(S)Kin: Marisol: Nightmare – Genevieve: Life

by Ibi Zoboi
This novel in verse follows Marisol, the fifteen-year-old daughter of a mythical creature called a soucouyant, and Genevieve, a seventeen-year-old navigating her relationships with her stepmother and new siblings, as they uncover the magic and deep family secrets that bind them together.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Marisol: Nightmare - Genevieve: Life, Marisol: Work - Genevieve: Home, Two: Father Sun, Three: Sister Stars
15 words 144 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cacophony
    a loud harsh or strident noise
    Mummy makes me feel sinful with her cacophony
    of chants, Bible verses, and hallelujahs.
  2. dissipate
    go away, scatter, or disappear
    when my cells ignite, bones dissipate,
    and my brain, heart, lungs, nerves, and blood
    become a plasma of hydrogen, helium,
    neutrons, and cosmic dust;
  3. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    I am becoming
    what my mother
    is trying to conjure—
    a monstrous thing that needs
    God
    even though
    we are made of the
    same magic.
  4. susceptible
    yielding readily to or capable of undergoing a process
    It’s a lie. It’s only so that we live
    somewhere that is susceptible to flames.
  5. lavish
    characterized by extravagance and profusion
    Mummy always wanted something more
    than life on the islands, more than a life
    boxed within the lavish rooms of the
    Hibiscus Resort. We didn’t live there.
  6. silhouette
    an outline of a solid object as cast by its shadow
    Except I wish I was just a shadow of a girl—
    no face, no hair, no skin—just a silhouette
    of how beautiful I can be when I dance,
    and only when I dance.
  7. jolt
    move or cause to move with a sudden jerky motion
    I jolt awake, sweating. Itching. Burning.
  8. metamorphosis
    the marked and rapid transformation of a larva into an adult
    I wish I was made from silk—spun from
    insect larvae that forms cocoons as they go
    through metamorphosis; shedding and rebirthing
    at each stage of their life cycle—
  9. comrade
    a fellow soldier or companion in danger or difficulty
    We are comrades in arms ready to fight for
    a peaceful reality; the freedom to exist
    as the others do—without magic
    but powerful just the same.
  10. compensation
    something given or received as payment or reparation
    But this small box of a home has never been enough
    compensation for all the hours we work at the
    bakery.
  11. remnant
    a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists
    It holds the ghostly remnants of the shed and
    withered skins of my grandmothers, and I have always
    wondered why it cannot come with us in the sky—
  12. bassinet
    a basket (usually hooded) used as a baby's bed
    The night-light is shining over the empty bassinet
    that says Elliott.
  13. usher
    accompany or escort
    “So many feelings,” Dad would
    always joke, letting me know that I was a
    teenager and my emotions were normal
    and this culture has no rites of passage to
    usher me into adulthood—
  14. folklore
    the unwritten stories and proverbs and songs of a culture
    When you’re raised on folklore and fairy tales, possibilities are infinite.
  15. au pair
    a foreigner who lives with a family and provides childcare
    “Are you, like, the new nanny or au pair
    or whatever?” I ask.
Created on Thu Oct 09 08:58:38 EDT 2025 (updated Wed Nov 12 13:12:05 EST 2025)

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