Idiots by Laura Clery: Book Quiz
Welcome to the ultimate reader’s companion quiz for Laura Clery’s unflinchingly honest memoir Idiots. Whether you’ve just finished the book or want to test your recall of the wild, heartbreaking, and hilarious moments, these 20 questions will challenge your understanding of the plot, characters, themes, and the connections Laura makes between her past and present.
This quiz draws from every chapter and is designed to be a fun, reflective tool. After you finish, check the answer key below. For deeper discussion, see our comprehensive questions and answers page and the ending explained analysis.
Questions
1. (Plot/Sequence – Multiple Choice)
What was Laura Clery’s initial plan for the birth of her son Alfie?
A. A hospital birth with an epidural
B. A home water birth with a midwife named Maude
C. An unmedicated birth at a birthing center
D. A scheduled C-section
2. (Plot/Sequence – Multiple Choice)
After discovering a flirtatious DM from a woman Stephen called “the hacker,” what did Laura do with his phone?
A. She threw it into the ocean.
B. She called the police.
C. She projected the conversation onto a large TV screen.
D. She immediately confronted Stephen in front of his friends.
3. (Plot/Sequence – Multiple Choice)
During Stephen’s detox from prescription pills, what did he flush down the toilet?
A. His ATM card
B. His phone
C. A box of pills
D. His wedding ring
4. (Plot/Sequence – Multiple Choice)
What triggered Laura to google “Am I married to a narcissist?”
A. Stephen’s affair with Heidi
B. A fight about talking about work after 8 p.m.
C. Stephen’s decision to go to rehab
D. A comment from her mother about Stephen
5. (Plot/Sequence – Short Answer)
What was the name of the woman Stephen had oral sex with?
6. (Plot/Sequence – Multiple Choice)
How did Laura initially discover Stephen’s affair with Heidi?
A. She followed him to an AA meeting.
B. She saw a text on his phone from “Absolutely No Way.”
C. Heidi called their home phone.
D. Stephen confessed during couples therapy.
7. (Plot/Sequence – Multiple Choice)
What happened to Laura’s Facebook pilot Pamela Pupkin?
A. It won an Emmy.
B. It was rejected because of offensive content.
C. It became a long-running series.
D. It was never produced.
8. (Plot/Sequence – Multiple Choice)
What tragic event happened to Laura’s cousin Marie?
A. She died by suicide.
B. She died from an overdose while six months pregnant.
C. She recovered and became a counselor.
D. She went to prison for drug possession.
9. (Character Motivation – Multiple Choice)
Why did Laura decide to confront Stephen about the text from Heidi rather than ignoring it?
A. Her sponsor told her she had to.
B. She was tired of being deceived and felt her higher power was sounding an alarm.
C. She wanted to prove he was innocent.
D. She was bored and wanted drama.
10. (Character Motivation – Multiple Choice)
What motivated Laura to post a vulnerable video about her postpartum depression?
A. To gain more Instagram followers
B. To fight her depression and connect with others
C. To shame her husband
D. To get paid sponsorship deals
11. (Character Motivation – Multiple Choice)
Why did Laura create the clothing line “Boibs”?
A. Because she wanted to make money selling nursing bras
B. To turn a troll’s insult into a brand after a shaming DM
C. Because her friend suggested it
D. To raise money for breastfeeding advocacy groups
12. (Character Motivation – Multiple Choice)
When Laura learned she was having a daughter, what was her initial fear?
A. That Stephen would leave her
B. That her daughter might repeat Laura’s past traumas
C. That she wouldn’t bond with the baby
D. That she couldn’t afford another child
13. (Character Motivation – Multiple Choice)
Why did Laura separate from Stephen for three months after his affair?
A. To give him space to work his twelve steps and show he was sober
B. To end the marriage permanently
C. To punish him for his addiction
D. To travel alone and clear her head
14. (Theme/Symbol – Multiple Choice)
What does Laura’s use of the safe word “ballsack” during unmedicated childbirth symbolize?
A. Her sense of humor as a coping mechanism
B. Her anger at the anesthesiologist
C. Her lack of preparation for labor
D. Her husband’s role in the delivery
15. (Theme/Symbol – Multiple Choice)
In Chapter 10, what do the vultures Laura encounters on her canyon walk represent?
A. Impending death
B. Choosing love over fear
C. Bad luck and misfortune
D. The cycle of addiction
16. (Theme/Symbol – Multiple Choice)
How does Laura redefine “gentle parenting” in Chapter 7?
A. By letting children do whatever they want
B. By using positive guidance, empathy, and boundaries instead of punishment
C. By spanking only when necessary
D. By ignoring children’s emotional outbursts
17. (Theme/Symbol – Multiple Choice)
What does the term “fourth trimester” represent in Laura’s postpartum narrative?
A. A celebration of new motherhood
B. The challenging period of recovery after birth
C. A vacation from parenting
D. A time to focus on career
18. (Synthesis – Multiple Choice)
How does Laura’s experience with ADHD and addiction shape her view of neurodivergence?
A. She sees neurodivergence as a defect that needs curing.
B. She recognizes it as both a challenge and a potential strength.
C. She believes only addiction matters, not brain differences.
D. She ignores her diagnoses completely.
19. (Synthesis – Multiple Choice)
What mindset shift does Laura describe as essential to moving from poverty to wealth?
A. Working longer hours without breaks
B. Switching from a scarcity mentality to an abundance mentality
C. Saving every dollar she earned
D. Relying on government assistance
20. (Synthesis – Multiple Choice)
What overarching message does Laura convey about relationships through her marriage to Stephen?
A. There is no perfect relationship; growth comes from working through issues together.
B. Marriage is easy if you find the right person.
C. Trust is impossible after betrayal.
D. Couples should separate at the first sign of trouble.
Answer Key
1. B – Laura planned a home water birth with midwife Maude after watching The Business of Being Born, but a Yelp review showed Maude’s negligence, so she switched to hospital care.
2. C – She projected the conversation onto his seventy-inch TV screen while he was out working on Transformers and confronted him dramatically.
3. C – Stephen flushed his entire box of prescription pills down the toilet, leading to a seizure and hospitalization.
4. B – After Poppy was born, Stephen broke their no-work-talk-after-8pm rule, triggering a huge fight that made Laura google “Am I married to a narcissist?”
5. Heidi – The woman whose contact name was “Absolutely No Way”; Stephen admitted to oral sex.
6. B – Laura saw an explicit text on Stephen’s phone from the contact “Absolutely No Way.”
7. B – The pilot was rejected because of offensive content, including a scene where Pamela knocks over a disabled woman.
8. B – Laura’s cousin Marie, a charismatic addict, died from an overdose while six months pregnant.
9. B – Laura felt her higher power was sounding an alarm she could no longer ignore. She needed to know the truth.
10. B – She posted the video to fight her postpartum depression and sparked a global conversation about maternal mental health.
11. B – After a troll sent a shaming DM that misspelled “boobs” as “boibs,” Laura’s husband Stephen suggested turning the insult into a clothing line.
12. B – Laura feared that her daughter might repeat the traumas Laura experienced, including sexual assault and addiction.
13. A – Laura needed time apart to let Stephen demonstrate his commitment to sobriety and working his twelve steps.
14. A – Screaming “ballsack” shows how Laura uses dark humor to endure overwhelming pain and fear.
15. B – Laura interprets the vultures as a reminder to choose love over fear, a central theme of the chapter.
16. B – Laura describes gentle parenting as setting boundaries with empathy, patience, and no spanking or yelling.
17. B – “Fourth trimester” refers to the physically and mentally demanding recovery period after childbirth.
18. B – Laura views her ADHD as a blessing for creativity and spontaneity, while also acknowledging its challenges. She advocates for focusing on strengths.
19. B – Laura credits the law of attraction and shifting from a poverty mindset to an abundance mindset for her financial success.
20. A – Laura emphasizes that no relationship is perfect and that true partnership involves working through betrayals and rebuilding trust over time.
Want more? Dive into our full breakdown of Idiots, explore frequently asked questions, or read our ending explained analysis.