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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. How does Chris get back at Emily on the Christmas trip in 1993?

2. How does Melanie meet Gus?

3. What reaction does Emily have when she completes the dare that Chris prompted as a comeback to her dare at the sleepover?

4. What does Melanie do a few weeks after Emily's death?

5. What is the name of the person that Gus finds outside her son's hospital room?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Emily dares Chris to kiss her?

2. How do the Golds and Hartes contrast?

3. How does Emily and Chris' relationship begin?

4. How does James feel about the situation with Chris once Chris is arrested?

5. Why is James' award not such a rewarding experience?

6. Why does Gus try to keep the police from talking to Chris?

7. What does Chris admit to bringing on his date with Emily?

8. Why does Melanie latch onto the idea that Chris killed Emily?

9. What makes it clear that Melanie is still grieving when she returns to work?

10. How did Gus and Melanie bond so quickly when they first met?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Suicide serves as the most prominent plot point of the novel. What risk factors for suicide did Emily have? Why did she feel that suicide was her only option? How does her suicide influence different characters? Make sure you answer each question and provide evidence from the novel to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Grief is a theme that is seen in all characters in "The Pact." Melanie and Michael grieve the loss of their daughter in starkly different ways, as do James and Gus. Describe the different stages of grief and which characters experience what stage. How does Melanie handle her grief in contrast with her husband? Make sure you answer each question thoroughly and use evidence from the book for support.

Essay Topic 3

The parent/child relationship is explored in various characters in the novel. Choose a parent/child relationship to answer these questions: What kind of relationship do these characters have with each other? What trials do they go through, and how do they end up? Make sure you answer each question, using examples from the book.

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