Starfish: Chapters 11–26

by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Kiko is devastated when she is not accepted to art school. Longing for an escape from her stifling community and self-absorbed mother, she accepts an unexpected invitation to travel to California with an old friend.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–26, Chapters 27–42, Chapter 43–Epilogue
35 words 17 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. muse
    reflect deeply on a subject
    “I always hoped we’d have a dentist in the family,” Mom muses.
  2. constrict
    squeeze or push together
    I have the sudden urge to stretch my spine, as if every part of my body feels cramped and constricted.
  3. jolt
    move or cause to move with a sudden jerky motion
    Mom jolts her head back like this is the most exciting information she's ever heard for the fifth time.
  4. spontaneous
    happening or arising without apparent external cause
    She avoids my stare, probably because she knows I'm imagining they are lasers and whatever I look at will be forced to spontaneously combust.
  5. contorted
    twisted, especially as in pain or struggle
    Tears fill her eyes, and it takes only a second before her whole mouth is contorted and she’s ugly-crying like she’s just had her heart broken.
  6. casual
    marked by a lack of concern
    There's something inspiring about how casual Emery can be about things I take so seriously that I could die over them.
  7. latte
    strong espresso coffee topped with frothed steamed milk
    When we get inside, Emery hovers over the pastry counter while I order the same drink I always do, because a vanilla chai latte makes the world feel better.
  8. bipolar
    of or relating to manic depressive illness
    “God, your mom. Whenever I meet her she acts like the nicest person in the world, and then you tell me stories and I don’t know. Have you ever wondered if she might be bipolar?” Emery takes another drink.
  9. prestigious
    having an excellent reputation; respected
    Some people dream about going to Juilliard or Yale or Hogwarts, even. Because they’re prestigious and magical and a dream.
  10. prospective
    of or concerned with or related to the future
    They have a forum section, too, where prospective students ask all kinds of questions about student life and whatever else they want to know.
  11. epitome
    a standard or typical example
    Why...the epitome of bravery?
  12. fixate
    attach (oneself) to a person or thing in a neurotic way
    With the exception of Taro’s fixation on the refrigerator, the three of us tend to migrate to our own spaces when we’re inside the house.
  13. implode
    burst inward
    My heart implodes inside my chest.
  14. frank
    characterized by directness in manner or speech
    I have a mom who has been encouraging me for more than a year to stay at home and go to community college—which, quite frankly, sounds only a tiny bit better than bathing in acid and letting a coyote eat my legs off.
  15. salutatorian
    a graduating student with the second highest academic rank
    “They're kind of laid-back about body art. I mean, I'm salutatorian, so I guess they figured I can't be a complete mess if I'm getting straight A's.”
  16. stoic
    seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive
    She’s standing there, stoic and eerie, and there are tears streaming down her face.
  17. erratic
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
    Mom takes a few erratic inhales and wipes her tears away with her fingers.
  18. juggernaut
    a massive inexorable force
    “I still have some of your drawings, you know. The ones of us as different superheroes are my favorites.” He laughs easily. “Do you remember Klepto Kiko? And Jamie Juggernaut?”
  19. oriented
    adjusted or located in relation to surroundings
    “For someone so visually oriented, you’re totally blind.”
  20. complexion
    the coloring of a person's face
    Francis laughs and looks at me, her dark complexion making her lilac hair even more vibrant. “You shipping off to college too?”
  21. sever
    cut off from a whole
    I draw a row of paper dolls severed in the middle and two friends promising to someday put them back together again.
  22. physiological
    of or consistent with an organism's normal functioning
    “I like your hair today,” she says.
    My shoulders stiffen. Getting a compliment from Mom doesn't just mentally affect me—it’s physiological, too.
  23. curt
    speaking in a terse, rude, or abrupt way
    I give a curt nod.
  24. flustered
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
    Jamie looks almost as flustered as I feel.
  25. rig
    arrange the outcome of by means of deceit
    “I was wondering if you'd like to go to the fair with me. I drove past it this morning. All the games are rigged and the rides are pretty lame, but they have funnel cake.”
  26. faze
    disturb the composure of
    He must not have looked at the picture well enough. Either that or he's so used to my weird face that a photograph of it doesn't even faze him.
  27. clarification
    an interpretation that removes obstacles to understanding
    “My mom always said you were the prettiest girl in the neighborhood,” he says. Why does it feel like clarification?
  28. compulsive
    having obsessive habits or irresistible urges
    “Oh my God, I’m a people pleaser? That’s the worst.”
    “I think compulsive liar is a lot worse.”
    “Or sociopath.”
  29. terse
    brief and to the point
    “I am nice to my mom,” I say tersely.
  30. dishearten
    take away the enthusiasm of
    “You can’t get so disheartened when someone doesn't act the way you want them to. Even Mr. Darcy wasn't perfect. And just because someone makes you feel uncomfortable doesn't make them your mom.”
  31. compact
    squeeze or push together
    Emery always has the best advice, even when it's compacted into five minutes because that's all the spare time she has between classes.
  32. shrill
    having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
    “What is it you want from me, then?” Her voice is shrill and sharp.
  33. obscene
    offensive to the mind
    He tosses a shoe box on my desk. It's wrapped with an obscene amount of Scotch tape.
  34. candid
    informal or natural
    It’s full of photographs.
    They’re all from the fair. Some of them are black-and-white and some are colored. They’re candid and beautiful.
  35. tangible
    perceptible by the senses, especially the sense of touch
    Imperfection is his ideal, because it's real and tangible, and he knows how to translate it into a frozen moment in time that will be beautiful forever.
Created on Fri Sep 13 09:15:16 EDT 2019 (updated Thu Sep 19 12:03:16 EDT 2019)

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