A Mango-Shaped Space: Chapters 12-15

by Wendy Mass
In this novel, a thirteen-year-old girl learns to understand and manage her synesthesia, a neurological condition in which one sense involuntarily triggers responses from other senses.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue-Chapter 2, Chapters 3-4, Chapters 5-8,
Chapters 9-11, Chapters 12-15
35 words 109 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. vestige
    an indication that something has been present
    The glow around Faith is ten times as vibrant as it was the first time, and the last vestige of guilt caused by lying to my parents leaves me.
  2. daze
    confusion characterized by lack of clarity
    I walk out into the waiting room in a daze.
  3. pulsate
    expand and contract rhythmically
    The fruit in the bowl on the desk is practically pulsating with life.
  4. brim
    be completely full
    Everything’s brimming with life!
  5. contemplate
    reflect deeply on a subject
    I wipe off my brushes and stand back to contemplate the finished product.
  6. plight
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
    Laura, Roger, and Jonah take turns reciting the story of the Ibos and their plight.
  7. captivated
    filled with wonder and delight
    Mrs. Morris seems captivated, and the class actually pays attention.
  8. expectant
    marked by eager anticipation
    When we’re done, Mrs. Morris asks us to talk about the painting. The other three turn to me expectantly.
  9. fateful
    having momentous consequences; of decisive importance
    I haven’t stood up and spoken in front of a class since that fateful day in third grade.
  10. morsel
    a small amount of solid food; a mouthful
    I reach down and give him a morsel of tofu loaf.
  11. demure
    shy or modest, often in a playful or provocative way
    “I’m sorry, Mia,” Zack says, lowering his eyes demurely.
  12. billow
    rise and move, as in waves
    As we pull up alongside the house, I can see smoke billowing out of the chimney.
  13. engrossed
    giving or marked by complete attention to
    I’m so engrossed in what people are saying that I don’t realize it’s almost my turn to speak until Helen stands up next to me.
  14. beckon
    appear inviting
    As I come to a stop the full moon shining through the living-room window beckons to me.
  15. sluggish
    lacking energy, quickness, or alertness
    I quickly gather him in my arms, and he sluggishly opens one eye, then lets it close again.
  16. nuzzle
    nestle or cuddle together
    I spend the next hour holding and nuzzling him, alternately wondering how I didn’t see him slip outside, hating myself for letting him get so cold, and debating whether or not I should give him another pill.
  17. hunch
    round one's back by bending forward
    I race outside, hunched over to keep Mango warm.
  18. ashen
    pale from illness or emotion
    After a minute of this Dad looks up at me, his face ashen, and shakes his head.
  19. torrent
    a violently fast stream of water or other liquid
    My eyes fall on Mango’s stiff shape on the floor, and a fresh torrent of tears flows from my eyes.
  20. vigorously
    in an energetic manner
    “We loved Mango too, Mia,” Beth says. Zack nods vigorously.
  21. incredulously
    in a disbelieving manner
    I stare at her incredulously. “Did you tell her what happened today?”
  22. bleak
    offering little or no hope
    I stare out the window at the bleak gray sky while she busily prepares me something to eat.
  23. hysteria
    state of violent mental agitation
    I can feel the now familiar hysteria rising up in me, and I point at the ground.
  24. flimsy
    lacking solidity or strength
    Mom calls out that I’m not wearing shoes, but I ignore her and swing open the flimsy wooden door.
  25. misconception
    an incorrect assumption
    “It has come to our attention,” my mother begins, “that some serious misconceptions are floating around this house.”
  26. pang
    a sudden sharp feeling
    It’s the same size as the one that held my piece of the moon, and I feel a pang of regret over throwing it out the window.
  27. halting
    proceeding in a fragmentary, hesitant, or ineffective way
    “Hey, Mia, can you tell me what color my name is?”
    “I don’t know,” I answer haltingly. “What’s your name again?”
  28. stifle
    smother or suppress
    Roger rolls his eyes, and I stifle a laugh.
  29. recurring
    coming back
    I make it through the week with recurring pangs of pain and loss and guilt, and after dinner on Friday night I put on the pajamas that I plan to stay in for the rest of the weekend.
  30. fawn
    try to gain favor through flattery or deferential behavior
    “Her daughter goes to your school. Judging from how Zack’s fawning over her, I think this is the ‘babe’ he was talking about at dinner the other night.”
  31. obnoxious
    causing disapproval or protest
    She’s the girl who was so obnoxious to me in the cafeteria when people first found out about my colors.
  32. gape
    look with amazement
    I gape at him gratefully as he steps back next to Amy, who has a new look of respect in her eyes.
  33. stricken
    affected by something overwhelming
    Zack looks stricken. “But Amy said she wanted to see my McDonald’s chart. It’ll only take a minute.”
  34. menorah
    a seven- or nine-branched candelabrum used in Jewish worship
    The Roths always let each of the kids light a candle on the menorah, and when it’s my turn, I say a prayer in my head for Grams and Grandpa and Mango.
  35. warily
    in a manner marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    Twinkles looks up at me warily and keeps an eye on me as I approach.
Created on Wed Apr 18 21:53:42 EDT 2018 (updated Tue Apr 24 08:58:30 EDT 2018)

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