Thieves' Gambit: Chapters 1–6

by Kayvion Lewis
Born into a legendary family of thieves, seventeen-year-old Rosalyn Quest tries to escape the criminal life by applying to college programs outside of the Bahamas, but when her mom disappears, she realizes that the best chance to save her would be winning a competition of international heists.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–15, Chapters 16–23, Chapters 24–34, Chapters 35–47
40 words 49 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. forge
    make a copy of with the intent to deceive
    I was starting to worry they’d seen through the transcripts I frantically forged for the applications.
  2. sparse
    not dense or plentiful
    I crept past the mansion’s rooms with untouched four-poster beds, sparse bookcases, and bare end tables.
  3. tasteful
    in keeping with what is considered appropriate and stylish
    The Kenyan stars and moon lent just enough light to see how stock-standard the room was. Tidy furniture. Tasteful wall art.
  4. finesse
    subtly skillful handling of a situation
    With the window shut, I scaled the brick wall to the camera facing the lawn. I had ten seconds to stop it from swinging toward me. No time for finesse. I ripped out the larger of the two cords feeding into the wall.
  5. custom
    made according to the specifications of an individual
    Mom would tell me to think about a new laptop. Five-hundred-dollar braids. Custom kicks that no one but she and Auntie would ever see me wearing.
  6. conscience
    conformity to one's own sense of right conduct
    The thought of her panicking in a closet for days or weeks twisted my conscience.
  7. exemplary
    worthy of imitation
    “Look at my baby, being exemplary and all,” Mom said, clicking the case open and examining the prize.
  8. accentuate
    stress or single out as important
    She was a glamorous sort of beauty. Long weave and tasteful eyelash extensions. Thick hips and a pinched waist she loved to accentuate—the complete opposite of my more slender build.
  9. stiletto
    a shoe with a very thin, very high heel
    Her style was dramatic, not fur coat and stilettos level, but enough that whenever we went someplace where she could really flex herself, she was always drawing double takes.
  10. elaboration
    a discussion that provides additional information
    “Hm...maybe not.” Mom looked straight ahead into the empty stretch of road and savannah grasses. I waited for an elaboration. A reason, something.
  11. renowned
    widely known and esteemed
    As a nationally renowned program, we are excited to attract dozens of talented young athletes every summer who are passionate about befriending peers in their field.
  12. gambit
    a strategic maneuver
    You are invited to participate in this year’s Thieves’ Gambit. The competition will begin in one week.
  13. painstakingly
    in a very careful manner
    Custom-embroidered white Chucks with hundreds of tiny gold leaves painstakingly sewn into the canvas, painted along the rubber seams, and cut into the soles, with sparkling gold laces to match. My shoes were gorgeous.
  14. practical
    concerned with actual use
    “I take personal offense to that, Auntie. And even more offense to the thought that I would buy anything I couldn’t move in.” It wasn’t like I collected pumps and platform boots. My custom Chucks were perfectly practical for training.
  15. oxymoron
    conjoined contradictory terms
    “Have you ever heard of something called the Thieves’ Gambit?” It was the first time I’d said the words aloud, and they sounded as bizarre as they had in my head. Thieves’, plural possessive? It was an oxymoron. Thieves don’t just get together.
  16. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    She moved her braids over her shoulder and sauntered away, fishing a pair of handcuffs out of a supply box packed with a variety of practice locks.
  17. exhilaration
    the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
    Trusting people in the industry, outside of the family, was out of the question. The options were stay locked up here or give up the life and make normal friends. I would give up the exhilaration of weekly heists for that.
  18. broach
    bring up a topic for discussion
    She could help me broach the topic with Mom.
  19. resent
    feel bitter or indignant about
    It wasn’t fair of me to resent Mom for the whole dad situation.
  20. waft
    be driven or carried along, as by the air
    Coconut lotion wafted off her, and for a second, I really did feel like I was little again.
  21. render
    pass or hand down
    It was final. The word was on the stone, and the verdict was rendered. No cross-examination. No testimony from me.
  22. fritter
    fried batter containing meat, vegetables, or fruit
    We were on Paradise Island—the one most people think of when picturing the Bahamas. Tall coral towers, white sand beaches dotted with shacks selling conch fritters, and a range of marinas hosting sleek and elegant yachts worth more money than most of the tourists flittering around the island would see in a dozen lifetimes.
  23. lavish
    characterized by extravagance and profusion
    Belowdecks on one of those lavish yachts was our target, and our tenth-floor hotel room had a perfect bird’s-eye view.
  24. smug
    marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
    It was hard not to let anything smug slip on my face. Mom had dragged me here for my exit-planning genius, and I was using it to run off.
  25. starboard
    located on the right side of a ship or aircraft
    We’ll buoy our Zodiac between that area and the starboard side of the bow, since there aren’t any portholes nearby, then follow the map I routed through a manhole on the first deck, through the engine room, and into the hold.
  26. convoluted
    highly complex or intricate
    Leaning over, I swiped to another pair of blueprints, these showing a much more convoluted emergency route tangling through crew cabins around to the bow of the ship. “There’s this too, but it’s messy. My first route should be fine,” I said.
  27. addendum
    a thing that is attached or included
    This was easy money, for real. What was going to be a bit harder was my addendum.
  28. abstract
    not representing or imitating external reality
    My sneakers, a palette of ocean blues with abstract waves and foam and coral-green laces, jumped against the boat floor.
  29. lucrative
    producing a sizeable profit
    It was a lucrative business, obvious by this fancy yacht, and just as illegal as what we were doing.
  30. dinghy
    a small boat of shallow draft
    Then I followed the blueprints in my head through the shadows of the hold to a small nook flanked with bolted shelves and dinghies.
  31. provisions
    a stock or supply of foods
    In the middle of a collection of neatly stacked lifejackets, first aid kits, and emergency provisions, I found it, just like the online yacht-crew message board said.
  32. deem
    judge or regard in a particular way
    An airtight door—deemed too narrow and unsafe for evacuation by the International Maritime Safety Committee, and therefore removed from all emergency-exit-planning blueprints—sat closed with a metal wheel smack in its center.
  33. frugal
    avoiding waste
    I’d have to be frugal with these. Still, I couldn’t help it. “I want one now.”
  34. estranged
    caused to be unloved
    I barely knew my grandparents and estranged great-aunt. Mom was never invited to any family reunions, so I assumed I wasn’t either.
  35. excursion
    a journey taken for pleasure
    I’d thought she’d be the one person happily waiting for me, resentment free, when I eventually got back from my college excursion, but the world was suddenly so much different than what I’d thought today was going to be.
  36. presume
    take to be the case or to be true
    “You’ve called to register, I presume?”
  37. sentinel
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
    He hovered behind the counter like standing sentinel there had always been his life’s dream.
  38. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    A strange smell lingered in the air. A stiff, subtle sweetness. I’d have assumed it was something dangerous if the woman in front of me hadn’t been breathing it too.
  39. complimentary
    costing nothing
    The flight attendant brought me a tray with a glass of water and packaged cookies. I waved them away, but she pulled out the tray table and placed them down anyway.
    “Complimentary.”
  40. loll
    hang loosely or laxly
    I didn’t even know what continent I’d wake up on. If I would wake up.
    I swallowed, feeling my head start to loll.
Created on Mon Feb 05 16:10:38 EST 2024 (updated Tue Feb 06 15:52:26 EST 2024)

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