Imogen, Obviously Book Quiz

Test your memory of Becky Albertalli’s Imogen, Obviously with this 20‑question quiz. Questions span plot, character motivation, theme and symbol, and synthesis. Answers are in the key at the bottom—no cheating!

Plot and Sequence Questions (1–8)

1. What does Lili falsely tell her college friends about Imogen?

a) Imogen was her high school girlfriend
b) Imogen is her cousin
c) Imogen is a straight ally
d) Imogen is a French exchange student

2. (Short answer) What object does Imogen find quickly during trivia night that wins the game?

3. Where do Imogen and Tessa hide when Declan returns to his room?

a) Under the bed
b) In the closet
c) In the bathroom
d) Behind the curtains

4. (Short answer) What is the name of the fake French Twitter persona Lili created at age eleven?

5. What colour tweed suit does Tessa wear to the dark academia party?

a) Brown
b) Gray
c) Green
d) Blue

6. (Short answer) Where do Imogen and Tessa first kiss?

7. What does Imogen’s sister Edith dress as for Halloween at age five?

a) Witch
b) Jason from Friday the 13th
c) Ghost
d) Cat

8. How does Imogen feel after the first kiss with Tessa?

a) Regret
b) Clarity
c) She feels like a stranger to herself
d) Elation

Character Motivation Questions (9–13)

9. Why does Lili invent the fake backstory with Imogen?

a) To seem cooler to new friends
b) To protect Imogen
c) Because she was drunk
d) To make Imogen jealous

10. (Short answer) What reason does Imogen give for avoiding the first Pride Alliance meeting in ninth grade?

11. Why does Gretchen accuse Imogen of appropriating queerness?

a) Because Imogen lied about being bi
b) Because Imogen wore a rainbow shirt
c) Because Imogen kissed a girl
d) Because Imogen attended Pride

12. (Short answer) What does Tessa admit she wants at the end of the diner scene?

13. Why does Imogen initially agree to go along with Lili’s lie?

a) She doesn’t want to upset Lili
b) She is secretly in love with Lili
c) She wants to impress Tessa
d) She thinks it’s funny

Theme and Symbol Questions (14–17)

14. What does the scissors sculpture on campus symbolize for Imogen?

a) Queer identity and authenticity
b) Academic achievement
c) Friendship
d) Danger

15. (Short answer) What does the recurring “Waldo” reference symbolize in the story?

16. Which of the following is a symbol of belonging and identity performance in the book?

a) The sausage game
b) The dark academia aesthetic
c) The group chat
d) The cat

17. (Short answer) What does the “snow globe metaphor” represent in the story?

Synthesis Questions (18–20)

18. (Short answer) Compare Imogen’s relationship with Gretchen versus her relationship with Tessa. How do these friendships influence her self‑discovery?

19. How does the novel challenge the idea of “queer impostor syndrome”?

a) By giving Imogen a fake coming‑out story that becomes real
b) By making Imogen a lesbian
c) By having Lili out Imogen
d) By showing that only people with trauma are queer

20. (Short answer) What is the significance of Imogen’s line “I’m a liquid that takes the shape of its container” in relation to her identity journey?

Answer Key

#	Answer	Explanation
1	a) Imogen was her high school girlfriend	Lili tells new friends this story to explain why Imogen is visiting (Ch. 4).
2	Waldo (the character from Where’s Waldo?)	Imogen finds Waldo in twelve seconds, winning the trivia wild‑card round (Ch. 8).
3	b) In the closet	To avoid Declan, Imogen and Tessa squeeze into his closet (Ch. 14).
4	Jean‑Claude LePoisson	Lili created this fake French Twitter persona at age eleven, later used to catfish (Ch. 6).
5	a) Brown	Tessa arrives at the party in a brown tweed suit after a laundry catastrophe (Ch. 43).
6	Outside (the Rainbow Manor party)	Imogen initiates the kiss on the lawn after telling Tessa she’s never kissed anyone (Ch. 49).
7	b) Jason from Friday the 13th	Edith dressed as Jason for Halloween at age five, even though it was noon (Ch. 1).
8	c) She feels like a stranger to herself	After the kiss, Imogen lies awake, her mind a “shaken snow globe” of new possibilities (Ch. 54).
9	a) To seem cooler to new friends	Lili panicked during orientation and used the fake story to fit in (Ch. 4).
10	She feared the group would kick her out on sight (she felt like an outsider)	At ninth‑grade Pride Alliance, Imogen imagined being rejected (Ch. 5).
11	a) Because Imogen lied about being bi	At the diner, Gretchen calls Imogen a “pick‑me straight girl” appropriating queerness (Ch. 51).
12	She wants to date and kiss a bi girl—specifically Imogen	Tessa says this after Imogen’s confession outside the diner (Ch. 52).
13	a) She doesn’t want to upset Lili	Imogen declines Lili’s offer to correct the story, saying she isn’t upset (Ch. 4).
14	a) Queer identity and authenticity	The scissors sculpture represents queer visibility and Imogen’s struggle with performance (Ch. 11).
15	Something hidden that is actually obvious (Imogen’s hidden queerness)	Imogen finds Waldo easily; later she realizes her attraction to Tessa was always obvious (Ch. 47).
16	b) The dark academia aesthetic	The vision board and costume symbolize Imogen’s attempt to perform a specific queer identity (Ch. 16‑17).
17	Imogen’s shaken certainty about her identity after kissing Tessa	In Ch. 54, Imogen’s mind is described as a “shaken snow globe” of new possibilities.
18	Gretchen often invalidates Imogen’s questioning, while Tessa accepts her without judgment. Imogen grows more honest with Tessa and eventually asserts her own identity.	The outline shows Gretchen’s biphobic comments and Tessa’s supportive reassurance (e.g., Ch. 39 vs. Ch. 52).
19	a) By giving Imogen a fake coming‑out story that becomes real	Imogen’s pretend bisexuality becomes genuine as she discovers true attraction to Tessa, challenging impostor syndrome.
20	It shows Imogen’s habit of molding herself to others’ expectations, and her final realization that she must claim her own shape—her own queer identity.	In Ch. 40, Imogen describes herself as liquid; by the end she stops fitting others’ molds and embraces being bi.