View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What has the family agreed upon regarding Christmas gifts?

2. Why does Manus's career as a detective end?

3. Why does Shannon wake Brandy up from her doze?

4. What happens to Shannon's clothes on the line outside?

5. What is the first item Shannon takes out of her stocking?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Shannon shocked to see the picture on the Rhea sister's stereo?

2. Why does Manus's career as a police officer end?

3. From whom did Shane (Brandy) get the throat infection that leads him to be kicked out of the house?

4. Why does Shane leave home in the first place?

5. What has "Shane" bought Shannon for Christmas?

6. What is the truth about both Shane's and Shannon's accidents?

7. What does Shannon say in her letter to Evie?

8. What procedure does Brandy encourage Shannon to undergo?

9. If she cannot be beautiful, what does Shannon say she wants to be?

10. After locking Manus in the closet, who does Shannon call and what are the results?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Brandy credits the Rhea sisters with making her who she is. Who exactly are the Rhea sisters? How do the Rhea sisters help Brandy once she finds them? Why did Brandy allow the Rhea sisters to make her over? Who is responsible for calling Brandy's family with the news that she is dead? What kind of attitude do the Rheas instill in Brandy and how does this enable her adventures?

Essay Topic 2

One of the central themes of the novel is that some people cannot accept themselves. Is this a bad thing in the novel? Are the people who accept themselves missing something in life, as Brandy theorizes? Has Brandy created a problem where one never existed? Be sure to use textual examples and present a well-organized argument.

Essay Topic 3

The novel explores the idea of attention as an addiction. Is Shannon addicted to attention? Is Brandy? Is Evie or Manus? Why or why not? What instances in the text point you toward a conclusion?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 677 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample