Not Like Other Girls: Chapters 1–4

by Meredith Adamo
In this mystery novel, a high school senior searches for her missing ex-best friend and comes face-to-face with her own trauma in the process.


Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapter 1-4, Chapter 5-8, Chapter 9-13, Chapter 14-17, Chapter 18-22, Chapter 23-29, Chapter 30-34, Chapter 35-42, Chapter 43-49, Chapter 50-Epilogue

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. endure
    put up with something or somebody unpleasant
    Most times, I endure her wrath silently until she sighs, not mad, just disappointed, and says, “You won’t try. You never do. That’s the trouble with girls like you.”
  2. drab
    lacking brightness or color; dull
    The fourth, I tug a turtleneck, drab green and two sizes too big, from the hamper.
  3. compose
    make calm or quiet
    I stop. Compose myself.
  4. en route
    on a route to some place
    Pick up the phone, say, “I know you’re probably at school already or en route or whatever, but I need a ride, okay? You’d be my hero forever and ever, love you, bye.”
  5. strain
    exert much effort or energy
    My eyes strain against the sudden dark shift: blackout shades drawn, faded fleece blanket tucked into the curtain rod.
  6. entail
    impose, involve, or imply as a necessary result
    He’s less lucky about what the plan entails.
  7. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
    He’s pure golden boy in the picture: the pristine tuxedo and twinkling eyes, a shiny white smile that notches dimples in his cheeks.
  8. fit
    meeting adequate standards for a purpose
    My own portrait is not fit to be displayed.
  9. crucial
    of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis
    She stands in the glow of the last lingering streetlamp, a golden ray of light shining upon her and—this part is crucial—her stupid white Prius.
  10. objectively
    in a manner not influenced by emotion
    She’d likely ignore me forever, except I skid on a patch of ice and slam into the trunk of her car, hard, which is objectively pretty funny, but Maddie doesn’t laugh.
  11. inevitable
    invariably occurring or appearing
    The extension to my review is all but inevitable, and so is Maddie’s delight.
  12. banter
    light teasing repartee
    This happens a lot with him: our banter broken, back-and-forth fizzling into a sad, deflated silence.
  13. din
    a loud, harsh, or strident noise
    The din of music—smashing piano keys, wailing violin strings, spit-thick trombone bellows—means no one hangs here much.
  14. unflappable
    not easily perturbed, excited, or upset
    If she saw me now, I bet she’d smile that chilly, unflappable smile and say, “I suggest you hurry, Miss Kirby.”
  15. stifle
    smother or suppress
    I don’t mean it as a joke, but Hudson stifles a laugh behind the back of his hand.
  16. deflect
    draw someone's attention away from something
    “What layout?” I’m deflecting. He means the senior spotlight yearbook layout, my major design project from last marking period.
  17. abide
    put up with something or somebody unpleasant
    I’ve abided by his terms and conditions for the past six weeks: no late arrivals, no detentions, no administrative interventions.
  18. unfathomable
    impossible to come to understand
    It’s unfathomable to me, really.
  19. integrity
    moral soundness
    The paper retracted the letter after Lund sent a scathing email about integrity or whatever, but still.
  20. exude
    make apparent by one's mood or behavior
    It’s not like she normally exudes confidence or anything, but this is weird.
  21. rapt
    feeling great delight and interest
    Tess volleys her eyes between us, rapt but pretending not to be.
  22. demoralizing
    causing a loss of self-confidence or hope
    I tally the days to graduation, which is beyond demoralizing.
  23. cold shoulder
    a refusal to recognize someone you know
    I’ve never asked about the breakup because I don’t care, sorry, but she totally turned on me, long before everyone else did: brutal death glares, a cold shoulder that could give me frostbite.
  24. frigid
    extremely cold
    The heat whooshes on, blasting a breath of frigid air from the vent.
  25. stark
    without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
    Those words in that order, the stark blue eyes—
    But Maddie is already gone, out there in the cold, hunching into the wind as she walks, a shadow against the fresh slate of snow.
Created on Wed Mar 26 06:48:11 EDT 2025 (updated Fri Mar 28 11:25:58 EDT 2025)

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