turn results in Lina being pulled into intrigue and larceny 。 When students at the school go missing and are then returned seemingly unharmed， only Lina senses there is another piece that is being ignored。 A truly wonderful excursion into the world of test taking and all it entails。 A MUST 。。。more
Dana
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This was my first book by this author and won't be my last。 I really enjoyed The Wonder Test！ First off， I loved the fact each chapter started with a question from "The Wonder Test" 。。。 the questions really got me thinking。 This would be such a great book club read！The story is told from our main character， Lina's perspective。 Lina， a widowed FBI agent and her fifteen year old son， Rory have recently moved from NYC to Greenfield， California after inheriting Lina's father's house。 Rory starts at This was my first book by this author and won't be my last。 I really enjoyed The Wonder Test！ First off， I loved the fact each chapter started with a question from "The Wonder Test" 。。。 the questions really got me thinking。 This would be such a great book club read！The story is told from our main character， Lina's perspective。 Lina， a widowed FBI agent and her fifteen year old son， Rory have recently moved from NYC to Greenfield， California after inheriting Lina's father's house。 Rory starts at a new school， but not just any school。 Absent of regular classes， instead his days are split up into seminars。 These seminars are designed to prepare each student for The Wonder Test。 When Lina discovers students from Rory's school have gone missing under mysterious circumstances she's faced with the decision to get involved。 What will she discover along the way？ Who is behind these disappearances？I really enjoyed this book and read it in a day。 It's well written， has a very interesting concept and has an awesome main character！ I would really like to see more of Lina and Rory。Thanks to PGC Books and Grove Atlantic for my gifted copy！ 。。。more
Erin Amalia
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One sentence synopsis: A searing view of a culture that puts the wellbeing of children at risk for advancement and prestige; a captivating story of the lengths a mother will go for her son， this is The Wonder Test。 For me， this was a fast-moving mystery （though it is labeled as thriller， it reads more mystery） with a large FBI-investigation vibe to it。 I found this to be hard to put down and intriguing， but dragged on a little longer than expected。 I would have rated this higher based off plot， One sentence synopsis: A searing view of a culture that puts the wellbeing of children at risk for advancement and prestige; a captivating story of the lengths a mother will go for her son， this is The Wonder Test。 For me， this was a fast-moving mystery （though it is labeled as thriller， it reads more mystery） with a large FBI-investigation vibe to it。 I found this to be hard to put down and intriguing， but dragged on a little longer than expected。 I would have rated this higher based off plot， character development and writing style alone， however for a thriller/mystery， it was a little bit on the predictable side。 With such an emphasis on the importance of said 'Wonder test'， it was obvious why the crimes were taking place， and not long after I figured out why， was I able to piece together who did it and for what reasons。 For that I rated it a 4。25/5Thank you to Netgalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for the ARC of this book。 It publishes in 10 short days， on July 6。 。。。more
Em & Tess
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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 “wh 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！ -👩🏻🦰 。。。more
Meagan
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This book is everything I want in a thriller。 Danger， secrets， a kickbutt hero， and a plot that twists and turns with an underlying message about standardized testing with subtle satire buried in the folds。 Lina is on break from the FBI after the death of her husband。 When her father dies as well， she goes back to Hillsborough to sort through his things and figure out what to do next for herself and her son Rory。 Things have changed in the small town since she lived her last。 The local high scho This book is everything I want in a thriller。 Danger， secrets， a kickbutt hero， and a plot that twists and turns with an underlying message about standardized testing with subtle satire buried in the folds。 Lina is on break from the FBI after the death of her husband。 When her father dies as well， she goes back to Hillsborough to sort through his things and figure out what to do next for herself and her son Rory。 Things have changed in the small town since she lived her last。 The local high school is not a public school， but a prep school for silicon valley， and at its center is the Wonder Test， a standardized national test where Hillsborough ALWAYS has the highest scores in the country。 When Lina learns of a boy that went missing last year only to be returned changed and malnourished， she can't help but become involved in the investigation。 The another kidnapping occurs and Lina can't help but think there is a link between the test and the rampant wealth of Silicon's Valley elite。 A searing view of a culture that puts the wellbeing of children at risk for advancement and prestige， and how lengths a mother will go for her son， especially when he is all she has left。 Thrilling， pulse pounding， and expertly crafted， the colorful cast and twisty plot are pure perfection in a social commentary disguised as a high octane thriller with an FBI profiler who knows the rules and exactly how to break them。 **Huge thank you to Atlantic Monthly Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Farrah （on a short hiatus！）
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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 𝘴𝘤𝘩 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** 。。。more
James
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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 temp 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！ 。。。more
theliterateleprechaun
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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 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。 。。。more
Jayme
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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 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。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Wonder Test
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Wonder Test&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Wonder Test&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0