Summer Sons Quiz: 20 Questions on Plot, Character, and Theme
About This Quiz
This quiz spans the full arc of Lee Mandelo's Summer Sons, from Andrew's arrival in Nashville to the final reckoning. Test your recall of key plot points, character motivations, and the novel's central themes. For deeper discussion, see our comprehensive study guide or ending explained.
Plot and Sequence Questions
1. What car does Andrew retrieve from the impound lot at the beginning of the novel?
A. His own Supra
B. Eddie's Challenger Hellcat
C. Riley's Mazda
D. Sam's WRX
2. Where does Andrew first experience the spectral visitation?
A. In Eddie's bedroom
B. In the driver's seat of Eddie's car
C. In the basement of the house
D. At the cemetery
3. What does Andrew find in Eddie's notebook that hints at the supernatural?
A. A map to a hidden treasure
B. Notes about seeing dead people and the land as a source
C. A confession of murder
D. A list of enemies
4. Who is Sam Halse in relation to Riley?
A. His brother
B. His cousin
C. His roommate
D. His ex-boyfriend
5. At the party at Riley's grandparents' house, why does Andrew start a brawl?
A. He overhears men insulting Eddie and Riley
B. He is drunk and provoked
C. Sam insults him
D. He sees Riley kissing Ethan
6. What does Andrew experience at the overgrown cemetery in Chapter 12?
A. A vision of Eddie's death
B. A meeting with the Bell Witch
C. A conversation with Sam
D. A memory of his childhood
7. Who is ultimately revealed to have killed Eddie?
A. Sam Halse
B. Thom West
C. Jane Troth
D. Mark Troth
8. How does Andrew lay Eddie's ghost to rest at the end?
A. By burning the house
B. By transferring the ghost into a ring and throwing it into a sinkhole
C. By burying Eddie's remains
D. By destroying the Challenger
Character Motivation Questions
9. Why does Andrew refuse to accept that Eddie killed himself?
A. He wants to inherit Eddie's fortune
B. He suspects foul play and wants the truth
C. He feels guilty for not being there
D. He wants to blame someone
10. Why does Riley insist on helping Andrew investigate Eddie's death?
A. He wants to clear his own name
B. He feels indebted to Eddie and wants to repay him
C. He is secretly in love with Andrew
D. He wants to take over Eddie's research
11. Why does Sam warn Andrew against getting involved in local supernatural matters?
A. He fears Andrew will be harmed
B. He wants to keep the curse for himself
C. He is following his grandmother's advice
D. He thinks Andrew is not ready
12. Why does Thom West take Eddie's field journal after his death?
A. To sell it for money
B. To use as insurance against Professor Troth
C. To keep it as a memento
D. To destroy evidence
13. What motivates Jane Troth to kill Eddie?
A. She wanted his research for herself
B. She believed his power should have passed to her
C. She was jealous of his relationship with Andrew
D. She was paid by someone else
Theme and Symbol Questions
14. What does Eddie's Challenger Hellcat symbolize for Andrew throughout the novel?
A. Wealth and status
B. Eddie's lingering presence and their bond
C. The dangers of street racing
D. Andrew's independence
15. What does the ring that Andrew inherits from Eddie represent?
A. A promise of marriage
B. A conduit for supernatural power and the curse
C. A token of friendship
D. A key to the house
16. In the novel, what does blood frequently serve as?
A. A symbol of violence only
B. A conduit for supernatural power and offerings
C. A sign of illness
D. A metaphor for family ties
17. What does Andrew's burning of the abandoned plantation house at the end symbolize?
A. His anger at the past
B. A cleansing and letting go of the curse and Eddie's ghost
C. A rejection of his inheritance
D. A tribute to Eddie
Synthesis Questions
18. How does Andrew's understanding of his relationship with Eddie evolve over the course of the novel?
(Short answer)
19. What role does the land play in the Fulton curse, and how does it affect Andrew?
(Short answer)
20. In what ways does the novel explore the theme of inheritance—both material and supernatural?
(Short answer)
Answer Key
1. B — Andrew retrieves Eddie's black Challenger Hellcat from the impound lot, as described in Chapter 1.
2. B — The spectral figure appears in the driver's seat of the car and touches his wrist, leaving frost-burn blisters.
3. B — Eddie's notebook contains notes about seeing dead people and unfinished writing about the land as a source that must be paid.
4. B — Sam Halse is Riley's cousin, introduced in Chapter 3.
5. A — Andrew attacks two men who make derogatory comments about Riley and Eddie, starting a brawl.
6. A — At the cemetery, Andrew's blood triggers a vision forcing him to relive Eddie's death.
7. C — Jane Troth confesses to killing Eddie in Chapter 29, revealing she wanted his power.
8. B — Andrew transfers Eddie's ghost into a ring and throws it into a sinkhole, laying him to rest.
9. B — Andrew insists on finding out what happened to Eddie, refusing to believe he killed himself, driven by suspicion of foul play.
10. B — Riley feels indebted to Eddie for changing his life and wants to repay that debt by helping Andrew.
11. C — Sam cites his grandmother's advice when warning Andrew against involving himself in local supernatural matters.
12. B — West took the field journal as insurance against Troth, to protect himself from her academic exploitation.
13. B — Jane Troth believed Eddie's power should have passed to her, and killed him when it went to Andrew instead.
14. B — The Challenger serves as a symbol of Eddie's lingering presence and the bond between the two friends, often triggering memories and hauntings.
15. B — The ring acts as a conduit for supernatural power and the curse, causing violent reactions when worn.
16. B — Blood is repeatedly used as an offering and a conduit for supernatural power, from the revenant's feeding to ritual sacrifices.
17. B — Burning the house represents a cleansing and letting go of the curse and Eddie's ghost, allowing Andrew to move forward.
18. Andrew initially denies his romantic and sexual feelings for Eddie, but through his relationship with Sam and his reflections on Eddie's hidden life, he comes to accept that his love was real and complex.
19. The land is a source of power that demands payment, tied to the Fulton curse. Andrew inherits this curse along with the land, and must learn to control or reject its influence.
20. Andrew inherits Eddie's house, fortune, and research, but also the curse and the revenant. The novel examines how inheritance carries both material benefits and supernatural burdens, and how Andrew must decide what to keep and what to let go.