IT WAS JUST A TEST...
Rod Walker was a student at Patrick Henry High School. Rod had already decided what he wanted to do in life. He wanted to be in any one of several professions which would take him off planet, and plant him in one of the pioneer colonies on a new world.
And one of the prerequisites for this career path is the Advanced Survival course. Rod decided to take the high school course, which would prepare him for the more advanced college course later. The only kicker was the final exam, which placed the students 'somewhere' for up to two weeks. During that time the students are required to survive, using the knowledge acquired while in class, provided they payed attention. On this test there were only two grades--pass (live), or fail (DIE).
What would you take, knowing that you have to remain mobile, and that you will be in danger from the time you exit the doorway to your test environment? And what if the end of the test came and went, and they didn't come to pick you up? And what was the 'STOBOR' that each of the students was cautioned to beware of?
Heinlein throws together a group of young people and challenges them to survive, and remain civilized while they wait for a rescue that may never come. I enjoyed the story very much. Though it was written in the fifties, the theme is timeless. This would be a good read for young adults.
This is definitely one of Heinlein's best. I read it decades ago and still remember most of it. It's also a good book for teenagers who like sci-fi. There are a number of Heinlein's books (from his "dirty old man period) I wouldn't recommend for YA, but this one would be a perfect adventure book for young people---and adults.
A classic Heinlein YA sci-fi novel of young people taking a survival test that was supposed to last a week - and finding themselves stranded on an unknown planet for months and months - how they survive, the politics of how they organize themselves, and how they adjust - or don't adjust - when they finally return to "civilization" on Earth. Recommended for adults too!
