Quiz In the Likely Event Rebecca Yarros

In the Likely Event Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

Welcome to the companion quiz for Rebecca Yarros's In the Likely Event. These twenty questions span the full novel—from the plane crash to the Kabul evacuation and the epilogue in Maine. Use the Questions and Answers page for deeper dives, and after the quiz, check the Ending Explained to see how the threads resolve.

Quiz Questions

Plot & Sequence (8 Questions)

  1. Multiple Choice – What catastrophic event causes Izzy Astor and Nathaniel Phelan to first meet?
    A) A bus accident on the Atlanta highway
    B) A wing explosion on Flight 826
    C) A car crash during a snowstorm
    D) A fire in the Syracuse airport terminal

  2. Multiple Choice – During the Kandahar rescue mission, what is Nate’s call sign, and what does it reference?
    A) “Phoenix,” referencing the mythological bird of rebirth
    B) “Navarre,” referencing the cursed lover from the Isabeau legend
    C) “Green,” referencing the color of his eyes
    D) “Atlas,” referencing the burden he carries

  3. Multiple Choice – Why does Nathaniel miss the planned trip to Palau with Izzy in 2019?
    A) He is delayed by a training exercise at Fort Bragg
    B) He is unreachable because his friend Julian died during Delta Force selection
    C) He loses his passport and cannot board the flight
    D) He has a conflict with a scheduled surgery

  4. Short Answer – What item does Nate keep hidden inside his necklace chain for three years?

  5. Multiple Choice – After the plane crash in the Missouri River, what lie does Nathaniel tell at the hospital to stay by Izzy’s side?
    A) He claims to be her brother
    B) He claims to be a paramedic
    C) He claims to be her husband
    D) He claims to be her fiancé

  6. Multiple Choice – What ultimately ends Izzy’s engagement to Jeremy Covington?
    A) Jeremy breaks up with her by email
    B) Izzy finds a letter from Jeremy’s ex-girlfriend
    C) Izzy confronts Jeremy about his six-month affair and returns the ring
    D) Jeremy’s parents force him to call off the wedding

  7. Short Answer – What is the name of Izzy’s photojournalist sister?

  8. Multiple Choice – Where do Nathaniel and Izzy live five years after the main events, as shown in the epilogue?
    A) New York City
    B) Maine
    C) Tybee Island
    D) Washington, D.C.

Character Motivation (5 Questions)

  1. Multiple Choice – Why does Izzy take a job as a congressional aide for Senator Eliana Lauren?
    A) To gain experience in foreign policy
    B) To end the war in Afghanistan that separated her from Nate
    C) To escape a difficult breakup with Jeremy
    D) To follow in her mother’s footsteps

  2. Multiple Choice – In Georgetown in March 2015, why does Nate refuse to start a long‑distance relationship with Izzy?
    A) He is not attracted to her anymore
    B) He wants to preserve their future and not hold her back
    C) He has already met someone else in the military
    D) He believes she will cheat on him

  3. Short Answer – Why does Izzy initially say “I can’t” when Nate proposes after Julian’s funeral?

  4. Multiple Choice – Why does Nate insist on using the alias “Sergeant Green” and maintain strict protocols when he first reunites with Izzy in Kabul?
    A) He is embarrassed about his military rank
    B) He wants to test if she will recognize him
    C) He is required to maintain Special Forces anonymity
    D) He is trying to deceive the Taliban

  5. Multiple Choice – Why does Serena refuse to evacuate Mazar‑i‑Sharif when Izzy and Nate find her in August 2021?
    A) She wants to continue reporting on the story
    B) She is determined to protect her interpreter Taj
    C) She is waiting for a more secure flight
    D) She is hiding from the Taliban

Theme & Symbol (4 Questions)

  1. Multiple Choice – At the airport farewell in October 2014, Nate tells Izzy they are “possibility.” What theme does this word most directly symbolize throughout the novel?
    A) The certainty of fate
    B) The importance of financial security
    C) The openness of the future and the choice to pursue love despite odds
    D) The danger of taking risks

  2. Multiple Choice – The diamond ring that Nate keeps in his necklace for three years primarily symbolizes what?
    A) His engagement to another woman
    B) His secret, enduring commitment to Izzy
    C) His wealth and status
    D) His guilt over Julian’s death

  3. Short Answer – In Chapter 32, Nate stands outside a behavioral‑health clinic, unable to enter. What theme does this scene illustrate?

  4. Multiple Choice – In both the plane‑crash chapter (Chapter 2) and the epilogue, pine trees are mentioned. What do they symbolically represent in the novel’s resolution?
    A) Danger and isolation
    B) Peace, home, and domestic stability
    C) The harshness of military life
    D) The passage of time

Synthesis (3 Questions)

  1. Short Answer – The novel uses alternating timelines (2011–2019 past and 2021 present). How does this structure deepen the exploration of love and timing?

  2. Multiple Choice – Compare Nate’s actions during the initial plane‑crash evacuation (Chapter 6) and the Kandahar chess‑team evacuation (Chapter 21). Which of the following character traits is highlighted in both scenes?
    A) His strategic military brilliance
    B) His selflessness and protective instinct
    C) His desire for personal glory
    D) His reliance on technology

  3. Short Answer – The epilogue shows Nate and Izzy living a peaceful life in Maine, with Nate in therapy and Izzy running a nonprofit. What message does the novel ultimately deliver about the balance between military duty and personal relationships?

Answer Key

  1. B) A wing explosion on Flight 826 – In Chapter 2, the engines whine, and the wing explodes in a ball of fire, initiating the crash landing in the Missouri River.
  2. B) “Navarre,” referencing the cursed lover from the Isabeau legend – In Chapter 19, Gray tells Izzy that Nate’s call sign is Navarre, tying it to the Isabeau story and their unbreakable bond.
  3. B) He is unreachable because his friend Julian died during Delta Force selection – In Chapter 26, Nate explains to Izzy that he was in shock after Julian’s death and could not make the flight.
  4. The diamond engagement ring – In Chapter 25, Nate cuts open the tape on his necklace to reveal the ring he has carried for three years.
  5. C) He claims to be her husband – In Chapter 6, Nate tells the hospital staff he is Izzy’s husband so they will let him stay with her.
  6. C) Izzy confronts Jeremy about his six-month affair and returns the ring – In Chapter 15, Izzy calls out Jeremy’s infidelity, rejects his open‑marriage proposal, and gives back the ring.
  7. Serena – Serena is Izzy’s older sister, a war photojournalist. (Mentioned in multiple chapters, including 2, 6, 8, 13, etc.)
  8. B) Maine – The epilogue (Chapter 34) is set in Maine, where they live in a peaceful house surrounded by pine trees.
  9. B) To end the war in Afghanistan that separated her from Nate – In Chapter 13, Serena accidentally reveals that Izzy took the job specifically to end the war.
  10. B) He wants to preserve their future and not hold her back – In Chapter 16, Nate says he refuses to start a long‑distance relationship because he wants to protect what they could have later.
  11. She believed he was not in a clear state of mind due to grief and trauma – In Chapter 28, Izzy explains to Serena that she loved Nate but felt the proposal was trauma‑driven and not the right time.
  12. C) He is required to maintain Special Forces anonymity – In Chapter 5, Nate insists on using the alias and following strict protocols due to his unit’s security requirements.
  13. B) She is determined to protect her interpreter Taj – In Chapter 13, Serena tells Izzy she cannot leave because she has to keep Taj safe.
  14. C) The openness of the future and the choice to pursue love despite odds – In Chapter 12, Nate defines “possibility” as the core of their relationship—neither defined nor limited by circumstance.
  15. B) His secret, enduring commitment to Izzy – The ring, carried for years, symbolizes that Nate never stopped choosing her, even when they were apart.
  16. The difficulty of seeking help for PTSD and guilt – This scene (Chapter 32) shows Nate finally taking an honest step toward addressing his mental health, a major theme in the novel.
  17. B) Peace, home, and domestic stability – Pine trees appear in Izzy’s observation during the crash and again in the epilogue, tying the theme of peace to their final settled life.
  18. The structure reveals that the same obstacles—fear, separation, duty—recur across different stages of Izzy and Nate’s relationship, emphasizing that love requires both patience and active choice to overcome timing. – The past chapters show why they failed; the present shows them finally choosing each other despite those same hurdles.
  19. B) His selflessness and protective instinct – In both evacuations (plane crash and Kandahar), Nate prioritizes the safety of others—Izzy, the child, the chess team—over his own survival.
  20. The novel suggests that lasting fulfillment comes from choosing love and addressing mental‑health struggles, but only after both partners are ready to commit fully to each other and to themselves. – Nate leaves the military, goes to therapy, and builds a life with Izzy, balancing his duty to her and to his own well‑being.

Review the full book summary or browse the questions and answers if you need to refresh any details before checking the ending explained .