A World Worth Saving: Chapters 1–8

by Kyle Lukoff
In this novel, a transgender Jewish teenager who is navigating his parents' rejection of his gender meets a golem who asks him to help save the world.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-8, Chapters 9-15,
Chapters 16-23, Chapters 24-32, Chapter 33-Epilogue
15 words 124 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. meander
    an aimless amble on a winding course
    After spending approximately twenty-one percent of my life in this room except for going to the bathroom, shuffling downstairs for bowls of cereal, and long meanders around our backyard — thanks, COVID — you’d think I’d be thrilled for any excuse to leave.
  2. discreet
    not easily noticeable
    I wished I still had the binder I got, from this collective that shipped donated ones all over the world in discreet packaging.
  3. aura
    distinctive but intangible quality around a person or thing
    Yarrow had a confidence I lacked, I thought. This aura of self-love that nothing bad could ever penetrate. I wished I was like that.
  4. suppressed
    held in check or kept back with difficulty
    “I look forward to seeing your community’s flag,” Yarrow said with a suppressed chuckle.
  5. wan
    lacking vitality as from weariness or illness or unhappiness
    Most of the parents responded enthusiastically, and one or two kids murmured wan hellos.
  6. litany
    any long and tedious address or recital
    She loved to talk, but it was always the same litany.
  7. acrid
    strong and sharp, as a taste or smell
    I refused to wear the “Strength for Her” deodorant my mom bought for me and could smell myself, acrid and sour, mimicking the taste in the back of my throat.
  8. brandish
    exhibit aggressively
    The front door flung open and Matt rushed out brandishing a baseball bat.
  9. susurration
    an indistinct sound, as of whispering or rustling
    Without warning, without even the low susurration of trees that signaled an oncoming breeze, a strong wind began tossing debris into the air.
  10. scud
    run or move very quickly or hastily
    As I biked away the wind seemed to follow me, knocking over the trash cans lined up along the street, a tidal wave of garbage scudding toward me.
  11. inchoate
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
    I watched in horror as piles of trash flew into the open space among the trees and whipped into a cyclone, spinning faster and faster until the previously inchoate mass of wrappers and bags and newspapers resembled a human form.
  12. jaunty
    having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air
    At one point I noticed that I was humming the Hebrew alphabet song under my breath, the jaunty tune and rhythm at odds with the nerves humming in my joints, but couldn’t remember any of the letters that came between hay and shin.
  13. adversary
    someone who offers opposition
    “That is where your task begins. On erev Rosh Hashana, which weakens your adversaries and strengthens our resolve, in that space, ripe with love and its attendant fear, you will embark upon your path.”
  14. obituary
    a notice of someone's death
    She found a police report, and a few newspaper articles, an obituary.
  15. ocular
    relating to or resembling the eye
    The strange floaters were layered over my vision thicker than ever, and I was torn between concerns about my ocular health and gratitude for the unusual veil shrouding my surroundings.
Created on Wed Oct 01 07:23:06 EDT 2025 (updated Wed Nov 12 10:53:33 EST 2025)

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