How to Fail at Flirting: Full-Book Quiz
Quiz Instructions
Answer all 20 questions based on your reading of How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams. Questions cover eight plot/sequence items, five character-motivation items, four theme/symbol items, and three synthesis items. After the questions, refer to the answer key for explanations.
Plot/Sequence Questions (8)
1. (Multiple Choice) What dual threat does Naya face at the opening of the novel?
- A) Her abusive ex returns to campus and her department faces budget cuts
- B) Her best friend moves away and her car is repossessed
- C) She fails a tenure review and her daughter gets sick
- D) The university president fires her and her house burns down
2. (Multiple Choice) Where do Naya and Jake go on their first date after the bar meeting?
- A) A rooftop restaurant
- B) The Hancock Building TILT ride
- C) A comedy club
- D) A baseball game
3. (Short Answer) What embarrassing accident happens during Naya and Jake’s first attempt at a one‑night stand?
4. (Multiple Choice) Why does Naya initially try to end things with Jake in Chapter 13?
- A) He forgets her birthday
- B) She discovers he is a consultant for her university
- C) He says the wrong name during sex
- D) Her ex threatens to expose their relationship
5. (Short Answer) Who is Gretchen, and what is her relationship to Jake when she appears in the hallway in Chapter 19?
6. (Multiple Choice) What does Davis Garner do to sabotage Naya during the committee retreat in Chapter 40?
- A) He steals her research and insults her in front of the group
- B) He secretly records her conversation with the president
- C) He locks her in a supply closet
- D) He spills coffee on her tenure file
7. (Multiple Choice) How does Naya finally defend herself against Davis’s physical attack in the woods?
- A) She calls security with a whistle
- B) She uses self‑defense moves learned from kickboxing class
- C) Jake arrives and punches Davis
- D) She throws sand in his eyes and runs
8. (Short Answer) In the epilogue, what two major professional accomplishments has Naya achieved?
Character Motivation Questions (5)
9. (Multiple Choice) Why does Naya create the “to‑do” list with Felicia and Aaron in Chapter 2?
- A) To win a bet about her love life
- B) To force herself out of a rut after her abusive relationship
- C) To impress her new department chair
- D) To prove she can party like a college student
10. (Multiple Choice) What motivates Jake to reveal his fear of heights on the Ferris wheel?
- A) He wants to impress Naya by overcoming a fear
- B) He is trying to end the date early
- C) He hopes Naya will admit a similar fear
- D) He is dared by his friends
11. (Short Answer) Why does Naya hesitate to tell Jake about Davis’s harassment even after they become close?
12. (Multiple Choice) What is Felicia’s main reason for pushing Naya to keep seeing Jake after the sick weekend?
- A) She wants Naya to have free concert tickets
- B) She sees that Jake’s caretaking proves his commitment
- C) She is secretly dating Jake’s brother
- D) She wants Naya to move out of Chicago
13. (Multiple Choice) What drives Jake to keep the relationship a secret from his consulting partner Carlton as long as possible?
- A) He fears losing Naya’s trust
- B) He wants to avoid complicating the consulting project
- C) He is ashamed of Naya’s job
- D) He enjoys the thrill of sneaking around
Theme/Symbol Questions (4)
14. (Multiple Choice) What does the repeated “to‑do list” represent in the novel?
- A) Naya’s need for order and control over her recovery
- B) A joke between friends with no deeper meaning
- C) A symbol of professional ambition only
- D) A secret code for illegal activities
15. (Short Answer) The Ferris wheel and the TILT ride both serve as symbols of what emotional experience?
16. (Multiple Choice) Which theme is most closely tied to the dancing lesson scene at Navy Pier?
- A) Wealth inequality
- B) Trust and surrender after trauma
- C) Academic rivalry
- D) Family obligation
17. (Multiple Choice) The recurring image of Naya’s office as a “sanctuary” reflects:
- A) Her desire to avoid all social contact
- B) The professional identity she protects from her past
- C) Her plan to decorate it with dating trophies
- D) The clutter of her unfinished research
Synthesis Questions (3)
18. (Short Answer) Compare how Naya’s reaction to seeing Davis on campus in Chapter 1 differs from her reaction during the committee retreat in Chapter 40. What growth does this show?
19. (Multiple Choice) If Naya had told Jake about Davis’s presence on her tenure committee earlier, how might the climax have changed?
- A) Jake would have withdrawn the consulting proposal
- B) Davis would have been fired immediately
- C) The couple could have strategized together to protect her career
- D) The university would have cancelled the retreat
20. (Short Answer) The author includes a note at the end providing the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Why is this inclusion significant for the novel’s overall impact?
Answer Key
1. A) The chapter outlines dual threats: the program cuts that threaten her tenure review, and the return of her abusive ex Davis.
2. B) Naya and Jake go to the 360 Chicago observation deck and ride TILT, fulfilling her list item to try something new.
3. Naya drinks too much and vomits in Jake’s hotel bathroom. Evidence shows “I’m throwing up in your bathroom.”
4. B) After the university reception, Naya realizes Jake is the consultant hired for the restructuring project, creating a professional conflict of interest.
5. Gretchen is Jake’s legally separated wife. She greets him in the hallway, and Naya overhears her call him her husband.
6. A) Davis repeatedly steals Naya’s ideas and belittles her lack of tenure during the meeting, forcing her to publicly confront him.
7. B) Naya uses self‑defense moves from Wes’s kickboxing class to fight off Davis’s physical attack, forcing him to his knees.
8. Naya has earned tenure and bought a house with Jake.
9. B) Aaron says “the volume turned down” after Davis, and Naya mentally adds “stand up for myself” and “trust a man again,” showing she wants to break free from her rut.
10. A) Jake admits his fear and says he suggested the ride to impress Naya, showing vulnerability to deepen their connection.
11. She fears no one will believe her after so long and wants to protect Jake from retaliation (evidence: she resolves to handle Davis alone).
12. B) Felicia argues that Jake’s caretaking (bath, medicine, movies) proves his commitment, convincing Naya to define the relationship.
13. B) Jake worries the disclosure could affect the consulting project’s neutrality, and he tries to keep the relationship quiet to avoid complicating work.
14. A) The list reappears throughout as Naya’s tool for reclaiming agency, initially created to push herself out of a trauma‑induced rut.
15. Vulnerability, trust, and conquering fear (new heights require letting go of control).
16. B) Naya panics due to past trauma, and Jake’s patient guidance mirrors her healing journey, emphasizing trust after abuse.
17. B) Naya’s office represents the professional space where she feels competent, contrasting with the chaos Davis brings to her personal life.
18. In Chapter 1, she panics and locks herself in a car; in Chapter 40, she publicly confronts Davis and later uses physical self‑defense. Growth shows her reclaiming agency and breaking the cycle of silence.
19. C) The book shows that secrecy with Jake caused miscommunication and increased danger. Early honesty would have allowed a joint plan to protect Naya’s tenure and safety.
20. It bridges fiction and reality, offering real‑world resources to readers who may be experiencing intimate partner violence, affirming the novel’s responsible storytelling.
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