Chronically Dolores: Chapters 7–9

by Maya Van Wagenen
This novel, inspired by the author's real life, follows Dolores Mendoza as she struggles with a chronic illness and discovers the power of unexpected friendship.

Here are links to our lists for the book:
Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–9, Chapters 10–12, Chapters 13–15, Chapters 16–18, Chapters 19–21, Chapters 22–24, Chapter 25–Epilogue
20 words 13 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. jest
    activity characterized by good humor
    That the boat photo had been taken in jest and posted online against her will.
  2. mauve
    of a pale to moderate grayish violet color
    A spot of dried, mauve gum grew larger and larger in front of me as the concrete sidewalk eclipsed my vision.
  3. earnest
    characterized by a firm, sincere belief in one's opinions
    Her voice was earnest, even if her eyes did make me uncomfortable.
  4. circumstances
    one's overall condition in life
    Under normal circumstances, I might have thought they were up to something.
  5. impromptu
    with little or no preparation or forethought
    I figured he was still angry with me for the impromptu skydiving incident.
  6. alignment
    adjusting the parts of something in relation to each other
    I set the water bottle down beside it, but clearly I didn’t do it right, because Terpsichore had to nudge it into alignment.
  7. autism
    a condition involving social and communication difficulties
    “My mother believes that because of my autism, I won’t be able to form meaningful relationships or navigate nuanced social situations. I’m homeschooled, and if she had her way, I would get an online college degree or maybe not even get a degree at all and live at home with her until she dies.”
  8. nuanced
    conveying a subtle difference in tone, meaning, or attitude
    “My mother believes that because of my autism, I won’t be able to form meaningful relationships or navigate nuanced social situations. I’m homeschooled, and if she had her way, I would get an online college degree or maybe not even get a degree at all and live at home with her until she dies.”
  9. indignant
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    She must not have picked up on my sarcasm, because she shot me an indignant glare.
  10. omnipotence
    the state of having unlimited power
    In your merciful omnipotence, command a cockroach to scurry across the floor, push a dirty spoon off the cart, anything to make her look away before she—My heart was thumping in my throat as Shae’s face dropped into view.
  11. suede
    leather with a napped surface
    “Shae, I’d really like to know more about why—”
    I dug my elbow as hard as I could into the toe of Terpsichore’s suede ankle boot.
  12. surreptitious
    conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
    Spider and Teardrop wheeled a full cart of dirty dishes across the ice cream parlor, studying Terpsichore and me with surreptitious glances as they went past.
  13. genuinely
    in accordance with truth or fact or reality
    She seemed genuinely shocked at the offer.
  14. emphatically
    in a forceful manner; with emphasis
    Terpsichore nodded emphatically.
  15. taut
    pulled or drawn tight
    Terpsichore pulled her lips taut and squinted.
  16. disingenuous
    not straightforward or candid
    “It feels disingenuous.”
  17. cranny
    a small opening or crevice
    “Go shower, Dolores. You’re not allowed back here until you’ve soaped every nook and cranny.”
  18. lewd
    suggestive of or tending to moral looseness
    “Like this, Dolores,” he said, doing increasingly lewd shower pantomimes against the glass.
  19. philanthropic
    of or relating to charitable giving
    “How will I ever get by without your grand philanthropic sacrifices? I shudder to think. Now go, there could be customers coming.”
  20. hyperbolic
    enlarged beyond truth or reasonableness
    “Don’t be hyperbolic, Dolores. Go on, get.”
Created on Fri Mar 14 05:54:03 EDT 2025 (updated Mon Mar 17 09:20:00 EDT 2025)

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