The Body in the Woods: A Point Last Seen Mystery

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the main characters best understands the lives of the unhoused young women the killer is targeting?

A) Nick

B) Ruby

C) Bran

D) Alexis

2. Which of the main characters is the most insecure about their courage?

A) Alexis

B) Bran

C) Nick

D) Ruby

3. Which of the main characters is the most observant and detail-oriented?

A) Ruby

B) Nick

C) Alexis

D) Bran

4. Which of the main characters is the best at understanding people’s feelings?

A) Bran

B) Alexis

C) Ruby

D) Nick

5. Which thematic motif is most clearly supported by the details of the main characters’ search and rescue training, the fire George maintains, and Ruby’s behavior after she realizes Becker is the killer?

A) The need to belong

B) The drive to survive

C) The search for identity

D) The value of friendship

6. Which is the most reasonable interpretation of the symbolic value of the woods as a setting in this novel?

A) The woods are a wild and dangerous place that outsiders and misfits are naturally drawn to.

B) The woods are a healing and welcoming place where people can escape their problems.

C) The woods are a place of challenges and opportunities beyond those found in normal, daily life.

D) The woods are a lawless place where the smartest and strongest can face off against one another.

7. Which motif in the novel is most clearly supported by the details of Ruby’s mother’s owls, the cage-free eggs, and birdwatching?

A) Freedom

B) Observation

C) Flight

D) Collecting

8. Over the course of the novel, how does Alexis change?

A) She becomes more observant and analytical.

B) She becomes better at expressing her feelings and needs.

C) She becomes less easily frustrated and defeated.

D) She becomes less impulsive and angry.

9. What do Becker and Miranda have in common?

A) Callousness toward other people

B) A love of nature and birdwatching

C) A substance abuse disorder

D) Curiosity about others’ perceptions

10. What do Alexis, Ruby, and Nick have in common?

A) They are secretive.

B) They dislike their families.

C) They are ambitious and driven.

D) They feel like outsiders.

11. What is one of the things Ruby most appreciates about Alexis’s friendship?

A) Alexis willingly shares her family’s financial resources.

B) Alexis helps Ruby connect with other people.

C) Alexis is able to stand up to the bullies in Ruby’s life.

D) Alexis coaches Ruby to be more confident in her abilities.

12. Other than age and gender, what is the basis for Becker’s selection of victims?

A) Race

B) Socioeconomic status

C) Isolation

D) Hair color

13. Which of the following statements is most clearly supported by the novel’s plot?

A) Friends who trust one another tend to come from similar backgrounds.

B) Friends tend to become more and more similar to one another over time.

C) People who are not very similar to one another can still form true friendships.

D) Similar life experiences are not enough to serve as the basis of a friendship.

14. Which of the following statements is most clearly supported by the novel’s plot?

A) People who live on the margins of society are more vulnerable in many ways.

B) People who live on the margins of society are responsible for their own problems.

C) People who live on the margins of society are the responsibility of those with more resources.

D) People who live on the margins of society are more likely to participate in criminal activities.

15. Which of the following statements is most clearly supported by the novel’s plot?

A) Sharing your thoughts and feelings unnecessarily burdens others.

B) Sharing your thoughts and feelings is always appreciated by others.

C) Sharing your thoughts and feelings feels better than silence.

D) Sharing your thoughts and feelings can lead to negative consequences.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. How does The Body in the Woods use Detective Harriman’s character to show both the good and bad sides of amateur investigators interfering in police investigations?

2. What is ironic about the group’s first meeting with Caleb Becker?