Shatter Me: Chapters 11–20

by Tahereh Mafi
Juliette has the power to paralyze or kill people with a single touch. The Reestablishment government wishes to use her as a weapon to secure world domination — but Juliette has her own plans.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–20, Chapters 21–35, Chapter 36–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. armoire
    a large wardrobe or cabinet
    There's a queen-size bed in the middle of the space, lush carpet gracing the floors, an armoire flush against the wall, light fixtures glittering from the ceiling.
  2. inscrutable
    difficult or impossible to understand
    Adam's face is inscrutable again.
  3. resentful
    full of or marked by indignant ill will
    I saw the world and its lack of compassion, its harsh, grating judgment, and its cold, resentful eyes.
  4. sinew
    a band of tissue connecting a muscle to its bony attachment
    My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts and images all together.
  5. ostracize
    avoid speaking to or dealing with
    I've been neglected abandoned ostracized and dragged from my home.
  6. prod
    poke or thrust abruptly
    I've been poked prodded tested and thrown in a cell.
  7. expendable
    suitable to be used up
    I am expendable to all of them.
  8. prostration
    abject submission
    They think I'm a doll they can dress up and twist into prostration.
  9. embellishment
    a superfluous ornament
    I have no idea what to expect I have no idea what my life will be like in this new place and I’m being nailed in the stomach by every exquisite embellishment, every lavish accessory, every superfluous painting, molding, lighting, coloring of this building.
  10. superfluous
    more than is needed, desired, or required
    I have no idea what to expect I have no idea what my life will be like in this new place and I’m being nailed in the stomach by every exquisite embellishment, every lavish accessory, every superfluous painting, molding, lighting, coloring of this building.
  11. semblance
    the outward or apparent appearance or form of something
    Hate looks just like everybody else until it smiles. Until it spins around and lies with lips and teeth carved into the semblance of something too passive to punch.
  12. impeccable
    without error or flaw
    He's dressed impeccably from head to toe and covered everywhere except his face.
  13. imperceptibly
    in a manner that is difficult to discern
    He stops. Surprised. Lifts his chin almost imperceptibly.
  14. synchronicity
    the relation that exists when things occur at the same time
    My bones begin to buckle, snapping in synchronicity with the beats of my heart.
  15. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    “Don’t—” I hold up a tentative hand, pleading with my eyes, staring into the face of this innocent man.
  16. incapacitate
    make unable to perform a certain action
    But he's not letting go because he can't. Because I have to be the one to break the connection. Because the agony incapacitates him. Because he's caught in my snares.
  17. obscure
    make unclear, indistinct, or blurred
    I'm suddenly screaming and struggling to see past the sheet of tears obscuring my vision; I'm hiccupping, hysterical, horrified by the frozen look on this man's face, his paralyzed lips wheezing.
  18. unadulterated
    without qualification
    Every face is etched in astonishment and pure, unadulterated fear.
  19. reconcile
    bring into consonance or accord
    I don't know if it's because I can't think straight or if it's because I'm genuinely confused, but I'm struggling to reconcile Warner's polarizing personalities.
  20. polarize
    cause to divide into conflicting positions
    I don't know if it's because I can't think straight or if it's because I'm genuinely confused, but I'm struggling to reconcile Warner's polarizing personalities. Here he is, offering me a glass of water after he forced me to torture someone.
  21. meticulous
    marked by extreme care in treatment of details
    Warner is staring at me, sitting at the foot of his own bed in a fresh suit and perfectly polished boots. Everything about him is meticulous. Pristine.
  22. unassuming
    not arrogant
    His hair is thick, the richest slice of gold; his frame is lean and unassuming, but his grip is effortlessly strong.
  23. indignation
    a feeling of righteous anger
    I’m running to catch up to him now, burning with indignation.
  24. receptacle
    a container that is used to put or keep things in
    I’m backed into the far edge of this glass receptacle and I’m suddenly nervous.
  25. palpable
    capable of being perceived
    The tension in his entire body is so intense it’s nearly palpable and I think my muscles have begun to freeze.
  26. naive
    lacking information or instruction
    “You are naive,” he says to me, his voice harsh, low, a grating whisper against my skin. “You don’t realize that you’re a threat to everyone in this building. They have every reason to harm you. You don’t see that I am trying to help you—”
  27. venture
    put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation
    "Adam?" I venture, tentative. “I need your key card.”
  28. unfurl
    unroll, unfold, or spread out
    I close the door behind me and my hands are shaking as I unfurl the familiar papers bound together by old glue.
  29. taut
    subjected to great tension; stretched tight
    Every inch of my skin is taut, fraught with feeling and the pressure is building in my chest, pounding louder and faster and harder, overcompensating for my stillness.
  30. apprehension
    fearful expectation or anticipation
    The look on his face: the unguarded strain, the flinching terror, the sudden apprehension in his features.
  31. poised
    marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
    He slips it into his hand, his finger poised directly over the trigger.
  32. callous
    emotionally hardened
    Suddenly the wind is too callous, too cold as it slices its way through the crowd.
  33. perforated
    having a number or series of holes
    He pulls a small square of perforated metal out of his pocket and presses it to his lips; when he speaks, his voice carries over the crowd like it’s been amplified.
  34. careen
    move sideways or in an unsteady way
    My heart careens out of control.
  35. palpitation
    a shaky motion
    My fingers are running a marathon down my thigh. I can’t stand still. I can’t calm the palpitations crashing my nervous system.
  36. fraternize
    be on friendly terms with someone, as if with a brother
    “Private Fletcher was found on unregulated grounds, fraternizing with civilians believed to be rebel party members. He had stolen food and supplies from storage units dedicated to Sector 45 citizens. It is not known whether he betrayed sensitive information."
  37. astute
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
    “You just killed him—”
    “You’re very astute.”
  38. unflappable
    not easily perturbed, excited, or upset
    His gaze is fixed on me: calm, unflappable; 2 buckets of river water at midnight.
  39. rivulet
    a small stream
    Rivulets of water snake their way down his face and his hands hold me up against the wall.
  40. torrential
    resembling a downpour in force and abundance
    He left me standing sopping wet in the shower, soaking up a torrential downpour of hot tears.
Created on Tue Aug 04 12:01:32 EDT 2020 (updated Tue Aug 11 10:30:55 EDT 2020)

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