The Favorites Quiz: 20 Questions on Plot, Character, and Theme
Think you know Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha's story? Test your knowledge with this 20-question quiz covering the full arc of Layne Fargo's The Favorites—from the carved headboard in Illinois to the Sochi ice and beyond. Whether you're a first-time reader or revisiting the story, these questions span plot, character motivation, theme, and big-picture synthesis. If you need a refresher, check out the book overview, browse questions and answers, or read the ending explained before diving in.
Plot & Sequence (Questions 1–8)
1. What do Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha carve into the headboard of her bed?
- A. K & H Forever - B. Shaw & Rocha - C. Ice Dreams - D. Katarina + Heath
2. Where do Katarina and Heath compete at their first U.S. Figure Skating Championships?
- A. Salt Lake City - B. Cleveland - C. St. Louis - D. Boston
3. What does Katarina sell to help fund their move to the Lin Ice Academy?
- A. Her car - B. Her mother's engagement ring - C. Her skating costumes - D. Her father's watch
4. What happens to Katarina at the 2006 U.S. Nationals in St. Louis?
- A. She wins her fourth national title - B. She collides with Bella Lin and is injured - C. She withdraws due to illness - D. She falls during a lift and breaks her ankle
5. After Heath returns, who does he partner with?
- A. Yelena Volkova - B. Bella Lin - C. Frannie Gaskell - D. Josie Hayworth
6. What happens at the end of the Sochi Olympic free dance?
- A. Katarina falls during a spin - B. Heath collapses and coughs blood - C. Their music cuts out - D. They are disqualified mid-program
7. What does Katarina find in her skate at Sochi?
- A. A sequin from a rival's costume - B. Thorns planted in her skate - C. A broken blade fragment - D. A needle from a sewing kit
8. What happens to Katarina and Heath's Sochi medals?
- A. They are upgraded to gold - B. They are stripped by the IOC - C. They are lost in transit - D. They are returned voluntarily
Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)
9. Why does Katarina sell her mother's engagement ring?
- A. To buy a new car - B. To fund their trip to the Lin Ice Academy - C. To pay off Lee's debts - D. To buy Heath a gift
10. Why does Bella invite Katarina to train at the Academy?
- A. To befriend her - B. To push both of them as rivals - C. To replace her brother - D. To please her mother
11. Why does Heath leave Katarina in Nagano?
- A. He is offered a better partnership - B. He overhears her saying he's been holding her back - C. He is injured and needs surgery - D. He is angry about the photo shoot
12. Why does Sheila send Heath to Veronika Volkova?
- A. To help him improve - B. Hoping he would give up and leave skating - C. To spy on the Russian team - D. To keep him away from Bella
13. Why does Katarina refuse to appeal the IOC ruling?
- A. She doesn't care about the medals and has Heath - B. She can't afford the legal fees - C. She wants to retire from skating - D. She believes she deserves the punishment
Theme & Symbol (Questions 14–17)
14. What does the Shaw & Rocha carving on the headboard symbolize?
- A. Their rivalry - B. Their enduring partnership and commitment - C. Their childhood rebellion - D. Their Olympic dream
15. What does the broken choker symbolize in the Vancouver free dance?
- A. Katarina's loss of control and the shattering of her performance identity - B. Heath's betrayal of their partnership - C. Bella's jealousy and manipulation - D. The fragility of their Olympic dreams
16. What do the yellow roses symbolize in Russian culture, as explained in the novel?
- A. Love and devotion - B. Betrayal - C. Victory - D. Friendship
17. What does the private rink in the woods represent for Katarina?
- A. Her ambition to compete again - B. A sanctuary and escape from the public eye - C. Her connection to Heath - D. Her childhood home
Synthesis (Questions 18–20)
18. How does the novel explore the tension between performance and authenticity in Katarina's life?
19. What does Katarina mean when she says, If that's not winning, I don't know what is, in the epilogue?
20. How does the novel examine the cost of ambition through Katarina's journey?
Answer Key
1. B — Shaw & Rocha
Katarina and Heath carve their names into the headboard of her bed as teenagers, a symbol of their partnership that endures throughout the novel.
2. B — Cleveland
Their first U.S. Figure Skating Championships are held in Cleveland, which they can reach by Greyhound bus, unlike the previous year's Salt Lake City event.
3. B — Her mother's engagement ring
Katarina sells her mother's Art Deco engagement ring at a jewelry store in Lake Forest to help cover the deposit and plane tickets for the Lin Ice Academy.
4. B — She collides with Bella Lin and is injured
During the group warm-up at the 2006 U.S. Nationals, Katarina collides with Bella and sustains injuries that require hospitalization.
5. B — Bella Lin
After Zack Branwell's departure, Bella secretly arranges for Heath to become her new partner, a revelation that devastates Katarina.
6. B — Heath collapses and coughs blood
Immediately after their winning free dance at Sochi, Heath collapses to his knees and coughs blood onto Katarina's costume.
7. B — Thorns planted in her skate
Katarina discovers thorns in her skate at Sochi, part of a pattern of sabotage targeting the pair.
8. B — They are stripped by the IOC
The IOC rules unanimously to strip their medals and score after a designer drug is found in Heath's blood.
9. B — To fund their trip to the Lin Ice Academy
Katarina sells the ring to help pay for the deposit and plane tickets after Lee drains their inheritance.
10. B — To push both of them as rivals
Bella explains she invited Katarina to train with her as a rival to push both of them, referencing her mother's rivalry with Veronika Volkova.
11. B — He overhears her saying he's been holding her back
Ellis reveals that Heath was listening when Katarina admitted Heath had been holding her back for years, prompting Heath to flee into the rain.
12. B — Hoping he would give up and leave skating
Sheila admits she sent Heath to Veronika's training hoping he would give up, but he proved tougher than expected.
13. A — She doesn't care about the medals and has Heath
Katarina tells Heath they have the rest of their lives and that the medals don't matter—she decides who she is, not the IOC.
14. B — Their enduring partnership and commitment
The carving represents the bond between Katarina and Heath that persists through separations, betrayals, and reconciliations.
15. A — Katarina's loss of control and the shattering of her performance identity
The choker, designed to look like a slash across her throat, breaks and scatters red beads across the Olympic rings during their chaotic Vancouver free dance, symbolizing the destruction of her carefully constructed performance.
16. B — Betrayal
Heath explains that in Russian culture, yellow roses signify betrayal, and even-numbered arrangements are for funerals.
17. B — A sanctuary and escape from the public eye
The private rink in the woods behind her home is where Katarina skates for herself, away from media scrutiny and competition pressure.
18. Model answer: The novel repeatedly shows Katarina performing—for audiences, judges, the media, and even herself. Her breakthrough comes when she learns to channel genuine emotions like rage and jealousy into her skating, making performances more powerful rather than suppressing them. By the end, she rejects the public narrative and defines success on her own terms.
19. Model answer: In the epilogue, Katarina reflects that she lacks an Olympic gold medal but has a fulfilling life spent with her favorite people doing what she loves. She redefines winning as living authentically and finding joy, rather than seeking external validation.
20. Model answer: Katarina sacrifices her mother's ring, her relationship with Heath, her health, and nearly her identity in pursuit of Olympic gold. The novel shows how ambition can consume everything, but also how Katarina ultimately finds a balance between striving and living.