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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What name is given to the puppy that Travis gives Abby for her birthday in Chapter 8?

2. How much money does Abby win at the end of the night for the shots she’s taken at her birthday party in Chapter 7?

3. Why is Travis not threatened by Finch’s friendship with Abby?

4. The guy that Travis is fighting in Chapter 4 is from what rival college?

5. What kind of car does Shepley drive?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Abby meet the character named Ethan in Chapter 3? What does Ethan reveal about himself in the meeting?

2. What do Abby and America discuss while they are out together in Chapter 7?

3. How does Abby meet Travis Maddox in Chapter 1? How would you describe their meeting?

4. What leads Abby and America to stay at Travis and Shep’s apartment in Chapter 2? How does Abby feel about the situation initially?

5. What takes place at the end of Abby’s date with Parker in Chapter 6?

6. What conversation takes place between Abby and Finch in the beginning of Chapter 9?

7. Why does Travis tell Abby not to accept drinks from other people than him at the party in Chapter 5? How does Abby respond?

8. Who wins the fight in Chapter 1? What happens to Abby’s sweater at the fight?

9. What leads to Travis’s fight in the cafeteria in Chapter 8? What happens after the fight?

10. What are Abby’s impressions on her date with Parker in Chapter 10?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Plot Structure

a. Discuss the plot structure of Beautiful Disaster. In what ways is the narrative related and what effect does this have on the reader?

b. How does Beautiful Disaster compare with other novels in the contemporary young adult romance genre? Are there specific stylistic elements that can be seen in McGuire’s writing?

Essay Topic 2

Define “motif” in narrative literature, and discuss the motif of fighting in the novel. Why does Travis engage in the fights on campus? What draws the other students to watch the fights? What do you think this recurring backdrop represents symbolically in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the fight that Travis is called to participate in, in Chapter 4. Whom is Travis fighting? What college is this student from? Why does the fact that Travis is fighting a student from a different school make a difference in terms of Abby’s safety?

(see the answer keys)

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