Society of Lies: Full-Book Quiz (20 Questions)

Test your knowledge of Lauren Ling Brown’s Society of Lies with this comprehensive quiz. Questions span the entire novel, covering plot, character motivation, themes, and synthesis. An answer key with explanations follows.

Plot & Sequence (Questions 1–8)

1. What event brings Maya back to Princeton in May 2023?

A) A class reunion
B) Her sister Naomi’s graduation
C) The death of her sister Naomi
D) A gallery opening

2. Place the following events in chronological order:

Maya finds Naomi’s hidden notebook.
Naomi is drugged by Cecily.
Maya confronts Liam at tennis practice.
Lila Jones dies on a ski trip.

3. Who first tells Maya that Naomi is dead?

(Short answer)

4. What object does Maya discover under Naomi’s dresser in her room?

(Short answer)

5. What happens to Lila Jones during the Greystone ski trip?

A) She dies from a fall.
B) She is accidentally drugged and dies.
C) She disappears and is never found.
D) She survives but leaves the society.

6. Who kills Matthew DuPont?

(Short answer)

7. How does Cecily kill Naomi?

A) She pushes her into Lake Carnegie.
B) She injects her with ketamine.
C) She poisons her drink.
D) She strangles her.

8. What is the final fate of Cecily St. Clair?

(Short answer)

Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

9. Why does Maya initially agree to join Sterling Club?

A) To gain social status
B) To help her sister Naomi through the alumni network
C) To impress Professor DuPont
D) To escape her past

10. Why does Naomi decide to investigate Lila Jones’s death?

(Short answer)

11. Why does Liam betray Naomi?

A) He is jealous of Ben.
B) He is blackmailed by DuPont.
C) He owes DuPont for helping him get into Princeton.
D) He wants to protect his family.

12. Why does Daisy help Maya in the present timeline?

(Short answer)

13. Why does Margaret St. Clair kill Matthew DuPont?

A) She blames him for Naomi’s death.
B) She wants to protect her family’s reputation.
C) She is paid by the Greystone Society.
D) She is avenging Lila Jones.

Theme & Symbol (Questions 14–17)

14. What does the Greystone Society primarily symbolize in the novel?

A) Academic excellence
B) Elite privilege and corruption
C) Friendship and loyalty
D) Artistic expression

15. What does the recurring water imagery (Lake Carnegie, drowning) symbolize?

(Short answer)

16. What does the Greystone tattoo signify?

A) Membership in a sports team
B) A mark of loyalty to the society
C) A symbol of rebellion
D) A reminder of a lost love

17. What does the note signed “M” (found under Naomi’s dresser) represent?

(Short answer)

Synthesis (Questions 18–20)

18. How does the novel explore the tension between belonging and exclusion?

(Short answer, 2–3 sentences)

19. Compare Maya’s and Naomi’s experiences with secret societies. How do their motivations and outcomes differ?

(Short answer, 2–3 sentences)

20. According to the author’s note, what personal experience influenced the story of Maya and Naomi?

A) Growing up in a wealthy family
B) Feeling like an outsider as a multiracial person
C) Attending an elite boarding school
D) Working as a journalist

Answer Key

1. C – Maya returns to Princeton for Reunions and learns Naomi has died (Chapter One).

2. 4, 1, 3, 2 – Lila dies in 2012 (Chapter Forty-Seven), Maya finds the notebook after Naomi’s funeral (Chapter Twenty-Four), Maya confronts Liam (Chapter Thirteen), and Cecily drugs Naomi (Chapter Sixty-Six).

3. Daisy – Daisy receives a call from Margaret and tells Maya that Naomi is dead (Chapter One).

4. A folded note signed “M” – Maya finds it under the dresser, apologizing for the previous night (Chapter Fifteen).

5. B – Lila accidentally drinks the GHB-laced drink intended for DuPont and dies (Chapter Forty-Seven).

6. Margaret St. Clair – The final chapter reveals Margaret killed Matthew, and she sends Maya a photo implying success (Chapter Sixty-Nine).

7. B – Cecily admits she injected Naomi with ketamine, which stopped her breathing (Chapter Sixty-Seven).

8. Her body is found burned – Cecily’s body is discovered on her family’s property in Bretton Woods (Chapter Sixty-Eight).

9. B – Daisy argues that joining Sterling could help Naomi through its alumni network (Chapter Eight).

10. Naomi wants to uncover the truth about Lila’s death after Amy shares evidence of a cover-up – Amy’s research and Lila’s brother’s doubts motivate Naomi (Chapter Twenty-Two).

11. C – Liam explains that DuPont helped him get into Princeton through tennis coaching, so he feels indebted (Chapter Fifty-Four).

12. Daisy feels guilt over her role in Lila’s death and wants to help Maya uncover the truth – She eventually leaks the video of Cecily and Matthew moving Lila’s body (Chapter Sixty-Nine).

13. A – Margaret kills Matthew as revenge for Naomi’s death, believing he was complicit (Chapter Sixty-Nine).

14. B – The society represents elite privilege, corruption, and the abuse of power, as seen in admissions bribery and cover-ups.

15. Water symbolizes death, hidden secrets, and the weight of guilt – Naomi drowns in Lake Carnegie, and Maya submerges herself in a bath to confront her grief (Chapters Two, Thirty-Three).

16. B – The tattoo marks membership in Greystone and signals loyalty, as seen on Liam and others (Chapter Thirteen).

17. The note represents manipulation and false apology – It is from Matthew DuPont, who uses it to appear remorseful while covering his tracks (Chapter Thirty-Seven).

18. The novel contrasts the allure of elite belonging with the exclusion of outsiders – Maya and Naomi both seek acceptance but find that the society’s exclusivity breeds corruption and betrayal, ultimately showing that true belonging cannot be bought.

19. Maya joins Sterling to help her sister and becomes complicit in Lila’s death, while Naomi joins for prestige and later investigates the society’s crimes – Maya suppresses her guilt for years, while Naomi’s pursuit of truth leads to her murder.

20. B – The author notes she grew up multiracial and felt like an outsider, which inspired the sisters’ experiences (Author’s Note).