Minecraft: The Island: Chapters 10–13

by Max Brooks
Based on the video game, this first book of the series features an anonymous narrator who leaves a book behind to help others who also find themselves on an island where survival depends on figuring out how to use blocks.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Introduction–Chapter 5, Chapters 6–9, Chapters 10–13, Chapters 14–17, Chapter 18–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. carcass
    the dead body of an animal
    Isn’t that what they call something that survives on dead meat? A vulture or a hyena or a maggot, that’s me.
    I thought I remembered hearing somewhere that early humans had started out that way, chasing off other scavengers to feed on the picked-over carcasses of animals.
  2. somnambulist
    someone who walks about in their sleep
    Dawn had broken, and the undead assailant was now seconds from death.
    “If that ain’t ironic,” I told the smoldering somnambulist, “and here you were trying to eat me.”
  3. putrefaction
    a state of decay usually accompanied by an offensive odor
    Even my breath smelled sweet and normal again, which was another irony if you think about the putrefaction it had just been filled with.
  4. bungle
    make a mess of, destroy, or ruin
    “Ugh,” I groaned, wincing at the memory of yesterday’s disaster. Where would I be if I hadn’t bungled it so badly?
  5. flounder
    move clumsily or struggle to move, as in mud or water
    “Don’t say it,” I said, floundering ashore and into the judgmental gaze of Moo. “I know I gotta make another boat.”
  6. recollection
    something recalled to the mind
    I drifted from memories of my time on the island to observations through the window, to hazy recollections of my past world.
  7. keen
    having or showing interest and intense desire
    “A bow!” I exclaimed, looking down at the arrow in my belt. “Why didn’t I think of this before?”
    I’d been so keen on recovering one for so long.
  8. contemplation
    a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
    “I know I’m not an idiot,” I said, calmly raising my hands, “but something is wrong with me, like my brain’s only working part-time.”
    I started pacing again, more out of contemplation than anger.
  9. plod
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    Plodding back to my underground hideout, I tried to refocus my mind on fishing.
  10. docile
    easily handled or managed
    We know they’re docile in daylight, so if I can pick one off at a safe distance...
  11. concede
    admit or acknowledge, often reluctantly
    “Yes, I know I should be afraid of them,” I conceded.
  12. resigned
    accepting that something unpleasant cannot be changed
    Moo let out a low, resigned “moo.” She knew I was making sense, even if that sense put me right in harm’s way.
  13. clamor
    a loud, harsh, or strident noise
    BANG BANG BANG BANG!
    The clamor of zombie fists jolted me out of bed.
  14. smolder
    burn slowly and without a flame
    I watched the sun burn my would-be home invader into a smoldering chunk, which I washed down with a bucket of Moo’s finest.
  15. exultant
    joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success
    A third strike knocked me against the side of the hill. I kissed dirt, felt my front teeth crack, and saw that I’d never make it to the open door.
    “Sssp!” hissed the exultant arachnid, crouching for its final leap.
  16. crude
    not refined or processed
    Crude stone slammed into crimson eyes, throwing the spider back and buying me enough time to run.
  17. subside
    wear off or die down
    “Right, sorry,” I said as the flash of panic subsided.
  18. behemoth
    someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
    I yanked back hard, expecting to see some subsea behemoth exploding up at me. Instead, a little bluish gray creature, about the size of my hand, flew out of the water and into my belt.
  19. chastise
    scold or criticize severely
    “Moo,” she continued, this time with a chastising edge to her voice.
  20. resounding
    characterized by loud, deep sound
    Using my shovel, I started scooping, and let out a resounding “aww yeah!” as the last cube revealed a wall of iron ore.
  21. don
    put on clothes
    Donning my new helmet, I was shocked at how light and comfortable it felt.
  22. exemplify
    be characteristic of
    I kicked around a bunch of awesome names: Slayer, Stormbrewer, and Fire of the Eternal Flame. What I settled on didn’t sound as cool, but better exemplified what this weapon meant to me.
  23. poised
    marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
    I winced, charging forward with Protector poised to strike.
  24. deter
    turn away from as by fear or persuasion
    Stunned but not deterred, I tried another frontal assault. A pair of projectiles knocked me back.
  25. reel
    be dizzy, disoriented, or bewildered
    Still reeling from surprise and disbelief, I hesitated just long enough for another twin shot to kick me back.
  26. barrage
    the heavy fire of artillery to saturate an area
    Zig-zagging through the endless barrage, I pranced back into the safety of the tunnel.
  27. lance
    pierce with a long pointed rod used as a weapon
    I hissed as the arrow lanced deep into my unarmored thigh.
  28. obscure
    make unclear or less visible
    This time I learned enough to keep to the corner of the chamber, just close enough to strike, but obscured enough to prevent a clean shot.
  29. dredge up
    bring to mind something unpleasant from the past
    Remembering Moo’s loss, as well as the first chickens, had dredged up all the buried trauma of the creeper attack.
  30. grisly
    shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
    I couldn’t shake the roar of the blast, the pain of my wounds, the grisly images of meat and cowhide and…
  31. euphoric
    characterized by a feeling of well-being or elation
    “Frrph,” snorted Moo, dampening my euphoric mood.
  32. mull
    reflect deeply on a subject
    It was a theory I’d been mulling over for some time, and now felt confident enough to express.
  33. quip
    make jokes or witty remarks
    “How can you judge me,” I quipped, turning back for the bunker, “when all you live on is free food!”
  34. arcane
    requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
    Every day filled my pack with more mineral wealth: coal, iron, and even that arcane redstone.
  35. confound
    be confusing or perplexing to
    While the last substance still confounded me, the first two kept my furnace humming.
  36. vanquish
    defeat in a competition, race, or conflict
    I fixed my armor, my tools, even my worn-out bow by combining it with the other worn-out bow I’d gotten from a vanquished skeleton.
  37. deduce
    conclude by reasoning
    It was a pile of little gray granules, and it didn’t take a chemistry lab to deduce what they were.
  38. conventional
    in accord with a tradition accepted from the past
    I pivoted to see the arrow’s owner, and since there was only one skeleton, I decided on a conventional charge.
  39. demeanor
    the way a person behaves toward other people
    Moo might not have been the most stimulating of conversationalists, but her steady, even demeanor was a tonic for my nerves.
  40. muse
    reflect deeply on a subject
    “Change with it,” I said softly, then mused, “If this world’s just made the monsters tougher to fight, maybe it’s given me new ways to fight them!”
Created on Sat Aug 24 09:41:40 EDT 2024 (updated Sun Aug 25 14:50:38 EDT 2024)

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