On the Bright Side: Chapters 7-16

by Anna Sortino
Deaf teenager Ellie meets Jackson at the mainstream school she's been forced into after her boarding school was shut down, but while Jackson helps her adjust, he faces an unexpected and jarring medical problem.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-6, Chapters 7-16, Chapters 17-28, Chapters 29-39, Chapters 40-52
15 words 20 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. inscrutable
    difficult or impossible to understand
    Mom winces at my inscrutable expression and extends a hand down the table toward me.
  2. raucous
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
    My hearing aid and cochlear implant are no match for the raucous cafeteria.
  3. emanate
    proceed or issue forth, as from a source
    The small library has a welcoming vanilla scent emanating from the tall stacks of wooden bookshelves that have been here longer than we’ve been alive.
  4. faze
    disturb the composure of
    I don’t think anything could faze her.
  5. slog
    work doggedly or persistently
    But then I arrive at school and remember I have to slog through morning classes with Pamela.
  6. mutual
    common to or shared by two or more parties
    The initial catastrophe might have been her first-day jitters or something, because she’s been fine enough, I guess, but the lingering distaste continues to be mutual.
  7. intricate
    having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate
    I can do more intricate stuff, but this is an easy way to keep my hands busy.
  8. impeccable
    without error or flaw
    I know it’s only a few rows so far, but look at this impeccable stitching.
  9. incredulously
    in a disbelieving manner
    “Really?” Darius asks incredulously. “You want to do a sub-seven-minute mile?”
  10. mandatory
    required by rule
    It’s not mandatory, but since I’m not playing club like everyone else is right now, I need all the practice I can get.”
  11. composure
    steadiness of mind under stress
    Sitting upright, I brush the dirt from my arms and try to keep my composure.
  12. literally
    in a sense limited to explicit meaning
    “It was great running into you today.”
    Jackson squints, like he can’t totally figure me out. “Literally. Good thing I ran fast enough to catch you before you started walking the course.”
  13. scrimmage
    practice play between two teams
    Even when I’m doing just fine during conditioning or scrimmages, I can still feel the resentment a bit.
  14. deem
    judge or regard in a particular way
    Ellie deems it satisfactory.
  15. deplete
    use up, as resources or materials
    It usually helps me get a good start to the day, but not if I must deplete all my energy fighting through it.
Created on Tue Aug 05 08:46:04 EDT 2025 (updated Wed Aug 27 17:38:59 EDT 2025)

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