Quiz The Pairing Casey McQuiston

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston: Full Book Quiz

Plot and Sequence (8 questions)

  1. Where does the first kiss between Theo and Kit take place? (Multiple choice)

    • A) At Theo’s apartment after a movie night
    • B) At a friend’s wedding reception
    • C) At a Halloween party at a rental house in Cathedral City
    • D) At a restaurant during a double date

  2. What unusual item does Theo see circling the baggage carousel at London Heathrow? (Multiple choice)

    • A) A stray suitcase
    • B) A dildo
    • C) A child’s toy
    • D) A wedding ring

  3. After Kit walks away at the airport, what flight does Theo ask for at the British Airways counter? (Multiple choice)

    • A) The next nonstop to Paris
    • B) The next nonstop to New York
    • C) The next nonstop to Los Angeles
    • D) The next nonstop to Chicago

  4. During which childhood event does Kit find the word “superbloom” to describe Theo? (Multiple choice)

    • A) A family trip to the beach
    • B) A family trip to Antelope Valley’s wildflower superbloom
    • C) A family trip to the mountains
    • D) A family trip to a county fair

  5. What does Kit’s uncle Thierry plan to do with the family apartment in Saint‑Germain‑des‑Prés? (Multiple choice)

    • A) Give it to Kit as a gift
    • B) Rent it out to strangers
    • C) Sell it and move to Lisbon for his girlfriend
    • D) Turn it into a ceramic studio

  6. What document does Kit show Thierry to announce his decision to move to Paris? (Multiple choice)

    • A) A job offer letter
    • B) An acceptance letter from École Desjardins
    • C) A plane ticket for two
    • D) A marriage proposal script

  7. What is the name of the bar and restaurant that Theo and Kit renovate together in Saint‑Jean‑de‑Luz? (Short answer)

  8. What French phrase does Theo practice in the epilogue as a marriage proposal? (Multiple choice)

    • A) “Je t’aime”
    • B) “Veux‑tu m’épouser ?”
    • C) “Bonjour, mon amour”
    • D) “Au revoir, Kit”

Character Motivation (5 questions)

  1. Why did Theo repeatedly avoid meeting Kit in Oklahoma City during their teenage years? (Multiple choice)

    • A) He was too busy with school and work
    • B) He was afraid of flying alone
    • C) He was in love with Kit and the promise of meeting would have broken his heart
    • D) He didn’t like the city of Oklahoma City

  2. Why does Kit decide to move to Paris after receiving his acceptance letter? (Multiple choice)

    • A) To escape his family in California
    • B) To attend culinary school and build a future that includes Theo
    • C) To follow his uncle Thierry’s advice
    • D) To open a solo restaurant without Theo

  3. Why is Thierry selling the family apartment? (Multiple choice)

    • A) He lost his job as a ceramicist
    • B) He wants to travel the world
    • C) He is moving to Lisbon for the love of his girlfriend Constança
    • D) He wants to retire in the countryside

  4. Immediately after the breakup at Heathrow, why does Theo decide to return to Los Angeles? (Multiple choice)

    • A) To find Kit and reconcile
    • B) He is too angry and simply wants to go home
    • C) He has a connecting flight to Paris
    • D) He needs to pick up his luggage

  5. Why does Theo’s sister Sloane visit Saint‑Jean‑de‑Luz in the epilogue? (Multiple choice)

    • A) To surprise Theo for his birthday
    • B) To attend the friends-and-family menu tasting at Field Day
    • C) To move into the apartment permanently
    • D) To attend a wedding

Theme and Symbol (4 questions)

  1. In the novel, what does the “superbloom” primarily symbolize? (Multiple choice)

    • A) Personal freedom and self-discovery
    • B) Overwhelming, enduring love and Theo’s impact on Kit
    • C) The pain of displacement and loss
    • D) The beauty of the California desert

  2. The epigraph from Robyn’s “Fembot” (“initiating slut mode”) is paired with a quote from E.M. Forster. What theme does the Robyn lyric introduce? (Multiple choice)

    • A) The value of lifelong commitment
    • B) Sexual liberation and deliberate embrace of freedom
    • C) The tragedy of unrequited love
    • D) The importance of family traditions

  3. Baking appears repeatedly in Theo and Kit’s relationship (cinnamon rolls, galette de Pérouges). What does this motif most strongly represent? (Multiple choice)

    • A) Competition for each other’s approval
    • B) Care, comfort, tradition, and reconnection
    • C) Hunger and physical desire
    • D) Financial stability and success

  4. What does the renovation of the old bakery into Field Day symbolize for Theo and Kit? (Multiple choice)

    • A) The destruction of their past
    • B) Transformation, commitment, and building a shared future together
    • C) The failure of their original plans
    • D) Nostalgia for their childhood lives

Synthesis (3 questions)

  1. How do the two epigraphs (E.M. Forster’s assertion that love cannot be removed, only transformed, and Robyn’s declaration of “initiating slut mode”) together reflect the central conflict of the novel? (Short answer)

  2. Compare the theme of displacement in Kit’s childhood (moving from France to California) with the theme of home in Theo and Kit’s adult life in the epilogue. (Short answer)

  3. The novel is structured with alternating “Beginning” and “End” chapters from Theo’s and Kit’s perspectives. How does this narrative structure enhance the story? (Short answer)

Answer Key

1. C – The first kiss occurs at a Halloween party in Cathedral City (chapter 2). Distractors reference events not in the book.

2. B – Theo watches a purple dildo circle the carousel at Heathrow (chapter 3). The other items are not mentioned.

3. C – Theo asks for the next nonstop to Los Angeles, ending the trip (chapter 3).

4. B – The family trip to Antelope Valley’s wildflower superbloom gives Kit the word “superbloom” for Theo (chapter 4).

5. C – Thierry plans to sell the apartment and move to Lisbon for his girlfriend Constança (chapter 5).

6. B – Kit shows his acceptance letter from École Desjardins to announce his plan to move to Paris (chapter 5).

7. Field Day – The bar/restaurant is named Field Day (epilogue).

8. B – Theo practices “Veux‑tu m’épouser ?” (French for “Will you marry me?”) with Paloma (epilogue).

9. C – Theo confesses that he was in love with Kit and meeting in Oklahoma City would have broken his heart (chapter 2).

10. B – Kit moves to Paris to attend École Desjardins and has a plan to bring Theo with him (chapter 5).

11. C – Thierry moves for love to Lisbon, as he has done multiple times in the past (chapter 5).

12. B – Theo is too angry to cry and just wants to go home to Los Angeles (chapter 3).

13. B – Sloane surprises them by showing up for the menu tasting; she had not confirmed earlier (epilogue).

14. B – Kit describes Theo as a superbloom—an overwhelming, permanent expression of love (chapter 4).

15. B – The Robyn lyric introduces the theme of sexual liberation, contrasting with the Forster quote about enduring love (epigraph).

16. B – Baking signifies care and reconnection (e.g., cinnamon rolls after their first night, galette to connect with Thierry, and recipes carried into Field Day).

17. B – The transformation of the bakery into Field Day represents their commitment to building a shared life together (epilogue).

18. The Forster quote suggests love is permanent but can change form, while the Robyn lyric celebrates deliberate personal freedom. Together they frame the protagonists’ struggle between deep attachment and the need for self‑assertion, a conflict that drives their separation and eventual reunion.

19. Kit felt displaced when moving from the green, medieval village of Pérouges to the dry California desert. In the epilogue, Theo and Kit create a home in Saint‑Jean‑de‑Luz, renovating a bakery into Field Day and building community. The novel moves from loss of home to active, chosen homebuilding.

20. The alternating perspectives allow readers to see both Theo’s and Kit’s inner lives, motivations, and memories. The “Beginning” and “End” titles create a structure that loops back and forth, building tension and emotional depth before resolving in the epilogue where both versions converge into a shared future.