Quiz The Devil Takes You Home Gabino Iglesias

The Devil Takes You Home Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Gabino Iglesias's Novel

The Devil Takes You Home Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Gabino Iglesias's Novel 20 Questions Across Plot, Character, Theme, and Synthesis — with a Full Answer Key Below. This quiz covers the entire novel, from Anita's diagnosis to Mario's final moments. Each question is grounded in the book's events and themes. Good luck!

Plot & Sequence (Questions 1–8)

1. What illness is Anita diagnosed with in the opening chapter?

  • A) Acute lymphoblastic leukemia

  • B) Hodgkin's lymphoma

  • C) Meningitis

  • D) Aplastic anemia

2. What event directly leads Mario to commit his first murder?

  • A) He is fired from his job and needs money for rent

  • B) He needs money for Anita's medical bills and accepts a hit job from Brian

  • C) He is seeking revenge on the doctor who treated Anita

  • D) He is forced by a cartel to prove his loyalty

3. After Anita's death, what causes the final break between Mario and Melisa?

  • A) Mario has an affair

  • B) They argue about a leaky sink, and Mario accidentally elbows Melisa, causing her to fall through a table

  • C) Melisa blames Mario for Anita's death and leaves him

  • D) Mario spends all their savings on drugs

4. What is the core plan that Juanca proposes to Mario and Brian?

  • A) Rob a bank in El Paso

  • B) Intercept a truck carrying liquid meth and cash, kill its crew, and make it look like the crew fled

  • C) Kidnap a cartel boss for ransom

  • D) Smuggle weapons across the border

5. What is the significance of the severed toe that Juanca delivers to Don Vázquez?

  • A) It is a relic from a miracle child, used in a supernatural ritual

  • B) It is a trophy from a rival cartel member

  • C) It is a key to a hidden vault

  • D) It is a token of loyalty to La Reina

6. What happens to Brian at the end of the novel?

  • A) He is killed by Rodolfo

  • B) He is shot by Mario, who mistakenly believes Brian is reaching for a gun

  • C) He escapes to Oregon with Juanca

  • D) He is killed by Don Vázquez for betraying him

7. Who is Gloria, and what is her role in the story?

  • A) She is a nurse who helps Mario care for Anita

  • B) She is a bruja possessed by a demon, and Don Vázquez's partner

  • C) She is Brian's girlfriend and the mother of his child

  • D) She is a border patrol agent who helps the group cross

8. What is Mario's final fate?

  • A) He is killed by Stephanie, who shoots him twice

  • B) He escapes to Puerto Rico with the money

  • C) He is arrested by the police

  • D) He dies from a drug overdose

Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

9. Why does Mario agree to participate in the heist?

  • A) He wants to become a powerful cartel leader

  • B) He is desperate for money to escape his grief and poverty, and hopes to reconcile with Melisa

  • C) He is forced by Juanca at gunpoint

  • D) He wants to avenge his daughter's death

10. What is Juanca's primary motivation for planning the heist?

  • A) To gain power within the cartel

  • B) To get revenge for the murder of his brother Omar

  • C) To fund his mother's medical treatment

  • D) To escape his past and start a new life

11. Why does Brian want to participate in the heist?

  • A) He is addicted to the thrill of violence

  • B) He wants money to support his unborn child and escape his meth addiction, but also shows greed

  • C) He is trying to impress Stephanie

  • D) He wants to pay off his gambling debts

12. Why does Stephanie betray Mario at the end?

  • A) She is secretly working for Don Vázquez

  • B) She is romantically involved with Juanca, and they set up Mario to kill Brian

  • C) She blames Mario for Brian's death

  • D) She wants the money for herself

13. Why does Mario decide to give the money to Stephanie after killing Brian?

  • A) He feels guilty and wants to provide for Brian's child

  • B) He is forced by Juanca

  • C) He wants to win her back

  • D) He believes the money is cursed

Themes & Symbols (Questions 14–17)

14. What does the recurring figure of La Huesuda represent in the novel?

  • A) Hope

  • B) Death

  • C) Justice

  • D) Motherhood

15. What does the crocodile pit symbolize?

  • A) The resilience of nature

  • B) The brutal, primal nature of the cartel world and the dehumanization of violence

  • C) The characters' desire for freedom

  • D) The corrupting influence of money

16. What is the symbolic significance of the milagrito (the severed toe)?

  • A) It represents the power of faith to heal

  • B) It symbolizes the commodification of faith and the supernatural in a corrupt world

  • C) It is a token of good luck

  • D) It represents the innocence of childhood

17. What does the tunnel represent in the story?

  • A) The characters' journey toward redemption

  • B) The descent into the underworld, both literal and moral

  • C) The connection between the US and Mexico

  • D) The hidden dangers of the border

Synthesis (Questions 18–20)

18. How does the novel blend realism and supernatural elements?

  • A) It uses supernatural occurrences to reflect the characters' moral decay and the presence of evil

  • B) It treats supernatural events as hallucinations caused by drug use

  • C) It separates the supernatural into a parallel world

  • D) It uses supernatural elements only for comic relief

19. What is the significance of the title The Devil Takes You Home?

  • A) It suggests that evil is inescapable and ultimately claims everyone

  • B) It refers to the literal devil who appears at the end

  • C) It implies that the characters are seeking redemption

  • D) It is a metaphor for the American Dream

20. How does the novel critique the American Dream?

  • A) It shows that hard work always leads to success

  • B) It demonstrates that for marginalized people, the pursuit of wealth leads to violence and destruction

  • C) It argues that the American Dream is achievable for everyone

  • D) It focuses on the importance of education

Answer Key

1. A — Dr. Flynn diagnoses Anita with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow and white blood cells.

2. B — After losing his job and facing mounting medical bills, Mario calls Brian, who offers him a paid killing job.

3. B — They argue about a sink; Mario's elbow accidentally strikes Melisa, causing her to fall through the table. She leaves for Orlando the next morning.

4. B — Juanca plans to intercept a truck carrying liquid meth and cash, kill its crew, and stage it as a crew desertion.

5. A — The toe comes from El Milagrito, a mutilated child believed to be holy; Don Vázquez uses it in a ritual involving Gloria.

6. B — Mario shoots Brian, believing he is reaching for a gun, but later realizes Brian was unarmed.

7. B — Gloria is an old bruja possessed by a demon (El Chamuco) and is Don Vázquez's partner.

8. A — Stephanie shoots Mario twice from behind, and he dies after calling Melisa.

9. B — Mario is driven by financial desperation and the hope that money will help him rebuild his life.

10. B — Juanca reveals his brother Omar was killed, and the heist is part of his revenge plan.

11. B — Brian wants money for his unborn child and to escape addiction, but his greed also shows.

12. B — Stephanie and Juanca are romantically involved; they set up Mario to kill Brian so they can take the money.

13. A — Mario feels guilt for killing an unarmed man and wants to support Brian's child.

14. B — La Huesuda is a death figure that appears to Mario, symbolizing death's presence.

15. B — The crocodile pit represents the raw, savage violence of the cartel world.

16. B — The milagrito is a grotesque relic, showing how faith is exploited for profit and power.

17. B — The tunnel is a literal passage under the border and a metaphor for the characters' moral descent.

18. A — Supernatural events (like Rodolfo's resurrection and Gloria's possession) mirror the characters' inner corruption and the omnipresence of evil.

19. A — The title suggests that evil ultimately claims everyone, as seen in Mario's death and the pervasive violence.

20. B — The novel shows that for Mario and others, the pursuit of wealth leads to moral ruin and death, not success.

Want to dive deeper? Explore the full book summary, questions and answers, or the ending explained.

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