Quiz Red, White & Royal Blue: Collector's Edition Casey McQuiston

Unknown Book Quiz: 20 Questions on Plot, Character, and Theme

This comprehensive quiz covers the entire story of Hasini Somawardhana's novel, from the opening packing scene to the final gift. Use the following 20 questions to test your recall of plot details, character motivations, thematic symbols, and higher-level synthesis. Each question is followed by its answer in the key.

Plot / Sequence Questions (8 questions)

1. (Multiple Choice) What item does Alex give to Henry at the very end of the story?

  • A) A leather-bound journal
  • B) A Stetson cowboy hat
  • C) A silver pocket watch
  • D) A pair of Wranglers

2. (Short Answer) In the opening scene, where is Henry packing his belongings?

3. (Multiple Choice) Which event prompts Henry and Alex to finally decide to move to Austin?

  • A) Alex's mother loses re-election
  • B) Henry inherits a lake house from his father
  • C) Alex confesses he hates his law firm job
  • D) June offers to sublet the brownstone

4. (Short Answer) How many years after their relationship was exposed does the story take place on the day Alex asks Henry if he knows the date?

5. (Multiple Choice) What does Henry attempt to make for Christmas dinner that ends up cracked and dry?

  • A) A yule log
  • B) A roasted chicken
  • C) A bacon butty
  • D) A sponge cake

6. (Short Answer) Where does Henry say he wants to put the credenza before Alex suggests the wall?

7. (Multiple Choice) During which year does Alex resign from his big-law job?

  • A) 2024
  • B) 2025
  • C) 2026
  • D) 2027

8. (Short Answer) Who offers to sublet the brownstone after Henry and Alex move?

Character Motivation Questions (5 questions)

9. (Multiple Choice) Why does Henry learn to cook?

  • A) He wants to impress his mother
  • B) Alex becomes too absorbed in coursework to feed himself
  • C) He is tired of takeaway food
  • D) June challenges him to a cooking competition

10. (Short Answer) Why does Alex give Henry a Stetson hat that features an English rose pin?

11. (Multiple Choice) Why does Henry feel the brownstone is a good house for them?

  • A) It has the largest kitchen in Park Slope
  • B) The neighbors keep to themselves
  • C) It reminds him of his childhood home at Kensington
  • D) It is close to Alex's law firm

12. (Short Answer) What specific reason does Alex give for hating his big-law job after only a year and a half?

13. (Multiple Choice) Why does Henry decide it is time to move to a lake house in Austin?

  • A) He wants to be closer to his mother
  • B) He longs for a quieter life and a place where he can see the stars
  • C) Alex has been offered a position at a Texas firm
  • D) The New York paparazzi become too intrusive

Theme / Symbol Questions (4 questions)

14. (Multiple Choice) What does the Stetson hat primarily symbolize in the story?

  • A) Henry's royal heritage
  • B) Alex's career ambitions
  • C) Their future life together in Texas
  • D) The end of their public obligations

15. (Short Answer) The credenza that Henry doesn't know where to place represents what central conflict in his life?

16. (Multiple Choice) The chapter consisting only of illustrations (Chapter 2) invites the reader to:

  • A) Skip the non‑verbal interlude
  • B) Engage with visual symbolism and mood
  • C) Identify hidden clues about the plot
  • D) Compare the illustrations to photographs

17. (Short Answer) According to the outline, the non‑linear narrative structure of the novel emphasizes which concept about love?

Synthesis Questions (3 questions)

18. (Multiple Choice) How does the theme of domesticity versus duty manifest in Henry's decision to move to Austin?

  • A) He abandons all royal responsibilities completely
  • B) He chooses a life centered on private domestic rituals over public obligations
  • C) He insists on a traditional royal wedding before moving
  • D) He forces Alex to give up his political ambitions

19. (Short Answer) In what way does the character Angus, Henry's body double, reinforce the theme of public versus private identity?

20. (Multiple Choice) The ending, where Alex arrives early and gives Henry the Stetson, suggests that their future will be defined by:

  • A) Separate residences in two cities
  • B) A permanent retreat from all fame
  • C) A life built on collective choice and small rituals
  • D) Increasingly elaborate public appearances

Answer Key

1. B – Alex gives Henry a Stetson cowboy hat with a silver English rose pin, symbolizing Henry's new life as an "honorary Texan." (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0010)

2. His Park Slope brownstone. The story opens with Henry packing his brownstone one week before his wedding to Alex. (Outline chapter 1 digest)

3. C – Alex confesses he hates his law firm job, which triggers their decision to move to a lake house in Austin for a quieter life. (Outline chapter 1 digest; evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0007)

4. Five years. In 2025, Alex reminds Henry it has been five years since the scandal broke. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0007)

5. A – Henry attempts a yule log (Bûche de Noël), but the sponge cracks and he ends up letting everyone eat it with spoons. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0003)

6. He doesn't know – he says "I don't know where to put it." Henry has no idea where to place the credenza; Alex points to a blank wall. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0002)

7. C – Alex resigns in February 2026 after a year and a half at the firm. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0007)

8. June. June offers to sublet the brownstone when she learns Alex has been looking at farmhouses in Austin. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0009)

9. B – Henry starts cooking to make sure Alex eats when Alex becomes too fanatically involved in his law coursework to remember to feed himself. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0003)

10. Because Henry is about to become an honorary Texan – and Alex wanted to be the one to give him his first Stetson. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0010)

11. C – The brownstone reminds Henry of his childhood home at Kensington, especially the feeling of family all sleeping under one roof. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0002)

12. He finds it draining – "I kind of hate it" and the dark circles under his eyes show his exhaustion. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0007)

13. B – Henry says he could use some time away and wants to live somewhere quieter where he can see the stars; they both know Alex would consider Austin. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0009)

14. C – The Stetson represents their new life in Texas, a quieter future together. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0010; outline chapter 1 digest)

15. His uncertainty about making decisions for himself – Henry has never been allowed to decide where furniture goes, reflecting his struggle with self-direction. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0002)

16. B – The illustrations serve as a reflective, non‑verbal interlude that invites engagement with visual symbolism and mood. (Outline chapter 2 digest)

17. Love as a cumulative choice. The non‑linear structure shows love built over time through repeated, deliberate decisions. (Outline chapter 1 digest)

18. B – Henry chooses a life of domestic rituals (cooking, mornings together) over public royal duties, though he doesn't completely abandon obligations. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0009; outline)

19. Angus looks exactly like Henry but is "deeply unattractive" to Alex, highlighting the gap between public image (the royal face) and private self (the real Henry). Alex's discomfort shows that appearance without substance cannot replace intimacy. (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0003)

20. C – The private ceremony at the lake house, the removal of titles, and the Stetson gift all emphasize a future built on shared choices (where to put furniture, what career to pursue) and simple rituals (Sunday fry-ups, date nights). (Evidence chapter-0001-chunk-0010; outline chapter 1 digest)