I Have Some Questions for You Quiz

Dive into Rebecca Makkai’s layered mystery with this comprehensive quiz. Whether you’ve just finished the book or are revisiting its themes of memory, privilege, and justice, these 20 questions will challenge your grasp of the story, its characters, and its symbols. Use the main book page for context, or explore questions and answers and the ending explained if you get stuck.

Questions

Question 1 (Plot / Sequence)
In 2018, Bodie Kane returns to Granby School to teach a two-week mini‑mester course. What subjects does she teach?
A. Creative writing and journalism
B. Film studies and podcasting
C. History and philosophy
D. Theater and stage design

Question 2 (Plot / Sequence)
During her student years, Bodie hides a small object in the library windowsill. What is it?
A. A key to the theater
B. A piece of a plastic hanger
C. A note with the teacher’s name
D. A photo of Thalia

Question 3 (Plot / Sequence)
The “firefly incident” involves a Danish exchange student who mistakes fireflies for UFOs. What is his name?
A. Bendt Jensen
B. Lars Svensson
C. Henrik Pedersen
D. Max Krammen

Question 4 (Plot / Sequence)
Bodie gradually realizes that the “older guy” Thalia was involved with was not Omar but:
A. Robbie Serenho
B. Her music teacher, Denny Bloch
C. The gym coach
D. Mr. Levin

Question 5 (Plot / Sequence)
Who helps Bodie decode the purple X’s in Thalia’s planner, linking them to Denny Bloch?
A. Britt
B. Fran
C. Vanessa, Thalia’s sister
D. Carlotta

Question 6 (Plot / Sequence)
What forensic evidence from the equipment shed undermines the original conviction of Omar Evans?
A. A hair with Bloch’s DNA
B. Luminol tests revealing Thalia’s blood
C. A cigarette butt with Robbie’s fingerprints
D. A torn piece of Thalia’s swimsuit

Question 7 (Plot / Sequence)
During the retrial hearing, which witness testifies that Robbie Serenho was not provably at the mattress party until 9:59 p.m.?
A. Sakina John
B. Mike Stiles
C. Beth Docherty
D. Puja Sharma

Question 8 (Plot / Sequence)
To redirect amateur sleuth Dane Rubra away from Robbie Serenho, Bodie fabricates a story about:
A. Overhearing a threatening phone call from Denny Bloch to Thalia
B. Seeing Robbie leave the party early
C. Finding a diary in Thalia’s room
D. A secret tunnel under the gym

Question 9 (Character Motivation)
Why does Bodie return to Granby in 2018?
A. To solve Thalia’s murder once and for all
B. For money, a chance to see Yahav, ego, and a lingering unease about Thalia
C. To reconcile with her mother
D. To accept a teaching award

Question 10 (Character Motivation)
Why does Thalia keep her relationship with the teacher secret?
A. She is ashamed of the age difference
B. She fears exposure, Robbie’s jealousy, and has been groomed
C. She plans to reveal it after graduation
D. The teacher threatened her

Question 11 (Character Motivation)
Omar Evans falsely confesses to Thalia’s murder primarily because:
A. He is guilty
B. He is coerced after 15 hours of interrogation with promises of leniency
C. He wants to protect his family
D. He is mentally ill

Question 12 (Character Motivation)
Carlotta creates the “Dick List” as a form of:
A. Sexual competition
B. Revenge against boys who sexually harassed her and her friends
C. A game for the boys’ dorms
D. Blackmail material

Question 13 (Character Motivation)
Why does Bodie decide not to name the teacher on her podcast?
A. She is afraid of being sued
B. Legal advice, fear of losing credibility, and a strategic decision
C. She does not believe he is guilty
D. The teacher threatened her

Question 14 (Theme / Symbol)
The flask Bodie dreams about symbolizes most directly:
A. Thalia’s alcoholism
B. Memory, uncertainty, and the objectification of Thalia
C. Bodie’s hidden feelings for Thalia
D. The school’s lax drinking rules

Question 15 (Theme / Symbol)
The red, blue, and purple dots in Thalia’s planner relate to the theme of:
A. Art as resistance
B. Control, surveillance, and the distortion of innocent records into conspiracy
C. Time management and academic stress
D. Romantic relationships

Question 16 (Theme / Symbol)
The firefly motif in the novel represents:
A. The beauty of nature
B. False assumptions and how gossip solidifies into perceived truth
C. The fleeting nature of youth
D. A love of science

Question 17 (Theme / Symbol)
The Kurt Cobain shrine at Granby symbolizes:
A. Teenage rebellion
B. Adolescent grief and the public ownership of victims
C. The school’s liberal arts curriculum
D. Bodie’s musical taste

Question 18 (Synthesis)
How does the novel critique the true‑crime podcast genre? (Choose the best answer)
A. It celebrates the power of amateur investigators
B. It shows how podcasts always solve cold cases
C. It highlights ethical dilemmas, potential exploitation, and the responsibility of investigators
D. It argues that true crime is harmless entertainment

Question 19 (Synthesis)
Compare Bodie’s experience of sexual harassment at Granby (by Dorian Culler and Peewee Walcott) with the school’s handling of Thalia’s case. The novel suggests:
A. Both are treated equally seriously
B. Both involve institutional silencing and a failure to protect students
C. Bodie’s experience is worse because she survived
D. Thalia’s case was properly investigated

Question 20 (Synthesis)
At the end of the novel, Bodie writes to Mr. Bloch, “you were part of a destructive machine.” This metaphor means:
A. He personally killed Thalia
B. He was indirectly but essentially culpable—he wounded the deer so the second hunter could deliver the fatal shot
C. He was a victim of the system
D. He had no responsibility at all

Answer Key

1. B – Bodie teaches film studies and podcasting during her two‑week mini‑mester.
2. B – She hid a piece of a plastic hanger in the library windowsill; years later it is gone.
3. A – Bendt Jensen mistakes fireflies for UFOs, leading to the firefly incident.
4. B – The “older guy” is music teacher Denny Bloch, not Omar.
5. C – Vanessa, Thalia’s sister, brings the planners and helps decode the purple X’s.
6. B – Luminol reveals Thalia’s blood in the equipment shed, which was never presented at trial.
7. C – Beth Docherty testifies that Robbie arrived at the mattress party later than previously stated.
8. A – Bodie fabricates a story about overhearing a threatening phone call from Denny Bloch to redirect Dane Rubra.
9. B – Her motivations are pragmatic (money, seeing Yahav, ego) and emotional (unease about Thalia).
10. B – She is trapped by exposure, Robbie’s jealousy, and the teacher’s grooming.
11. B – Police coerced his confession after hours of interrogation without a lawyer.
12. B – The “Dick List” was a revenge document against boys who harassed them, contrasting with the exploitative Thalia Bingo.
13. B – Legal advice and strategic considerations prevent her from naming him on the podcast.
14. B – The flask represents the uncertainty of memory and how Thalia has been objectified true‑crime lore.
15. B – The dots were menstrual cycle tracking, but Reddit and others turned them into a conspiracy code, reflecting the theme of surveillance.
16. B – The firefly story illustrates how people fill gaps with false assumptions that become accepted truth.
17. B – The shrine embodies adolescent grief and the public appropriation of victims’ stories.
18. C – The novel critiques podcast ethics through Britt’s struggle, Bodie’s manipulation, and the harm to victims’ families.
19. B – Both experiences show the school’s failure to act and the institutional silencing of survivors.
20. B – Bodie clarifies that Bloch did not personally kill Thalia but enabled the crime through his actions and inaction.