The Breakaway: Full-Book Quiz – 20 Questions

Quiz Instructions

This quiz covers the entire novel The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner. Questions are divided into four categories: Plot & Sequence (8), Character Motivation (5), Theme & Symbol (4), and Synthesis (3). A mix of multiple-choice and short-answer formats is used. After the quiz, you’ll find a complete answer key with brief explanations. Use your knowledge of the book to answer each question as accurately as possible. For related discussion, visit our Questions and Answers page or read the Ending Explained.

Plot & Sequence Questions (8)

1. (Multiple Choice) At age seven, Abby learns to ride a bike. What happens when her father tells her to stop?

A. She immediately brakes and returns to him.
B. She pedals faster toward a busy street, choosing escape over safety.
C. She falls and scrapes her knee.
D. She rides back to show her mother.

2. (Short Answer) Who surprises Abby by appearing at the start of the bike tour in Battery Park?

3. (Multiple Choice) What object does Mark show to Abby and Sebastian when he confronts them in Buffalo?

A. A printed photo from Sebastian’s TikTok scandal
B. A cropped social-media photo of Sebastian and Abby together at dinner
C. A letter from Abby confessing her affair
D. Sebastian’s driver’s license

4. (Multiple Choice) During the thunderstorm, why does Sebastian refuse to ride in the sag wagon?

A. He wants to prove his toughness.
B. He needs to get to a phone to call his lawyer.
C. He is afraid of enclosed spaces.
D. He plans to meet Abby at a secret location.

5. (Short Answer) What secret does Morgan reveal to Andy Presser during a lunch stop on Day Six of the ride?

6. (Multiple Choice) Where does Kayla take Morgan for her medical appointment, and what cover story do they use?

A. To a general practitioner in Rochester, claiming a toothache
B. To a Planned Parenthood in Syracuse, claiming a campus tour of Syracuse University
C. To a hospital in Buffalo, claiming an allergic reaction
D. To a clinic in Albany, claiming a sports physical

7. (Multiple Choice) One year after the trip, Abby launches a girls’ cycling club. What is its name?

A. Girls Ride Philly
B. Breakaway Girls
C. Philly Pedal Sisters
D. Cycle Sisters United

8. (Short Answer) In the final chapter, what does Sebastian publish that prompts Abby to agree to ride with him again?

Character Motivation Questions (5)

9. (Multiple Choice) Why does Abby accept Lizzie’s offer to lead the Breakaway trip?

A. She needs the money desperately.
B. She wants to escape Mark’s proposal and gain time to think.
C. She hopes to meet her mother on the trip.
D. She is trying to impress Sebastian.

10. (Multiple Choice) Why does Sebastian initially avoid telling Abby the truth about their one-night stand at the start of the trip?

A. He is ashamed of his behavior and wants a fresh start with her.
B. He doesn’t remember her.
C. He is under a court order not to contact past hookups.
D. He wants to keep his relationship with Lincoln a secret.

11. (Short Answer) Why does Morgan decide to keep her pregnancy and planned abortion hidden from her mother Lily?

12. (Multiple Choice) What motivates Eileen to appear on the bike trip unannounced?

A. She wants to confront Abby about her affair.
B. She wants to reconnect with her daughter and spend time with her.
C. She intends to sabotage the trip.
D. She is looking for a cycling partner.

13. (Short Answer) What does Kayla Presser’s decision to help Morgan reveal about her character?

Theme & Symbol Questions (4)

14. (Multiple Choice) The epigraph includes a quote from Albert Einstein comparing life to riding a bicycle. What idea does this quote emphasize in the novel?

A. Life requires constant forward motion to maintain balance.
B. Cycling is more efficient than walking.
C. It is easier to ride downhill than uphill.
D. You must always wear a helmet.

15. (Multiple Choice) Throughout the novel, Abby’s bike symbolizes:

A. Her career ambition
B. Freedom, agency, and escape from family dysfunction
C. A means of transportation only
D. Her attachment to Mark

16. (Short Answer) What does the “breakaway” cycling term represent for Abby and for other characters in the story?

17. (Multiple Choice) The theme of secrecy versus trust is most strongly explored through which character’s storyline?

A. Sebastian’s TikTok scandal
B. Morgan’s pregnancy and abortion
C. Eileen’s past weight-loss surgery
D. All of the above

Synthesis Questions (3)

18. (Short Answer) How does the novel contrast Abby’s relationship with Mark versus her connection with Sebastian? Use at least two specific details from the story.

19. (Multiple Choice) The book challenges the idea that “settling” for a comfortable relationship is the same as making a wise choice. Which character most explicitly argues that comfort and settling are not the same?

A. Lizzie
B. Eileen
C. Mark
D. Lincoln

20. (Short Answer) In what ways does the novel suggest that “breaking away” from the pack can lead to personal victory? Give one example from Abby’s arc and one from another character’s arc.

Answer Key

1. B. Abby pedals toward a busy street, ignoring her father’s shouts, choosing freedom over safety. (Chapter 1, Abby)

2. Sebastian Piersall, the man with whom Abby had a one-night stand two years earlier. (Chapter 4, Abby)

3. B. Mark shows a cropped social-media photo of Sebastian and Abby alone at dinner, making it look romantic. (Chapter 38, Sebastian)

4. A. He wants to prove his toughness and refuses to take the sag wagon despite the danger. (Chapter 23, Sebastian)

5. Morgan reveals that she is pregnant and has an appointment at Planned Parenthood in Syracuse. (Chapter 18, Morgan)

6. B. Kayla takes Morgan to Planned Parenthood in Syracuse, and they claim to be touring Syracuse University. (Chapter 22, Kayla)

7. A. Girls Ride Philly. (Chapter 41, One Year Later: Abby)

8. Sebastian publishes a public article titled “The Breakaway” in which he confesses his past shame and expresses hope for a real connection with the ride leader. (Chapter 41, One Year Later: Abby)

9. B. She wants to avoid making a decision about moving in with Mark and to buy time. (Chapter 3, Abby)

10. A. He is ashamed of his behavior from the TikTok scandal and wants a fresh start with Abby. (Chapter 5, Sebastian; Chapter 12, Sebastian)

11. Morgan fears her devout Christian mother would forbid the abortion and would lock her away. (Chapter 13, Morgan; Chapter 16, Morgan)

12. B. Eileen wants to reconnect with her daughter and spends the trip trying to mend their relationship. (Chapter 6, Abby; Chapter 28, Lily)

13. Kayla is compassionate, supportive, and willing to risk moral judgment to help a teenager in need. She acts as an ally despite her own fears. (Chapter 20, Kayla; Chapter 22, Kayla)

14. A. The Einstein quote: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” This emphasizes continuous effort and resilience. (Epigraph)

15. B. Abby’s bike symbolizes freedom, agency, and escape from family dysfunction and body-image struggles. (Chapters 1, 3, 14, 20)

16. A breakaway means separating from the pack to take a risk for victory. For Abby, it means leaving a comfortable but confining relationship. For Morgan, it means choosing her own reproductive path. For Sebastian, it means abandoning casual hookups for genuine intimacy. (Reading Group Guide, Chapter 43)

17. D. All three storylines (Sebastian’s scandal, Morgan’s pregnancy, Eileen’s past) involve secrecy and trust. (Chapters 10, 13, 14, 40)

18. Abby’s relationship with Mark is comfortable and predestined, based on shared history and safety; with Sebastian, she experiences vulnerability, passion, and a meeting of minds. Mark does not ride bikes, while Sebastian shares her love of cycling. Abby feels she must hide her authentic self with Mark but can be open with Sebastian. (Chapters 3, 15, 35, 37, 40)

19. A. Lizzie, in conversation with Abby, questions whether comfort equals settling and encourages Abby not to compromise on what matters. (Chapter 3, Abby; Reading Group Guide)**

20. Abby breaks away from Mark and her mother’s expectations to build Girls Ride Philly and ultimately reunite with Sebastian on her own terms. Morgan breaks away from her mother’s control and religious beliefs to take control of her pregnancy. Both characters, by taking risks, achieve personal growth and victory. (Chapters 38, 41, 32, 33)