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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. Who/what keeps Miles from committing murder?

2. Miles questions Brian's sudden need to tell the truth because _______________.

3. In Chapter 16, what does the unnamed narrator say his destination was the night of Missy's death?

4. What does the narrator say Missy was wearing on the day he hit her?

5. In Chapter 25, why does the narrator say he continued to watch Miles and Jonah?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Miles not arrest Brian when he sees him at Missy's grave?

2. How does Miles react to Jonah's questions about his mother when he finds Miles watching home videos?

3. Who calls Charlie with information about Miles? What does Charlie do as a result of these phone calls?

4. In Chapter 28, why does the unnamed narrator say he finally felt as though he could stop watching the Ryan home? Why is this?

5. Why does Sims Addison claim in Chapter 17 that he never wants to return to jail?

6. In Chapter 16, what does the unnamed narrator say he did when he saw Missy up ahead of him on the road?

7. How does Charlie react when he learns that Miles arrested Otis Timson?

8. In Chapter 20, where does Charlie decide to go in order to try to help Miles out of the mess he has created for himself?

9. In Chapter 27, whom does Sarah turn to for advice about Miles? What is Sarah most concerned about in regards to Miles?

10. How does Sarah react to the revelation that Brian killed Missy Ryan?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Miles feel about dating Sarah? What does Miles tell Sarah about Missy? Is Miles comfortable dating again? Why does Miles take Sarah on the tour of haunted houses in downtown New Bern? What story does Miles specifically want Sarah to hear? In that story, why did Katheryn place candles in her window? What was the message these candles were supposed to give to Harris? What does Sarah take from this story? What did Miles want her to take from the story? How do the candles become a symbol to Sarah later in the book?

Essay Topic 2

Who is Miles Ryan? Why is he having trouble sleeping at the beginning of the novel? What is Miles thinking about? What has his life been like since the death of his wife? Why has the death of his wife touched his life so profoundly? Why does Miles worry about his son, Jonah? Why does Miles think he is not the type of man to be alone? What does this say about Miles' feelings for his wife, Missy? How do the opening chapters suggest that Miles has changed as a person since his wife's death? Are these changes good? Bad? How have they impacted Miles' life overall?

Essay Topic 3

Why does Miles arrest Otis Timson? Should Miles have arrested Otis on charges of killing Missy? Should Miles have handled the situation differently? Why did Miles hold a gun to Otis' head? What charges could Miles face for doing such a thing? Was Miles acting inappropriately? What does it say about Miles that he did not kill Otis when given the chance? Why did Miles not tell Charlie immediately what was going on? What might have happened differently if Miles had gone to Charlie first?

(see the answer keys)

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