The Season of Styx Malone: Chapters 38–54

by Kekla Magoon
During one action-packed summer, brothers Caleb and Bobby Gene team up with smooth schemer Styx Malone in an attempt to escape their small town.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–14, Chapters 15–23, Chapters 24–37, Chapters 38–54

Here are links to our lists for other works by Kekla Magoon: X: A Novel, The Rock and the River
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. earnestly
    in a sincere and serious manner
    “Boy, have we got a deal for you!” Cory spoke so earnestly it was hard not to laugh.
  2. memorabilia
    objects that are valued because of their link to historical events or a particular interest
    “What do you want with my Harley memorabilia?”
    I made note of that word. Memorabilia. By comparison, swag sounded cheap.
  3. aback
    by surprise
    He was taken aback, which was a thing I had heard people say that had never made sense until this moment.
  4. aboveboard
    without concealment or deception; honest
    “It’s our fault as much as his. We knew it wasn’t all aboveboard,” Bobby Gene said. “You don’t have to admit it to anyone else, but you have to admit it to me. You knew, just like I did.”
  5. contemplate
    reflect deeply on a subject
    We lingered outside the windows of the hardware store, contemplating.
  6. amends
    something done or paid to make up for a wrong
    “If it’s like I say, and it’s fine already, then we’re settled. If it’s like you think, and he’s mad, we still got cash to make amends.”
  7. wistfully
    in a pensively sad manner
    But Styx gazed wistfully at the small house.
  8. portico
    porch or entrance to a building consisting of a covered area
    She pointed to the circle drive under the ER portico, beyond the big sliding glass doors.
  9. somber
    lacking brightness or color; dull
    “They took him away from you?” I pictured the man and woman in their somber gray suits.
  10. mirage
    optical illusion in which hot air distorts distant objects
    In the cartoons, when you think you’re seeing a mirage, you rub your fists into your eyes and it clears right up.
  11. beholder
    a person who becomes aware through the senses
    Luck was in the eye of the beholder, I supposed.
  12. ricochet
    spring back; spring away from an impact
    I don’t have that kind of luck. Styx’s words ricocheted inside me.
  13. hindsight
    understanding the nature of an event after it has happened
    They say hindsight is 20/20. I know what that means now. When you look back at things, you can see their meaning more clearly, like you have perfect 20/20 vision.
  14. noble
    having high or elevated character
    We were not so noble as to stage a hunger strike.
  15. ruckus
    the act of making a noisy disturbance
    To our credit, we didn’t raise a ruckus.
  16. impenetrable
    not admitting of passage into or through
    I’d never won in a fight with him, but I’d never had this kind of fire inside me. My sides were made of impenetrable green metal.
  17. conspire
    act in agreement and in secret towards a deceitful purpose
    I stared past Mom’s taillights, stared down the road at whatever was out there. Knowing I’d never see any of it. The world had conspired to keep us in Sutton.
  18. damper
    a depressing restraint
    Dad was here to put a damper on everything we’d worked for.
  19. stricken
    affected by something overwhelming
    “You always tell me that I’m just like everyone else!” I cried. “But I’m not. I’m not...ordinary.”
    Dad looked stricken. “Of course you’re not ordinary.”
  20. tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    “Outside?” Bobby Gene said tentatively. “You mean, into the backyard?”
  21. pirouette
    rapidly spin the body, usually as part of a dance
    She pirouetted and sparkles rained down.
  22. gravitate
    be attracted to
    Pixie paused her sprinkling and regarded him seriously. “I can’t be sure. They gravitate toward type.”
  23. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    We attempted very solemn expressions.
  24. intone
    utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically
    “Sticks and stones may break my bones,” he intoned. “Oh, wait...”
  25. logistics
    supplying an operation with labor and materials as needed
    We’d spent a fair amount of our planning time discussing the logistics of possible loft-to-loft sword fights.
Created on Thu Jan 10 16:29:21 EST 2019 (updated Thu Apr 25 10:04:49 EDT 2019)

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