The Manifestor Prophecy: Chapters 1–3

by Angie Thomas
In this first book of the Nic Blake and the Remarkables series, twelve-year-old Alexis Nichole Blake is an exile in the Unremarkable world who wants to learn how to use her Gift as a Manifestor, which includes controlling the elements, summoning objects, and creating illusions.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–8, Chapters 9–13, Chapters 14–19, Chapters 20–24
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. glare
    shine intensely
    The sun glares through the trees, and the air is thick and sticky; it feels like walking through toffee.
  2. scorch
    burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color
    I also remember that hellhounds breathe fire. So I search for signs. Burnt leaves, scorched earth...
  3. innate
    inborn or existing naturally
    You see, the Gift is an innate power that lives in us Manifestors.
  4. corrupt
    dishonest or immoral or evasive
    Magic, on the other hand, is a corrupt form of the Gift. It’s hard to control and super destructive.
  5. discipline
    training to improve strength or self-control
    JP and I have held off on reading the new book, and we’re avoiding all spoilers until we get our copies signed. That’s discipline right there.
  6. fabricate
    make up something artificial or untrue
    Dad hates books about magic. He calls them “fabricated tales written for profit.” Technically all fiction books are fabricated tales written for profit, but I let dude have his moments.
  7. scuttle
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    My puppy scuttles behind us into the house.
  8. persistent
    never-ceasing
    “You’re persistent, I’ll give you that. I think we should wait another year, Nic Nac.”
  9. galore
    existing in abundance
    “Another one?”
    Jackson has potholes galore.
  10. culinary
    of or relating to or used in cooking
    Trust me, I wouldn’t have told Dad we should move here if it was active, although the Jackson culinary specialties of caramel cake and chicken on a stick are worth the risk of volcanic eruption.
  11. aura
    distinctive but intangible quality around a person or thing
    The lights in the juke joint stay dim to keep people from seeing how run-down it is, but the Remarkables light the place up a bit thanks to the Glow, different-colored auras that tell you the kinda Remarkable they are.
  12. descent
    properties attributable to your ancestry
    Don’t call her a Fairy or she’ll tell you that Fairies are from Europe and Azizas are of African descent and Azizas are stronger than Fairies.
  13. inferior
    of or characteristic of low rank or importance
    Some Manifestors like to make sure other Remarkables know that we’re the most powerful Remarkables. Dad says it’s silly; that as Black folks we’ve seen people like us get treated as inferior and we shouldn’t do that to others.
  14. rampage
    violently angry and destructive behavior
    I mean when Mr. Earl broke into the Jackson blood bank, he had to deal with the Unremarkable police. But if he were to go on a rampage and bite a bunch of Unremarkables, LORE would step in.
  15. exile
    a person who is sent way from home or country by authority
    Dad and I are exiles, Remarkables who don’t live in Remarkable cities. So is everyone in Ms. Lena’s. Half of them left LORE cities on their own; some say there are too many rules to follow in the cities. The other half got kicked outta the cities.
  16. tonic
    a medicine that strengthens and invigorates
    Shelves cover every wall of the office, holding cages filled with creatures and vials of tonics in every color.
  17. adorn
    make more attractive, as by adding ornament or color
    Gold rings adorn her fingers, and her skin is bathed in a bronze Glow.
  18. divine
    resulting from heavenly providence
    Prophets hear divine messages about certain people’s futures, seek them out, and relay the messages.
  19. recipient
    a person to whom something is sent, given, or awarded
    Prophecies aren’t super detailed and can get misinterpreted by the recipients.
  20. beady
    small, round, and shiny
    It’s maybe a foot tall and has red bumpy skin and beady green eyes.
  21. unruly
    unable to be governed or controlled
    “Holy water,” Ms. Lena says. “He gets too unruly, I’ll hit him with some oil.”
  22. bayou
    a swampy arm or slow-moving outlet of a lake
    She spent three days on a roof until some Swampfolk—the bayou cousins of Merfolk—rescued her.
  23. practical
    having or put to an actual purpose or use
    If I was rich, I’d buy something useful, like a pet dragon trained to attack my enemies. Practical stuff.
  24. commemorate
    mark by some ceremony or observation
    Dad looks at the other cake. Every year he gets an extra one to commemorate surviving another year as my father. Rude.
  25. priority
    status established in order of importance or urgency
    “Some days, you may not understand the things I do, the things I’ve done,” Dad says, “but protecting you is my priority. A’ight?”
  26. destined
    governed by fate
    The timing’s so perfect that it seems like I was destined to grab my Stevie books, sneak next door, and ride to the book signing with them.
  27. blare
    make a loud noise
    Gospel music blares over at JP’s house.
  28. humble
    marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful
    “You defeated him? That’s so cool.”
    “Cool is one way to put it.”
    He’s being humble, but forget that.
  29. seclusion
    the act of isolating oneself from others
    Most of them live in seclusion until they seek out the people they receive prophecies about. I would live in seclusion too if people were always begging me to bless them with a prophecy.
  30. infuse
    fill, as with a certain quality
    Gift- infused technology. You can only buy Giftech in Remarkable cities, and Dad’s never taken me to one, so I’ve never had any Giftech of my own. Dad once told me it’s a hundred times more advanced than Unremarkable tech.
  31. levitation
    the phenomenon of rising as if by supernatural means
    “The beauty of the Gift is that it helps us when we need it. It knew that our ancestors needed to fly, and it helped them do so. Nowadays, it takes a little more effort, but hearing the ancient words helps you do the first step of flying. Levitation.”
  32. douse
    put out, as of a candle or a light
    Uncle Ty’s Glow goes out like a fire doused with water, and a jolt shoots through my palms, making my own aura glow so bright, it blinds me.
  33. static
    concerned with electricity produced by friction
    I took her hands and then...it’s like a strong static shock hit me.
  34. sap
    deplete
    My energy was sapped out of me.
  35. blubber
    cry or whine with snuffling
    “I’m sorry,” I blubber. “It was an accident.”
Created on Tue Jan 16 12:08:54 EST 2024 (updated Wed Jan 17 16:27:41 EST 2024)

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