Quiz Releasing 10 Chloe Walsh

Releasing 10 Quiz: How Well Do You Know Hugh and Lizzie’s Story?

About This Quiz

This 20-question quiz spans the entire novel Releasing 10 (Book 6 of The Boys of Tommen). It includes 8 plot/sequence questions, 5 character-motivation questions, 4 theme/symbol questions, and 3 synthesis questions. Answer formats are mixed: multiple-choice and short-answer. After the quiz you’ll find a complete answer key with brief explanations.

Questions

Plot and Sequence (8 questions)

  1. In what year does the novel’s first flashback take place?

    • A. 1990
    • B. 1991
    • C. 1992
    • D. 1993

  2. Which character dies by suicide in the novel? (short answer)

  3. What triggers Lizzie’s first spoken words at age four?

    • A. Being praised by her father
    • B. Seeing her sister cry
    • C. Blowing out birthday candles
    • D. Being threatened with punishment

  4. After the breakup, Hugh starts dating a girl named ______. (short answer)

  5. What medical procedure does Lizzie undergo during her hospitalization in early 2004?

    • A. Lithium therapy
    • B. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
    • C. Hypnosis
    • D. Talk therapy only

  6. Where does Lizzie’s mother Catherine go for cancer treatment?

    • A. England
    • B. Dublin
    • C. America
    • D. Cork

  7. What object does Lizzie place in Gibsie’s pocket at Caoimhe’s funeral? (short answer)

  8. Who is the “monster” that abuses Lizzie?

    • A. Pierce O’Neill
    • B. Hugh’s father
    • C. Mark Allen
    • D. A stranger

Character Motivation (5 questions)

  1. Why does Lizzie remain silent for most of her early childhood?

    • A. She is physically unable to speak
    • B. She has selective mutism due to trauma
    • C. She refuses to speak to her father
    • D. She is mimicking her sister

  2. What motivates Hugh to stay with Lizzie after Caoimhe’s death? (short answer—one sentence)

  3. Why does Caoimhe (Lizzie’s sister) resent Lizzie?

    • A. Because Lizzie is their parents’ favorite
    • B. Because Lizzie’s condition forced the family to move to England
    • C. Because Lizzie exposed her abuse
    • D. Because Lizzie stole her boyfriend

  4. What drives Lizzie to cheat on Hugh with Pierce?

    • A. She never loved Hugh
    • B. She was in a manic episode and off her medication
    • C. She wanted revenge
    • D. Pierce blackmailed her

  5. Why does Hugh refuse to have sex with Lizzie until her sixteenth birthday?

    • A. He is saving himself for marriage
    • B. He wants their first time to be special and respectful
    • C. He is afraid of her father
    • D. She is not ready

Theme and Symbol (4 questions)

  1. What does the “scary lady” mostly represent in the novel?

    • A. A ghost
    • B. A real stalker
    • C. A manifestation of Lizzie’s trauma and mental illness
    • D. Lizzie’s mother

  2. The semicolon charm that Hugh gives Lizzie symbolizes ______. (short answer—one word or phrase)

  3. What does the repeated “brave knight and lady” roleplay symbolize?

    • A. Hugh’s desire to be a rugby hero
    • B. Their childhood innocence and Hugh’s protective promise
    • C. A game they play to pass time
    • D. Their future careers

  4. The “three little pigs” analogy Lizzie uses refers to ______. (short answer—one word or phrase)

Synthesis (3 questions)

  1. Compare how Lizzie’s father and Hugh support her during her mental health crises. (short answer—2–3 sentences)

  2. How does music function as a narrative device in the novel? (short answer—2–3 sentences)

  3. If you could give Lizzie one piece of advice at the end of the novel, what would it be and why? (short answer—2–3 sentences)

Answer Key

# Answer Explanation
1 B. 1991 The first flashback is dated June 12, 1991, showing three‑year‑old Lizzie with her sister (outline ch. 4).
2 Caoimhe Young Caoimhe’s death is ruled a suicide; her funeral is described in ch. 99–102.
3 C. Blowing out birthday candles On her fourth birthday Lizzie says “Four” and counts the candles (outline ch. 10).
4 Katie Hennessy Hugh begins a tentative relationship with Katie after the breakup (ch. 197, 201).
5 B. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) Lizzie has ten ECT sessions during her hospitalization (ch. 198, 202).
6 C. America Lizzie’s parents fly to America for a trial treatment (ch. 90).
7 A folded note Caoimhe gave Lizzie a note to deliver to Gibsie; Lizzie places it in his pocket at the funeral (ch. 100).
8 C. Mark Allen Lizzie overhears Caoimhe accuse Mark of being a pedophile (ch. 95) and Mark is the “monster” who abused her.
9 B. She has selective mutism due to trauma Lizzie speaks for the first time at age four after years of silence (ch. 4‑10); the author implies trauma as the cause.
10 His lifelong love and promise to protect her. Hugh tells Lizzie “She has him, but you have me” and stays by her side (ch. 89, 118).
11 B. Because Lizzie’s condition forced the family to move to England Caoimhe blames Lizzie for the move and her own unhappiness (ch. 4).
12 B. She was in a manic episode and off her medication Lizzie admits she stopped taking her medication, leading to hypersexuality and the affair with Pierce (ch. 163‑169, 174).
13 B. He wants their first time to be special and respectful Hugh repeatedly says he wants to wait until Lizzie is sixteen to make it meaningful (ch. 136, 146‑148).
14 C. A manifestation of Lizzie’s trauma and mental illness The “scary lady” is a hallucination that appears when Lizzie is distressed (ch. 53, 64, 102).
15 Continuation and survival Hugh gives Lizzie a semicolon charm, a symbol of mental‑health survival and hope (ch. 142).
16 B. Their childhood innocence and Hugh’s protective promise Hugh calls himself a “brave knight” and Lizzie his “milady,” vowing to protect her (ch. 31, 45).
17 Keeping abusers out Lizzie compares Mark to the wolf and vows to keep him out when they are older (ch. 55).
18 Lizzie’s father Mike often reacts with anger, blame, and denial (ch. 9, 191). Hugh, by contrast, stays with her, learns her medication schedule, and offers constant emotional support (ch. 118, 123).
19 Music expresses emotions the characters cannot voice. For example, Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” is used for Hugh’s resentment, and chapter 205‑207 are dedicated playlists that deepen the emotional landscape.
20 (Sample answer: Accept any thoughtful response. Example: “I would tell Lizzie that her illness does not define her and that she deserves the love and patience Hugh offers. Her step toward treatment shows strength, not weakness.”)

Test your knowledge further with other pages about this book: