Quiz Game Changer Rachel Reid

Game Changer: Book Quiz – 20 Questions

Plot & Sequence Questions (1–8)

  1. Why does Scott Hunter first visit the Straw+Berry juice bar?

    • A. For a protein shake
    • B. For a blueberry smoothie
    • C. For coffee
    • D. For a sandwich

  2. In Chapter Three, where does Scott’s team travel for a two-week road trip?
    (Short answer: name the city.)

  3. What event does Kip attend with his father using tickets Scott gave him?

    • A. The Equinox Gala
    • B. A playoff game
    • C. A regular-season game
    • D. The Stanley Cup Finals

  4. What birthday gift does Scott give Kip that sparks a tense argument about money?

    • A. A new phone
    • B. A $50,000 check
    • C. A trip to Europe
    • D. A signed jersey

  5. After their museum date, what incident threatens to expose their secret relationship?

    • A. Scott’s mother shows up
    • B. Photos of them together spread online
    • C. Kip is fired from his job
    • D. They get into a car accident

  6. How does Kip learn that he has been accepted into NYU’s graduate program?

    • A. Through an email
    • B. His father gives him the acceptance letter
    • C. Scott tells him over the phone
    • D. Elena calls him with the news

  7. In what order does Scott come out to the following people? (List them in sequence.)
    Agent Todd Wheeler → Teammates Carter, Huff, Bennett → Coach Murdock → Public at the Hart Trophy ceremony

  8. Where does the Epilogue take place?

    • A. New York City
    • B. A gay nightclub in Las Vegas
    • C. Toronto
    • D. Scott’s penthouse

Character Motivation Questions (9–13)

  1. Why does Scott keep his homosexuality a secret through most of the novel?
    (Short answer: explain the primary fear.)

  2. What motivates Kip to hide his job rejection from Scott?

    • A. He doesn’t want to burden Scott with his problems
    • B. He feels insecure about being worthy of Scott
    • C. He is angry at Scott for keeping him a secret
    • D. He wants to surprise Scott with a new job later

  3. Why does Elena move to California?

    • A. A promotion at Equinox Tech
    • B. To be closer to her family
    • C. To get away from Kip’s drama
    • D. To attend graduate school

  4. What ultimately pushes Scott to come out to his teammates?
    (Short answer: name the key realization or factor.)

  5. Why does Kip refuse Scott’s offer of a $50,000 check to pay off his student loans?

    • A. He doesn’t need the money
    • B. He insists on maintaining his pride and independence
    • C. He thinks Scott is trying to buy his love
    • D. He wants to save the money for a house

Theme & Symbol Questions (14–17)

  1. What does the “magic hockey smoothie” symbolize in the story?
    (Short answer: identify the main idea the smoothie represents.)

  2. The relationship being confined to Scott’s penthouse mostly represents which theme?

    • A. Wealth and luxury
    • B. Secrecy vs. authenticity
    • C. Hockey culture
    • D. Financial imbalance

  3. What do the blueberry-colored socks Kip gives to Scott represent?
    (Short answer: explain the symbolic meaning.)

  4. Scott dancing with Kip at a gay nightclub in the Epilogue symbolizes what?

    • A. His love of dancing
    • B. His full acceptance of his identity and freedom from secrecy
    • C. His desire to party after winning the Hart Trophy
    • D. His friendship with Ilya Rozanov

Synthesis Questions (18–20)

  1. Compare the role of Scott’s teammates (Carter, Huff, Bennett) with the role of Coach Murdock in Scott’s coming-out journey.
    (Short answer: describe the distinct function each group plays.)

  2. How does the setting of the Kingfisher (the gay bar) contrast with the hockey arena in terms of the characters’ identities?
    (Short answer: explain the contrast between safe space vs. performance space.)

  3. How does the “Carina Press Romance Promise” (mentioned in the publisher’s note) frame the novel’s ending?
    (Short answer: explain what the promise guarantees and how the ending fulfills it.)

Answer Key

  1. B – Scott orders a blueberry smoothie at Straw+Berry after his run. The drink is later credited with breaking his slump. (Chapter One)

  2. Phoenix – The team’s private plane heads to Phoenix for the start of a Western Conference road trip. (Chapter Three)

  3. C – Kip and his dad attend a regular-season game; Scott dives to block a shot and gets hurt, alarming Kip. (Chapter Eleven)

  4. B – Scott writes a $50,000 check to pay off Kip’s student loans, leading to an argument about pride and independence. (Chapter Eighteen)

  5. B – At the Met, photos of Scott and Kip are taken and posted online, causing Scott to panic about being outed. (Chapter Twenty)

  6. B – Kip’s father hands him the acceptance letter, and Kip excitedly announces he’s going to grad school. (Chapter Twenty-Four)

  7. Agent Todd → Teammates Carter, Huff, Bennett → Coach Murdock → Public (Hart Trophy) – Scott first tells his agent, then his three closest teammates, then his coach, and finally the world during his Hart Trophy speech. (Chapters Twenty-Six, Twenty-Eight, Epilogue)

  8. B – The Epilogue is set in a gay nightclub in Las Vegas, where Scott and Kip dance surrounded by friends. (Epilogue)

  9. Scott fears losing his career, endorsements, and teammates’ respect due to the homophobia endemic in hockey culture. He has hidden his identity since junior hockey. (Chapter Three, Chapter Twenty-Six)

  10. B – The job rejection deepens Kip’s insecurity about being good enough for Scott, so he keeps it to himself. (Chapter Sixteen)

  11. A – Elena gets a promotion at Equinox Tech that requires her to relocate to California. (Chapter Twenty-Two)

  12. The realization that he will lose Kip if he remains closeted. He makes a list of what he stands to lose and concludes that his sanity, self-respect, and Kip are worth the risk. (Chapter Twenty-Six)

  13. B – Kip insists on his pride and independence; he does not want to be financially dependent on Scott. (Chapter Eighteen)

  14. The smoothie symbolizes superstition and the beginning of Scott’s reliance on Kip for both luck and emotional connection. It also represents the ritual that brings them together. (Chapter One)

  15. B – The penthouse becomes a hidden world where their love can exist, highlighting the tension between secrecy and the desire for authenticity. (Throughout, especially Chapter Five)

  16. The socks are a good‑luck token, symbolizing Kip’s thoughtfulness and the couple’s private rituals. They parallel the smoothie as a lucky charm. (Chapter Nine)

  17. B – Scott’s public dancing with Kip and his speech at the Hart Trophy mark his complete embrace of his identity, free from the fear that once kept him in the closet. (Epilogue)

  18. Teammates offer personal support, acceptance, and camaraderie; Coach Murdock provides mentorship and shares his own experience as a trailblazer, promising to support Scott through the public backlash. (Chapter Twenty-Six, Chapter Twenty-Eight)

  19. The Kingfisher is a safe space where Kip can be openly gay and work without hiding, while the hockey arena is a space of performance and rigid masculinity where Scott must conceal his identity. The contrast underscores the theme of public vs. private self. (Chapter Twenty-Five, various)

  20. The Carina Press Romance Promise guarantees a happily-ever-after or happy-for-now ending. The novel fulfills that promise: Scott comes out publicly, he and Kip reconcile, and they build a future together, ending with hope and commitment. (Publisher’s note, Epilogue)