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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 activity do Seven and Starr always do together on the last Saturday of every month?

2. What is the occasion of Big D's party that Starr attends at the opening of the novel?

3. To what point total do Seven and Starr agree to play when they play one-on-one basketball the day after the riots break out in their neighborhood?

4. What separates the customers from the cashier at Reuben's BBQ?

5. To what room do Starr and her family run when they hear the sounds of machine guns?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Starr reveal about the makeup of her family's religious beliefs in the opening chapters?

2. What reasons does Starr give for wondering if she should go to Khalil's funeral and for feeling like a phony once she does go?

3. What does Starr say she needs to figure out about her and Chris's relationship before they can go any further with their romance?

4. Though Starr's family is used to hearing gunshots in their neighborhood, what causes them to turn the lights off and to eat dinner on the floor the night after Khalil's funeral?

5. What is the origin story of Seven's conception and how does it affect the family dynamic?

6. What sort of help does DeVante seek from Maverick and what sort of help does he receive?

7. Contrast Maverick's view of Khalil's shooting with Uncle Carlos's view of Khalil's shooting.

8. Whom does Starr call when she feels she can no longer handle being at school the day of the basketball game altercation and why?

9. What action does Starr take that she names as a betrayal worse than dating a white boy and why?

10. What does Starr say happened when she invited Hailey and Maya to her house for a sleepover in the 7th grade?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the author's comparison among Riverton Hills, Garden Heights, and Brook Falls. What is her purpose in presenting these three neighborhood archetypes?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the symbolism of Maverick's store, differentiating between what it represents in its past incarnation, what it represents during its demise due to fire, and what it represents as a result of the plans for it in the future.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the novel's message regarding the dichotomy between justice and safety.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,228 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample