Starfish: Chapter 43–Epilogue

by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Kiko is devastated when she is not accepted to art school. Longing for an escape from her stifling community and self-absorbed mother, she accepts an unexpected invitation to travel to California with an old friend.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–26, Chapters 27–42, Chapter 43–Epilogue
35 words 8 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. proverbial
    relating to or resembling a condensed but memorable saying
    This is the proverbial straw that broke the relationship between Mom and Uncle Max.
  2. incoherent
    without logical or meaningful connection
    WHAT I ACTUALLY SAY:
    A string of incoherent, clustered syllables.
  3. void
    an empty area or space
    I feel like I have the world, and even though Prism isn't in it, Hiroshi is. His family is. His art is. He's filling a void I never knew was there, with his stories and his family and his paintings and the kindness he never seems to run out of.
  4. quizzical
    perplexed
    “Are those tentacles?” he asks with a quizzical brow.
  5. waver
    be unsure or weak
    It takes me a while to answer. When I do, my voice doesn’t waver.
  6. imprint
    an impression produced by pressure
    Drawing feels so open and skeletal. My sketchbook is a collection of imprints from my soul.
  7. venture
    proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
    This painting isn't about the starfish. It's about the girl who wants to venture out into the ocean, away from the starfish, so she can feel like she matters.
  8. noncommittal
    refusing to bind oneself to a particular course of action
    She grunts noncommittally.
  9. agitation
    the feeling of being uncalm
    My agitation builds.
  10. petty
    preoccupied with unimportant matters in a spiteful way
    I want to tell her Serena isn't as petty as she is, and that maybe Serena would be better off as the only Mrs. Himura because she probably thinks it's beautiful and special and not in any way inferior.
  11. stem
    grow out of, have roots in, originate in
    I don't understand why he's surprised—I've never felt the need to go to Chinatown, which probably stems from the fact that Mom never told me I should feel otherwise.
  12. intoxicating
    extremely exciting
    It's hard to breathe when all the colors of his face are so rich and intoxicating—pale blue eyes, a honey tan, and dark chocolate hair.
  13. chastise
    scold or criticize severely
    According to Mom, the office had an unofficial agreement to never bring their kids’ school fund-raising catalogs to work. The woman did it anyway, and Mom decided it was her job to chastise the woman in front of everyone.
  14. aneurysm
    an abnormal bulge caused by weakening of an artery wall
    I’m not relaxed anymore. I’m having a brain aneurysm.
  15. obscure
    make unclear or less visible
    Jamie’s face is once again obscured by the camera lens.
  16. euphoric
    characterized by a feeling of well-being or elation
    The laughter erupting from my throat sounds so euphoric I don’t recognize it as mine.
  17. delirium
    a usually brief state of excitement and mental confusion
    Delirium envelops my mind. I’d be independent. I'd have my own life.
    In California.
  18. interject
    speak abruptly, especially as an interruption
    “I mean, Hiroshi still might say no, so I probably shouldn't get too excited.”
    “He’s not going to say no,” Jamie interjects.
  19. luminescent
    emitting light not caused by heat
    I want to ignore it—I try to, staring back into the two luminescent blue eyes in front of me.
  20. phenomenal
    exceedingly or unbelievably great
    He tells me he thinks it’s a phenomenal idea and that he only wishes he had thought of it himself.
  21. mesmerize
    attract strongly, as if with a magnet
    “What do I do?” I ask, mesmerized by the dangling birds.
  22. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    “Why? What happened?” She pauses. “Did you get into art school or something?” She sounds more wary than excited.
  23. naive
    lacking information or instruction
    “I don't want you to be naive. What kind of a mother would I be if I didn't try to teach my daughter about the world?”
  24. hobble
    walk unevenly due to pain, injury, or weakness
    Rei’s cousin is pretending to hobble with a cane.
  25. hysterical
    marked by excessive or uncontrollable emotion
    Akane is crawling like a tiger, laughing hysterically.
  26. stipulation
    a restriction insisted upon as a condition for an agreement
    You are honest. You love without stipulation.
  27. unconditional
    not modified or restricted
    I'm too busy crying myself, thinking of how it must feel to be loved so wholly, so unconditionally.
  28. exquisite
    of extreme beauty
    I finish my painting. Hiroshi calls it “exquisite.”
  29. intuition
    instinctive knowing, without the use of rational processes
    “Because people always talk about me. I have amazing intuition, and right now my ears are ringing.”
  30. testy
    easily irritated or annoyed
    “The best thing for him is to be with his mother. Not around two newborns and a father he barely sees,” she says testily.
  31. amicably
    in a friendly manner
    The lawyer says the easiest way is for Mom and Dad to work it out between them, amicably. Dad doesn’t think amicably is an option.
  32. rationalize
    defend, explain, or make excuses for by reasoning
    You wouldn't have tried to justify it or rationalize it away...
  33. repressed
    characterized by the suppression of impulses or emotions
    “I've been reading all this stuff on hypnotherapy and repressed memories...”
  34. diminish
    decrease in size, extent, or range
    Why are you trying to diminish the horrible thing that happened to me and make it about you?
  35. formality
    a requirement of etiquette or custom
    We could interview you sometime in the spring, although—and I'm not supposed to say this—the interview is much more of a formality than anything.
Created on Fri Sep 13 09:16:24 EDT 2019 (updated Thu Sep 19 14:02:41 EDT 2019)

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