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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 does Matt hire to care for Suzanne?

2. What is Katie relieved about when she goes to a bar Matt patronizes?

3. Of whom does Katie think?

4. What is another question Katie has about Matt and Suzanne's relationship after reading this far in the journal?

5. Who is Suzanne riding in Matt's imagination as he and Nicky are chasing after her?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens after Suzanne is admitted to the hospital?

2. What does Suzanne say about her and Matt's wedding?

3. What does Matt think about as he sits in Nicky's nursery?

4. What do Matt and Suzanne do at midnight on the day before Nicky's first birthday?

5. What does Nicky wear to his baptism and how does he act during his baptism?

6. What surprise does Matt arrange for the end of the wedding ceremony?

7. What questions does Katie ask as she is reading the diary?

8. What perfect memory do Suzanne and Matt create when in their son's room in the middle of the night?

9. What had Matt's friends and coworkers done while Matt and Suzanne were gone from the house for three days?

10. How does Suzanne fare as the days go on and what does she do once day with Nicky?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" belongs to the romance genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the romance genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a romance and a historical novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following:

1. What do you think are the characteristics of a successful novel?

2. Analyze and discuss "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" based upon the criteria you decide upon in #1 and judge if it is a successful novel.

3. Do you think the criteria for a successful novel should be different if it is written for adults versus young adults? Why or why not? Would most adults consider "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" a successful novel? What about young teens?

Essay Topic 3

Patterson is once again pulling all the emotional strings. Suzanne's heart attack gives her an enemy waiting to attack her life throughout the book. Heart disease can be fought but no one has a say when that heart will quit beating. Here she is a broken hearted heroine. With heart disease in her family, she has a target on that heart at all times. Next we have betrayal by the man she thought she loved. Betrayal of her body and then betrayal by her man.

1. Discuss reasons why Suzanne's heart attack would be considered an antagonist. Use examples from "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" and your own life to support your answer.

2. Discuss the metaphoric connotations that Suzanne's "heart is broken" might have following her heart attack. Use examples from "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" and your own life to support your answer.

3. Discuss the idea that one never knows when death will come and how that might be important in "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas". Use examples from the book and your own life to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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