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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 objects fill an entire drawer in Shannon's kitchen and make her mother suspicious?

2. Which character(s) do(es) Shannon consider her worst enemy?

3. What sound does Shannon hear from downstairs?

4. What does Brandy think is the most boring thing in the entire world?

5. What magazine purchase does Manus claim is for his job?

Short Essay Questions

1. After arriving at the hospital, what surprises Shannon about the others in the waiting room?

2. What device does the author employ again and again to convey Shannon's emotions?

3. Why do Evie and Shannon continually visit the department store?

4. What has Shannon told her parents, instead of telling them about the accident?

5. What is Brandy's final request to Shannon before she dies?

6. Why is Shannon angry when we sees herself, Manus, and Evie in the infomercial?

7. Why does the narrator feel that she has no native tongue?

8. What philosophy does Brandy Alexander have that Shannon finds attractive?

9. How does Shannon describe the basic idea of modeling?

10. What secret does Shannon write on her postcard at the Space Needle?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel makes use of different stereotypes are archetypes for some of the characters such as the model, the drag queen, and even the Texas oil princess. Choose three stereotypes and unpack their roles in the novel. To which characters do these stereotypes apply? Do they apply to multiple characters? How does the use of stereotypes contribute to the central theme of the novel? Do the stereotyped characters undergo any changes or are they static, remaining the same from start to finish?

Essay Topic 2

Shannon's final act is to give Brandy her identity. Why does Shannon choose to do this? What does this action mean for Shannon? What does this action mean for Brandy? Why does Shannon, after the huge adventure she has just had with her brother, need to leave him and never look back? How does the idea of an invisible monster drive her to this point? Why has Shane chosen to look exactly like Shannon in his new life? Do either of these characters find redemption?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the novel, Shannon gets more and more extreme in her actions. Detail her evolution from start to finish. How is the first Shannon we meet in the novel different from the final Shannon? Does she truly change in the novel? What are the major events that change her? What are the implications of the fires she sets? Choose specific events in the novel that are game-changers for her character.

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