Counting Down with You Quiz

This quiz covers the entire story of Karina Ahmed and Ace Clyde, from the airport departure to the junior prom poem. Each question is tied to specific events, motivations, themes, or big-picture ideas from the book. After answering, check the key below to see how you did.

Plot and Sequence (8 Questions)

Where does Chapter 1 open?
- A) In Karina’s high school cafeteria
- B) At JFK Airport
- C) At the Clyde mansion
- D) In a bookstore
What assignment does Miss Cannon give Karina in Chapter 3?
- A) Write a research paper on The Great Gatsby
- B) Tutor Ace Clyde for three months
- C) Lead a class discussion on The Scarlet Letter
- D) Submit a poetry project by Friday
How does Ace publicly introduce Karina to his family during dinner (Chapter 15)?
- A) As his tutor
- B) As his girlfriend
- C) As a classmate
- D) As a friend from the library
What does Ace do on Facebook after the dinner (Chapter 17)?
- A) Unfriends Karina
- B) Changes his relationship status to “in a relationship”
- C) Posts a photo of his piano
- D) Blocks Xander
Where does Ace take Karina for their first real date (Chapter 37)?
- A) A bowling alley
- B) A greenhouse with rose petals and candles
- C) A rooftop stargazing spot
- D) The school planetarium
After Karina confesses she wants to study English, how do her parents react (Chapter 48)?
- A) They support her decision
- B) They call her selfish and insist she become a doctor
- C) They ground her for a month
- D) They send her to Bangladesh
Who confronts Karina’s parents and secures permission for her to study English (Chapter 52)?
- A) Ace
- B) Samir
- C) Dadu
- D) Miss Cannon
What poem does Ace perform in English class that leads to a reconciliation (Chapter 51)?
- A) “Unshakable”
- B) “Lionheart”
- C) “Spark”
- D) “Counting Down with You”

Character Motivation (5 Questions)

Why does Karina initially agree to the fake-dating arrangement with Ace?
- A) She wants to make her friends jealous
- B) Ace offers to buy her books and help her with the poetry project
- C) She fears Xander will expose the tutoring
- D) She has always had a crush on Ace
Why does Ace skip the first tutoring session and throw away Karina’s study guide?
- A) He forgot about it
- B) Xander got him grounded and later mocked him for studying
- C) He was grounded for fighting
- D) He wanted to test Karina’s patience
What is the main reason Karina hides her relationship with Ace from her parents?
- A) Ace is a bad influence
- B) Her parents forbid dating and would never accept a white boyfriend
- C) She is embarrassed by Ace’s reputation
- D) She plans to break up with him soon
Why does Ace decide to apply to Columbia instead of Yale?
- A) Yale rejected him
- B) Columbia is half an hour from NYU, where Karina plans to go
- C) His father forced him
- D) He prefers the astronomy program
After her parents return, why does Karina avoid Ace and stop responding to his texts (Chapters 49–50)?
- A) She is angry at him
- B) She feels devastated and believes she has no control over her own future
- C) Her parents confiscated her phone
- D) She loses interest in him

Theme and Symbol (4 Questions)

What does the countdown technique (10 to 1) represent for Karina throughout the novel?
- A) A way to rush through unpleasant tasks
- B) A coping mechanism for anxiety and a symbol of the time pressure from her parents
- C) A game she plays with Ace
- D) A reminder of her curfew
What does the nickname “lionheart” symbolize in the story?
- A) Physical strength
- B) Courage and resilience in the face of family expectations
- C) A love of animals
- D) Ace’s musical talent
The poem “countdown with you” at the end rewrites the countdown as a love affirmation. Which line best captures the core theme?
- A) “Eight: Constellations tear through the sky.”
- B) “One: You love me. That will always be enough.”
- C) “Four: My wings are crippled.”
- D) “Seven: The earth is cruel.”
How does the author’s note describe Karina’s agency?
- A) Karina is rescued by Ace
- B) Karina makes her own decisions and is not waiting for a knight
- C) Karina follows her parents’ plan
- D) Karina gives up on her dreams

Synthesis (3 Questions)

Compare Karina’s relationship with her grandmother Dadu to her relationship with her parents. What key difference does Dadu offer?
- A) Dadu gives unconditional support and defends Karina’s dreams
- B) Dadu enforces stricter rules
- C) Dadu prefers Samir over Karina
- D) Dadu is indifferent
Ace’s mother moved away and his father is controlling. How do Ace’s family struggles mirror Karina’s?
- A) Both are pressured to pursue careers they don’t want
- B) Both have a parent who left them
- C) Both are from the same culture
- D) Both have a sibling who spies on them
Short answer: In one or two sentences, explain what Karina means when she says, “One: You love me. That will always be enough” at the end of the novel.

Answer Key

Q	Answer	Brief Explanation
1	B	Chapter 1 opens at JFK Airport with Karina’s family preparing for her parents’ departure to Bangladesh.
2	B	Miss Cannon offers to exempt Karina from the poetry project if she tutors Ace for three months (Chapter 3).
3	B	At dinner, Ace shocks everyone by introducing Karina as his girlfriend (Chapter 15).
4	B	Ace changes his Facebook relationship status to “in a relationship” with Karina (Chapter 17).
5	B	Ace arranges a romantic greenhouse dinner with rose petals, candles, and a halal meal (Chapter 37).
6	B	Her parents call her selfish and lazy and insist she will become a doctor (Chapter 48).
7	C	Dadu confronts Karina’s parents and wins permission for Karina to study English (Chapter 52).
8	B	Ace reads his poem “Lionheart” to Karina in English class (Chapter 51).
9	B	Ace offers books and help with the poetry project, and Karina also wants to avoid Xander’s spying. (Chapters 18–19)
10	B	Xander got him grounded, and later mocked him, leading Ace to discard the study guide (Chapter 37).
11	B	Karina’s parents forbid dating, and she knows they would reject a white boyfriend (Chapter 24).
12	B	Ace reveals he is considering Columbia because it is close to NYU, Karina’s intended school (Chapter 44).
13	B	After her parents’ rejection, Karina feels she has lost her future and cannot face Ace (Chapter 49–50).
14	B	The countdown is Karina’s self‑taught coping method for anxiety and also reflects the ticking clock of her parents’ return.
15	B	“Lionheart” is used by Ace and the author to signify Karina’s inner courage and resilience.
16	B	The final line of the poem states that love is enough, affirming that Karina feels complete with Ace’s acceptance.
17	B	The author’s note explicitly says Karina is not waiting for rescue; she makes her own decisions.
18	A	Dadu listens, validates Karina’s dream of studying English, and stands up to her parents.
19	A	Ace is pressured to attend Yale (his father’s choice) instead of pursuing piano, just as Karina is pushed toward medicine.
20	The line means that Karina has discovered that being loved authentically by Ace gives her the strength to face her future, and that love matters more than external approval.

For more discussion, see our questions and answers page and the ending explained article.