Soul Searching Quiz: How Well Do You Know Sweetwater Peak?
About This Quiz
Welcome to the Soul Searching companion quiz! This 20-question challenge spans the entire novel—from Collins’s car breakdown to the epilogue’s road trip. Questions are divided into four sections: plot/sequence, character motivation, theme/symbol, and synthesis. Answers are at the bottom with brief explanations. Ready to prove you’re the ultimate Sweetwater Peak expert?
Before you start, you may want to revisit the main book page or check the questions and answers page for common reader queries. If you’ve finished the novel and need a refresher on the ending, see our ending explained.
Section 1: Plot & Sequence (8 Questions)
1. What event forces Collins to stop on the mountain road in Chapter 1?
A. A flat tire
B. A car breakdown during a storm
C. A ghost blocks the road
D. She runs out of gas
2. Collins first meets Brady when she:
A. Hires him for upholstery work
B. Pepper-sprays him through her car window
C. Knocks on his shop door at closing time
D. Orders a sandwich at Sevens
3. During the church exploration in Chapter 9, what happens when Collins paces near the back corner?
A. A ghost speaks to her for the first time in a year
B. The floor gives way and Brady catches her
C. She finds a hidden darkroom
D. Brady proposes a quest to Mordor
4. At the river in Chapter 16, the Lady in White becomes possessive of Brady. Collins frees him by:
A. Performing a ritual with candles
B. Claiming Brady as hers and promising to find the ghost’s lost lover
C. Throwing salt at the spirit
D. Photographing the ghost to weaken it
5. What does Brady discover in the secret cellar archive that connects Collins’s photography to his own journey?
A. A love letter from Jackie
B. A magazine featuring Collins’s photo story “Ghost (of a) Town”
C. The original deed to Coop’s Upholstery
D. A map to the Sullivan Enterprises headquarters
6. The family’s legal solution to stop Ed Sullivan’s sale involves:
A. Filing for bankruptcy
B. Having Joanie and Dex file for divorce to freeze assets
C. Selling Toades to a rival developer
D. Petitioning the town council for a zoning change
7. In the epilogue, what does Collins notice in a photo from Clarke?
A. A ghost standing behind Clarke
B. An engagement ring on Clarke’s finger
C. The Sullivan office building
D. A new sign for Toades
8. Which song is NOT listed in the playlist chapter as essential to the novel?
A. “American Gothic” by Stephen Wilson Jr.
B. “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty
C. “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen
D. “The River” by Bruce Springsteen
Section 2: Character Motivation (5 Questions)
9. Why does Collins return to Sweetwater Peak after a year away?
A. She misses her family
B. She wants to reclaim her photography career
C. She is broke and has not worked since an incident
D. She heard Brady needed an assistant
10. What is Brady’s primary reason for moving to Sweetwater Peak?
A. He inherited the upholstery shop from his grandfather
B. He was escaping heartbreak after ending his engagement
C. He wanted to start a software company in a small town
D. He needed to be near Collins’s family
11. Why does Collins panic when Brady asks for photos of his love seat in Chapter 7?
A. She broke the camera
B. She lies about a dead camera battery because she is avoiding photography
C. She doesn’t want Brady to see her work
D. She prefers film over digital
12. What does Clarke confront Collins about in Chapter 12?
A. Not helping with the family business and being emotionally distant
B. Stealing her boyfriend
C. Lying about her ghost abilities
D. Moving into Brady’s apartment without permission
13. Why does Brady feel guilty even after ending his relationship with Jackie?
A. He still loves her
B. He derailed her life by breaking off a seven-year engagement
C. He lost all his savings
D. Jackie’s father owns half of Sweetwater Peak
Section 3: Theme & Symbol (4 Questions)
14. The epigraph from The Picture of Dorian Gray (“I knew nothing but shadows and I thought them to be real”) primarily introduces themes of:
A. Love and loss
B. Perception, illusion, and self-deception
C. Rural vs. urban life
D. Ghosts as literal monsters
15. In Chapter 11, Brady uses the Lord of the Rings quest analogy to explain that Collins’s ghost problem requires:
A. Defeating a Dark Lord
B. Reconnecting with Sweetwater Peak
C. Destroying the ring
D. Finding a Fellowship
16. The “Lady in White” ritual that Collins and Clarke perform in Chapter 34 symbolizes:
A. A ghost exorcism
B. The sisters’ reconciliation and the return of Collins’s abilities
C. A wedding ceremony
D. A plea to the town council
17. Throughout the novel, Collins’s camera equipment symbolizes:
A. Her abandoned career and creative block
B. A weapon against ghosts
C. Her desire to leave Sweetwater Peak
D. A gift from Boone
Section 4: Synthesis (3 Questions)
18. How do Collins’s and Brady’s emotional arcs mirror each other?
(Short answer, 2–3 sentences)
19. In what ways does the town of Sweetwater Peak function as a character rather than a setting?
(Short answer, 2–3 sentences)
20. If you were to create a new playlist for Soul Searching, what one song would you add and why?
(Short answer, 1–2 sentences)
Answer Key
1. B – In Chapter 1, Collins’s car breaks down during a storm, leaving her stranded.
2. B – She pepper-sprays Brady when he appears at her window, not knowing he is her employer.
3. B – The floor gives way and Brady catches her (Chapter 9).
4. B – Collins claims Brady as hers and promises to find Adeline’s lost lover (Chapter 16).
5. B – Brady finds a magazine with Collins’s photo story “Ghost (of a) Town,” realizing she inspired his journey (Chapter 31).
6. B – The lawyer suggests divorce to freeze assets, stopping Sullivan (Chapter 33).
7. B – Clarke’s photo reveals an engagement ring (Epilogue).
8. C – “Bohemian Rhapsody” is not in the playlist chapter. The 20 essential songs include the others listed.
9. C – Collins is broke and hasn’t worked since a traumatic incident a year ago (Chapter 1).
10. B – Brady moved after ending his engagement to Jackie, seeking a fresh start (Chapter 4, 20).
11. B – She lies about a dead battery to avoid photography, which is tied to her trauma (Chapter 7).
12. A – Clarke confronts Collins for being emotionally distant and not helping with Toades (Chapter 12).
13. B – He feels guilt for derailing Jackie’s life after seven years together (Chapter 18).
14. B – The epigraph sets up themes of perception vs. reality and self-deception.
15. B – Brady says she needs to reconnect with Sweetwater Peak to unblock her abilities (Chapter 11).
16. B – The ritual allows the sisters to share secrets, and Collins’s abilities return when the ghosts appear (Chapter 34).
17. A – Collins’s camera sits untouched, representing her stalled career and creative block (Chapter 8, 14).
18. Short-answer model: Both Collins and Brady are running from past trauma—Collins from a career sabotage that silenced her ghosts, Brady from a failed engagement. They each find healing through vulnerability and a shared connection to Sweetwater Peak.
19. Short-answer model: Sweetwater Peak has its own history (earthquake, salt cave), legends (Lady in White), and a tight‑knit community that shapes the characters’ decisions. The town’s moods and secrets drive the plot, making it an active force.
20. Short-answer model: Answers will vary. A good answer names a song that fits the novel’s themes of loss, homecoming, or resilience and briefly explains why.
Ready for more? Explore the full summary of Soul Searching or dive into common questions and answers. If you want the complete ending analysis, visit our ending explained page.