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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. Where did Norm attend graduate school?

2. Who is with Norm when he dies?

3. Into what religion does Penny say her father was born in 2016?

4. What drug does Sorry claim cigarettes have replaced for her when she meets Penny?

5. How much taller is Rob than Penny?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are Norm's circumstances in 2016? Where is he?

2. What happens when Norm encounters Schubert in 2016? How does Penny interpret this action?

3. How is Norm's childhood home described when Penny finds it in 2016?

4. What are Penny's impressions when she goes to the Stayfree house with Sorry for a potluck?

5. Why is Norm's childhood home called "Nicotine"?

6. What is the relationship like between Matt and Penny?

7. Where is the opening scene of the novel set? What is the significance of this setting?

8. Who is Rob and how does Penny meet him?

9. What is in the vacant bedroom across from Sorry's room? What is its history?

10. How is Amalia described when she first appears in the 2016 timeline? What is her relationship like with Penny?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the protest that goes awry, leading to Sorry and Penny's detention. What are the women doing when they are arrested? Why are they arrested? Where are they detained? For how long are they detained?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss and analyze the author's language and literary style. How would you characterize the style of dialogue used by the characters? What aspects of contemporary culture are integrated into Zink's writing style? How is Zink's writing reviewed by critics?

Essay Topic 3

Define satire and irony and discuss how these terms apply to Nicotine. What are examples of dramatic irony in the story? What verbal irony can be seen? How does the author incorporate situational irony in the narrative?

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